11.07.19 Assam (APSC) Daily Current Affairs

by

ASSAM

 

  • Mapping of State forests to begin this month
  • To consolidate the forest boundaries, a third party mapping of the reserve forest areas in the State would begin this month.

 

  • The forest department hopes to complete the mapping of seven divisions of upper Assam within this year. The responsibility of the agencies will be up to fixing the boundary pillars. The mapping will be done using modern technology, including satellite imagery as well as field verification.

 

  • The forest department wants to digitize the boundaries, though use of GPS coordinates and field survey.

 

  • There are 312 reserve forests (RFs) and 145 proposed reserve forests (PRFs). While even the RFs are facing the brunt of encroachment and tree felling, the government is sitting on the proposal to notify the PRFs for the last several decades and a lot of developmental activities have taken place within them. Sources said even the forest staff is not aware of the boundary of the reserve forests at places.

 

  • A total of 3,641.45 sq km of reserve forest land, 39.71 sq km of national parks and 100.37 sq km of wildlife sanctuaries are under encroachment in the State.

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL

  • World Population Day: 11 July

 

  • World Population Day is observed annually on 11 July.

 

  • The day was established by the governing council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989.

 

  • The day is meant to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues.

 

  • India to host 14th Conference of Parties

 

  • India is set to host the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP) from September 02 to 13 as confirmed by Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar.

 

  • The global conference will be hosted at India Expo Mart Limited in Greater Noida.

 

  • As many as 197 countries are expected to participate in the conference.

 

 

NATIONAL

  • New Delhis Connaught Place is the nineth most expensive office location in the world

 

  • According to the report titled, “Global Prime Office Occupancy Costs survey”
    The annual report is done by CBRE.

 

  • It is an American real estate consulting firm New Delhi’s Connaught Place (CP) is the 9th most expensive office location in the world.

 

  • It has an annual rent of nearly $144 per sq ft. 6 of the world’s 10 most expensive office markets.

 

  • For the second consecutive year, Hong Kong central District retained the top position.

 

  • CBRE highlighted that six of the world’s 10 most expensive office markets are found in Asia.

 

  • The London (West End) is ranked 2nd followed by Hong Kong (Kowloon) and New York (Midtown Manhattan).

 

  • Beijing’s (Finance Street) is at the fifth position on the list.

 

  • Indias first elephant rehabilitation centre will be set up at Keralas Kottoor

 

  • India’s first elephant rehabilitation centre will be set up by the Kerala State Government
  • It is in its ecotourism village of Kottoor.Rs.105 crore.
  • The project is launched by Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan.
  • At present, the center has only 15 elephants
  • It will be increased once work has been completed.
  • The centre will have an elephant museum, mahout training centre, super-specialty hospital, a retirement home and crematorium for the animals, will house orphaned, injured and older elephants.
  • The centre spread over 65 hectares of natural forests start an elephant safari and other activities to attract tourists.

 

  • States asked to construct model detention centres

 

  • Faced with criticism on the condition of detention centres, the Centre has directed the states to construct model detention centres, detailing the facilities that should be made available there.

 

  • Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand said that the powers of the Central government under the Foreigners Act, 1946 to detect, detain and deport illegal migrants have been entrusted to the state governments under Article 258(1) of the Constitution of India.

 

  • The states are required to keep the illegal migrants in detention centres pending their nationality verification and subsequent deportation.

 

  • Centre says no foreign government or organisation has any right to repeal Article 370

 

  • Parliament questioned the Centre whether it willrepeal Articles 370 and 35A if it seems to violate any United Nations regulation or any international obligation of the country.
  • Centre replied to Parliament that no foreign governmentor organisation has any right to repeal Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. It said so because any matter related to the Constitution of India are internal and only for the Indian Parliament to deal with. J&K is an integral part of India.

 

Gk bit: Article 370

 

  • Article 370 provided six special provisions for Jammu and Kashmir:

1) The State is allowed to have its own Constitution.
2) The Central legislative powers over the State were limited to the three subjects of defence, foreign affairs and communications.
3) Only with the concurrence of the State Government, other constitutional powers of Indian Government could be extended to the State.
4) The concurrence was only provisional. The State’s Constituent Assembly should ratify the provision.
5) Until the State Constituent Assembly was formed, the State Government was given authority to give concurrence. Once the State Constituent Assembly finalised the scheme of powers and dispersed, no further extension of powers was possible.
6) Only if the State’s Constituent Assembly aprroves the Article 370, it could be repealed or amended.

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