09.08.17 Assam (APSC) Current Affairs

ASSAM

Forest Dept’s bid to preserve wetlands at Jonai.

Observing the gradual destruction of forest cover and consequent degradation of bird habitat, the Dhemaji territorial forest division has taken steps to preserve the wetlands in Jonai and their scientific management.

The Dhemaji forest division has identified a vast area wetland at Rayang-Bijoypur area as suitable habitat for local aquatic birds. Located at located 9 km south-west from Jonai town, the wetland with numerous water bodies is known as fish breeding site and many winter migratory birds come to this site every year.

The forest officials have already conducted hydrological survey with GPS on the wetlands at Rayang-Bijoypur area.

Entire Assam declared as disturbed area under AFSPA for another month.

The Union Home Ministry declared entire Assam state as a disturbed area under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act for one more month.
The Home Ministry also declared 20 km belt along Meghalaya’s border areas adjoining Assam and three districts in Arunachal Pradesh.
The AFSPA continuing in Assam since November 1990. In 2016, there were 75 incidents of violence reported in Assam.

INTERNATIONAL

US submits official withdrawal from Paris climate pact

The United States has officially informed the United Nations that it will withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. But would continue to participate in UN climate change meetings during the withdrawal process.

Earlier, US had pledged as part of the Paris accord to cut US greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025 to help slow global warming.

Gk bit – Paris Climate Agreement

Paris climate agreement is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptationand finance starting in the year 2020.

196 Countries presented at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCCin Paris and adopted by consensus on 12 December 2015. As of August 2017, 195 UNFCCC members have signed the agreement, 159 of which have ratified it.

China, the United States (left now) and India, the countries with three of the four largest greenhouse gas emissionsof the signatories’ total (about 42% together).

NATIONAL

NITI Aayog announces partnership with 6 states for health, education.

NITI Aayog has selected Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Karnataka to improve healthcare delivery and key outcomes in these States. In Education, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand have been selected for support to better learning outcomes. The six States have been chosen after a rigorous competitive process based on comprehensive metrics to determine potential for impact and likelihood of success.

This three-way partnership between NITI, State Governments and a knowledge partner for each of the sectors is part of the Sustainable Action for Transforming Human Capital (SATH) initiative of NITI Aayog.

NITI Aayog has been working to foster co-operative federalism by ranking states through health, water, education, and agricultural indices. However, SATH has been launched to go beyond ranking states and to handhold them in improving their social sector indicators. SATH is a challenging and ambitious initiative as the baseline of various indicators and parameters of education and health in the States are in public domain. It defines a new dimension for cooperative federalism, where NITI Aayog and its knowledge partner will actively aid implementation of their recommendations, in addition to just policy inputs.

World’s Shortest Woman Unveils 51-Feet High Book.

The world’s shortest woman Jyoti Amge presented a 51-feet high book at a program on 6 of August.
The book Kadve Vachan is written by Jain saint Acharya Tarun Sagar Maharaj. It was unveiled by her in the presence of BJP state president Ashok Parnami.
It is theninth volume of the book written in Hindi.
Amge is considered to be the world’s shortest woman by the Guinness World Recordsat 62.8 cm.

Justice Dipak Misra set to become 45th Chief Justice of India.

The 63-year-old CJI-designate is the senior-most judge of the Supreme Courtafter Justice Khehar. He will be the third person from Odisha to be appointed the Chief Justice of India, after Justices Ranganath Misra and G B Pattanaik.

Justice J.S. Khehar, who is retiring on August 27, 2017 and Justice Mishra will have a tenure of about 14 months till October 2, 2018.

Justice Misra was elevated to the Supreme Court on October 10, 2011. He enrolled as an advocate on February 14, 1977 and appointed an Additional Judge of the Orissa High Court in 1996. After a stint in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, he became a Permanent Judge in December 1997

Justice Misra authored the landmark judgement confirming the death penalty of four convicts in the brutal Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case.

Justice Misra also hit headline when the Bench he was leading ordered for National Anthem and National Flag are featured before shows in cinema theatres across the country.

Indian Railways earned Rs.540 crore through flexi fare scheme
The Indian Railways earned an additional revenue of Rs 540 crorein less than a year through the flexible fare scheme.
This scheme launched on 09th September 2016 is applicable in Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto trains.
It is around 10 per cent of the seats to be sold at the normal fare and thereafter increasing it by 10 per cent.

Gk bit – Flexi Scheme

The Railways made changes in the flexi fare structure to attract last minute travellers and introduced a range of discounts.
The 30 per cent tatkal charges have been waived for these premium trains, a 10 per cent rebate on basic fare has been offered on vacant berths after preparation of first chart in Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duronto to lure last minute travellers, provision of tatkal quota has been reduced to 10 per cent from 30 per cent of the total berths available and there is also a provision for discounted fares for some trains.

Ankur Mittal Wins Gold Medal in Asian Shotgun Championship.

Indian shooter Ankur Mittal won the individual as well as the team Gold medal in Men’s double trap at the 7th Asian Shotgun Championship.
The Asian Shotgun Championship is held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
UAEs KhaledAlkaabi (70) won the silver in men’s double trap event and SaifAlshamsy (53) won the bronze.

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