ASSAM

• Assam, Meghalaya yet to achieve 100% household electrification

• The country on the year-end achieved 100% household electrification in 25 states. But Assam, along with Meghalaya, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, are still away from the finish line.

• According to a government statement, about 10.48 lakh households are still left to be electrified in these four states.

• Assam tops the list with 5,47,309 un-electrified households followed by Rajasthan where 2,67,07 households still need to be electrified. Meghalaya has 1,08,353 households awaiting electrification. Chhattisgarh has 35,000 still left to be electrified.

• The Centre launched ‘Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana’ (Saubhagya) in September, 2017, to achieve the goal of universal household electrification in the country by March 31 this year. The scheme envisages to provide last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining households in rural as well as urban areas. The centre with the support of state power departments and DISCOMs have already connected about 2.39 crore households since launch of scheme.

• In Assam, Dhubri has the highest number of households waiting to be electrified, According to the Saubhagya dashboard, 44,152 households are still left in Dhubri district followed by Nagaon where 40,464 are yet to be electrified. Similarly 40,147 households are left to be electrified in Tinsukia district. 

  INTERNATIONAL

   

   

  ·        Bangladesh’s PM Hasina wins third straight

   

  • Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasinahas secured her third consecutive term, with her alliance winning 287 of the 298 seats for which results have been declared for the 300-strong parliament.
  • The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which boycotted the 2014 poll, has won just six seats in the general election held on December 30.

   

  ·        Uzbekistan promotes 2019 as year of investment in backdrop of wider business with India

   

  • President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced 2019 as the ‘Year of Active Investment and Social Development’ in the backdrop of proposed investments from India to boost the economy of the Central Asian country, in his annual address to the Parliament.
  • The President stated that concrete measures will be taken on creating an open economy, radically improving the business environment and investment climate and reducing the state presence in the economy.
  • He stressed that investment was the driver of the economy, new technologies, advanced experience, and highly qualified specialists come with investments into all sectors and regions.

   

   

   

  NATIONAL

   

  ·        Delhi Police becomes first police force in India to digitise all malkhanas

   

  • With the launch of ‘E-Malkhana’ in the remaining 10 districts at Chinamaya Mission, the Delhi Policehas become first in country to have digitalised malkhana in Police Stations of its all districts.
  • Malkhanas are rooms for keeping seized arms and ammunition.
  • According to the release, around 3,11,600 case properties have been encrypted in digital form across all the police stations in the state.

   

  ·        Sports Ministry embarks Rs 100 cr for funding athletes under TOPS

   

  • The Sports Ministry has earmarked Rs 100 crorefor the funding of athletes under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) for their preparations for 2020 Olympics, according to Sports Authority of India Director General Neelam Kapur.
  • The TOPS, which was launched in September 2014, is a flagship programme of the sports ministry to provide financial assistance to potential Olympic medal winners.
  • Athletes have also been given financial assistance to prepare for Commonwealth Gamesand Asian Games under the TOPS.

   

  ·        Transgenders can file sexual harassment case under IPC

   

  • Delhi High Courthas allowed that Section 354A of Indian Penal Code (IPC) can be used by transgenders to register complaints of sexual harassment.
  • According to the police, there was a lack of an appropriate penal section under which they could register such a complaint.

   

  ·        Government doubles export incentives for onion farmers to 10 percent

   

  • Government has doubled the export incentives for onion farmers from existing 5 percentto 10 percent.
  • This is the result of steep drops in recent weeks in the prices for onions, a staple food in India.
  • The export incentive for fresh Onions was zero before July, 2018. During July this year, the incentives were introduced at the rate of five percent. The Ministry said, now, with the current increase, Onions enjoy one of the highest incentives for Agro-exports.

   

   

  ·        NHRC launches toll free helpline 14433 facility to file complaint through CSC

   

  • National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)launched a toll-free number 14433 and a facility to file complaints through Common Service Center (CSC).
  • The toll-free number is 14433 and has been unveiled by Justice (retd.) H.L.Dattu, Chairperson of NHRC at the headquarters of the body, Manav Adhikar Bhawan.
  • People can now send their complaints related to human rights violation through both the toll-free number and CSCs, although the toll-free number will only be available during office hours.
  • A collaboration between NHRC and CSC has been formed and the service has been provided to 750 CSCs with at least one in each district. Secretary-General of NHRC.