Current Affairs November 2019 - Regional

1 - Kerala Governor inaugurated Ayurveda summit

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan inaugurated the 3^rd edition of Global Ayurveda Summit 2019 in Kochi. Around 400 industry leaders and delegates from SAARC, GCC and African countries witnessed the 2 day summit. It was organized by Confederation of Indian Industry based on theme “Mainstreaming Ayurveda through Startups, Innovation and Branding”.

Global Ayurveda Summit 2019 discussed the importance of Ayurveda that has still not gained recognition as a legal healthcare system in many parts of the world. The demand for Ayurveda known as ancient medicine treatment is increasing worldwide.

2 - Punjab Cabinet passed unanimous resolution to institute Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Award

Punjab State Cabinet passed a unanimous resolution to institute Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Award for Promotion of Peace and Interfaith Understanding, in commemoration of the 550^th Prakash Purb of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The award would carry a citation and a cash prize of 11 lakh rupees.

This coveted award would be given each year and would be adjudicated by a jury to be notified by the State Government.

3 - Union Territory of Ladakh gets Regional Centre of Institute to study Himalayan Ecology

Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Mr Prakash Javadekar approved the proposal of setting-up of a New Regional Centre of the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development (GBPIHED) at Ladakh. GBPIHED has five existing centres at Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and New Delhi.

GBPIHED caters to environment management, conservation of natural resources and policies for sustainable development of communities in the Indian Himalayan Region. The new centre in Ladhak will promote alternative and innovative livelihoods for climate change vulnerable cold-desert communities.

4 - Odisha tagged with Maharashtra under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

Odisha has been tagged with Maharashtra under the Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat initiative of Government of India to organize different programmes to promote art, culture and tourism of their respective states. Accordingly, a large contingent of Maharashtra will be hosted by Bhubaneswar (Odisha capital) to showcase the culture and art of Maharashtra.

Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat is an initiative of Government of India to pay tribute to Sardar Patel. This programme is giving a boost to the existing cultural connect between different parts of the country and enhancing interaction between people living in different states.

5 - Madhya Pradesh athletes playing at national level to get insurance cover

The Madhya Pradesh sports department has decided to extend insurance cover to all players representing the state at the national level. Madhya Pradesh is the first state to provide insurance cover to its players.

At present, 822 student players are covered under medical, accident and life insurance policy. This will benefit the players who, due to poor financial conditions, fail to get proper treatment in case of injuries during competitions or practice sessions. The sports department will provide 2 lakh rupees medical cover and 5 lakh rupees for life and accidental insurance.

6 - Gujarat government gave nod for world’s first CNG port terminal at Bhavnagar

The Government of Gujarat has given its nod to the world’s first CNG port terminal at Bhavnagar. U.K. based Foresight group and Mumbai based Padmanabh Mafatlal group joint venture will invest Rs.1900 crore to set up a CNG port terminal at Bhavnagar port. Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board- GIDB has also approved this proposal.

The proposed CNG port terminal will have annual capacity of 6 million matric tone, which will increase the total handling capacity of the port to 9 million matric tones.

7 - Rising Himachal: Global Investor's Meet 2019 in Dharamshala

The State Government of Himachal Pradesh organized Rising Himachal 2019: Global Investors meet in Dharamshala. The event showcased the policy and regulatory environment, investment opportunities in eight focus sectors to boost manufacturing and employment generation in the State. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the event.

The eight focus sectors were agri-business and post-harvest technology, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, tourism and hospitality, civil aviation, hydro and renewable energy, wellness, healthcare and AYUSH, housing and urban development, IT-ITeS and electronics, education and skill development.

8 - Odisha government signed pact with Tech Mahindra for skill upgradation

Tech Mahindra Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with College of Engineering and Technology (CET), Bhubaneswar to set up a Center of Excellence (CoE) within the college campus to train young graduates in the field of Artificial Intelligence.

The collaboration outlines the Government’s objective to upskill young students by familiarising them with new-age technologies like AI and equipping them with the knowledge of applying these technologies in everyday life. The initiative is aimed at fostering a growth ecosystem that will positively impact the economy and lives of people in Odisha.

9 - Mysuru, Karnataka organised International Conference on Yoga

Ministry of AYUSH organised the International Conference on Yoga at Mysuru, Karnataka. The theme of the conference was ‘Yoga for Heart Care’. More than 700 national and international delegates participated in the conference. The Pre-conference events included Yoga walk, mass Yoga demonstration, CME program meet to project the health benefits of Yoga and healthy lifestyle.

This conference was the fifth in the series to commemorate the unanimous adoption of Resolution by the United Nations General Assembly during its 69^th Session for observing 21^st June as International Day of Yoga.

10 - DSEJ launched special enrollment drive under 'Aao School Chalein'

The Directorate of School Education (DSEJ) in Jammu has launched a special enrollment drive under the banner 'Aao School Chalein' for increasing the enrollment in government schools. The special enrollment drive would be conducted across all the villages and catchment areas of the government schools, under the supervision of chief education officers of all the districts of Jammu Division.

Apart from enrollment, the drive is also focussed to strengthen pre-schooling of children in the age group of 3 to 5 years.

11 - Assam government to start Arundhati gold scheme by January 2020

The Assam government will start Arundhati gold scheme by January 2020 for the registered newly married couples. Under the scheme, an amount of Rs 30,000 will be given to the bride to purchase gold. The scheme is aimed to promote marriage registrations and prevent under-age marriages in the state.

The annual income of the bride and her father should not be more than 5 lakh rupees per year to get the benefit. The minimum age of the bride and groom should be above 18 and 21 years to avail the benefit under the scheme.

12 - J&K: Administration launched second phase of ‘Back to Village programme’

The Jammu and Kashmir administration launched the second phase of ‘Back to Village Programme’ from 25^th to 30^th November. The flagship programme was aimed at empowerment and development of Panchayats. Under the programme's second phase Rs 5 crore has been released to each district.

The B2V ensures the functionality of Panchayats in terms of manpower, 100% coverage of beneficiary oriented schemes and doubling of income of rural people by giving the impetus to the rural economy. The first phase of B2V programme was launched in June.

13 - National Health Mission Jammu & Kashmir launched BMEWMP programme in J&K, Ladakh

National Health Mission Jammu & Kashmir has launched the Bio-Medical Equipment Waste Management Programme (BMEWMP) in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The program is designed in a way that the equipments in the district level health care facility will have an uptime of 95%, in sub-district hospital 90% and in PHC 80%.

The program is valid for 5 years. The service provider is responsible for mapping the entire inventory of equipment in healthcare facilities and has to repair the faulty equipment in all the health care institutes of J&K and Ladakh within 4 months.

14 - Yediyurappa inaugurated three-day Bengaluru Tech Summit

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S.Yediyurappa inaugurated the three-day Bengaluru Tech Summit. The tech summit is being organised for the last two decades to showcase the prowess and skill in the field of information technology. The summit witnessed more than 250 exhibitors, 3,500 delegates, 200 speakers, 34-panel discussions and 12,000 visitors.

The IT event mainly focussed on Artificial Intelligence, Cyber- Security, Space and Drone Revolutions, Electric vehicles, 5G, Genomics, Trends in Agriculture.

15 - UP government launched e-Ganna app, web portal

Uttar Pradesh government has launched a dedicated web portal and a mobile application, e-Ganna App, for sugarcane farmers of the state. Cane supply slip will now be issued to the farmers by sugar mills online.

The web portal and e-Ganna App will help in eradicating cane mafia and middleman and strengthen cane development societies. The portal and the App will ensure transparency in the process of getting slips, and facilitate sugarcane supply by farmers to mills and check irregularities.

16 - Assam launched Sishu Suraksha APP

The Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has launched a mobile app Sishu Suraksha on the occasion of Children’s Day. The Assam State Commision for Protection of Child Rights excercised the powers and functions mandated under the Commission for protection of Child Rights Act 2005 (CPCR Act, 2005)

The purpose of the app is to empower citizens to take moral responsibility of protecting children. The app can be used by anyone in the state to lodge a complaint which will be directly registered at Commission.

17 - Uttarakhand launched a virtual classroom project

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat launched a virtual classroom project that will connect 500 secondary schools to virtual classrooms and these virtual classes will be attended through video conferences. This will not only help to the schools facing a shortage of teachers but also to the students who can meet the teacher on a real-time basis and ask questions.

Around 1.90 lakh students of 500 government-run secondary schools in the state will benefit from the project.

18 - International cherry blossom festival 2019 celebrated in Shillong, Meghalaya

Shillong's 4^th India International Cherry Blossom Festival 2019 was celebrated in Shillong, Meghalaya. It is to celebrate unique autumn flowering of Himalayan Cherry Blossoms. Republic of Korea was partner country and several events were organised in festival such as K-Pop concert and K-cuisine stall that exhibits on opportunities on Education in South Korea, in collaboration with the Korean Cultural Centre India.

Visitors witnessed fashion shows, rock concerts, a beauty pageant, Golf Tournament and stalls showcasing the region’s food, wine and crafts.

19 - Andhra Pradesh government launched ‘Nadu-Nedu’ scheme

In order to transform the government schools in the state into vibrant and competitive institutions, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the ‘Nadu-Nedu’ programme to introduce English medium from classes 1 to 6 in state-run schools.

Scheme will be implemented in 2 phases, costing a total budget of Rs 12,000 crores. Rs 3,500 crores will be spent for infrastructure development in initial phase. Scheme will be implemented in 15,715 schools in the first phase.

20 - Suranga Bawadi selected for World Monument Watch list 2020

Karnataka’s Suranga Bawadi was selected under the “Ancient Water System of the Deccan Plateau” category of World Monument Watch List for 2020, by the New York-based non-governmental organisation. Suranga Bawadi is an integral part of the ancient Karez system of supplying water through subterranean tunnels built during Adil Shahi era in Vijayapura. Suranga Bawadi has been receiving funds for restoration process.

World Monuments Fund is an NGO that monitors restoration of ancient monuments across the globe.

21 - “Bali Yatra” festival organised in Cuttack, Odisha

The festival 'Bali Yatra' which is organised every year in memory of the rich maritime history of the state, was inaugurated in Cuttack, Odisha. It is organised at the bank of Mahanadi River every year to mark the day when ancient mariners from the state would set sail to the distant land of Bali, Sumatra, Java (Jawa) in Indonesia, Borneo and Sri Lanka, for the expansion of trade and Culture.

Various traditional items, household craft, food items from the state and outside the state were showcased at the event.

22 - Kolkata became first city to install ‘Third Umpire’ RT-PCR Machines

In a major step towards upholding public health, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has installed first of its kind high-end reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) machines in India for quick detection of diseases like dengue and tuberculosis .

These machines will act as ‘third umpire’ in situations when medical reports and blood tests reveal contradictory results. Four machines have been installed in the initial stages in North Kolkata and through these machines, tests will be conducted free of cost.

23 - International Lavi fair organised in Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatraya inaugurated the four-day long International Lavi fair at Rampur town, on the banks of River Satluj for preserving the rich cultural heritage of state. Internationally recognized 400 years old Lavi fair has been an important trade fair between India and Tibet for centuries.

A three-day horse trade-cum-exhibition was organized and various folk artists performed at the event. The main attraction during the fair every year is the sale and purchase of Chamurthi horses - an endangered species known as the 'ship of the cold desert'.

24 - Sanskrit World Conference organised in New Delhi

The first ever Sanskrit Bharati Vishwa Sammelan or Sanskrit World Conference was organised in New Delhi. Thousands of Sanskrit lovers from 17 countries attended Sanskrit Bharati Vishwa Sammelan, the three-day mega event. The first-of-its-kind global conference to promote Sanskrit language was organised by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) joint general secretary Suresh Soni.

Sanskrit is a language of ancient India with a 3,500-year history.Sanskrit is the classical language of Indian and the liturgical language of Hinduism.

25 - GeM signed MoUWith Government of NCT Delhi

Government e Marketplace (GeM) has entered into an MoU, with the Government of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, in order to facilitate buyer organisations of Delhi towards a market-based procurement. The MoU will further expedite the harmonisation of the procurement guidelines of the two entities and integration of the systems, enabling seamless procuring experience.

GeM is a state-of-the-art public procurement platform that provides tools for direct purchase, bidding and reverse auction for ensuring transparent and efficient procurement.

26 - 8^th International Tourism Mart held at Imphal, Manipur

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in association with the North Eastern States is organised the “International Tourism Mart” (ITM) at Imphal, Manipur with the objective of highlighting the tourism potential of the region in the domestic and international markets. The theme of the tourism mart was “Sustainable Tourism an engine for Economic Growth and Employment”. Various exhibitions were organized and beautiful handicrafts and handlooms were displayed.

The International Tourism Marts are organised in the North Eastern States on rotation basis. Manipur is hosting this mart for the second time.

27 - 50^th annual Conference of Governors held in Delhi

Prime Minister addressed the inaugural session of the 50^th Conference of Governors in Delhi. Conference provided an opportunity for Governors and Lt. Governors to exchange views and learn from each other’s experiences as well as to adopt international best practices best suited to each state and union territory’s distinct and diverse needs and requirements.

Prime Minister urged the Governors to work towards upliftment of the under privileged sections of the population, including the scheduled tribes, minority communities and utilizing the existing schemes and initiatives.

28 - 'Destination North East' festival organised in Varanasi

4-day 'Destination North East' festival was organised by the Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region in Varanasi to offer an opportunity for the fusion of the two rich cultures of Ganga and Brahmaputra, represented by Varanasi and North East respectively.

All the eight North Eastern States participated in the event along with their respective handicrafts, handloom, organic products and cultural troupes. North East culture was showcased on the banks of Ganga. The festival provided an opportunity to create awareness and the people learnt about the rich culture of North East.

29 - India’s first largest biotechnology conference held in Delhi

India’s first largest biotechnology conference the Global Bio-India (GBI) Summit, 2019 was organized in Delhi. The three-day event was organized by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council.

The Summit provided an opportunity to showcase the potential of India’s biotech sector to the international community, identify, create opportunities and deliberate on the key challenges in the areas of Bio-pharma, Bio-Agri, Bio-Industrial, Bio-Energy and Bio-Services and allied sectors.Biotechnology is recognized as the sunrise sector- a key driver for contributing to India’s USD 5 Trillion economy target by 2025.

30 - Kerala banned manufacturing, sale & storage of single-use plastic from January 1 2020

In Kerala, the manufacture, sale and storage of one-time-use plastic items will be banned from 1^st of January 2020. Plastic carry bags, plastic sheets, cooling films, plastic plates, cups, thermocol and Styrofoam-based items and others will be covered under the ban.

A fine of 10,000 rupees will be slapped on manufacturers, wholesalers and small traders who defy the ban. If the ban is violated for the second time, the fine will be 25,000 rupees. A third violation will invite closure and a fine of 50,000 rupees.

31 - Assam government released the new Land Policy 2019 after 30 years

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal released the new Land Policy 2019 in Guwahati. The Land Policy was approved by Cabinet and it has been prepared by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department after 30 years. It was last prepared in 1989.

The state government has given a lot of emphasis in preparing the Policy to safeguard the interest of the indigenous people. The Policy would remove complications regarding land allotments and settlements.

32 - NIA hosted the first-ever counter-terrorism (CT) exercise in Delhi

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) hosted the first-ever counter-terrorism (CT) exercise for the Quad countries in New Delhi. The Quad countries included the United States (US), India, Australia, and Japan. CT (counter-terrorism) officials and security experts of the Quad countries attended the exercise to understand much better the response systems to terror incidents that exist in other member countries.

The 'CT-TTX' (counter-terrorism table-top exercise) is first such engagement among the Quad countries on regional and global issues of common interest and also in the domain of counter-terrorism and cooperation.

33 - Sangai Festival 2019 celebrated in Manipur

Every year the State of Manipur celebrates the “Manipur Sangai Festival” from 21^st to 30^th November. The 'Festival' is named after the State animal, Sangai, the brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur.

The festival displayed the tourism potential of the state in the field of Arts & Culture, Handloom, Handicrafts, Indigenous Sports, Cuisine, Music and Adventure sports of the state etc. The formal inaugural function of the festival was held at Hapta Kangjeibung at Imphal. It was organized by the State Tourism Department.

34 - Nitin Gadkari inaugurated NuGen Mobility Summit-2019

Union Minister of Road Transport Nitin Gadkari inaugurated NuGen Mobility Summit-2019 at International Center of Automotive Technology (ICAT), Manesar in Haryana. The three-day conference was the largest automotive technology event. Automotive technology experts from 15 countries including India presented more than 120 technical research papers in this event. It had live test demonstrations, training sessions, panel discussion and test track demonstrations.

During the conference, future vehicle technologies such as connected mobility, autonomous vehicles, electric mobility, alternative fuels, intelligent transportation systems, hydrogen fuel cells, hydrogen IC engines, vehicle dynamics, advanced materials and laboratories were displayed.

35 - Uddhav Thackeray took oath as Maharashtra CM

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as 19^th chief minister of Maharashtra, heading an unlikely alliance with the Congress and NCP. Uddhav became the third Sena leader and first from the Thackeray family to occupy the post.

The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress formed the government after the Thackeray-led party fell out with pre-poll ally BJP over sharing the chief minister post. The BJP had won 105 seat while Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress had won 56, 54 and 44 seats respectively.