1. 38th Ministerial Meeting of India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission
Tags: International Relations Important Days
The 38th Ministerial Meeting of the India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission was held in New Delhi on August 25, 2022.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The Indian delegation was chaired by Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the Bangladesh delegation was led by Minister of State for Water Resources Zaheed Farooq.
The two countries discussed a wide range of issues related to Ganga, Teesta and several smaller rivers during the meeting.
The two sides also discussed the exchange of data and information related to floods, river-bank conservation works, general basin management and India's river interlinking project.
Bangladesh requested for the early completion of the long pending Teesta water sharing treaty.
Both sides also finalised a draft Memorandum of Understanding to share the waters of the Kushiyara River on an interim basis.
Both sides welcomed the finalization of the design of the Feni River Water Drawing Site and its technical infrastructure to meet the drinking water requirements of Sabroom Town in Tripura.
It is noteworthy that a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the two countries in this regard in October 2019.
This meeting was held after a gap of 12 years
Rivers between India and Bangladesh :
India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers.
All are part of the drainage system of the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) basin.
The Padma (Ganga), Jamuna (Brahmaputra) and Meghna (Barak) and their tributaries play an important role in maintaining food and water security in Bangladesh.
The dispute between India and Bangladesh regarding water resource allocation dates back to the time when Bangladesh was East Pakistan.
In 1961, India began construction of the Farakka Barrage which was to be operational by April 1975.
When India began its preliminary planning for the project, Pakistan expressed concerns over the potential effect of the project on East Pakistan.
Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) :
It was constituted in 1972 between India and Bngladesh.
It is a bilateral mechanism to address issues of mutual interest on common / border / transboundary rivers.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
About Kushiyara River :
It is a distributary river in Bangladesh and Assam.
The water of Kushiyara drains into tributaries from Manipur, Mizoram and Assam.
2. India nominates GARBA to be inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list
Tags: National National News
India has nominated the dance form Garba to be inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- After including 'Durga Puja' in UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage last year, India has now nominated 'Garba' dance for 2022.
India was selected by UNESCO in July 2022 to serve on the Specialized Intergovernmental Committee on the 2003 Convention for the Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.
India received 110 votes from 155 state parties making the selection final.
Garba Dance :
It is a type of Indian dance usually performed on festivals and other special occasions in the state of Gujarat, India.
Traditionally this nine day Hindu festival is performed during Navratri.
It is a dance performed by women around it by filling an earthen pot, called a garbo, with water.
A betel nut and silver coin are kept inside the pot, which is called Kumbh. A coconut is placed on top of it.
The dancing women move round the pot and a singer and a dholak or tabla player give the music.
'Garba' is born according to a lamp, which is called Garbhadeep, which means the lamp placed inside the pot.
India's 'Intangible Cultural Heritage' recognized by UNESCO :
(1) Tradition of Vedic chanting (3) Ramlila, traditional performance of Ramayana (3) Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatre (4) Ramman, religious festivals and rituals of the Garhwal Himalayas, India (5) Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala (6) Kalbelia Folk Songs and Dances of Rajasthan (7) Chhau Dance (8) Buddhist Chanting of Ladakh: Recitation of Sacred Buddhist Scriptures in the Ladakh Region of the Himalayas, Jammu and Kashmir, India (9) Sankirtana, Traditional Singing, Nagade of Manipur and dance (10) Brass and copper utensils made by Thathers of Punjab (11) Yoga (12) Navroz, (13) Kumbh Mela (14) Durga Puja, Kolkata.
UNESCO was established in the year 1945 to develop the "intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind" in the form of lasting peacekeeping.
UNESCO officially recognizes sites of cultural and natural importance as World Heritage.
India has a total of 40 Tangible Heritage Heritage Sites (31 Cultural, 8 Natural and 1 Mixed) and 14 Intangible Cultural Heritages recognized by UNESCO.
3. Centre bars 13 states from power exchange over dues
Tags: National Economy/Finance
Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO), the national grid operator under the Ministry of Power, has barred 12 states and one Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir from buying/selling electricity due to non-payment of dues.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- These states include Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Manipur and Mizoram.
This is the first time that the grid operator has invoked the Electricity (Delay Payment Surcharge and Related Matters) Rules, 2022, to not allow discoms to buy power from alternative short-term sources.
The total outstanding dues of non-payment discoms is Rs 5,000 crore, of which Telangana has the highest dues of Rs 1,380 crore.
Under the new Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) rules, it will be implemented from August 19.
As per the LPS rule, if the discoms do not clear the pending dues to Genco within seven months, their power exchange is suspended.
Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) :
It is a wholly owned Government of India Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, Gov of India.
Earlier it was a wholly owned subsidiary of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID).
It was set up in March 2009 to handle the power management functions of PGCIL.
It is responsible for ensuring the integrated operation of the grid in a reliable, efficient and safe manner.
It consists of 5 Regional Load Despatch Centers and one National Load Despatch Center (NLDC).
4. Asia's oldest football tournament Durand Cup begins on 16 August
Tags: Sports News
The 131st season of the Durand Cup football tournament will be held in several cities across West Bengal, Assam and Manipur for the first time from August 16, 2022.
Important facts
This year the tournament has increased from 16 to 20 teams in which apart from 11 ISL clubs, 5 clubs from I-League and 4 teams from Armed Forces will also take part.
The third oldest football tournament in the world and the oldest in Asia, the Durand Cup was first held in Dagshai (Himachal Pradesh) in the year 1888.
Mohun Bagan and East Bengal are the most successful teams in the history of Durand Cup having won it sixteen times.
In the previous edition of the tournament, Goa won their maiden Durand Cup title by defeating Mohammedan Sporting 1–0.
131st Durand Cup
The tournament will have a total of 47 games, with Guwahati and Imphal hosting 10-10-game matches of both Group C and Group D.
All the seven knockout games will be held at three venues in West Bengal.
The inaugural pool matches will begin from 16 August at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (VYBK) Stadium in Kolkata.
The matches will be held on August 17 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati and on August 18 at the Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal.
The tournament will culminate with the Grand Finale to be held at VYBK on 18 September 2022.
Groups of the tournament
Group A - FC Goa, Mohammedan Sporting, Bengaluru FC, Jamshedpur FC, Indian Air Force
Group B - ATK Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mumbai City FC, Rajasthan United, Indian Navy
Group C - Chennaiyin FC, Hyderabad FC, NEROCA, TRAU, Army Red
Group D - Kerala Blasters, NorthEast United, Odisha FC, Sudeva Delhi FC, Army Green
5. Manipur Assembly adopts resolutions to set up population commission
Tags: State News
The Manipur Assembly on August 5 passed a resolution to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and set up a State Population Commission (SPC).
Important facts
The resolutions were moved by JD(U) MLA Jaikishan on the last day of the budget session of the state assembly.
He claimed that the population in the hilly areas of the state increased by 153.3 per cent between 1971 and 2001, and rose to 250.9 per cent between 2002 and 2011.
He said that the areas of the Valley also recorded a population growth of 94.8 percent from 1971 to 2001 and about 125 percent from 2001 to 2011.
What is the National Register of Citizens (NRC)?
NRC is the register which contains the details of all Indian citizens. It was prepared after the census of 1951.
The register contained the details of all the persons enumerated during that census.
Till now in India, NRC has been implemented only in Assam, which includes the names of only those Indians who have been living in Assam before March 25, 1971.
NRC is implemented in only those states from where citizens of other countries enter India.
The NRC report tells who is an Indian citizen and who is not.
Some people migrated from Assam to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during the partition of India-Pakistan in 1947, but their land was in Assam and people's movement from both sides continued even after partition.
Due to which the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was prepared in the year 1951.
The Indian government had announced plans to implement the NRC in the rest of the country in 2021, but it has not been implemented yet.
6. ICMR starts new initiative in northeast
Tags: National News
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on 4 August inaugurated the Foodborne Pathogen Survey Network (ICMR-FoodNet) in the northeastern States of India.
Important facts
This latest initiative is part of the project launched by ICMR in 2020.
The Integrated Task Force Project coordinates various operations, monitors outbreaks of foodborne enteric disease, and conducts intensive systematic laboratory-based surveillance in four north-eastern Indian states in collaboration with research and medical institutions and the food sectors.
The project also includes assessment of disease burden, detection of specific pathogens responsible for outbreaks, and documentation of antimicrobial resistance patterns among intestinal bacteria.
Foodborne Pathogen Survey Network (ICMR-FoodNet)
FoodNet determines the incidence of laboratory-diagnosed infections for bacterial pathogens typically transmitted through food.
It provides a foundation for food safety policy and prevention efforts.
It estimates the number of foodborne illnesses, tracks the incidence of specific foodborne illnesses over time, and disseminates information.
Northeast India
Northeast India comprises seven states : Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.
The northeast is bordered by Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh with a total length of over 2000 km and is connected to the rest of India by a narrow 20 km wide corridor of land.
Northeast India is also known as the “Seven Sisters”.
7. Kerala tops in 2021 Assembly Sittings
Tags: National News
According to PRS Legislative Research (PRS), Kerala, which slipped to eighth place in the state assembly sittings in 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, ranks first in 2021.
Important facts
The Kerala Legislative Assembly met for 61 days in 2021, the highest for any state.
Kerala's performance in 2021 was impressive as the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in this year was higher as compared to the year 2000.
Between 2016 and 2019, Kerala had the distinction of being at the top with an average sitting of 53 days.
The state legislature, Kerala (Left Democratic Front in power since May 2016) promulgated 144 ordinances, the highest in the country last year.
Ordinances are promulgated by governments to take immediate action on any urgent matter during the intervening period of two sessions of the legislature.
Other states
Kerala was followed by Odisha - 43 days, Karnataka - 40 days and Tamil Nadu - 34 days.
Sittings in 28 state legislatures and one union territory legislature took place for less than 20 days.
Of them, five - Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Delhi Vidhan Sabhas - met for less than 10 days.
The figures for Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Punjab were 17, 16 and 11 respectively.
Andhra Pradesh with 20 ordinances and Maharashtra with 15 followed Kerala, wherein Bills replacing 33 ordinances became Acts.
Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh also issued ordinances to give effect to budget proposals.
Education was 21% among the subjects covered in the bills passed in 2021, followed by taxation - 12%, local government - 10%, and land and law and order - 4%.
The minimum sitting rule
Manipur, Odisha, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh have laid down a minimum number of sitting days through the Rules of Procedure, varying from 40 days in Punjab to 90 days in Uttar Pradesh.
The minimum sitting should be 60 days as per the conduct of business of Karnataka Government in the State Legislature Act.
8. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma unveils 131st Durand Cup trophy
Tags: State News Sports News
Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister, Assam, unveiled the three Durand Cup trophies in a glittering ceremony at Guwahati on 21st July.
Important facts
Three trophies of the 134-year-old Durand Cup, Asia's oldest football tournament, were unveiled.
The tournament will be held for the first time in Assam's Guwahati from August 17 to September 4.
As part of the trophy tour involving five cities, Guwahati, the venue of 10 Group D games, was chosen as the first stop.
It will see participation of 20 teams from across the country including 11 ISL teams.
The matches of the tournament will be held at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati.
Apart from Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal and Kishor Bharati Kridangan in Kolkata in West Bengal and Naihati Stadium in North 24-Parganas district will host the matches.
The three trophies, the Durand Cup (a rolling trophy and the original prize), the Shimla Trophy (a rolling trophy and first given by the residents of Shimla in 1904) and the President’s Cup (for permanent keep and first presented by Dr Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President in 1956) are on a five-city tour.
It was flagged off from Kolkata on July 19, 2022 and will be the first time the host will leave for Imphal in Manipur after being in Guwahati for two days.
131st Durand Cup
There will be a total of 47 games in this tournament, with both Guwahati and Imphal hosting 10-games of group C and group D each.
All the seven knockout games will be held at three venues in West Bengal.
The inaugural pool matches will begin from 16 August at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Kreerangan (VYBK) Stadium in Kolkata.
The matches will be held on August 17 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati and on August 18 at the Khuman Lampakh Stadium in Imphal.
The tournament will culminate with the Grand Finale to be held at VYBK on 18 September 2022.
About Durand Cup
The tournament was started in 1888 under the leadership of Sir Henry Durand, a renowned Indian civil servant and Foreign Secretary of India.
It was first held in Shimla.
The most successful teams are East Bengal and Mohun Bagan with 16 wins each.
BSF comes in third place with 7 wins.
9. NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index 2021 -Karnataka, Manipur and Chandigarh on Top
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index (third edition) released on 21 July by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery.
Important facts
Karnataka has topped the India Innovation Index.
Telangana and Haryana are second and third in the ranking, respectively.
Karnataka has again topped the 'Major States' category.
Manipur tops the category of 'Northeast and Hill States' followed by Uttarakhand and Meghalaya.
Chandigarh tops the 'Union Territories' category, followed by Delhi.
Why is Karnataka on top in the ranking?
Karnataka tops the list for attracting FDI and having a large number of venture capital deals.
Karnataka is also the top 'performer' in terms of information and communication technology exports and Geographical Indication registration.
What is the India Innovation Index?
The Index is released by NITI Aayog and the Institute for Competitiveness every year.
It is a comprehensive tool for the evaluation and development of the country’s innovation ecosystem.
The first and second editions were launched in 2019 and 2021 respectively.
Under this, the states and union territories are ranked on their innovation performance to create healthy competition among them.
This time 66 indicators have been included as compared to 36 indicators used in the previous edition.
Significance of the Index
The latest report is based on the framework of the Global Innovation Index (GII), which strengthens the scope of innovation analysis in the country.
Innovation is at the forefront of India's 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives.
By emphasizing on innovation, India can increase its manufacturing and develop its export competitiveness.
It showcases the innovative capabilities of the states, highlights their strengths and weaknesses.
10. NE region witness more than 85 pc export growth in last six years
Tags: Economy/Finance
The export of agricultural products to the North-East region has increased by more than 85 percent in the last six years.
Important facts
According to the Commerce and Industry Ministry the export has reached over 17 million dollars in 2021-22 from 2.52 million dollar in 2016-17.
The major destinations of exports have been Bangladesh, Bhutan, Middle East, UK and European countries.
There has been a significant increase in the export of agricultural products from the northeastern states like Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Meghalaya.
In the last three years, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Development and Authority (APEDA) has conducted 136 capacity building programs on export awareness in different parts of the North Eastern Region.
APEDA organized a conference on Export Potential of Natural, Organic and Geographical Indications (GI) agricultural products in Guwahati on 24 June.
India's North-East region
The North Eastern Region (NER) comprises eight States - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
The North Eastern region of India is a landlocked region with no access to the sea.
It is geographically isolated from the rest of India and is connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land called the Siliguri Corridor (Chicken’s Neck).
Sikkim - the ‘Brother’ of the Seven Sisters
Assam- World’s largest ‘Tea Producer’
Manipur- Jewel of India
Arunachal Pradesh- Land of Rising Sun
Meghalaya- Scotland of India
Tripura- the most ‘Literate’ in the Northeast around 95% Literacy rate
Mizoram- Molasses Basin
Sikkim- Sparsely Populated, the only state having world’s largest ‘Kanchenjunga Mountain’
Nagaland- famous for Mon’s Ethnicity
