1. Target to completely withdraw AFSPA from Assam by December 2023
Tags: State News
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that a target has been set to completely withdraw AFSPA from Assam by the end of 2023.
An Overview of the News
The government aims to address concerns of human rights violations and promote accountability and transparency.
About AFSPA:
AFSPA (Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act provides additional powers to the armed forces to maintain law and order in areas affected by insurgency and internal disturbances.
It was implemented in the northeastern states of India (Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, parts of Arunachal Pradesh) and Jammu and Kashmir.
AFSPA gives the armed forces wide powers including arrest, search and shoot on suspicion in "disturbed" areas.
Provides legal immunity to armed forces personnel for their actions during operations, making accountability for human rights violations difficult.
Aims and Objectives:
Its goal is to enable the armed forces to deal with insurgency and maintain public order in areas affected by armed insurgency or insurgency.
The Act empowers the military for preventive measures, search and arrest operations, and the use of force, including lethal force if necessary.
Challenges and Considerations:
AFSPA faces criticism for human rights violations and excessive use of force by the armed forces.
Concerns were expressed by human rights organizations regarding abuses, extrajudicial killings and torture.
Lack of accountability and transparency due to the wide powers and immunity given to the armed forces.
History:
Launched in 1958 to address the Naga insurgency in Nagaland, later expanded to other areas.
Implemented in Manipur, Assam, some areas of Arunachal Pradesh and in the east in Jammu and Kashmir.
In 2020, AFSPA was repealed in Jammu and Kashmir, which is now governed under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act.
2. MInister of State Dr L Murugan to lead delegation to Cannes Film Festival
Tags: Festivals International News
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan will lead the Indian delegation to the Cannes International Film Festival from May 16 to 27.
An overview of the news
They will also be joined by filmmaker Guneet Monga of The Elephant Whispers fame, Indian actresses Manushi Chhillar, Esha Gupta and acclaimed Manipuri actor Kangabam Tomba.
The India Pavilion is being conceptualised and designed by National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad with the theme - ‘Showcasing India’s Creative Economy’ to the global community.
The pavilion design has been inspired by the Saraswati Yantra, the abstract representation of goddess Saraswati.
Four Indian films,including Kanu Behl’s Agra and Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy, have made it to the official selection in the Cannes Film Festival.
Apart from these, many Indian films will be screened in Marche du Films.
A Manipuri film ‘Ishanhou’ will be showcased in the ‘Classics’ section.
About Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival is one of the most prestigious international film festivals held annually in Cannes, France.
History and significance
The festival was first established in 1946 and has since become a prominent event in the global film industry.
It serves as a platform for showcasing and promoting a wide range of films from different countries and cultures.
Film screenings and competitions
The festival includes various competitive sections, such as the Palme d'Or for the best film, which is one of the most coveted awards in the industry.
Impact on filmmakers and films
The Cannes Film Festival serves as a launching pad for many acclaimed films and emerging talents.
Winning an award or receiving critical acclaim at Cannes can significantly boost a filmmaker's career and bring global recognition to their work.
3. Khongjom Day: 23 April
Tags: Important Days
Khongjom Day is an annual event celebrated on 23 April to commemorate the soldiers who fought in the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891.
An Overview of the News
The event was held at Kheba Ching in Khongjom, Thoubal district of Manipur.
Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and GovernorMs. Anusuiya Uikey paid tribute to the martyrs in the programme.
The observance of Khongjom Day commemorates the sacrifices made by the people of Manipur in the fight for freedom and independence.
The Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891 took place at Khongjom and marked the beginning of colonial rule in the region.
About Manipur
Formation (as a state) - 1972
Capital and largest city - Imphal
District - 16
Governor - Anusuiya Uikey
Chief Minister -N. Biren Singh (BJP)
Legislative Assembly -Manipur Legislative Assembly (60 seats)
Rajya Sabha -1 seat
Lok Sabha - 2 seats
4. Tribal Affairs Minister launched Marketing, Logistics Development for PTP-NER scheme
Tags: State News
Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda on 18th April launched a new scheme “Marketing and Logistics Development for Promotion of Tribal Products from North -Eastern Region (PTP-NER)” for the benefit of Scheduled Tribes of Northeastern Region.
An overview of the news
The scheme has been introduced for the benefit of Scheduled Tribes of the North-Eastern Region.
The objective of the scheme is to strengthen livelihood opportunities for tribal artisans through enhanced efficiency in procurement, logistics and marketing of tribal products from North Eastern States.
The scheme will be applicable to the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
As part of this plan, there is a plan to start a panel of tribal artisans from the North Eastern Region by organizing 68 Tribal Artisan Melas in different districts of the region.
Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED)
It came into existence in 1987.
TRIFED is a national-level organisation functioning under the administrative control of the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Its Head Office is located in New Delhi and has a network of 13 Regional Offices.
It aims at socio-economic development of tribal people in the country through marketing development of tribal products.
About 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
5. Nandini Gupta crowned Femina Miss India 2023
Tags: Awards Person in news
Nandini Gupta of Rajasthan won the title of Femina Miss India World 2023.
The first runner-up of the competition was Shreya Poonja from Delhi and the second runner-up was Thounaojam Strela Luwang from Manipur.
An Overview of the News
The 59th edition of India's most prestigious pageant marked the Grand Finale of Femina Miss India World 2023 in a historic ceremony at the Indoor Stadium, Khuman Lampak, Imphal, Manipur.
Bollywood actors Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday gave a stellar performance at the Femina Miss India 2023 event.
Nandini Gupta will represent India at the 71st Miss World pageant, which is going to be held in the United Arab Emirates.
About Femina Miss India
It is a national beauty pageant held annually in India since 1952 and is organized by Femina, a women's magazine published by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.
The winner represents India in the Miss World pageant.
About Rajasthan
It is a state in northern India and is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population.
It is bordered by five other Indian states: Punjab to the north; Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the northeast; Madhya Pradesh in the southeast; and Gujarat in the southwest.
Rajasthan is also home to three national tiger reserves, Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur, Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar and Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Kota.
The state was formed on 30 March 1949 when Rajputana was merged with the Dominion of India.
Formation - 30 March 1949
Capital- Jaipur
District - 33
Governor - Kalraj Mishra
Chief Minister - Ashok Gehlot (INC)
State Legislature - Unicameral
Legislative Assembly - Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (200 seats)
Rajya Sabha - 10 seats
Lok Sabha - 25 seats
Symbol of Rajasthan
Bird - Godawan
Flowers - Rohida
Tree - Khejri
6. First AIIMS inaugurated in the Northeast at Changsari near Guwahati
Tags: State News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Changsari near Guwahati on 14th April. It is the first AIIMS in the Northeast.
An overview of the news
He announced three other medical colleges in Assam.
The three medical colleges at Nalbari, Nagaon and Kokrajhar have been built at a cost of around Rs 615 crore, Rs 600 crore and Rs 535 crore, respectively.
He also laid the foundation stone of Assam Advanced Health Care Innovation Institute (AAHII) at IIT-Guwahati
The Prime Minister also launched a healthcare scheme to provide free medical treatment of Rs 5 lakh each year to 11 million beneficiaries.
The AIIMS campus, built at a cost of Rs 1,123 crore, is a one-of-a-kind healthcare facility in the entire northeastern region.
It will have an annual intake capacity of 100 medical students every year.
The foundation stone for the institute was laid by PM Modi in 2017.
He distributed Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) cards in all districts.
About 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. Bihu performance in Guwahati creates Guinness World Record
Tags: State News
Bihu, a beloved cultural event in Assam, was performed in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries at the Suraszai Stadium in Guwahati on 14 April.
News Overview
The festival is known for bridging differences and symbolising harmony between human beings and nature.
More than 11,000 folk dancers and drummers performed the Bihu dance and played the dhulia (drum) at one place, creating two Guinness World Records.
The performance set a new record for the largest Bihu dance at a single venue, while the dhol players set a record for the highest number of drummers performing at a single venue.
The Assam government announced an appreciation of Rs 25,000 for each artist.
About Assam:
Location: It is a state located in the northeastern region of India. It is bounded by Bhutan in the north, Arunachal Pradesh in the east, Nagaland in the northeast, Manipur in the southeast, Mizoram in the south and West Bengal in the west.
Wildlife: Contains Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park and Nameri National Park.
Language: Assamese is the official language of the state, but several other languages are also spoken, including Bengali, Bodo, and Hindi.
Formation (as a state) - 26 January 1950
Capital - Dispur
Chief Minister - Himanta Biswa Sarma
Governor - Gulab Chand Kataria
Rajya Sabha - 7 seats
Lok Sabha - 14 seats
Official Animal - Indian Rhinoceros
Official Bird - White-winged Duck
Official Dance - Bihu Dance
Official flower -Rhynchostylis retusa
Official river -Brahmaputra
8. AFSPA removed from most areas of North Eastern states
Tags: National National News
Centre has decided to further reduce the jurisdiction of ‘disturbed areas’ under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.
An overview of the news
The decision has been taken in view of the significant improvement in the security situation in North-East India.
Compared to 2014, there has been a 76 percent reduction in extremist incidents in 2022.
During this period, there has been a 90 percent reduction in the deaths of security personnel and 97 percent in the deaths of civilians.
Earlier, in a historic move, the Center brought down the disturbed areas in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur from April 2022 under AFSPA.
What is AFSPA?
Armed Forces Special Powers Act, (AFSPA),1958, gives armed forces the power to maintain public order in “disturbed areas.”
It came into force decades ago in the context of insurgency in the northeastern states.
It provides "special powers" to the army, air force and central paramilitary forces.
The Act provides that if "reasonable suspicion exists", the armed forces may also arrest any person without warrant; May enter or search premises without warrant and prohibit possession of firearms.
What are the Disturbed Areas?
A disturbed area means which is declared by notification under Section 3 of the AFSPA.
A region may be disturbed because of differences or disputes between members of different, racial, religious, language or regional groups or castes or communities.
The Central Government or the Governor of the State or administrator of the Union Territory have power to declare the whole or part of the State or Union Territory as a disturbed area.
9. Hekani Jakhalu became the first female MLA of Nagaland Assembly
Tags: State News
On March 2, Hakani Jakhalu of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) became the first female MLA to be elected to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly.
An overview of the news
Jakhu won the Dimapur III seat by defeating Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader Azheto Jhimomi by 1,536 votes.
Another NDPP female candidate, Salhunuonu Cruce defeated her independent rival by just seven votes in the Western Angami constituency. Both became the first female MLA from Nagaland.
About Hekani Jakhalu
She studied in Lady Shri Ram College for Women and Law Faculty of Delhi University and has done LLM from the University of San Francisco.
He later worked in a law firm in Delhi.
In 2005, she returned to Nagaland to start an NGO called Youthnet, with "Youth Empowerment".
In 2019, she won the Nari Shakti Puruskar from the Ministry of Child and Women Development.
Nagaland State
Nagaland was formally recognized as a separate state on December 1, 1963, with Kohima declared as its capital.
It is bounded by Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast, Manipur in the south and Assam in the west and northwest and Myanmar (Burma) in the east.
Mithun (Gyal) is the state animal of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
Blyth's Tragopan is the state bird of Nagaland.
The Konyaks are the largest tribe, followed by the Aos, Tangkhul, Semas and Angami.
Other tribes include the Lotha, Sangtam, Phom, Chang, Khim Hungama, Yimchungar, Zeliang, Chakhesang (chokri) and Rengma.
10. Mizoram Statehood Day
Tags: State News Important Days
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the people of Mizoram on the state's foundation day on February 20.
An overview of the news
Every year 20 February is celebrated as the Statehood Day of Mizoram.
The state of Mizoram was formed on 20 February 1987 following the 53rd Amendment to the Constitution of India, 1986.
At the time of independence, the Mizo Hills region became the Lushai Hills district within Assam.
In 1954 it was renamed Mizo Hills District of Assam.
Mizoram was granted union territory status in 1972 following the signing of an important accord with the moderates of the Mizo National Front (MNF).
It became the 23rd full state of India on 20 February 1987.
Geographical Situation
International Border - Myanmar and Bangladesh
State boundary - Tripura (North-West), Assam (North) and Manipur (North-East).
Demography
It is the second least populous state in India after Sikkim.
Sex ratio - 975 females per 1000 males (at national level it is 943).
The literacy rate of the state is 91.58%. (National rate - 74.04%).
Protected Areas
Murlen National Park
Phawngpui National Park
Dampa Tiger Reserve
Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary
Tawi Wildlife Sanctuary
Important Festivals
Chapchar Kut
Christmas Festival
Anthurium Festival
Lyuva Khutla Festival
