Assam CA Analysis 26 May

1. Actor Gayatri Sharma from Assam captivated the audience at the Cannes Film Festival with her outstanding performance in the Kanu Behl-directorial movie “Agra”.  The film “Agra,” takes viewers on a journey through a person’s sexual odyssey by digging deeply into the worlds of desire and male sexual restriction.

Gayatri’s versatility goes beyond regional projects as she has made noteworthy cameos in films like Santwana Bordoloi’s “Maj Rati Keteki” and the most recent “Ki Kowa Dosti” by Kenny Basumotary. Gayatri plays the part of Babita in “Agra,” adding her extraordinary talents to the film’s compelling story.

It needs mention here that the global premiere of the Hindi film Agra by Kanu Behl took place on Wednesday (May 24) during Directors’ Fortnight at the 76th Cannes Film Festival. A 5-minute standing ovation was given to the movie, which is the only Indian feature chosen for Directors’ Fortnight this year. Co-writer and director Kanu, performers Priyanka Bose and Mohit Agarwal, and producers Siddharth Anand Kumar, Sahil Sharma, and William Jehannin all attended the premiere.

2.

The Assam Association of the Deaf has welcomed the recent decision of the Assam chief minister regarding the appointment of the candidates for the 511 posts of Grade IV reserved for differently abled people to pass through a medical board for detecting if they actually belong to the category and punishing those who do not meet the norms. They also demanded that this decision be extended to all future recruitments, including those for the banks and railways and all central government jobs.

They also pointed out the problems faced by the specially-abled people at the employment letter distribution event conducted in Guwahati in the presence of the Union Home Minister. The organisation also appealed that the necessary police verification be carried out by the concerned departments for those candidates who received their appointment letters, alleging that miscreants have also been able to pass the selection procedure.

3.

Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, has illuminated 43 villages in Majuli Island, Assam, with solar street lighting to enhance the safety of local citizens. The project executed in partnership with Evangelical Social Action Forum (ESAF) is part of the company’s Har Gaon Roshan CSR program, that focuses on sustainable rural development.

Majuli is one of the world’s largest river islands and is often dubbed the cultural capital of Assam as it is home to many ethnic groups that have lived here for centuries. It is also a natural habitat for rich flora and fauna, harboring many rare and endangered species, especially migratory birds, that make Majuli their home during the cold winters.

But every year, during the monsoons, the swirling waters of the Bramhaputra river bring life on the island to a standstill, making it inaccessible and cut off from the mainland. After sunset, the island is engulfed in a thick veil of darkness, making it unsafe to venture out or conduct any economic activity.

Keeping in mind these unique challenges faced by the locals, Signify worked closely with ESAF to install 100 solar-powered streetlights to make the streets safer for the citizens after dark. The company also donated 2,000 solar portable lamps to households for indoor lighting, replacing the kerosene lamps that left harmful fumes. According to the project estimates, more than 32,000 people living on the island will benefit from this initiative.

4.

A paddy seed distribution programme was conducted under World Bank funded Project ‘Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART)’ by Assam Agricultural University-Zonal Research Station, North Lakhimpur on Thursday.

The seeds were distributed among the beneficiaries under eight selected Development Blocks of the district to implement an initiative taken to grow stress tolerant rice varieties. Notably, the initiative under Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project, has already been taken up in Lakhimpur district for growing Stress Tolerant Rice Varieties (STRVs) as a climate-resilient strategy. For the coming Sali paddy cultivation season, a total of 147-hectare area will be covered under four (4) Stress Tolerant Rice Varieties (STRVs), viz. Ranjit Sub 1 (80 hectare), Bahadur Sub 1 (22 hectare), Swarna Sub 1 (21 hectare) and Bina Dhan 11 (24 hectare), respectively.

Eight Development Blocks of Lakhimpur district, viz. Lakhimpur, Telahi, Naoboicha, Narayanpur, Karunabari, Bihpuria, Boginadi and Ghilamara were targeted under Cluster, Mechanical Transplanting and Wet Direct Seeded Rice Demonstration of Sali paddy. Mostly low land flash flood situations were targeted under Ranjit Sub 1, Bahadur Sub 1 and Swarna Sub 1 varieties. The variety ‘Bina Dhan 11’ is a short duration Stress Tolerant Rice Variety targeted mainly in the double or multiple cropping areas of the district. Since rice is a photoperiodic sensitive plant, distribution of seeds at the right time is crucial for crop growth. Beneficiaries expressed satisfaction as they got seeds ahead of nursery sowing for timely management of the crop.

5.

Assam’s Uma Chettri and Jintimoni Kalita have been named in the national squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. The T20 Asia Cup tournament will be held in Hong Kong.

Jintimoni Kalita is the first woman cricketer from the state to play in the World Premier League (WPL) who won the first-ever WPL match held at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium last year.

The T20 Asia Cup tournament is scheduled to be held between June 10 and June 21 in Hong Kong. Uma Chetry who hails from Bokakhat in Assam, has been drafted into the Indian national team to represent the nation there.

Asian Cricket Council’s vision for cricket in the region includes creating equal opportunities for women to showcase their talent and take the sport to new heights. The Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 in Hong Kong is a great platform for young women cricketers to compete and grow, and we are committed to developing women’s cricket in Asia to ensure a bright future for the sport

6. The land of the historic match factory in Dhubri, Assam, which has remained inactive since 1997, has been sold by ITC Limited to another company for Rs 74.25 crore, triggering protests among the local community who are determined to preserve the heritage and revive the industry.

The match factory was established in 1925 by a Swedish company and later acquired by ITC in 2001, used to be a significant source of employment and a source of pride for the region. It produced well-known brands such as LOTA and BULLOCK CART and was the first industry in Assam to commemorate Labour Day in 1935. At its peak, it employed over 3,000 workers.

However, in 1997, the factory had to cease operations due to a Supreme Court ban on cutting down trees in forest areas. Since then, the factory has been left abandoned and neglected. Local residents had hoped that ITC would develop the area and establish a new industry, but even after 20 years of acquiring the land, ITC has not taken any action.

The local community became aware of the land sale when a team of four individuals arrived on Thursday to measure the size of the factory land. Led by the WIMCO Bachao Committee, the locals prevented them from conducting the measurements and staged a protest at the factory gate. It was also alleged that the land was secretly divided into five parts and sold without informing the public.

Protesters are demanding intervention from the state and central governments to revive the historic match factory or establish a new industry on the premises. They have been submitting memorandums to various ministers, leaders, and officials from different departments for a long time, urging them to save the land and the factory.

The protesters have expressed their willingness to go to great lengths, even shedding blood if necessary, to protect the land and the factory from being sold off. They emphasize that the factory not only provided livelihoods but also symbolizes their culture and history. They are resolute in their stance to prevent anyone from destroying their heritage and compromising their dignity.

7.

The Gajraj Corps of the Indian Army as part of ‘Operation SADBHAVANA’ has been undertaking a variety of projects in underdeveloped areas of Assam with the aim of providing humanitarian assistance to the less privileged

To empower visually challenged children living in remote areas of Assam, Gajraj Corps has helped with the construction of a school at village Khatkati in district East Karbi Anglong in a phased manner.

In the year 2021, Phase I of the project was executed by constructing the blind school building. This year, the Indian Army as part of Phase II of the project has constructed another building which caters for additional classrooms and administrative setup towards enhancing the overall functionalities

The school was eventually dedicated to the nation and handed over to Madhumita Bhagwati, DC, East Karbi Anglong by the Indian Army in the presence of civil administration and the local populace

8.

The existing system of admission in colleges in the state will be superseded by SAMARTH e-Gov suite of the Centre with the help of the Assam education department.
The state directorate of higher education has decided to onboard all higher educational institutions under the state government in the SAMARTH e-Gov suite

SAMARTH, a Union education ministry initiative, offers more than 40 software modules for the management of a variety of workflows across five critical functional domains of university operations and administration, including admissions. SAMARTH has been extended to various types of higher education institutions, including central universities, state universities, colleges, NITs, IIITs, IIM, IISER, and other institutions of national importance since 2019.

9.

Continuing with the rapid expansion of Vande Bharat network, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to flag off the Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express on 29 May from Guwahati.

While the North East region will get its first Vande Bharat train, it will be third for West Bengal.

Operating six days a week, the semi-high speed train will connect Assam with West Bengal.

The eight-coach Vande Bharat Express will be a boost to tourism and economic activities in the region.

10.

The Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) on Friday announced that Bodo as a medium of instruction will be introduced for HS Arts course from 2023-24. Assam Education Ranoj Pegu while informing about the development on social media stated that institutions willing to offer Bodo medium of instruction to students are required to intimate AHSEC immediately.

According to the notification, AHSEC has decided to implement the Bodo medium of instruction in addition to the existing medium of instruction initially in the Arts stream from the academic session 2023-24 in the institutions under AHSEC comprising the subjects- History, Geography, Education, Logic and Philosophy, Economics, Political Science, Environmental Education, Mathematics, Swadesh Adhyayan. Moreover, all institutions have been requested to submit the list of Post Graduate Teachers (PGT) in the office of the AHSEC specifically mentioning the subject of each PG teachers by June 5, 2023.