ASSAM

Celluloid bid to preserve Assams Ojapali and Deodhani dance forms

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Two Folk Dances of Assam Suknani OjapaliandDeodhani will be featured in an Assamese film to be released during in October in a bid to create awareness about the unique but neglected Art Forms. The film revolves round the life and the plight of the artistes associated with these dance forms.

Assam is culturally very rich. Its social life is incomplete without its traditional and unique folk art forms like Ojapali, Deodhani dance and puppetry, among others. Unfortunately, the rush to become a modern Society by neglecting tradition and traditional folk arts over the decades has affected their popularity and posed a threat to their identity.

Suknani Ojapali is one of the ancient traditional art forms of Assam. It is a half dramatic performing art. The Suknani Ojapali recites songs of goddess Manasa from the Padma Puranas composed bySukavi Narayan Deva. On the other hand, Deodhani is a folk dance performed solo or in a group. This dance form is associated with the worship of goddess Manasa.

Assam: Dharmendra Pradhan opens two key infra projects at IIT-Guwahati

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Union minister for Education, Skill development and ,Dharmendra Pradhan, inaugurated the state-of-the-artCentre for Nanotechnology(CNT) and the Centre for Indian Knowledge System (CIKS), two major Infrastructure projects in IIT-Guwahati.

He also inaugurated two hostels at the institute in the presence of state education ministerRanoj Peguand Guwahati MPQueen Oja.

The CNT aims at meeting future challenges and augment academic partnerships with Industry in nanotechnology. The major funding for the centre, which included Rs 37 crore for the building, apart from equipment, was obtained from the ministry of education (MoE) and the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY). “It will host 25 advanced laboratories which will focus on advancements in multi-disciplinary, scientific and translational research,” said a spokesperson ofIIT Guwahati.

Rs 10,000 cash aid for inter-state bus drivers and handymen: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

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The Assam government on Friday announced a financial assistance of Rs 10, 000 for inter-district bus drivers and handymen. However, the bus operators, who have been adversely affected by several Covid-19 restrictions, including ban on inter-district travel in the state, think the cash amount to be insufficient.

A portal for the purpose will be launched where drivers and handymen will have to apply to avail the cash aid, the CM said.

Due to a ban on inter-district movement of public transport in the last three months, nearly 60,000 people associated with transport buses have been affected.

Climate change and its impact on Assam

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Assam has been in the crosshair of natures fury from time immemorial. The state falls in seismic zone V making it prone to moderate to high-intensity Earthquakes. Floods in the state are nearly annual events. In the post-independence period, in the years 1954, 1962, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1988, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2012, 2019, 2020 and 2022, floods caused much devastation and havoc. The frequency has increased in the last two decades and the state incurs a loss of more than INR 200 crore every year due to this disaster.

In 2022, Assam was ravaged by the first wave of flood due to extensive pre-monsoon showers in May, killing scores of people. In the month of December 2022, a freakish hailstorm covered Moran town in the upper Assam region in a layer of white sheets. Uncharacteristically blistering summers and short winters are now a norm in the state. Another atypical drift is the fluctuating character of weather within the same monsoon period. Rain falls in rapid bursts, bringing moderate to extreme flooding, in different geographical regions of the state; this is then followed by long periods of dry spells creating a drought-like situation. These extremities are a result of a wider global phenomenon- https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change.

In the list of Indias most vulnerable 25 districts to climate change, 15 are in Assam with Karinganj at the top. Climate change projections in the state indicate an increase of about 2 degrees Celsius by 2050 with extreme events of rainfall up by more than 35% with respect to the baseline period of 1971-2000. On the other end of the spectrum, drought weeks will rise by 75% for the same baseline. These extremities of temperature and rainfall along with the emergence of new pests and diseases will reduce the food crop productivity in a predominantly rural state along with yields of Cash Crops like tea, fish, milk and bamboo. With less than 30% area in the state under assured Irrigation, persistent dry spells due to climate change may have multiple ramifications including food insecurity and distress Migration.

Assam Cricket Association to focus on infrastructure development: Officials

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TheAssam Cricket Association(ACA) is concentrating on developing at the grassroots rather than merely hosting international matches as showpiece events, its officials said.

It is also ensuring transparency in all its financial dealings after accusations of monetary misappropriation against the apex cricketing body in the state under its former regime, they added.

Addressing a press conference at the end of its General Body Meeting here, ACA presidentRomen Duttasaid, “We have taken a number of decisions to boost cricket infrastructure as well as increase our number of affiliations.”

The constitution for the State Cricket Academy was also adopted and a committee, headed by former player Rajinder Singh, formed to take it forward, he said.
The academy will look after the professional training needs of cricketers as well as professionals associated with the sport in the state.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that five colleges in the state will soon be upgraded to universities in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He said that key decisions regarding the timely implementation of the NEP in the state will be taken at the next weekly Cabinet meeting.

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The chief minister said that in the next state Cabinet meeting, scheduled for November 25, the structure for the educational institutions under the NEP will be approved, determining which institutions will be for fundamental, primary or senior secondary levels.

He maintained that the NEP has been adapted to the times by incorporating the new scientific thinking of the 21st century and is also synchronised with the basic tenets of India’s civilisation, which is based on the foundation of knowledge and wisdom.

The chief minister hoped that the conclave would result in finalising a roadmap for implementation of NEP in the North East region to convert the policy into action and set timelines to realise the dream of a new India.

Assam Cabinet approves measures to improve power connectivity

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The Assam Cabinet gave its nod to various measures for improving power connectivity in the state, including expansion of the electrification Network.

The Cabinet approved the electrification of 4,80,249 households, mainly under on-grid mode, and sanctioned Rs 1718.18 crore for the purpose. Electrification of 48,231 Anganwadi Centres and 13,120 primary schools at Rs 161.42 crore was also approved by the Cabinet. It decided to instal 9,000 distribution transformers, 70 prefabricated compact substations and 11 power transformers, besides repairing 4,200 damaged transformers for Rs 250.08 crore for improving voltage stability and reducing power distribution losses.

Approval was also given for installing 6,20,100 smart meters to improve billing process and energy accounting, thereby reducing commercial losses. Administrative approval was given to estimate for project preparation and implementation of an Asian Bank-aided project to improve secondary roads of the state.

Assam CM for digitisation of land records by 2023

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Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asked the revenue and Disaster Management department to set a goal for digitisation of all land records of the state till 2023.

He also urged the department to dispose of all pending partition and mutation cases before completion of the first anniversary of the current government in May next year, according to an official statement.

Calling for reforms in the state’s revenue administration at a meeting with the officials of the department, the chief minister asked them to complete all pending partition and mutation cases in a mission mode.

“Mission Basundhara” will be launched for this purpose on October 2 this year, the statement said.

Himanta inaugurates centre for disaster management and research in IIT Guwahati

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Chief minister Himanta BiswaSarmahas inaugurated a new Centre for Disaster Management and Research (CDMR) at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati.

The new facility was inaugurated recently in the presence of Prof. RK Bhandari, former director, Central Building Research Institute (CBRI), Prof. T.G. Sitharam, director, IIT Guwahati, IITG faculty, researchers, and many national and international experts from around the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address delivered during 2020 convocation of IIT Guwahati, had requested the institute to establish this Centre for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction that will help the North-Eastern states in effectively managing various natural and industrial disasters.

The new facility was inaugurated during the Seventh edition of the prestigious quadrennial International Conference on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering andSoil Dynamics (ICRAGEE) conducted between 12th and 15th July 2021.