ASSAM

The Australian Research Council (ARC) will fund the exploration of the enigmatic megalithic jars that linked northeast India with South East Asia thousands of years ago.

Researchers at the Gauhati University (GU), North-Eastern Hill University (Nehu) along with their Australian counterparts are conducting a research study that establishes northeast Indias possible connections with Indonesia, Myanmar and Laos as early as the late second millennium BC.

This interdisciplinary project aims to document and explore the cultural connections between the geographically disparate megalithic cultures of Laos and India and create an enduring digital record of these threatened cultural assets.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday ceremonially launched the construction work of a 8.25-km-long bridge over the Brahmaputra that will connect Jorhat withMajuli.
The CM’s office informed that the ministry of road transport and highways has sanctioned Rs 925.47 crore for the construction of this bridge project, which will be executed by UP State Bridge Construction Corporation Limited, Lucknow. The targeted period for completion of the project is 48 months.

The CM added that the has already constituted a cabinet committee to regularly monitor progress of the project and that the government aims to inaugurate this bridge by November, 2025. Around Rs 200 crore would be spent by the state government from its side for this bridge, he said.
Sarma also announced that the government of Assam would take up construction of a new bridge connecting Majuli-Lakhimpur at Dhunaguri from its own Resources amounting to Rs. 750 crores.

The Assam cabinet enacted the “Industrial Relation Rules, 2021” on November 4, 2021, with the goal of protecting the rights of companies and employees.

Highlights:

The purpose of the Industrial Relation Rules is to combine, simplify, and rationalize the rules of three core labor codes that deal with industrial relations.

The Cabinet also authorized the “Assam Migrant Workers’ Scheme,” which will offer dry rations to migrant workers.

Data about migrant workers accessible on the e-SHRAM portal and other Resources will be used to distribute rations to them under this plan.

deputy commissioners of Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup (Rural) have also been authorized by the Assam cabinet to provide authorization to transfer land in Protected Areas or blocks without the State Government‘s previous approval.

Mission Basundhara

This platform, dubbed “Mission Bashundhara,” was also created by the state government.

Conversion of allotment certificate to periodic patta was added as a service on this webpage.

Within three years of allotment, the Cabinet approved the conversion of allotment certificates to periodic patta in rural regions.

The state government has determined that special seats in the state’s medical and dental colleges will be proportionately allocated between two areas for students from the tea garden community in the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys.

TheAssam governmenthas decided to create a newschool Education departmentby merging two existing ones, an official notification said. Theelementary and secondary educationdepartments are being merged to form the new one, it said.

Consequent to the merger, all officers and staff of the two departments will come under the administrative control of the school education department.

All existing directorates and organisations of the two departments will be under the administrative control of the school education.

The Assam government andSpices Boardhas joined hands to develop in the spices sector in the state.

Chief ministerHimanta Biswa Sarmainaugurated the International Buyer Seller Meet and Spices Conclave (IBSM) organised by Spices Board.

The CM said, The government of Assam and spices board will establish a quality evaluation laboratory and training centre for spices in Guwahati for further developing the spice Industry in the region.

The World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF) discovered a few tigers in Assam’s Barnadi Wildlife Sanctuary. It is one of Assam’s smallest WS (Wildlife Sanctuary).

About the Sanctuary:

It is located in the northern Assam districts of Baksa and Udalguri, bordering Bhutan,
It is bounded to the west and east by the Barnadi and Nalapara rivers, respectively.
Barnadi was created specifically to protect the Pygmy Hog (Sus salvanius) and Hispid Hare (Caprolagus hispidus).
Approximately 60% of the BWS is reported to be Grassland, with the majority of it now being grassy woodland.
The main forest types are tropical moist deciduous (northern edge of the Sanctuary) and mixed scrub and grassland (southern part).
Commercial plantations of Bombax ceiba, Tectona grandis, and Eucalyptus, as well as thatch , have replaced the majority of the natural vegetation.

Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for two national highway (NH) projects in Assam.

The minister also inaugurated two NH projects in the northeastern state. The total cost of all the four projects is about Rs 1,450 crore.

Gadkari virtually laid the foundation stone for the construction 4-lane Mangaldai Bypass (15 km) on NH 15 at a project cost of 535 crore, and the construction of a 13 km four-lane Daboka-Parakhuwa stretch on NH 29 worth Rs 517 crore.

It is the direction of the Prime Minister to give priority to the development of road and projects in Assam and the entire northeast. In this regard, agencies have been created to undertake road and infra projects in the northeastern states to provide them with better connectivity throughout the year, he said.

CMHimanta Biswa Sarmahas advocated a return to natural or as the way forward for a healthier planet.

Addressing the Natural Farming Conclave,Sarmasaid, Though modern Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture practices give high yields, they lead to depletion of Soil quality as well as the Environment.

He said the State Government is trying to increase agriculture produce and help double farmers income through natural farming. Exhorting farmers to return to natural farming, he said they should make it a jan andolan (mass movement) and turnAssaminto a model state for natural farming. It is the way forward towards Health and wealth, he added.

Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon will be conferred the Bhupen Hazarika Award 2023 by Beltola Bohagi Utsav Samiti during the Beltola Bohagi Utsav 2023 celebrations.

Raveena Tandon was closely associated with Bhupen Hazarika. She played the protagonist in Kalpana Lajmis film Daman in 2001. Raveen played the role of Durga Saikia which brought her the national award for best actress. Bhupen Hazarika composed the music for the film.