Cabinet Decides To Strengthen Northeast Autonomous Councils: Image Source

Jan, 25, 2019
Cabinet decides to strengthen Northeast autonomous councils
Image Source
Note4students
Mains Paper 2: Governance | Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of the vulnerable
sections.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Fifth and Sixth Schedules
Mains level: Development of Tribal Areas
News
 The Union Cabinet has approved a Constitutional amendment to increase the financial and executive powers of the 10 autonomous
councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the northeast.
Highlights of the Amendments
Easing Finances
 The Finance Commission would be mandated to recommend devolution of financial resources to the councils.
 Till now, the autonomous councils have depended on grants from Central Ministries and the State governments for specific projects.
Transfer of Subjects
 The amendment also provides for transfer of additional 30 subjects including departments of Public Works, Forests, Public Health
Engineering, Health and Family Welfare, Urban Development and Food and Civil Supply to Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council
and Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council in Assam.
Amendments in Schedule VI
 The cabinet approves landmark amendment to Article 280 and Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
 As per the amendment, at least one third of the seats would be reserved for women in the village and municipal councils in the Sixth
Schedule areas of Assam, Mizoram and Tripura.
More powers to Village Councils
 The village councils would be empowered to prepare plans for economic development and social justice including those related to
agriculture, land improvement, implementation of land reforms, minor irrigation, water management, animal husbandry, rural
electrification, small scale industries and social forestry.
 The State Election Commissions would hold elections to the autonomous councils, village and municipal councils in the areas of Assam,
Mizoram and Tripura. There would be a provision for anti-defection too.
 Meghalaya has for the time being opted out of the provision for elected village and municipal councils and one-third reservation for
women.
Way Forward
 This will be a game changer, as it will substantially enhance the funds available to these local government institutions for undertaking
development works in these tribal areas.
 The proposed amendments provide for elected village municipal councils, ensuring democracy at the grass-roots level.
Share this:
 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

 Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Jan, 10, 2019
Sikkim to roll out Universal Basic Income
Note4students
Mains Paper 3: Economy | Inclusive growth & issues arising from it.
Prelims level: Universal Basic Income
Mains level: Debate surrounding Universal Basic Income
News
 Sikkim will be the first state to roll out Universal Basic Income (UBI) by 2022 and has started the process to introduce the unconditional
direct cash transfer scheme.
Background
1. The 2017 Economic Survey had flagged the UBI scheme as a conceptually appealing idea and a possible alternative to social welfare
programmes targeted at reducing poverty.
2. It has been tested even in India, debated within the Finance Ministry as early as 2017.
3. It has been tried in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and tribal belts with fairly large samples and it has shown it works.
What is UBI?
1. A UBI would mean every single individual, regardless of their identity or economic status, is guaranteed a monthly income, transferred
directly into their bank account by the government every month.
2. It has three key components: universality, unconditionality and agency – the last condition as a way to give people a choice in how to
spend the transferred money.
How will it be financed?
1. The successful implementation of the hydropower projects by Sikkim has made it a surplus power generating state.
2. The state produces 2200 MW and it will go up to 3000 MW in the next few years.
3. The state’s requirement is only 200-300 MW and the rest goes to power trading firms.
4. This money will be utilized by UTI and it will be for everyone and every household.
5. The idea is to subsume other subsidies and allowances in order to provide a particular amount every month to people.
Feasibility Check
1. Sikkim has a literacy rate of 98 per cent and its monthly per capita expenditure in rural areas is Rs 1,444.06 and it is Rs Rs 2,538.11 for
urban areas.
2. The BPL percentage has come down from 41.43% in 1994 to 8.19% in 2011-12.
3. The state will also restructure some social schemes and the “skewed” tax structure to find more resources.
4. With tourism being another source of revenue for the state – the state gets around 2.5 million tourists a year –there could be some cess
in future to generate additional resource to implement the scheme.
Also refer:
Should India adopt Universal Basic income Model
Share this:


Dec, 29, 2018
[op-ed snap] A bridge across the Brahmaputra
Note4students
Mains Paper 3: Economy | Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
From the UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: Not much
Mains level: Importance of infrastructure development in Northeast India
Context
Bogibeel bridge inaugrated
1. Bogibeel, the longest railroad bridge of India, spanning nearly five-km across the Brahmaputra was inaugurated recently
2. It will link Dibrugarh with North Lakhimpur district of Assam and parts of eastern Arunachal Pradesh
3. For thousands of poor people, living in eastern Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, this is truly a momentous occasion
Why the bogibeel bridge is important?
1. For decades, the only recourse for people to cross the Brahmaputra would be to chug along for over an hour, in a diesel-propelled ferry,
which would also carry their vehicles and goods, even cattle
2. Crossing the river could be a costlier proposition than flying between Mumbai and Goa
3. Commissioning the bridge has reduced the journey time across the river to less than five minutes, bringing relief to people living in these
remote parts
New era for northeast India
1. The single biggest factor which has shackled the development of the Northeast region is the absence of robust connectivity
2. A maze of river systems across Arunachal Pradesh, with their confluence in the Brahmaputra, have posed an enormous challenge
3. The commissioning of Bogibeel, therefore, is a harbinger of hope
4. The bridge’s significance goes well beyond the succour to local residents
5. It has the potential to infuse economic dynamism in the region and provide opportunities for the expansion of tourism, industrial
development and trade
6. The iconic Bhupen Hazarika bridge over the Lohit river was commissioned recently
7. A 7.5 km long bridge over the Dibang river was dedicated to the nation a few days ago
8. The Trans Arunachal Highway has seen considerable progress, especially in the eastern part of the state
9. An airport has been commissioned at Pasighat, barely two hours away from Dibrugarh
Dibrugarh connectivity is essential
1. Dibrugarh is reclaiming its lost glory

2. It used to be a thriving centre of the plantation industry during the colonial times
3. For the people of the region, it remains a hub of higher education and medical treatment
4. Dibrugarh lies at the heart of a crucial oil and gas axis in Assam, given its proximity to Digboi and Duliajan oilfields
5. Further east lie the Kharsang gas fields and Kumchai oilfields of Arunachal Pradesh. The district also has significant coal deposits
6. There are more than 200 tea factories in Dibrugarh
7. Commissioning of the bridge has raised the prospects of industrial development and opportunities of productive employment for the
youth, especially in the mining and plantation sectors
Foreign policy implications
1. Bogibeel is the gateway to the historic Stilwell Road, which connects Ledo in Assam to Kunming in China, passing through Myanmar’s
Kachin state, via Arunachal Pradesh
2. The 1,800 km long route was used for transporting arms to the Chinese by the Americans during World War II
3. Its revival for trade is well within grasp now
4. The route could well become the centrepiece of the ambitious Act East Policy
Strategic importance
1. From a strategic standpoint, movement of troops has become a much quicker, efficient and reliable proposition
2. The road beyond Dibrugarh leads to the frontier parts of Arunachal Pradesh, with a fully functional advanced landing ground of Air Force
at Walong, barely 100 km from the Chinese border
3. This was a theatre of armed incursion in 1962. Now access to one of the remotest border outposts in Anjaw has been made much easier
Way forward
1. Bogibeel is poised to usher winds of change in this part of the world

2. However, the advantage of connectivity must be accompanied by an imaginative blueprint of economic development, drawing upon the
region’s advantages
3. The symbolism of Bogibeel goes well beyond the Brahmaputra
Share this:


Dec, 27, 2018
[pib] North East Industrial Development Scheme
Note4students
Mains Paper 3: Economy | Issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment
Prelims level: NEID Scheme
Mains level: Development projects in the NE
News
North East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS), 2017
1. NEIDS has been launched to catalyse the industrial development in the North Eastern Region.
2. It has come into force from 01.04.2017 and will remain in force up to 31.03.2022.
3. It covers eligible industrial units in the manufacturing and service sectors Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
4. The scheme provides:
 Central Capital Investment Incentive (30% of the investment in plant & machinery with an upper limit of Rs. 5 crore),
 Central Interest Incentive (3% interest on working capital for 5 years),
 Central Comprehensive Insurance Incentive (Reimbursement of 100% insurance premium for 5 years),
 Income Tax Reimbursement of centre’s share for 5 years,
 GST reimbursement of Central Govt. share of CGST & IGST for 5 years,
 Employment Incentive under which additional 3.67% of the employer’s contribution to EPF in addition to Govt. bearing 8.33% Employee
Pension Scheme (EPS) contribution of the employer in PMRPY and
 Transport incentive on finished goods movement by Railways (20% cost of the transportation), by Inland Waterways Authority (20% of the
cost of transportation) & by air (33% of cost transportation of air freight).
5. The Scheme does not envisage sanction of projects; rather, eligible units are registered after following due process.
Share this:


Dec, 26, 2018
Government rejects separate time zone for NE States
Note4students
Mains Paper 1: Geography | Geographical features & their location
Prelims level: IST system
Mains level: Issue of two time zones being raised by NE India receives a full stop.
News
 A panel, formed to examine having a separate time zone for the NE States, recommended against it for “strategic reasons”.
Proposed time zones: IST-I and IST-II
1. The custodian of Indian Standard Time (IST) proposed two time zones IST-I and IST-II for the country as follows:
 IST-I would be same as current IST, that is, UTC +5:30

 IST-II would be UTC +6:30 owing to the difference of one hour between eastern and western part of the country
2. The borderline between two time zones would have been 89°52’E, the narrow border between Assam and West Bengal.
3. States west of this line would have followed IST-I (UTC +5:30) while states east of this line (Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal
Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands) would have followed IST-II (UTC +6:30).
4. The implementation would require the establishment of a laboratory for ‘Primary Time Ensemble II’ generating IST-II in any of the north-
eastern states, which would be equivalent to the existing ‘Primary Time Ensemble-I’ at CSIR-NPL, New Delhi.
Need for two time zones

1. India extends from 68°7’E to 97°25’E, with the spread of 29 degrees, which amounts to almost two-hours from the geographical
perspective.
2. For decades, legislators, activists, industrialists and ordinary citizens from India’s northeast have complained about the effect of IST on
their lives.
Following are the factors which compelled the people from northeast to demand a different time zone:
1. Loss of daylight hours and excess electricity usage
 Since the sun rises as early as four in the morning and in winter it sets by four in the evening, the region loses most of its daytime hours
before the government offices and schools are opened.
 This ends up with more electricity usage.
 A different time zone would allow sunsets to take place later, allowing the citizens to better use their daylight hours.
 A study done by Bengaluru based National Institute of Advanced Studies concluded that a separate time zone for the northeastern region
could help in saving 2.7 billion units of electricity every year.
2. Effect on biological clocks of citizens
 The longitudinal extremes of the country are assigned a single time zone which not only creates the loss of daylight hours but also creates
problems relating to the biological clock.
 The biological clock is so active that when we move from one time zone to another, it forces us to sleep at an unusual time.
 This is commonly known as jetlag and it requires few days to resynchronize our biological clock with the local solar timings.
No need for separate Time Zone
What are the strategic reasons?
1. The other countries that have multiple times zones in single land mass, the population density is much less compared to India.
2. The NE is hung with mainland of India through the narrow chicken’s neck.
3. But in India, any border between separated time zones will run through densely populated areas, creating huge chaos.
4. Separate time zones will mean separate schedules for same trains, flights that criss-cross the country on a daily basis.
5. Moreover, the administration in India is not known for its efficiency.
Easy Solutions against separate time zone
1. Although India has a single time zone, it does not mean that everyone has to follow the same routine/ work shifts.
2. The regions in the east can start and end their work day one or two hours earlier, and get all the benefits of having a separate time zone,
without the chaos associated with it.
3. Individual organisations, companies, factories, educational institutions, public sector units, state governments can fix work hours based
on their geographic location.
4. For example, an office in Kolkata can have a workday of 8 to 4, there is no bar on doing so.
Best Example
1. In Assam, the tea gardens follow a different time zone, known as Tea Garden Time or Bagan Time which is one hour ahead of IST.
2. Most tea gardens in the organised sector in Assam start their workday at around 7 AM.
3. Even the administrative offices of public sector companies like Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and Oil India Limited
(OIL) in Assam start working at 7 AM.
4. As long as total work hours do not exceed prescribed limits set by labour laws, there is no bar on the private sector to fix their own work
timings.
5. Likewise, several colleges in Assam start their classes at 7 AM, or even before that.
Electricity: Not a big deal
1. While talking about the benefit of separate time zone, it is said that there will be huge savings in money due to better utilisation of
daylight.
2. In the analysis of estimated savings, the entire power bill of an organisation is taken into account.
3. But that is the wrong approach to estimate that, because the light is not the only purpose that uses electricity, it is not even the largest
user.
4. In fact, with the advent of LED lights, the lighting takes a minuscule amount of power in a house.
5. Most power is consumed in cooling, running computers and other equipment etc, and those uses will remain fixed no matter what the
work timings are.
Global examples are misleading
1. There is a misleading information about countries like France has 12 time zones, and Britain has 9 time zones.
2. France and Great Britain has only one time zone each.
3. But as both the countries have several overseas territories, a legacy of colonies they had in past, those territories have separate time
zones according to their geographic locations.
4. Those are separate land masses located at different continents, most of them being islands at oceans, hence they do not suffer from any
problem that India might face with multiple time zones.
Back2Basics
Biological / Circadian Clock
1. The 2017 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded to Jeffrey C Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W Young for their research
which elucidated that plants, animals, and humans adapt their biological rhythm so that it is synchronized with Earth’s revolution.
2. They established that biological species are ruled by internal clocks (biological clocks) that run on a 24-h light-dark cycle in
synchronization with the sun.
3. Due to this synchronization humans fall asleep at night and plants synthesize chlorophyll in the presence of sunlight.
4. This diagram depicts the circadian patterns typical of someone who rises early in the morning, eats lunch around noon, and sleeps at
night (10 pm).
With inputs from: India Today
Share this:


Dec, 11, 2018
India's tallest bridge pier built in Manipur
Note4students
Mains Paper 3: Economy | Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways, etc.
Prelims level: Noney Bridge and its details
Mains level: Development projects in the NE
News
 The Northeast Frontier Railway Construction Organization has constructed India’s tallest pier as part of the project to build a railway
bridge at Noney in Manipur.
 The proposed bridge will be the world’s tallest railway bridge.
Noney Bridge
1. The bridge is being constructed across the valley of river Ijai near Noney, with the height of the final pier being 141 metres.
2. On completion, the bridge will surpass the existing world record, held by the 139-metre Mala-Rijeka viaduct in Montenegro.
3. The total length of the Noney bridge will be 703 metres.
4. The bridge is a part of the 111-km Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal new broad gauge line project, a national project which is set to be completed by
2022.
5. The project also includes 45 tunnels, the longest being 10.28 km, which will be the longest railway tunnel of the northeast.
Share this:


Oct, 27, 2018
[pib] 'Experiencing North East’ festival
Note4students
Prelims level: Experiencing North East festival
Mains level: Tourism promoting initiatives for North-Eastern Region

News
Context
 The ‘Experiencing North East’ festival depicting the uniqueness of North Eastern culture is being organised 27th-31st October, 2018.
‘Experiencing North East’ Festival
1. The festival, a part of Destination North East series, is being organised by North Eastern Council (NEC), Ministry of Development of North
Eastern Region (DoNER) in collaboration with India International Centre.
2. The festival will showcase the vibrant strengths of North East India and display its art, handicraft, handlooms, tourism, food, culture etc.
3. There will be special performances daily by eminent cultural troupes, bands and artistes from North East, including Nise Meruno,
classical pianist and vocalist.
4. The event which is a part of ‘Destination North East’ series aims at showcasing the diverse culture and heritage of North East all under
one roof.
Share this:


Oct, 24, 2018
India, Myanmar sign MoU towards Sittwe Port operationalization
Note4Students:
Prelims Level: Kaladan Project
Mains Level: Importance of Kaladan Project
News
Kaladan Project: A step closer

1. India and Myanmar signed a MoU for the appointment of a private Port Operator for the Operation and Maintenance of Sittwe Port,
Paletwa Inland Water Terminal and associated facilities.
2. All these facilities are included in the Kaladan Multi Model Transit Transport Project in implementation of India’s Act East Policy.
Importance of the move
1. Following this MoU the process of identifying bidders to maintain these facilities will be initiated by floating a request for proposal.
2. The commencement of operations at this port, it would offer new infrastructure for trade including between India and Myanmar.
3. It would thereby contribute to job creation and development in the whole region, particularly in the Rakhine and Chin States of
Myanmar.
Back2Basics
Kaladan Project
1. The project is aimed to connect the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Rakhine State, Myanmar by sea.
2. The project includes a waterway component of 158 km on Kaladan River from Sittwe to Paletwa in Myanmar and a road component of
109 km from Paletwa to Zorinpui along the India-Myanmar border in Mizoram.
3. Originally, the project was scheduled to be completed by 2014, but is expected to be operational only by 2019-2020.
4. All components of the project, including Sittwe port and power, river dredging, Paletwa jetty, have been completed, except the under
construction Zorinpui-Paletwaa road.
5. This project will reduce distance from Kolkata to Sittwe by approximately 1328 km and will reduce the need to transport good through
the narrow Siliguri corridor, also known as Chicken’s Neck.
Share this:


Oct, 22, 2018
20km Assam bridge to be India's longest
Note4Students:
Prelims Level: remember the name of the bridge, and its location, river, etc. Also note down the advantages of this bridge.
Mains Level: Infrastructure project in the north-east

News
Dhubri- Phulbari Bridge
1. India’s longest river bridge will be built across the Brahmaputra, connecting Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari in Meghalaya, and will cut road
travel by 203km as also travel time.
2. The 19.3km, four-lane bridge will be built by 2026-27.
3. The construction of any bridge across the Brahmaputra takes time since construction work can be carried out only for six months in a
year.
4. It will be built by the government’s highway construction wing, the National Highways and Industrial Development Corporation Ltd.
5. Japanese funding agency JICA has approved a loan for this project as a part of a road infrastructure improvement package in the north-
east.
Benefits of the bridge
1. The new bridge will complete the missing link of NH127B from Assam to Meghalaya. Currently, small boats run between Dhubri and
Phulbari.
2. It takes about two and a half hours to cross the river. It will hardly take 15-20 minutes to cross the river after the bridge becomes
operational.
3. It will push economic activities and development on both sides of the river.
Back2Basics
India’s longest bridges
19.3 km
 The proposed new bridge, between Dhubri and Phulbari.

 At present, people cross the river either in small boats and by vehicles that have to take a detour of 100 km before climbing the
Naranarayan bridge.
9.15 km
 The country’s longest river bridge, as of now.

 Between Dhola and Sadiya in Assam, it extends to 28.50 km if the approach roads on either side are included.
 It reduces the distance from Rupai (Assam) to Roing (Arunachal Pradesh) by 165 km, and travel time from 6 hours to 1 hour.
6.2 km
 In Arunachal Pradesh, over the river Dibang, opened this year.

 Second only to Dhola-Sadiya bridge so far.
5.75 km
 Patna-Hajipur, over the Ganga, next on the list of river bridges
5.6 km
 Bandra Worli Sea Link in Mumbai, longest bridge over sea
4.94 km
 To be opened this year, India’s longest rail-cum-road river bridge (the river bridges above are all road).
 This bridge, too, will be over the Brahmaputra, connecting Dibrugarh (Assam) to Pasighat (Arunachal).
Share this:


Oct, 20, 2018
[op-ed snap] Lost in time
Note4students
Prelims level: Time zones
Mains level: Need of 2 time zones in India and hurdles in having it
Context
A new report advocating 2 time zones in India
1. There is a request to change the temporal modalities of the Indian nation-state from its official time-keeper
2. Scientists at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research’s National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) have now argued that IST should be
done away with at the Chicken’s Neck
Impact of 2 time zones
1. Northeast India would move an hour ahead, increasing the region’s productive, daylight hours and the country’s potential energy
savings could amount to a whopping 20 million kWh a year
2. Offices could open sooner after sunrise, and perhaps workers could even savour the last dregs of dusk as they trudge towards home or
their desired form of recreation
3. Biomedical research has consistently pointed to the physical and psychological benefits of aligning circadian (sleep) rhythms to the sun’s
rising and setting
Hurdles in implementation
1. A long-standing argument against doing away with IST has been it would confuse the railway infrastructure
2. In a country with so many diversities to amalgamate into a proverbial unity, asking the people of the Northeast to wake up an hour
earlier might lead to yet another point of difference
Way forward
1. Indian Standard Time (IST) disregards longitudinal reality — from east to west, there is “actually” a two-hour difference — which results
in a significant loss of daylight hours in the eastern parts of the country
2. A refreshing, if antediluvian, idea accompanies the notion of two time zones
Share this:


Oct, 19, 2018
Should India have two time zones? National timekeeper adds new arguments
Note4students
Prelims level: Latitude and longitudes, IST system
Mains level: Demand of two time zones being raised by northeast India and weight behind it
Context
Debate over 2 time zones
1. Over the years, various citizens and political leaders have debated whether India should have two separate time zones
2. The demand is based on the huge difference in daylight times between the country’s longitudinal extremes, and the costs associated
with following the same time zone
3. Opposition to the idea is based on impracticability — particularly the risk of railway accidents, given the need to reset times at every
crossing from one time zone into another
New research suggests 2 time zones
1. Now, a proposal for two time zones has come from India’s national timekeeper itself
2. Scientists at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research’s National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), which maintains Indian Standard
Time, have published a research article describing the necessity of two time zones, with the new one an hour ahead of the existing time
zone
Why have 2 time zones?
1. India extends from 68°7’E to 97°25’E, with the spread of 29° representing almost two hours from the geographic perspective
2. This has led to the argument that early sunrise in the easternmost parts — the Northeast — causes the loss of many daylight hours by
the time offices or educational institutions open and that early sunset, for its part, leads to higher consumption of electricity
3. Research identifies where the two time zones can be demarcated from each other — at the “chicken neck” that connects the Northeast
to the rest of India, an area that is spatially narrow and reduces the possibility of railway accidents
4. As the railway signals have not yet been fully automated in the country, the border between the two time zones should have a very
narrow spatial-width with the minimum number of train stations so that the train timings while crossing the border can be managed
manually without any untoward incidents
5. The article also puts a figure to the country’s potential savings in energy consumption — 20 million kWh a year — if it does follow two
time zones
6. Synchronising office hours — as well as biological activities — to sunrise and sunset timings is important
The new system of time zones
1. The research paper proposes to call the two time zones IST-I (UTC + 5.30 h) and IST-II (UTC + 6.30 h)
2. The proposed line of demarcation is at 89°52’E, the narrow border between Assam and West Bengal
3. States west of the line would continue to follow IST (to be called IST-I). States east of the line — Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal
Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Andaman & Nicobar Islands —would follow IST-II
Global & Indian standard time
1. The geographic “zero line” runs through Greenwich, London

2. It identifies GMT, now known as Universal Coordinated Time (UTC), which is maintained by the Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM)
in France
3. Indian Standard Time, maintained by CSIR-NPL, is based on a line of longitude that runs through Mirzapur in UP
4. At 82°33’E, the line is 82.5° east of Greenwich, or 5.5 hours (5 hours 30 minutes) ahead of UCT
Share this:


Aug, 14, 2018
Vision Document for Digital North-East 2022 released
Note4students
Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy| Issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Prelims level: Particulars of the Vision Document
Mains level: Development initiatives for North-Eastern Region
News
Context
1. Union IT Minister released the ‘Vision Document’ for a digital North East by 2022 that aims to enhance peoples’ lives by capacity
building of government staff and doubling BPO (business process outsourcing) strength in the region
2. The Vision Document aims to empower the people of the North Eastern region and state-wise roadmaps have been developed for
implementing digital initiatives.
Particulars of Vision Document
1. The document emphasises leveraging digital technologies to transform lives of people of the North East and enhance the ease of living
2. A cloud hub for NE will be created in Guwahati and capacity building for 50,000 government staff will be taken up in using digital
technologies, including Goods and Services Tax and payment platforms
3. The number of seats planned for BPOs in the NE states will be doubled to 10,000 from 5,000, while the network of common service
centres will be expanded to cover all villages
4. High-speed broadband connectivity in all the uncovered villages in the NE region shall be provided.
Focus on 8 thrust areas
The document identifies eight digital thrust areas
 digital infrastructure
 digital services
 digital empowerment
 promotion of electronics manufacturing
 promotion of IT and IT-enabled services including BPOs
 digital payments
 innovation & startups, and
 cybersecurity
Share this:


Jun, 14, 2018
[pib] Cabinet approves Repositioning of North Eastern Council
Note4Students
Prelims level: NEC
Mains level: Development of North Eastern Region
News
1. The Union Cabinet chaired by the PM has approved the proposal of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).
2. It held the nomination of Union Home Minister as ex-officio Chairman of North Eastern Council (NEC) – a statutory body with
Governors and Chief Ministers of all the eight North Eastern States as its Member.
3. The Cabinet also approved that Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of DoNER would serve as Vice Chairman of the Council.
Impact of this Restructuring
1. NEC implements various projects through the State and Central agencies.
2. This change would provide a forum for discussing inter-state matters more comprehensively and also consider common approaches to
be taken in future.
3. NEC can now also perform the tasks undertaken by the various Zonal Councils to discuss such inter-State issues as drug trafficking,
smuggling of arms and ammunition, boundary disputes etc.
Back2Basics
North Eastern Council
1. North Eastern Council (NEC) was constituted as a statutory advisory body under the NEC Act 1971 and came into being on the 7th
November 1972 at Shillong.
2. NEC was established under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971 as an apex level body for securing balanced and coordinated
development and facilitating coordination with the States.
3. Sikkim was added to the council in the year 2002
4. Subsequent to the Amendment of 2002, NEC has been mandated to function as a regional planning body for the North Eastern
5. While formulating a regional plan for this area, shall give priority to the schemes and projects benefiting two or more states.
6. In case of Sikkim, the Council shall formulate specific projects and schemes for that
Share this:


May, 08, 2018
Sikkim House expansion likely to get Home Ministry nod
Note4students
Mains Paper 2: Polity | Parliament & State Legislatures – structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges & issues arising
out of these
Prelims level: Representation of People Act, 1950
Mains level: Various tribal groups in the northeast and their representation in the state assembly as well as parliament
News
Increase in assembly seats
1. The Ministry of Home Affairs is all set to move a proposal before the Union Cabinet to increase the number of seats in the Sikkim
Assembly from 32 to 40
2. This would be the first expansion of seats since Sikkim was merged with India in 1975
Process for an increase in seats
1. The cabinet proposal will include amendments to the Second Schedule to the Representation of People Act, 1950
Reservation of seats
1. The proposal to expand the House is likely to benefit the Limboo and Tamang communities
2. They were notified as Scheduled Tribes in 2002
3. The existing reservations for Bhutias, Lepchas, Scheduled Castes and Sanghas will be retained
Share this:


Apr, 24, 2018
AFSPA revoked in Meghalaya, parts of Arunachal
Note4students
Mains Paper 3: Internal Security | Security challenges & their management in border areas
Prelims level: Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), Protected Area Permit (PAP)
Mains level: Security situation in North-East and ways to improve it
News
Reducing AFSPA expanse
1. The Centre has revoked The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Meghalaya since April 1
2. Earlier the AFSPA was effective in 20 km area along the Assam-Meghalaya border
3. In Arunachal Pradesh, the impact of AFSPA was reduced to eight police stations instead of 16 police stations and in Tirap, Longding and
Changlang districts bordering Assam
Relaxing the Protected Area Permit (PAP)
1. The Ministry has also relaxed the Protected Area Permit (PAP) for foreigners visiting Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland
2. The PAP will be valid for five years, but residents from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China will not be allowed to visit these areas
AFSPA applicability
1. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 is effective in the whole of Nagaland, Assam, Manipur (excluding seven assembly
constituencies of Imphal) and parts of Arunachal Pradesh
2. Tripura withdrew AFSPA in 2015
Share this:


Mar, 26, 2018
Centre to ease access to border areas with an eye on tourism
Note4students
Mains Paper 3: Internal Security | Security challenges & their management in border areas
Prelims level: Protected Area Permit
Mains level: Measures being taken for mainstreaming northeast India

News
Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime to be eased
1. The Centre is set to relax the Protected Area Permit (PAP) regime to enable foreign tourists to access border areas
2. The move follows several requests from the border States of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Nagaland and
Manipur and also the Tourism Ministry
Back2Basics
Protected Area Permit (PAP)
1. Under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, all areas falling between the ‘Inner line’ and the International Border of the State
have been declared as a ‘Protected Area’
2. This is applicable to all of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland,
Rajasthan and Uttarakhand
3. Every foreigner, except a citizen of Bhutan, who wants to enter and stay in a Protected Area, is required to get a special permit
4. Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan and foreign nationals of Pakistani origin are not issued the permit without the Home
Ministry’s approval
Share this:


Mar, 22, 2018
Govt says no decision made yet on separate time zones in India
Note4students
Prelims level: Time zones
Mains level: Demand for two time zones in India and its feasibility
News
Different time zones not possible
1. The government said it has not made any decision on the demands for separate time zones in the country, especially by the
northeastern states
2. The government had set up a high-level committee in 2002 that had not recommended implementation of two-time zones in India
because of complexities involved in the process
Why demand for different time zone?
1. In a vast country like India, the sunrise and sunset timings are different in the east, west and north India
2. In the far northeastern states, the sun rises and sets early when compared to northern and western regions of the country
3. Having a single time zone hampers productivity in east and northeastern states
Global examples
1. Several countries across the world have opted for multiple time zones for varied reasons, including increasing economic activity and
productivity
2. The US has seven time zones, Russia has 11, while China, like India, follows a single time zone
Share this:


Feb, 14, 2018
Logistics hub to turn Assam’s Jogighopa into India’s new gateway to South-East Asia
Image source
Note4students
Prelims level: Jogighopa multimodal logistics park, special purpose vehicle, Asian Development Bank, Northeast Economic
Corridor, Bharatmala programme, Logistic Performance Index
Mains level: Much needed infrastructure boost in northeast
News
Multimodal logistics park in Jogighopa
1. Jogighopa, a small town in Assam, is set to become India’s gateway to South-East Asia as well as the rest of the North-East
2. The road ministry is gearing up to develop a multimodal logistics park (MMLP) there with road, rail, waterways and air transport
facilities
Execution of project
1. A special purpose vehicle, backed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will be created to execute the project
2. Under the project, all four types of transportation—road, rail, air and waterways—will be available
Initiatives to make alternatives to ‘chicken’s neck’
1. The current transit corridors from mainland India to the North-East region pass through an area known as the “Chicken’s Neck”
2. It is a narrow tract of land in India between the borders with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan
3. The North-East region requires an alternative route for providing connectivity to the rest of India—a route with adequate expansion
potential
4. Recent developments like the announcement of the Northeast Economic Corridorunder the Bharatmala programme of the road
ministry aims to make more routes available
5. The signing of the MoU (memorandum of understanding) between India and Bangladesh for developing the Dalu-Tura-Goalpara-
Gelephu multimodal trade route will also help
Logistics sector: Rising importance
1. Since last year the government has started prioritizing the logistics sector by granting it infrastructure status
2. The Logistic Performance Index published by the World Bank shows India jumping 19 spots in the global ranking from 54 in 2014 to 35
in 2016

Cabinet Decides To Strengthen Northeast Autonomous Councils: Image Source

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Cabinet Decides To Strengthen Northeast Autonomous Councils: Image Source

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Jan, 25, 2019

Cabinet decides to strengthen Northeast autonomous councils

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Fifth and Sixth Schedules

Mains level: Development of Tribal Areas

Highlights of the Amendments

More powers to Village Councils

 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Universal Basic Income

Mains level: Debate surrounding Universal Basic Income

How will it be financed?

Should India adopt Universal Basic income Model

 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

From the UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Not much

Mains level: Importance of infrastructure development in Northeast India

Bogibeel bridge inaugrated

New era for northeast India

Dibrugarh connectivity is essential

1. Dibrugarh is reclaiming its lost glory

Foreign policy implications

1. Bogibeel is poised to usher winds of change in this part of the world

 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: NEID Scheme

Mains level: Development projects in the NE

North East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS), 2017

 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Mains Paper 1: Geography | Geographical features & their location

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: IST system

Proposed time zones: IST-I and IST-II

 IST-I would be same as current IST, that is, UTC +5:30

Need for two time zones

1. Loss of daylight hours and excess electricity usage

2. Effect on biological clocks of citizens

No need for separate Time Zone

What are the strategic reasons?

Easy Solutions against separate time zone

Electricity: Not a big deal

Biological / Circadian Clock

With inputs from: India Today

 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Noney Bridge and its details

Mains level: Development projects in the NE

 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims level: Experiencing North East festival

Mains level: Tourism promoting initiatives for North-Eastern Region

‘Experiencing North East’ Festival

 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Prelims Level: Kaladan Project

Mains Level: Importance of Kaladan Project

Kaladan Project: A step closer

Importance of the move

 Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

Mains Level: Infrastructure project in the north-east

Dhubri- Phulbari Bridge

Benefits of the bridge