Current Affairs - Assam

• On 18^th October 2021, the Government of Assam has decided to add ‘Bhaskarabda’ in addition to ‘Saka’ and ‘Gregorian’ that will be used in the official calendar.
• The local calendar is counted from the date of the ascension of Bhaskaravarman, the 7th-century ruler of Kamrup.
• Bhaskarabda began when Bhaskaravarman was crowned ruler of the Kamrupa kingdom. He was a contemporary and political ally of northern Indian ruler Harshavardhana.
• Unlike the Gregorian, where a day starts at midnight, the Assamese calendar begins and ends at sunrise over 24 hours.
• While the Gregorian goes by the solar cycle, the Saka and Bhaskarabda use a lunisolar system based on both the phases of the moon and the solar year.
• The gap between Bhaskarabda and Gregorian is 593 years.

The data from Social Welfare Department of Assam shows that there is an increase in cases of child marriages in the state.

Area Specific

• Most of the cases of child marriage are reported from migrant Muslim-dominated areas, specifically the ‘char’ (river island) areas and from tea plantations.

The Data

• 3,192 child marriages were recorded from 2016-17 fiscal to the 2020-21 financial years.
• 74 child marriages were performed during 2016-17 followed by 448 during 2017-18 and 759 during 2018-19.
• The child marriage figure jumped to 1,089 during 2019-20. This worst scenario was witnessed after the Assam Govt. announced a gift of a ‘tola’ (11.34 grams) of gold for brides and allocated Rs. 300 crore for the gold scheme called ‘Arundhati’ and set a few conditions for a bride to be eligible for the gold. These included mandatory registration of marriage. Though government had aimed at marital reforms and checking “underage marriage”, the schemes backfired.

State Govt.’s initiative to Prohibit Child Marriage

• Assam Govt. has appointed child marriage prohibition officers under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 to check child marriages.
• Village children protection committees are also being set up.

• The Assam Government has decided to provide jobs to medal winners of Olympics, Asian and Commonwealth games, and National Games.
• All those who won medals in National Games so far for Assam would be given Sports Pension by the State Government.

• Assam Govt. has launched its flagship scheme ‘Orunodoi’ on 1st December 2020 at NumaliJalah Parade Ground, Aminagon.

Aim: The aim of this scheme is to provide food security and poverty alleviation.

About the Scheme

• There will be a transfer of money (Rs. 830) to the beneficiary every month towards buying medicines, lentils, sugar, and fruits. This is not binding, beneficiaries may use them as per their requirement.
• Preference will be given to the households having widow, unmarried women and especially abled person.
• One of the other salient features of this program is to ensure timely credit of the right subsidy amount transferring the benefit directly into the account of the nominated female head of the household.

Who are not Eligible?

• The households having, four-wheeler, tractor, TV, fridge, etc. will not be eligible under the Scheme.