Notes:
The Centre and the state government of Assam recently signed a tripartite agreement with National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). The Bodo tribal group was demanding a separate state of Bodoland from Assam for several years.
The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) and another group called United Bodo People’s Organisation, which led the insurgency, also signed the agreement. More than 1500 militants of NDFB are expected to surrender with arms. Rs.1500 crore has been sanctioned by the government for implementing the accord in next three years.

Notes:
The state assembly of Andhra Pradesh recently passed a resolution to abolish the state’s legislative council. The decision was supported by 133 legislators of the ruling YSR Congress Party.
This decision is taken at the backdrop of the constant opposition faced in the upper house of the legislature, the Andhra Pradesh Legislative council. The main opposition party, Telugu Desam Party led by Chandrababu Naidu has 27 seats out of 58 in the council. It recently sent two bills related to the decentralization of Andhra Pradesh’s capital to a select committee for further deliberation, after it was passed in the assembly.

Notes:
According to the recent bid document released by the Government, it would sell all its 100 per cent of its equity share capital in Air India, which includes the Air India’s 100 per cent stake in AI Express Limited and 50 per cent in Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited.
The government has also announced that it would absorb 30 per cent more in debt and liabilities, than it did in the previous year. March 17 has been set as the dead line for the submission of bids for the sale, which is to be implemented through the open bidding route. The net worth for the interested entities is also reduced to Rs.3500 Cr from the earlier limit of Rs.5000 Cr.

Notes:
The third Global Potato Conclave recently commenced in Gandhinagar, with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address through video-conferencing.
Two Global Potato Conferences were organised in 1999 and 2008, one in every 10 years. The conclave for this decade is being organised by the Indian Potato Association (IPA) in association with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Shimla based ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute and International Potato Centre (CIP), Peru. The three-day global event will showcase the achievements in potato research and to set a blueprint for the decade.

Notes:
Kolkata-based Defence PSU- Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers is to deliver the anti-submarine stealth warship, INS Kavaratti to the Indian Navy soon, as per the recent announcement.
Kavaratti is the last of the four Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes built by the GRSE for the Indian Navy under Project P28, the first three :’Kamorta’, ‘Kadmatt’ and ‘Kiltan’, named after islands in the Lakshadweep archipelago, were delivered from 2014 to 2017. The new Kavaratti warship has 90 per cent indigenous components and is expected to require lower maintenance. With all the trials being completed, the ship is to be delivered by the month end.