Books and Authors - Current Affairs for September, 2016

President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee released a book written by Vice President Shri Mohd Hamid Ansari on September 23, 2016

• This was at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 23rd Sept 2016
• The book is entitled Citizen and Society
• It brings out a collection of the Vice President’s lectures on diverse themes
• Diplomat, scholar and now author, the Vice President takes active interest in public affairs
• Book reminds Indian citizens of their responsibilities and says Indian democracy needs to be constantly nurtured by citizens
• Volume is a collection of lectures on diverse themes like polity, security and empowerment. Further efforts are being made to probe the diversity of challenges confronting India

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh released the first-ever Coffee Table Book on Northeast published by the North Eastern Council (NEC) on 22nd Sept

• The hard-cover Coffee Table book, consisting of 180 pages, is mainly a pictorial and visual depiction of the various facets of Northeast with messages from President of India, Prime Minister and DoNER Minister in his capacity as Chairman NEC as well as from the Governors and Chief Ministers of all the eight States of North-Eastern Region
• To give credence to India’s “Act East Policy” more effective and fruitful, India will also have to strengthen and reinforce our resources proximal to the eastern borders.
• In this regard, he referred to the currently under construction rail-link to Bangladesh from Tripura, which is being funded by the Ministry of DoNER on the Indian side from Agartala to Akhaura.
• The Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh accomplished by the present Government is also something which could not be achieved in the last 45 years
• Two new flights will be introduced between Guwahati and Aizawl, and Guwahati and Silchar. This, he said, will be in addition to the first-ever flight from New Delhi to Dimapur in Nagaland started from April 1, 2015 and later, the first-ever direct flight to Aizawl, also started by the present government.
• While Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya emerged on the Rail map of India for the first time, most of the North-Eastern States will get a broad-gauge rail track in the next few years,
• Sikkim has achieved the distinction of becoming India’s first “Organic State” and also the first state with 100 percent sanitation coverage.
• Two cities of Northeast namely Kohima in Nagaland and Namchi in Sikkim have found a place in the Smart Cities List.

West Indies opener Chris Gayle launched his autobiography Six Machine which contained extensive details about life and career of the cricketer.

• Book was unveiled by BCCI chief Anurag Thakur
• Autobiography gives a comprehensive account of the life of the batsman who delighted T20 cricket fans
• Title of the autobiography Six Machine aptly describes Gayle, Thakur felt
• Former West Indies cricketer Gayle was also congratulated by Virender Sehwag on the launch of his book
• Gayle is a former West Indies captain as well.