20 SEP 2020

 

International Coastal Cleanup Day: 19 September

The 35th International Coastal Cleanup Day was celebrated consecutively for the ninth year by the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam on 19 September.

• To commemorate the occasion, Eastern Naval Command(ENC) as a part of their sustained commitment and responsibility undertook Coastal Cleanup Drive at Ramakrishna Beach, Yarada beach and all seafronts within premises of naval units along the East coast.
• Naval personnel at Ramakrishna beach and at Yarada beach undertook the cleanup drive whilst strictly adhering to COVID-19 protocol.
• Drive was intended to inculcate amongst the general populace, the spirit of respecting the beaches and safeguarding our environment.
• The event was also aimed to create awareness among the general public to keep beaches clean and to support the noble efforts of GVMC in making ‘The City of Destiny – Vizag’ a clean city.

Cargo plane crashes at Aden Adde International Airport in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu

In Somalia, a cargo plane crashed at Aden Adde International Airport in capital Mogadishu.

• The Somalia Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the incident after witnesses claimed they saw the crash.
• Markings on the plane indicate that it is operated by Silverstone Air in neighboring Kenya.
• There was no immediate confirmation of any casualty.
• The heavily fortified airport is home to diplomatic missions and serves as a hub for humanitarian flights in the Horn of Africa nation.
• Somalia Capital: Mogadishu
• Currencies: United States Dollar, Somali shilling

Nepal plans to resume passenger railway services after 7-year suspension

Nepal is planning to resume passenger railway services after a 7-year suspension after it received two sets of rails from India.

• The Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit rail sets that Kathmandu had purchased from India arrived in Janakpur city.
• It would take at least one and half months to restart the services, as it was currently working to recruit necessary human resources.
• The Department has planned to recruit over 200 staff gradually.
• It will be the country's first ever broad-gauge passenger railway service.
• The service will start from Kurtha, an area close to Janakpur town to Jayanagar, a town bordering India.
• There was an operation of Janakpur-Jaynagar railway service in the past but on a narrow gauge line. The service was completely halted seven years ago.

60 years of Indus Water Treaty

September 19 marks the 60th anniversary of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) between India and Pakistan.

• The World Bank, which, as the third party, played a pivotal role in crafting the IWT, continues to take particular pride that the treaty functions.
• The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) was signed in Karachi on 19 September 1960 by Jawaharlal Nehru and Ayub Khan. The World Bank, as the third party, played a pivotal role in crafting the IWT.
• The Treaty gives control over the waters of the three "eastern rivers" — the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej with a mean annual flow of 33 million acre-feet (MAF) — to India, while control over the waters of the three "western rivers" — the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum with a mean annual flow of 80 MAF — to Pakistan.
• India was allocated about 16% of the total water carried by the Indus system while Pakistan was allocated the remainder.

Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL) get BIS Certification for all its products

Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL), a PSU under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has been granted Bureau of Indian Standards – BIS certification for all its products.

• HOCL has been a pioneer in the manufacturing of Chemicals since its inception and quality is its motto since then.
• The company is supporting and implementing the Make in India initiative of the Government of India in one or other way.
• HOCL, a leader in the chemical industry, has a manufacturing unit at Kochi in Kerala.
• It provides basic organic chemicals essential for vital industries like Drugs and pharmaceuticals, resins and laminates, dyes and dyes intermediates, rubber chemicals, paints, pesticides and Textile industry,virtually touching every facet of life.
• It is also manufacturing sanitizers in this period of COVID pandemic.

Drug Controller General of India approves commercial launch of COVID-19 test 'FELUDA'

The Tata Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, CRISPR test, powered by CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) FELUDA has received regulatory approvals from the Drug Controller General of India for commercial launch.

• As per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines, the test has met high quality benchmarks with 96 per cent sensitivity and 98 per cent specificity for detecting the Novel Coronavirus.
• This test uses an indigenously developed, cutting-edge CRISPR technology for detection of the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 virus.
• CRISPR is a genome editing technology to diagnose diseases.
• The Tata CRISPR test is the world’s first diagnostic test to deploy a specially adapted Cas9 protein to successfully detect the virus causing COVID-19.

Principal Secretary to PM chairs meeting of High-Level Task Force to improve air quality in NCR

Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Dr P K Mishra chaired the meeting of the High-Level Task Force constituted to improve the air quality in the National Capital Region of Delhi.

• Dr Mishra emphasized that the meeting was called well in advance before the onset of harvesting and winter season to ensure proper precautionary and preventive measures to combat the causes of air pollution are taken well in time.
• A review of the main sources of air pollution, measures taken and the progress made by the State Governments and various Ministries was carried out.
• It was noted that the incidence of stubble burning has reduced by more than 50 per cent in the last two years and the number of Good AQI days have gone up.

Eight Indian beaches recommended for coveted Blue Flag international eco-label

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has said that eight beaches of the country have been recommended for the coveted ‘Blue Flag’ international eco-label.

• Clean beaches are a testimony to good environment in coastal areas and India’s many beaches are among the best in the world.
• For the first time, eight beaches of India have been recommended for the Blue Flag certification.
• Blue Flag certification is a globally recognised eco-label accorded by an international agency ‘Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark’ based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads–environmental education and information, bathing water quality, environment management and conservation and safety and services in the beaches.
• The ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an eco-tourism model endeavouring to provide the tourists/beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area.
• The eight beaches recommended under the BEAMS are Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Daman and Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden in Odisha and Radhanagar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Indian Navy aircraft carrier 'Viraat' to begin last journey

Viraat, the decommissioned aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, begins its last journey from Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard to Alang in Gujarat, where it will be dismantled.

• The vessel had served the Indian Navy for 30 years before being decommissioned in 2017.
• There were attempts to convert 'Viraat' into a museum or a restaurant, but none of the plans materialised.
• The aircraft carrier will be towed by the high capacity tugs owned by Shree Ram Group, the company that has won the bid to dismantle the ship.

IFC to provide two trillion dollars to India to develop green buildings

The International Finance Corporation has said that two trillion dollars will be provided to India to develop green buildings, improve public transport and to expand renewable sources of energy.

• IFC's Country Head Jun Zhang said the organisation is committed to urban development in India.
• India needs to focus on properly executing its infrastructure and smart city development projects.
• IFC Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Founded: 1956

Cricketer Suresh Raina to set up cricket schools in J&K

International cricketer Suresh Raina called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in Srinagar.

• The celebrity cricketer, on the request of Lt Governor, agreed to set up five schools in Kashmir division and an equal number in Jammu division to train the aspiring cricketers, particularly the youngsters from remote areas of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Lt Governor appreciated the gesture of the cricketer and also informed him of the government’s resolve of developing sports culture in the Union Territory and said with sports and education, we shall give a new direction to the talented youth of J&K’.

KVGB launches special gold loan scheme for pandemic

 Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) has launched a special gold loan scheme “Vikas Laghu Suvarna” with a reduced interest rate of 7.25%.

• The rate has been reduced considering the pandemic and also to provide easy and affordable credit to customers at a cheaper cost.
• Gold loans are easy means to get money during emergencies with minimal procedure and are still a popular loan product among customers.
• Under this new gold loan scheme, the bank is giving 80 % of the market value subject to a maximum of Rs 3,200/gram.
• A customer can avail up to maximum loan of Rs 15 lakh which is repayable within a period of maximum 6 months.