DAILY GK 23,24 AUG

 DAILY GK 23,24 AUG

1.          INDIA’S 1ST HYDROGEN FUEL CELL BUS 

·            Union Minister of State (MoS-Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh, Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST) launched India’s first indigenously developed Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus in Pune (Maharashtra).

·            It is co-developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI), and KPIT Technologies Limited

 

2.          GOI GRANTS GI TAG TO BIHAR MITHILA MAKHANA TO BOOST FARMERS’ INCOME

·            The Government of India (GoI) has awarded Mithila Makhana from Bihar a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, which would enable farmers to get the maximum price for their premium produce.

·            This decision is anticipated to benefit over five lakh farmers in the Mithila region of Bihar.

·            A GI is primarily a product that comes from a specific geographical location, whether it be a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods), a natural product, or an agricultural product.

·            After a product receives a GI tag, no individual or company may sell a similar item under that name. This tag is valid for 10 years, after which it can be renewed.

·            Some of the well-known products that bear GI tag: Basmati rice, Darjeeling Tea (West Bengal), Chanderi Fabric (Madhya Pradesh), Mysore Silk (Karnataka), Kullu Shawl (Himachal Pradesh), Kangra Tea (Himachal Pradesh), Thanjavur Paintings (Tamil Nadu), Allahabad Surkha Guava (Uttar Pradesh), Farrukhabad Prints (Uttar Pradesh), Lucknow Zardozi (Uttar Pradesh) and Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving (Jammu & Kashmir).

 

3.          PUNJAB & HARYANA AGREES TO NAME CHANDIGARH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AFTER BHAGAT SINGH

·            Punjab and Haryana agreed to name the Chandigarh International Airport after freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh for its collective contribution of both states.

·            The Rs 485-crore airport project is a joint venture of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the governments of Punjab and Haryana.

 

4.          GOVERNMENT TARGETS TO ELIMINATE KALA-AZAR FROM COUNTRY BY 2023

·            The Government of India (GoI) has set a target to completely eliminate Kala-azar, also known as Visceralleishmaniasis (VL) by the year 2023.

·            Kala-azar is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) transmitted by the bite of phlebotominesandflies and is the deadliest parasitic killer after malaria

·            The World Health Organisation (WHO) Neglected Tropical Diseases Road map has set a target to eliminate Kala-azar by 2030. India is now ahead in controlling Kala-azar by the following year. 

 

5.          INDIANS REMITTED USD 6 BILLION IN Q1FY23 UNDER LRS SCHEME: RBI DATA

·            According to the latest Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, remittances by Indians under the Liberalised Remittance System (LRS) increased 64.75 % to over USD 6.04 billion in the first quarter (Q1) of fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23), up from USD 3.67 billion in Q1FY22.

·            In Q1FY23, outward remittances increased as Indians increased their spending on gifts, international travel, and the maintenance of close relatives.

·            The Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) was launched on February 4, 2004, with an initial ceiling of USD 25,000.

·            The scheme allows all residents, including minors, to freely remit up to USD 250,000 each fiscal year for any permitted current or capital account transaction, or combination of both.

 

6.          GOVT EXTENDS TENURE OF MEENESH SHAH AS NDDB CHAIRMAN FOR 6 MONTHS

·            The Government of India (GoI) extended the tenure of Meenesh C Shah, an Executive Director (ED) of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to hold charge as the Chairman of NDDB for another six months until November 30, 2022.

·            The post of a full time Chairman of NDDB is vacant since December 2020 when the Chairman of NDDB Dilip Rath demitted office after being elected to the Board of International Dairy Federation (IDF).

·            India will host the world’s biggest dairy conference, International Dairy Federation (IDF) World Dairy Summit 2022 in New Delhi during September 12-15, 2022.

·            Theme-  “Dairy for Nutrition and Livelihood.”

·            NDDB Headquarters– Anand, Gujarat,Founder- Verghese Kurien  

 

7.          ALKESH SHARMA NOMINATED TO UN INTERNET GOVERNANCE LEADERSHIP PANEL

·            United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary of the Union Department of Electronics and Information Technology, to the 10-member Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Leadership Panel.

·            Vint Cerf, an Internet pioneer and Maria Reesa, Nobel Prize-winning journalist were also appointed to the Panel.

·            Vint Cerf is also sometimes called “the father of the internet” for being one of the developers of the internet’s architecture and the TCP/IP.

·            The IGF Leadership Panel also has 5 ex-officio members, including Amandeep Singh Gill, the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology.

·            The members will have a tenure of 2 years, from 2022 to 2023.

·            IGF Leadership Panel was constituted based on recommendations in the UN Secretary-General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation for dealing with strategic and urgent issues on the Internet.

 

8.          FTX CRYPTO CUP CHESS 2022

·            Young Indian Grandmaster (GM) R Praggnanandhaa defeated the World No.1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway and  finished as runner-up In FTX Crypto Cup 2022, the American finale of Champions Chess Tour in Miami, Florida, United States.

·            However Magnus Carlsen won the event on the basis of a higher score with 16 match points and R Praggnanandhaa secured second position, scoring 15 match points.

·            This was the third time in just six months when PraggnanandhaaRameshbabu defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen.

 

9.          WORLD SENIOR CITIZEN’S DAY 2022- AUGUST 21

·            World Senior Citizen’s Day is annually celebrated across the globe on August 21 to acknowledge the contributions of elderly people in human society and honour them.

·            The day also recognises the senior citizens’ contributions  in advancing the world by working as professionals and entrepreneurs throughout the course of their life.

 

10.       UTTAR PRADESH TO BUILD INDIA’S FIRST EDUCATION TOWNSHIP

·            Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) is set to build India’s First Education Township with an idea of ‘Single Entry, Multiple Exit’.

·            UP’s Chief Minister(CM) Yogi Adityanath directed authorities to prepare a comprehensive action plan for setting up 5 education townships in UP. 

·            The township focusing on “High-end education” will also cater to students from African, Latin American and Central Asian countries. 

 

11.       15TH INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIAD ON ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS 2022

·            India came in third at the 15th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2022, which took place in Kutaisi, Georgia.

·            The IOAA is an annual contest for students in higher secondary education.

·            India and Singapore were tied for third place in the medal count. Iran’s official team (5 Golds) won the top spot followed by Iran’s Guest team (4 Golds, 1 Silver).

·            The 15th IOAA 2022 competition was initially scheduled to take place in Kyiv, Ukraine. It was rescheduled in March 2022 to take place in Kutaisi, Georgia owing to the conflict in Ukraine.

 

12.       2022 LIBERTY MEDAL

·            The 2022 Liberty Medal is set to be awarded to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to recognize his leadership in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

·            Zelensky will be honoured “for his heroic defence of liberty in the face of Russian Tyranny” by recognizing his heroism, courage, and bravery.

·            The Liberty Medal is an annual award by the NCC of the United States (US),established in 1988 to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. It was found by the Philadelphia Foundation.

·            Some notable recipients are Nelson Mandela, Sandra Day O’Connor, Kofi Annan, Malala Yousafzai, and Colin Powell.

 

13.       INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE REMEMBRANCE OF THE SLAVE TRADE AND ITS ABOLITION 2022- AUGUST 23

·            United Nations (UN)’s International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is annually observed across the globe on August 23 to abolish the practice of slave trading and to remember the tragedy of the slave trade across the globe during colonial rule.

·            The day was chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to memorialize the transatlantic slave trade.