DAILY GK 18 AUG 2020

 DAILY GK 18 AUG 2020

1. PM NARENDRA MODI ANNOUNCED LAUNCH OF NEW PROJECTS

·        PM Narendra Modi announced the launch of the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) under which every Indian will get a health ID that will store the individual’s medical records.

·        It will be implemented through National Health Authority (NHA), which is also responsible for the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

·        The finance ministry has approved a budget of Rs 470 crore for the proposal, but the final NHA proposal may not seek more than Rs 400 crore.

·        On the lines of “Project Tiger” and “Project Elephant”, PM Modi announced the “Project Dolphin” As per official figures, there are around 3,700 Gangetic River Dolphins in India.

·        He also  announced “Project Lion” for the conservation of endangered Asiatic Lion..

·        As a 7500 MW (megawatt) solar park is being built in Ladakh for electricity and infrastructure development in the region, the Ladakh, Leh and Kargil region will be developed and declared to be a carbon neutral region.

2. ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE CHAMBAL PROGRESSWAY

·        CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, announced that the Gwalior Chambal Expressway will be named as Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Chambal Progressway. 

·        Chouhan also stated that a grand statue of Vajpayee will be set up in Bhopal.

·        The Gwalior Chambal Expressway is a 6 lane expressway connecting Madhya Pradesh with Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, through the ravines of Chambal region.

·        In honour of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 25th December is celebrated as Good Governance Day.

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DAILY GK 16-17 AUG 2020

 DAILY GK 16-17 AUG 2020

1. DEF MINISTER RAJNATH SINGH LAUNCHED INDIGENISATION PORTAL SRIJAN

·        Final day of Atma Nirbhar Week celebration (Atmanirbharta Saptah) between August 7-14, 2020 of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and to boost Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant India movement), Union Defence Minister (Raksha Mantri) Rajnath Singh virtually launched Department of Defence Production (DPP) portal SRIJAN as a part of “opportunities for Make in India in Defence”.

·        This portal provides information about defence equipment and items which are being imported currently or are going to be imported by the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs)/Ordnance Factory Board (OFB)/ Service Headquarters (SHQs) so that they can be taken up for indigenisation by Indian companies that can design, develop and manufacture as per their capability or through joint venture with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

 

2. EU LAUNCHES NIRMANSHREE

·        European Union has launched project ’Nirmanshree’ for enhancing the women skill towards housing construction sector. This is the first-of-its-kind sustainable housing on a large scale in India with 1-million-euro.

·        The project will be implemented in Beed and Osmanabad districts of Maharashtra and the Dhenkanal and Jajpur districts of Odisha.

3. RBI’s DIVIDEND OF RS 57,128 CRORE TO CENTRAL GOVT

·        The 584th meeting of the Central Board of RBI under the Chairmanship of Governor Shaktikanta Das approved the transfer of Rs 57,128 crore in surplus as dividend to the Central government for the accounting year 2019-20.

·        The board decided  to maintain the Contingency Risk Buffer at 5.5%.

·        RBI in 2019 had transferred a record payment of Rs 1.76 lakh crore(trillion) which included Rs 1.23 lakh crore  as dividend and about Rs 52,637 crore of excess provisions identified as per the revised Economic Capital Framework (ECF). 

 

4. ‘SARABHAI CRATER’ AFTER VIKRAM SARABHAI

·        Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that Chandrayaan-2 has captured images of the Moon by Terrain Mapping Camera – 2 (TMC-2) and named one of the craters as ‘Sarabhai Crater’ after Indian astrophysicist Dr. Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai.

·        Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai’s 100th birth century was observed on 12th of August, 2020. 

·        Also Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru & ISRO developed a sustainable process for making brick-like structures named “Space Bricks” on the surface of the moon.

·        The process uses the lunar soil, bacteria and guar beans to make the space brick.

 

5. BOOK “A BEND IN TIME: WRITINGS BY CHILDREN ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC”

·        A book titled “A Bend in Time : Writings by Children on the COVID 19 Pandemic” was released in July 2020, the introduction of which is written by award-winning children’s author Bijal Vachharajani.

·        The book is published by Talking Cub (children’s imprint of Speaking Tiger).The book showcased the emotions and thoughts of children and young adults, from across the country and social groups, about the greatest global crisis in recent times: the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

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DAILY GK 15 AUG 2020

 DAILY GK 15 AUG 2020

1. INDIA SIGNS MOU WITH NIGERIA ON SPACE COOPERATION

·        Government of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on space cooperation with the Federal government of Republic of Nigeria at the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.

·        On the occasion, both sides also agreed to sign a subsidiary MOU between New Space India Limited (NSIL), under ISRO, and Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), under the Federal Ministry of Environment of Nigeria, on cooperation in use of Geospatial Technologies.

2. INDIA AIMS TO ACHIEVE ZERO ROAD FATALITIES BY 2030

·        Nitin Jairam Gadkari while addressing the Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Womennovator on Trade Investment and collaborations in Road infrastructure, has underlined India’s initiatives to achieve Zero Road Fatalities by 2030.

·        The World Bank and Asian Development Bank have committed Rs. 7,000 crores each on initiatives to reduce road accidents.

3. ODISHA RETAINS TOP POSITION IN IMPLEMENTATION OF AMRUT SCHEME

·        Odisha has retained top position in the implementation of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. According to rankings released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Odisha regained its top position by securing a score of 85.67 percent, followed by Union Territory of Chandigarh (75.08) and Telangana (74.04).

·        The AMRUT scheme was launched in June 2015 with a focus to establish infrastructure that could ensure adequate robust sewage networks and water supply for urban transformation by implementing urban revival projects.

·        The ii.AMRUT Mission covers around 500 cities under AMRUT scheme. 

4. HDFC BANK VIRTUALLY LAUNCHED ‘SHAURYA KGC CARD’

·        Aditya Puri, Managing Director of HDFC Bank, launched digitally the 1st of its kind card, ‘Shaurya KGC(Kisan Gold Credit) Card’, a tri color themed card for Indian armed forces personnel, i.e, Army, Navy, Air force and Para military forces and their families.

·        It will benefit over 45 lakh users. The product is aimed largely towards armed forces personnel from semi-urban and rural communities.

·        The product is based on the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) guidelines by the government.

·        This launch is part of the HDFC Bank’s ‘Har Gaon Hamara’ initiative to provide banking facilities to customers in the rural and under-served areas of the country. 

5. IIA DISCOVERS HE-ENHANCED STAR AMONG OMEGA CENTAURI 

·        Indian Scientist from Indian Institute of Aerophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, Karnataka, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) discovered a helium (He)-enhanced cool bright star among metal rich samples of the globular cluster, Omega Centauri.

·        This study, a result of the spectroscopic survey conducted of the cluster, which determines the helium (He) abundance of these stars.

 

6. ASSAM GOVERNMENT TO LAUNCH ‘ORUNODOI’ SCHEME

·        Finance Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sharma announced that the Government of Assam will roll out the ‘Orunodoi’ Scheme, which will provide Financial Assistance of Rs. 830 per month through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme to around 17 Lakh Families in the state.

·        It is expected to be the largest direct benefit Transfer scheme in Assam. 

·        The ‘Orunodoi’ scheme will be implemented from October 2, 2020 and will act as an umbrella scheme for all other government schemes for the next 5 years..

·        The scheme is applicable to eligible families to buy essential food items. Rs.400 has been allotted for the purchase of medicine, Rs.150 for vegetables, 50% off on 4 kgs of ration and 4kgs of sugar.

 

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DAILY GK 14 AUG 2020

DAILY GK 14 AUG 2020

1. FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND KATRA-DELHI EXPRESS ROAD CORRIDOR

·        First-of-its-kind Katra (Jammu & Kashmir)-Delhi Express  Road corridor works have begun and it is expected to be completed by 2023.

·        It was announced by Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (M-DoNER), Dr. Jitendra Singh.

·        The express Corridor is expected to reduce the travel time between Katra and Delhi to around six and half hours, the total outlay of the project is Rs. 35, 000 crores.

·        The Express Corridor is being built under the Bharatmala Pariyojana, which is a centrally-sponsored and funded Road & Highways project of the Government of India.

 

2. DAUGHTERS HAVE EQUAL BIRTHRIGHT TO INHERIT PROPERTY

·        In accordance with the landmark judgment passed by three-judge Bench of Supreme Court (SC) headed by Justice Arun Mishra and comprised of Justices S Abdul Nazeer and Mukeshkumar Rasikbhai Shah, the daughters will have equal inheritance rights as of sons in the properties of fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers right from the codification of the law in 1956 i.e. it would have retrospective effect. 

 

3. GOA’S MOIRA BANANAS, HARMAL CHILLIES, KHAJE GETS GI TAG

·        The Geographical Indications Registry headquartered in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) granted Geographical Indications(GI) to Goa’s Harmal Chillies which are grown only in Harmal village and adjacent areas of Pernem taluka(specifically in the coastal village of Arambol), Moira bananas, an unique banana grown in Moira village of Bardez taluka & Bicholim Taluka and Khaje, the traditional state sweet. 

 

4. 40 MM UNDER BARREL GRENADE LAUNCHER (UBGL) TO BSF

·        First consignment of 40 mm Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) was handed over to Border Security Force (BSF) which is designed and manufactured indigenously by the Ammunition Factory Khadki (AFK) in Pune, Maharashtra on the lines of the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India).

·        This ammunition is used to be imported by the Army and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) units.

·        Also the latest Israeli Assault Rifles, Arad and Carmel, will be manufactured under the Make in India initiative in the PLR Systems Private Limited, established by Israel Weapons Industries (IWI) in 2017 as a joint venture with Punj Lloyd in Madhya Pradesh, India.

 

5. NASA’S TESS COMPLETED PRIMARY MISSION

·        Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS) of National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) completed its primary mission of imaging 75% of the starry sky during the two-year survey and found 66 new exoplanets beyond the solar system, and around 2100 candidates on which the astronomers are working on to confirm among others.

·        The NASA Astrophysics Explorer mission led and operated by Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT), Cambridge, Massachusetts.

 

6. INTERNATIONAL LEFT HANDERS DAY 2020: AUGUST 13

·        Around 10 percent of the people worldwide are left-handed. 

·        It was first observed in 1976 by Dean R. Campbell who was founder of the Lefthanders International Inc.

7. ‘PUNJAB SMART CONNECT SCHEME’

·        On the occasion of International Youth Day and Janmastami, Captain Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab launched the “Punjab Smart Connection Scheme” worth Rs. 92 crores to provide free smartphones to the students of class 12 and he also handed over the smartphones to 6 students.

·        The smartphones distributed under the scheme were procured by the Punjab Ministry of Industry.

 

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DAILY GK 12 AUG 2020

 

DAILY GK 12 AUG 2020

1. GOVT ABOLISHED COTTON ADVISORY BOARD

·        Government of India vision of “Minimum Government and Maximum Governance”, the Ministry of textiles has abolished it’s another advisory body, Cotton Advisory Board (CAB), and notified that all eight Textiles Research Associations (TRAs) have ceased to be ”affiliated bodies” of the ministry.

·        Hereafter, TRAs will be approved bodies for conducting testing, research and developmental activities related to the textiles sector.

 

2. “INDIA@75 SUMMIT – MISSION 2022” ORGANISED BY CII

·        Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME) and Road Transport & Highways addressed the “India@75 Summit – Mission 2022” organised by the confederation of Indian Industries(CII) which was focused on ‘reinventing technology in India’. 

·        He stated that to achieve self-reliant India, the MSME Ministry and Industries should be made import substitutes, cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous.

 

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