DAILY GK 24 JULY 2020

DAILY GK 24 JULY 2020

1. INDIA’S FIRST 700 MWE UNIT TO ACHIEVE CRITICALITY NFR

·        The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited(NPCIL) announced that, Unit-3 of Kakrapar Atomic Power Project(KAPP-3), India’s First 700 MWe (megawatt electric) and indigenously developed Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor(PHWR) in Surat, Gujarat achieved its first criticality – initiation of controlled and sustained nuclear fission reaction.

·        KAPP-3 is India’s 23rd nuclear power reactor that is completely designed and built by India.

·        The reactor uses natural Uranium as the fuel and Heavy water as moderator.

2. INDIA TO HAVE 60% RENEWABLE ENERGY BY 2030

·        Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of State(MoS)(IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy stated that India will have around 60% of the installed capacity of the electricity generation from renewable resources by 2030, in the webinar on Energy Transition at the second pre-event hosted by The World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2021 in collaboration with Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) India.

·        Prime Minister Modi announced that India will increase the renewable energy target to 450 GW by 2030 from 175 GW by 2022, in the United Nations(UN) Climate Action Summit held in September 2019.

·        R K Singh highlighted the progress of India on clean energy and stated that including the projects under development and hydroelectric power the clean energy capacity of India is around 190 GW which is higher than the targeted 175 GW by 2022.

3. INDIA, MALDIVES SIGNED SIGNED AGREEMENT FOR GEYDOSHU MAS PLANT

·        India and Maldives inked an agreement to set up Geydoshu Mas Plant (Neighborhood Fish Processing Plants) at two islands in the Addu city of Maldives namely Maradhoo and Hulhudhoo.

·        The Contract signing ceremony was held virtually in Addu City, which was attended  by Maldives’ Foreign Secretary Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, High Commissioner of India to the Maldives Sunjay Sudhir, along with other members of Maldives’ Ministry of Foreign affairs.

4. TURKMENISTAN BECAME 25TH COUNTRY WITH OBSERVER STATUS IN WTO

·        Turkmenistan became the 25th country who was granted observer status in the World Trade Organization (WTO) enabling the nation to establish permanent residence at WTO headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland and monitor it’s proceedings.

·        Turkmenistan also became the last former Soviet republic to establish formal ties with the trade body.

·        This observer status was granted during the 5th virtual session of WTO General Council which was held from WTO headquarters and attended by representatives of its member-states.

5. NICARAGUA BECOMES THE 87TH COUNTRY TO SIGN THE ISA FRAMEWORK

·        The Republic of Nicaragua became the 87th country to sign the International Solar Alliance(ISA) Framework Agreement, an initiative to promote sustainable energy, led by India.

·        E. Jaime Hermida Castillo, Permanent Representative to the UN of the Republic of Nicaragua, signed the Agreement at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York.

6. BANK OF BARODA LAUNCHED ‘INSTA CLICK SAVINGS ACCOUNT’

·        India’s third-largest public sector bank, Bank of Baroda(BoB) launched ‘Insta Click Savings Account’, a 100% paperless digital self-assisted online savings account.

·        It can be activated in real-time i.e; the customer can transact using the Baroda M Connect Plus application with the MPIN received on the mobile number.

7. CHINA LAUNCHES TIANWEN-1

·        The Tianwen-1, China’s first fully homegrown Mars Mission, was launched in a Long March 5 Rocket from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan Island at 12:41 a.m. EDT (0441 GMT).

·        The Tianwen-1 is carrying the duo of an orbiter and a lander or rover; this combination of craft was never launched towards mars.

·        The name Tianwen means “Questions to Heaven” it was taken from the poem by Qu Yuan (Lived in 340 to 278 BCE).

8. ISL BECOMES 1ST LEAGUE IN SOUTH ASIA TO JOIN THE WORLD LEAGUES FORUM

·        The Hero Indian Super League (ISL) joins the World Leagues Forum (WLF), the association of Professional football leagues.

·        It is the first league from South Asia and seventh in Asia to join the WLF.

·        The Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga are also part of the association of Professional football leagues and also the most supported leagues by the people. 

·        In 2014, when ISL begun, India has been raising its standard to achieve world class standard, claimed by The Founder and chairperson of Football Sports Development limited (FSDL), Mrs. Nita Ambani 

9. THE BOOK TITLED “THE PANDEMIC CENTURY”

·        “The Pandemic Century, A History of Global Contagion from the Spanish Flu to Covid-19”, by the british medical historian Mark Honigsbaum covers 10 outbreaks in the past 100 years, dating from the Spanish Flu (1918) to the present day Coronavirus (2019).

·        The book is published by Penguin Publishers.

·        Other Outbreaks in the Book: Pneumonic plague, Parrot fever, SARS, Ebola, Zika.

10. NATIONAL BROADCASTING DAY 2020 – JULY 23

·        23rd July of every year is observed as the National Broadcasting Day across India to commemorate the first ever radio broadcast aired in India on 23rd July 1927 from the Bombay Station of a private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company.