Daily Current Affairs and GK | 04 April 2020

1. Various officers of the Central Civil Service started the Caruna initiative

• Recently the Central Civil Service officers, including the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, have started the Caruna initiative.
• The Caruna initiative has been launched to support and complement the government's efforts in fighting coronavirus.
• CARUNA means "Civil Service Association Reach to Support in Natural Disaster".
• It represents a collaborative platform where civil servants, industry leaders, NGO professionals, and among others, IT professionals have also come together to contribute their time and abilities.
• Article 312 of the constitution empowers the Rajya Sabha to create All India Services.

2. Home Minister Amit Shah granted approval to release Rs 11,092 crore under SDRMF

• Home Minister Amit Shah has approved the release of Rs 11,092 crore under the State Disaster Risk Management Fund (SDRMF) to all states.
• The Central Government has released this amount to increase the funds available to the State Governments as the first installment of the State Disaster Risk Management Fund for the year 2020-21.
• The use of this fund is for preventive and mitigation measures for prevention of COVID-19, such as sample collection and screening, the establishment of additional testing laboratories, cost of consumables, health protection, purchase of personal protective equipment for municipal, police and fire officials, purchase thermal scanners, ventilators etc.
• It will also be used to provide food and shelter to homeless people, including migrant laborers trapped in various states.
• Earlier on 14 March, the Center made a special disbursement for the use of the State Disaster Response Fund for the prevention of COVID-19.
• On 28 March, the central government allowed the state government to use the SDRF for the above purpose.
• This money has been allocated to the states on the recommendation of the 15^th Finance Commission. N K Singh heads it.
• The President of India established the Finance Commission in 1951 under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution.

3. Sanjay Dhotre launches Hack the Crisis-India Hackathon

• Recently the State Human Resource Development and IT Minister Sanjay Dhotre has launched the ‘Hack the Crisis-India Hackathon’.
• The purpose of this hackathon is to find solutions to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This hackathon is part of a global initiative and is being organized by Hack-A-Cause-India and FICCI Ladies Organization Pune.
• The hackathon is also supported by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• The 48-hour hackathon will see more than 2,000 teams and more than 15,000 participants ramp up their working prototype.
• The goal of this hackathon is to strengthen the fight against the Corona pandemic.

4. ARCI Hyderabad has made hand sanitizer as per WHO standards

• Recently International Advanced Research Center for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) Hyderabad has made hand sanitizer as per WHO standards.
• The director of this institution directed this project.
• A team of scientists, students and staff volunteered to come forward and produce about 40 liters of sanitizer.
• The entire work of production, packaging and distribution has been completed in just 6 hours.
• Hand sanitizers have also been distributed to police personnel, students, employees of the institution, people working in the canteen, scientists and general areas and entrances in Hyderabad.
• Appreciating the support given by the scientists, the Deputy Commissioner of Police has requested to provide hand sanitizer to more and more personnel.
• International Advanced Research Center for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI):
  • It is an autonomous research and development center.
  • It is functioning under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
  • It was founded in 1997.
  • Its main campus is located in Hyderabad, Telangana.
  • Dr. G. Padmanabham is the current director of the institution.

5. China launches mascot digitally for 19^th Asian Games

• The official mascots of the 19^th Asian Games were unveiled at a digital ceremony in Hangzhou, China.
• Three robots named Smart Triplets will be the mascot for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
• These three robots, Kangkong, Lianlian and Chenchen, reflect the Internet skills of Hangzhou City and Zhejiang Province.
• The 19^th Asian Games of Asia will be held from 10 to 25 September 2022 in Hangzhou, China.
• This will be the third Asian Games organized by China after the 1990 event in Beijing.

• Asian Games:
  • Asian Games is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from across Asia.
  • The first Asian Games were held in 1951 in New Delhi, India.
  • The 18^th Asian Games were held in Indonesia in 2018.

6. IIT Roorkee has created a portable ventilator called Pran-Vayu

• Recently IIT Roorkee has developed a low-cost portable ventilator in association with AIIMS Rishikesh.
• This portable ventilator is named Pran-Vayu, which can be manufactured for just Rs 25,000.
• This closed-loop ventilator can deliver the required amount of air to the patient by controlling the pressure and flow rate under an automated procedure.
• This ventilator has been developed, keeping in mind the increasing demand for ventilators in hospitals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Many commercial companies have expressed interest in the production of this machine.

7. Indian Air Force carried out Operation Sanjeevani

• Recently, the Indian Air Force has delivered essential goods and medicines to the Maldives through Operation Sanjeevani.
• This operation was carried out at the insistence of the Maldives.
• As part of this operation, the Indian Air Force has supplied 6.2 tons of medical goods to the Maldives.
• The Maldives had ordered these goods long ago, but due to the lockdown, these goods could not reach them.
• Indian Air Force (IAF):
  • The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. It ranks fourth among the world's air forces according to personnel and aircraft assets.
  • It was founded on 8 October 1932.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.
  • The current Chief of the Indian Air Force is Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria.
• Maldives:
  • It is a small island nation in South Asia, located in the Arabian Sea, southwest of India.
  • Its capital is Male and the currency is Maldivian rufiya.

Topic of the Day-“Acid Rain”

Acid rain is a by-product of increasing pollution day by day. The term acid rain was first used in 1852 by Scottish chemist Robert Angus Smith. He studied it while investigating rainwater chemistry near industrial cities in England and Scotland. He described the incident in 1872 in Air and Rain, the Beginning of a Chemical Climatology.

When atmospheric pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen and sulphur react with rain water and come down with rain, this results in acid rain.

Acid rain is a prominent feature of Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. Its pH value is between 5 and 6.

Causes of Acid Rain

• Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are mainly responsible for acid rain. These chemicals interact with other chemicals and reactants present in the atmosphere and result in acid deposition.
• Natural sources of sulphur mainly include ocean and volcanic eruptions, while man-made sources are coal and petroleum and various industrial processes and fossil fuels. Other sources of sulphur include the smelting of iron and other ores, the manufacturing of sulphuric acid, and the petroleum industry, whereas oxides of nitrogen are emitted by vehicle emissions.
• Both these oxides convert to sulphuric acid and nitric acid and fall on the earth in the form of acid rain.
• It is known that not only sulphuric acid and nitric acid are responsible for acid precipitation, but also ozone and some other organic acids such as formic and acetic acid also contribute to acidity.

Effects of Acid Rain

• Acidic rain affects agriculture in the way it alters soil structure.
• Acid rain is very harmful to agriculture, plants and animals. It destroys all the nutrients that are necessary for plant growth and survival.
• The chemical composition of the water of lakes and ponds also changes due to acid rain. As a result, it affects the aquatic ecosystem and there is a loss of biodiversity.
• It also exacerbates respiratory problems in animals and humans.
• It damages buildings and monuments made of stones and metals due to which the cultural heritage of the country is also damaged. A living example of this is the Taj Mahal in India, which is suffering from erosion due to its proximity to oil refinery in Mathura.
• Acid rain also causes water pipes to erode. As a result, impurities such as heavy metals such as iron, lead and copper, dissolve in water.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Who has recently started the Caruna initiative to support government efforts against Corona?

A. Various officers of the Central Civil Service

B. Various State Chief Ministers

C. Various industrial houses

D. Various student organizations

2. Who is the Chairman of the 15^th Finance Commission?

A. N K Singh

B. S. K. Lion

C. A. Kumar Rao

D. S. Balakrishnan

3. Recently Hack the Crisis-India Hackathon has been launched for which purpose?

A. Finding solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic

B. Protecting the elderly from the coronavirus

C. Searching for the people of the Jamaat

D. Sanitizing the whole country

4. Recently which organization has made hand sanitizer as per WHO standards?

A. CSIR

B. ICMR

C. ARCI

D. DRDO

5. In which country is the Asian Games 2022 proposed?

A. China

B. India

C. Sri Lanka

D. Nepal

6. What is the recently developed Pran-Vayu?

A. Corona vaccine

B. Portable Ventilator

C. Pollution measuring instrument

D. Pump for Asthma patients

7. Recently Operation Sanjeevani was run by

A. Indian Air Force

B. Indian Army

C. Indian Water Force

D. Jointly by the above three forces

Solution:

1. A

2. A

3. A

4. C

5. A

6. B

7. A