Daily Current Affairs and GK | 12 February 2020

1. Covid-2019: Official name for new coronavirus disease

• The head of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced in Geneva that Covid-2019 is the official name of the new coronavirus disease.
• The new name is derived from corona, virus and disease, and also 2019 for the year in which the virus was revealed.
• The term coronavirus refers to only the group of viruses of which it is a member and not for the latest strain.
• Simultaneously, Dr. Ghebreyesus called upon the world to deal with this new virus as aggressively as possible.
• The World Health Organization was informed about the outbreak of the virus on 31 December last year.

2. Heavy rainfall in the UK due to Storm Ciara

• Storm Ciara has resulted in heavy rainfall and winds at speed up to 150 kilometers per hour in the UK. As a result, large areas have been flooded and travel disrupted.
• The bad weather also affected France, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany and many flights had to be canceled.
• The storm severely affected Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, and Hannover airports in Germany and many flights had to be canceled.
• Storm Ciara is causing destruction in the continent of Europe.

3. National Winter Games will be held in Gulmarg from 7 March

• The five-day National Winter Games will begin from 7 March in Gulmarg.
• These will be organized under Khelo India.
• Secretary of Youth Services and Sports Sarmad Hafeez reviewed the preparations for these games.
• There will be thirty events under five major categories including snowboarding, snow skiing and snow show.
• Eight hundred players from all over the country will participate in these games.

4. Lalremsiami has been named as the 2019 FIH Women's Rising Star of the Year

• The International Hockey Federation has named Lalremsiami, India forward from Mizoram, as the 2019 FIH Women's Rising Star of the Year.
• 19-year-old Lalremsiami took the award ahead of Argentina's Juliet Jankunas and Netherlands’ Frederique Malta.
• Lalremsiami became one of the prominent players of the Indian women's hockey team after her excellent performance at the Hockey Women’s World Cup in 2018.

5. National Water Conference was organized in Bhopal

• National Water Conference was organized on 11 February in Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh.
• The conference was inaugurated by Chief Minister Kamal Nath.
• Water Resources Minister of Madhya Pradesh Sukhdev Panse and Rajendra Singh, also known as Jal Purush, also addressed the inaugural session.
• To overcome the water crisis in Madhya Pradesh and to make the state prosperous with water, a National Water Conference was organized in the Bhopal.
• The state had plenty of water due to Narmada, Chambal, Son, Betwa and Sindh rivers, but the water crisis has arisen in most areas of the state due to the decline in ground water level for the last few years.

6. World Unani Day: 11 February

• World Unani Day is celebrated every year on 11^th February to mark the birth anniversary of great Unani scholar Hakim Ajmal Khan.
• The purpose of this day is to spread awareness regarding the role of the Unani system of medicine in healthcare.
• India has the largest number of Unani educational, research, and health care institutions.
• Hakim Ajmal Khan was a great Unani physician and a social reformer. He was one among the founding members of Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi).

7. ‘Mana Krishna’ Campaign launched to clean river canals

• A massive clean drive, Mana Krishna, has been launched to clean river canals by the Krishna district administration.
• The campaign is launched as part of the Clean Krishna-Godavari Canals Mission and anti-plastic drive.
• Krishna River:
  • The Krishna River originates near Mahabaleshwar and enters the Bay of Bengal after passing through different states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
  • Bhima and Tungabhadra are the two largest tributaries of this river.
  • It is one of the longest rivers in India.

8. Number of deaths while cleaning sewers and septic tanks increased by 62% in 2019

• In reply to the question in Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment told that the number of deaths while cleaning sewers and septic tanks had increased from 68 in 2018 to 110 in 2019.
• According to a national survey conducted in 18 states, 48,345 manual scavengers are there till 31 January 2020. With this, the total number of manual scavengers across the country are 62,904.
• Manual Scavenging is prohibited under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
• National Commission for Safai Karamcharis was formed in 1994 as a statutory body, but with the lapse of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act,1993, the commission is now acting as a non-statutory body of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

9. The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill passed in Lok Sabha

• The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill has been passed in Lok Sabha.
• The bill aims to include the Parivara and Talawara communities along with Siddi tribes of Belagavi and Dharwad in Karnataka (excluding those living in Uttar Kannada as they are already in the list).

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. What is the official name given by WHO for disease caused by new coronavirus?

A. n-Cov 2019

B. Covid 2019

C. Corona 2019

D. n-Covid 2020

2. Storm Ciara is causing destruction in which of the following continents?

A. Asia

B. Africa

C. Europe

D. Australia

3. A five-day national winter games event will be hosted by which of the following?

A. Gulmarg

B. Ladakh

C. Shimla

D. Auli

4. Who among the following has been named as 2019 FIH Women’s Rising Star of the Year?

A. Julieta Jankunas

B. Frederique Matla

C. Lalremsiami

D. Rani Rampal

5. World Unani Day is celebrated every year on

A. 10^th February

B. 11^th February

C. 12^th February

D. 13^th February

6. ‘Mana Krishna’ campaign has been launched for which of the following purposes?

A. To celebrate the festival of Lord Krishna

B. To clean river canals

C. To prohibit manual scavenging

D. None of the above

7. National Commission for Safai Karamcharis is a _________ body.

A. Autonomous

B. Constitutional

C. Statutory

D. Non-Statutory

8. Which of the following tribes will be included in the Scheduled Tribes Category through the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill?

A. Parivara

B. Talawara

C. Siddi Tribe of Belagavi

D. All of the above

9. Who among the following is also known as Jal Purush?

A. Kamal Nath

B. Rajeshwar Dutt

C. Rajendra Singh

D. CV Rao

Solution:

1. B

2. C

3. A

4. C

5. B

6. B

7. D

8. D

9. C