Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 and 16 December 2019

1. Three Odisha students developed smart water dispenser

• The project was developed as part of the Atal tinkering marathon 2018-19.
• A smart water dispenser is an electronic device that is connected to the houses and work as an electronic meter to control the usage of water. The dispensers connected to the central servers of the local governing bodies by wi-fi or GSM will control the supply of water.

2. Vijay Diwas: 16 December

• Vijay Diwas is celebrated annually on December 16 to commemorate the victory of India over Pakistan in the Indo- Pakistan war of 1971.
• The war led to the separation of East Pakistan from Pakistan, thus leading to the formation of Bangladesh.
• India shares its maximum border length with Bangladesh.

3. Coal ministry set up a cell to support environment-friendly mining

• Coal ministry will set up a Sustainable Development Cell (SDC) to promote environment-friendly coal mining.
• The functions of the SDC involves

• It will advise the companies about the mitigation measures to be taken by the companies to reduce down the environmental effects of coal mining.
• It will use GIS technology and carry out research and studies to create data about mining, various sites, etc.
• The cell will also do afforestation and amelioration.
• It will also create plans to promote tourism in related areas.

4. Lahore- Wagah shuttle train service resumes

• The train service between India and Pakistan resumed after a gap of 22 years.
• The train has been named ‘Rail Car’.
• The shuttle train service will complete three trips daily, having a capacity to carry 181 passengers.
• It will connect Lahore of Pakistan to the Wagha area of Punjab (Pakistan). Wagah, a village 11 Km from Amritsar, is famous for flag hoisting ceremony by Pakistan forces and Indian Border Security Force.
• There are records of train service connecting Lahore, Jallo and Wagha railway station in Pakistan. However, its operations were closed in 1997 due to security issues.

5. Jamaica’s Toni Ann Singh crowned Miss World 2019

• Toni Ann Singh of Jamaica was crowned as Miss world 2019.
• The 1^st runner up was France Opélie Mezzino, and 2^nd runner up was Suman Rao.
• This is the first time that both Miss World and Miss Universe are black women.
• The Miss Universe 2019 title was given to Zozibini Tunzi from South Africa.
• Vanessa Ponce from China was crowned as Miss World 2018.

6. 1^st Meeting of National Ganga Council held in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh

• The first meeting of the National Ganga council was chaired by the Prime Minister in Kanpur, Lucknow.
• The meeting was ‘Ganga centric’ with a focus on swachhata, aviralta, and nirmalta.
• The central government committed to provide an amount of 20,000 crore over a period of 5 years. i.e., 2015-20 to five states through which the river flows.
• The government has also set up a clean Ganga Fund to draw contributions from different stakeholders, including NRIs.
• To monitor various initiatives under Namami Gange and Arth Ganga, the PM gave directions to set up digital dashboards where data collected from villages and urban areas can be monitored on a daily basis by Niti Aayog and Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Arth Ganga is a model in which focus has been on generating revenue by promoting adventure and religious tourism on the banks of Ganga.
• Namami Gange Program is under the Ministry of Jal Shakti was started in 2014 to clean and rejuvenate the river Ganga.
• River Ganga

• Source: Gangotri Glacier.
• The river flows through 5 states, i.e. U.P, Bihar, Uttrakhand, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
• Right Bank tributaries: Yamuna, Son, Punpun, Damodar.
• Left Bank Tributaries: Gomti, Ghaggra, Gandak, Kosi, Ramganga etc.

7. Interstellar Comet 2I/ Borisov

• It is the first identified comet from another stellar system to have come closer to the Sun.
• Its length is 3200 Km.
• The major portion of the comet is made of loosely knit ice particles and dust.
• The comet is expected to leave the Solar system by mid-2020.
• Comet:

• These are snowballs of frozen gas, rock and dust, which on coming in contact with the Earth's atmosphere or sun, heats up and spews dust and gas which looks like a tail.

8. Gujarat receives President’s Colours

• Vice President presented the Gujarat police the President’s Colours during a ceremony held in Karai Police Academy in Gandhi Nagar. 
• Gujarat has become the 7^th State to receive the President’s Colours (Nishaan).
• President’s Colors is an emblem that will be worn by all the police officers of Gujarat on the left-hand sleeve of their uniform. 
• Gujarat Police was conferred with this prestigious award for its tireless, longstanding and meritorious service, dedication and valor to the nation.

9. 26^th Annual Crystal Award for the year 2020

• The winners of 26^th Annual Crystal Award for the year 2020 have been announced, which is presented to recognize the achievements of leading artists and cultural figures who have inspired inclusive and sustainable change.
• World Economic Forum’s World Arts Forum hosts the Annual Crystal Award.
• The winners are:
  • Theaster Gates (Artist)- for his leadership in creating sustainable communities
  • Jin Xing (Choreographer)-for her leadership in shaping inclusive cultural norms
  • Deepika Padukone (Actress)- for her leadership in raising mental health awareness
  • Lynette Wallworth (Artist)- for her leadership in creating inclusive narratives
• The awards will be presented at the opening session of the 2020 Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos.

10. COP 25 came to an end with no deal on carbon markets

• The longest UN Climate Conference COP 25 concluded with no deal on carbon markets.
• The representatives from over 200 countries could not come up with more ambitious targets to reduce GHGs. 
• In the conference held for two weeks, no agreement could be made on issues related to Article 6, loss and damage, long term finance, etc.
• Under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, the countries agreed to form a global carbon market system that will help developing countries decarbonize their economies at a lower cost. But, the countries failed to agree on the rules governing this system.
• COP 26 will be held in Glasgow, UK, in 2020, where the issue related to carbon emissions will be discussed.

11. Suruli Waterfalls attracted high number of tourists

• The Suruli Waterfalls has attracted a high number of tourists as it received a heavy inflow of water due to North-East Monsoon.
• The waterfall is located in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu.

Multiple Choice Questions(MCQs)

1. Borisov is a

1. Meteor
2. Meteoroid
3. Asteroid
4. Comet

2. National Ganga Council is chaired by

1. Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog
2. Union Minister of Jal Shakti
3. President
4. Prime Minister

3. Miss World 2019 Toni Ann Singh belongs to which country?

1. Libya
2. Namibia
3. South Africa
4. Jamaica

4. What is the name of the train shuttle service resumed between India and Pakistan?

1. Rail Car
2. Maitree Express
3. Bandhan Express
4. Samjhauta Express

5. Coal Ministry will set up which cell to ensure sustainable mining?

1. Sustainable Development Cell
2. Sustainable Mining Cell
3. Green Mining Cell
4. Environmental Protection Cell

6. Vijay Diwas is celebrated annually on-

1. 12 December
2. 14 December
3. 15 December
4. 16 December

7. Students of which state have invented the smart water dispenser?

1. Jharkhand
2. Odisha
3. Bihar
4. Chhattisgarh

8. Which of the following states has become the 7^th State to receive President Colours?

1. Gujarat
2. Haryana
3. Punjab
4. Goa

9. Who among the following is not one of the recipients of the World Economic Forum’s 2019 Crystal Award?

1. Jin Xing
2. Theaster Gates
3. Lynette Wallworth
4. Kristina Gregorio

10. Suruli waterfalls is located in which of the following Indian State?

1. Kerala
2. Karnataka
3. Tamil Nadu
4. Goa

Solution:

1. d)

2. d)

3. d)

4. a)

5. a)

6. d)

7. b)

8. a)

9. d)

10. c)