Daily Current Affairs and GK | 15 December 2020

Topic: Reports and Indices

1. Fifth Edition of National Family Health Survey released by the Health Ministry.

• The Union Health Ministry has released the first set of the fifth edition of the National Family Health Survey. It has been released for the 17 States and five Union Territories.
• Important findings of the National Family Health Survey are:
  • In the latest NFHS, it is found that malnutrition among children has increased. The number of stunted children has increased in 13 states, while the number of children having low weight has increased in 12 states.
  • The number of Underweight and Overweight children has also increased in 16 and 20 states, respectively.
  • Data from the survey shows that full vaccination of children has increased from 65% to 73%. Himachal Pradesh has topped in the vaccination of children.
  • The fertility rate has decreased and the use of contraceptives has increased across the states.
  • The neonatal mortality rate, infant mortality rate (IMR) and the under-five mortality rate have decreased in most of the states.
  • Institutional births of children have increased in West Bengal and the share of anaemic children has increased in Gujarat.
  • The numbers of obese men and women have increased.
  • The share of people living with sanitation facilities and using clean fuel has increased in most of the states.
• NITI Aayog has released a white paper, Vision 2035 for public health surveillance in India.
• The main aim of this paper is to make India’s health surveillance system more responsive and prepared at all levels.
• Vision 2035: It aims to strengthen India’s health surveillance and integrate the three-tiered public health system into Ayushman Bharat.

(Source: The Hindu)

Topic: Important Days

2. Energy Conservation Day: 14 December

• It is observed every year on 14 December to raise awareness about the importance of energy conservation and energy efficiency.
• Bureau of Energy efficiency organizes this day to show the achievement in energy conservation.
• The first National Energy Conservation Day was observed in the year 2001.
• The government of India had enacted the Energy conservation act in 2001 and established the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for making policies regarding the conservation of energy.
• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has implemented the Energy conservation act and played a crucial role in creating awareness about the importance of energy conservation.

Topic: Defence

3. Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) Kolkata launches Himgiri.

• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) Kolkata has launched Himgiri, a warship of Project 17A (P17A) for the Indian Navy.
• GRSE is building three ships under Project 17A and Himgiri is the first of them. Madhulika Rawat, the spouse of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, launched it.
• P17A ships are the first gas turbine propulsion and largest combat platforms ever built at GRSE.
• Himgiri belongs to the Nilgiri class.  Nilgiri Class frigates were the first warships to be developed in India. 
• Out of the total 7 ships under Project 17A (P17A), four are being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai and three are being built at GRSE Kolkata.
• One of the largest shipbuilding groups globally, Fincantieri of Italy is the knowhow provider for technology upgrade and capability enhancement in the P17 project.
• In Goa, Saksham was launched. It is the 5th and the last of the Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) under the indigenous OPV project, which was launched on November 13, 2016.
• Saksham is likely to be delivered to the Coast Guard by October 2021. Two vessels under indigenous OPV project have been commissioned and all five have been launched.

(Source: The Hindu)

Topic: National News

4. PM Modi laid foundation for world’s largest hybrid renewable energy park.

• PM Modi laid the foundation for the world’s largest hybrid renewable energy park near Vighakot village in Kutch district, Gujarat.
• The park will generate 30,000 MW (30 GW) power through solar panels and windmills on 72,600 hectares area.
• Gujarat government is setting up the park. India’s largest renewable power generator, Adani group and Indian wind turbine manufacturer Suzlon are private players taking part in the development of the park. 
• PM Modi also laid the foundation of a desalination plant at Mandvi, Kutch and a fully automated milk processing and packing plant at Sarhad Dairy, Anjar town, Kutch.
• The desalination plant has a capacity of 10 crore litres a day (100 MLD). It will provide water security to Gujarat in combination with Narmada Grid and Sauni (Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation) network.
• Mandvi desalination plant is the first of the five desalination plants planned by the Gujarat government. Other four are Dahej, Dwarka, Ghogha Bhavnagar and Gir Somnath.

Topic: Geography

5. As per a study, almost half of the Indian droughts are influenced by North Atlantic air currents.

• As per the researchers of the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (CAOS), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), 43% of droughts in India are influenced by the atmospheric disturbances in the North Atlantic region.
• El-Nino is the main suspect for the drought in India, but, according to this study, 10 out of 23 droughts in the last century had occurred when the El-Nino was absent.
• Researchers have claimed that drought occurs due to less rainfall in late August. The rainfall suddenly decreases because atmospheric disturbances in the North Atlantic region develop atmospheric current, derailing the monsoon from the subcontinent region.
• Researchers analyzed that the drought occurring in El Nino year has a fixed pattern that rainfall deficit start increasing from mid-June. In august, it reaches its peak across the country. In the Non-El Nino years, rainfall suddenly declines in late August, which causes droughts in many regions of the country.
• The main reason for the sudden decline of rainfall in August is the emergence of Rossby waves.
• Rossby waves produced from the atmospheric disturbances in the North Atlantic region reach the Indian subcontinent region in mid-August, which throws off its monsoon.
• Indian monsoon:
  • Monsoons are seasonal winds that bring rainfall in the Indian region.
  • India receives south-west monsoon winds in summer and north-east monsoon winds in winter.
  • The south-west monsoon brings most of the rainfall in India between June to September.

Topic: National News

6. Ola will set up the world’s largest Scooter factory in Tamil Nadu.

• Ola has announced that it will establish the world’s largest scooter factory in Tamil Nadu.
• It will provide employment to around 10,000 people, and the cost of the project will be Rs 2400 crore.
• It is a step towards making India a global manufacturing hub in the field of electric vehicles.
• This factory will not only fulfill the demand for electric vehicles in India, but it would also export vehicles to other countries.
• Ola is planning to launch its first electric scooters.
• Government has also launched the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 for promoting electric vehicles in India.
• Tamil Nadu’s other initiatives for EVs:
  • In 2019, the Tamil Nadu government had launched a separate policy for Electric Vehicles (EVs).
  • In March 2020, it has announced that it may plan for a solar power based EV Charging station at a government campus.

Topic: Appointment

7. Re-appointment of Uday Kotak as MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank approved by RBI.

• The Reserve Bank of India has approved the re-appointment of Uday Kotak as MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank for the next three years.
• The appointment of Prakash Apte, as part-time Chairman, and Dipak Gupta as Joint MD of Kotak Mahindra Bank has also been approved by the RBI.
• The term of these appointments will start on 1 January 2021.
• Kotak Mahindra bank:
  • Kotak Mahindra Bank is a private sector bank in India.
  • Its CEO is Uday Kotak.
  • It was established in 2003.
  • “Lets make money simple, Ab Kona Kona Kotak” is the slogan of Kotak Mahindra Bank.

(Source: Hindu Businessline)

Topic: Sports

8. Indian Tennis player Ankita Raina wins ITF doubles title in Dubai.

• Indian Tennis player Ankita Raina has won the ITF doubles title in Dubai.
• She has won the Al Habtoor challenge with Ekaterine Gorgodze by defeating Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov and Kaja Juvan by 6-4, 3-6, 10-6.
• Earlier, she had won doubles the tennis tournament title in Thailand and become a runner-up in tennis tournament at Jodhpur.
• It was her biggest trophy of the year.
• Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge:
  • It is a tennis tournament for women tennis players.
  • It is played on outdoor hard courts.
  • It is organised annually in Dubai from 1998.
  • It is classified as a $100,000 ITF Women’s Circuit tournament.

(Source: DNA)

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

9. Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) and cGanga signed MoU for development of sludge management framework in India.

• Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) and cGanga have signed an MoU to develop sludge management framework in India.
• The announcement about MoU was made during India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) 2020. 5^th India Water Impact Summit is being organized between 10-15 September 2020 by NMCG and cGanga. 
• The theme of IWIS 2020 is a comprehensive analysis and holistic management of local rivers and water bodies with a focus on Arth Ganga - river conservation synchronized development.
• Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga) is a think tank of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). 

(Source: IWIS Website)

Topic: Personality in News

10. Prof. Roddam Narasimha passes away.

• Prof. Roddam Narasimha passed away after he suffered a brain haemorrhage.
• He was an Indian aerospace scientist. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2013. He contributed to India’s aerospace programmes like Light Combat Aircraft.
• Together with Dr. Kalam, he was the author of the book “Developments In Fluid Mechanics and Space Technology”. He was a student of Prof. Satish Dhawan.
• He had served in many important positions, including Director of National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

11. UK’s Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, to meet and discuss multiple issues with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

• UK’s Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, will meet and discuss multiple issues with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
• Mr. Raab is expected to discuss the upgrading of the strategic partnership between India and UK into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• It is expected that Mr. Raab will prepare for the visit of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been invited as a guest for the Republic Day celebrations next month. But, the visit of Boris Johnson is not confirmed yet.
• If Johnson comes to India on Republic Day 2021, he will be the sixth British leader to be the chief guest on Republic Day. He will be the first British PM to do so since John Major in 1993.
• India and UK may begin to talk about a Free trade Agreement (FTA) during the visit of the British PM.
• Defence Technology and Industrial Capability Cooperation (DTICC) agreement may also be concluded between two countries. MoU for DTICC has already been signed in 2019.
• United Kingdom: It is a group of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland nations. It is located in northwestern Europe. Its capital is London and the currency is Pound sterling.

(Source: Indian Express)