Daily Current Affairs and GK | 18 November 2020

1. First solar power-enabled Textile Mill will be established in Maharashtra.

• Asia’s first solar power-enabled Textile Mill will be established in the Parbhani district of Maharashtra.
• The Jai Bhawani women’s cooperative textile mill will be the first mill to be operated on Solar energy in India.
• It will be spread over thirty acres of land and will process cotton for cloth.
• Parbhani is the highest cotton-producing district of Maharashtra.
• Solar power: It is the energy from the sun, which is converted into electrical energy with the help of a photovoltaic cell. It is considered the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy.
• Maharashtra:
  • Maharashtra is India’s third-largest state in terms of area. In terms of population, it is the second-most populous state.
  • It shares its boundary with Karnataka, Goa, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
  • Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackery, Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari

2. ‘A Promised Land’ - An autobiography of Barack Obama.

• ‘A Promised Land’ is the latest book written by Barack Obama. It is an autobiography of him.
• It has been published on 17 November 2020.
• It starts from his early childhood life and ends with the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011.
• In his book, more focus is on political affairs than personal. He talks about his fellow leaders, such as David Cameron, Vladimir Putin.
• He has written about the days of his presidency and the mistakes of his administration.
• It is published by Viking in the UK and Crown in the US.
• Barack Obama:
  • He served as the 44^th President of the United States from 2009-17.
  • He is the first African-American President of the United States.
  • He was the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
  • He started Obamacare, a famous public health insurance scheme.

(Source: Wikipedia)

3. Japan and Australia signed a defence pact to counter China’s growing influence.

• The leaders of Japan and Australia have signed a defence deal to counter China’s growing influence in the South China Sea.
• This deal will be called a Reciprocal Access Agreement. It will allow troops of both countries to visit each other’s countries for training and joint operations.
• Both countries also agreed on the need for a framework, which will allow Japanese troops to protect Australian forces if needed.
• Japan and Australia are “special strategic partners”, and they had signed a defence cooperation agreement in 2007. Both nations have also agreed on the military supplies agreement in 2013.
• For Japan, it will be the first of its kind defence pact other than the United States-Japan security pact.
• To counter China’s influence, Japan has started a vision of economic and security cooperation called Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

4. FIFA Women’s Under-17 football World Cup cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

• FIFA cancelled the 2021 Women’s Under-17 World Cup due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was supposed to be hosted by India.
• India will now host the 2022 edition of the Women’s Under-17 World Cup.
• FIFA has also cancelled the 2021 edition of the U-20 World Cup. Now, it will be hosted by Costa Rica in 2022.
• These decisions were taken by the Bureau of the FIFA Council.
• The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by Qatar, in which 32 teams will participate.
• FIFA:
  • It is the highest international governing body of association football, fútsal and beach soccer.
  • It was founded in 1904.
  • Its headquarter is located in Zurich, Switzerland.
  • Gianni Infantino is the current President of FIFA.

(Source: Times of India)

5. Second flight test of QRSAM conducted successfully.

• After the first launch of QRSAM on 13 November, the second flight test of Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile System (QRSAM) was conducted successfully.
• The second flight test was conducted against the high-performance Jet Unmanned Aerial Target called Banshee.
• QRSAM system:
  • It is a short-range Surface to Air Missile system developed by DRDO to protect moving armoured columns from aerial attacks.
  • The entire weapon system is configured on highly mobile platforms and can provide air defence on the move.
  • QRSAM Weapon Systems is being inducted into the Indian Army.

6. Union Minister of Education launches Lilavati Award 2020.

• Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has virtually inaugurated Lilavati Award 2020: AICTE’s Innovative education program to empower women.
• The theme of Lilavati Award 2020 is Women Empowerment. The aim of the award is to create awareness regarding issues like health, nutrition, education, employment, credit, technology, skill development, sanitation, hygiene, rights, etc., among women.
• The Minister said that the government had launched various welfare schemes and initiatives for the overall development of girl child and women like-
  • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
  • Sukanaya Samriddhi Yojana
  • CBSE Udaan Scheme
  • PM Ujjwala Yojana
  • PM Matru Vandana Yojana
  • One Stop Centre Scheme
  • Smart India Hackathon (minimum one women in the team of 6 members)
• Lilavati Award has been established by AICTE to promote women empowerment in India.
• The award will be presented to recognize efforts made by AICTE approved institutions to treat women with ‘equality and fairness’ in all spheres of their lives.
• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE):
  • AICTE was set up in November 1945 as a national-level Apex Advisory Body.
  • It conducts survey on the facilities available for technical education.
  • It promotes planned development and quality in technical education.
  • Chairman: Prof Anil D Sahasrabudhe

(Source: AICTE)

7. EESL and DNRE Goa sign an MoU for India’s first Convergence Project.

• An MoU has been signed between Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and the Department of New & Renewable Energy (DNRE), Goa, for India’s first decentralized solar Convergence Project in Goa.
• The EESL and DNRE will do the feasibility studies and the implementation of decentralized solar energy projects.
• It will accelerate the usage of renewable energy sources in Goa and meet its agricultural and rural power consumption.
• It will help provide clean energy at affordable rates and also reduce the Transmission & Distribution (T&D) losses.
• EESL will install solar energy projects on the vacant or unused land provided by the Gram Panchayats and electricity board.
• It will be the first of its kind convergence project, which will generate green energy for agriculture and rural consumption. It will help in providing electricity to agricultural pumps, LED lights, etc.
• Goa is the first state to implement this kind of Convergence Project in the country.
• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL):
  • It is 100% owned by the Government of India.
  • It is a joint venture of NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation, REC Limited and POWERGRID.
  • It comes under the Ministry of Power.

8. CSIR-CIMFR Platinum Jubilee Foundation Day is celebrated on 17 November.

• The Platinum Jubilee Foundation Day celebrations of CSIR-CIMFR was inaugurated by the Union Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan.
• On this occasion, three new facilities were inaugurated, including a Pressurized Fluidized Bed Gasification pilot plant, a Non Recovery Coke Oven plant with hot stamping facility and a Centre of Excellence for Strategic and Infrastructural Sector.
• CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research:
  • It is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
  • It is located in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
  • It works under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
  • It is responsible for conducting research and development for the entire coal-energy chain, including exploration, mining and utilization.
  • It has played a significant role in providing technology for constructing important roadways, railways, tunnels, hydroelectric projects, underground mines, etc.

9. Union Minister of Science & Technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated curtain raiser of IISF-2020.

• The 6^th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) 2020 will be held from 22^nd to 25^th December 2020.
• It will be organized by DST, DBT, MoEF, MoHWF and CSIR from the Government of India and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA).
• Union Minister has unveiled an e-brochure and website of this festival.
• The theme of IISF-2020 will be ‘Science for Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Global Welfare’.
• In IISF 2020, approximately one-lakh people will participate and 40 events will be organized.
• India International Science Festival (IISF) was launched in 2015 in association with Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) to engage the public with science and celebrate the joy of science.
• New themes added in this year’s festival are History of Indian Science, Philosophy and Science, Agritech, Clean Air, Energy, Waste & Sanitation, etc.
• CSIR will spearhead the IISF 2020 with the support of all other concerned ministries and departments.

(Source: Vigyanprasar.gov.in)

10. MPL Sports will be the Official Kit Sponsor for Team India.

• The BCCI announced that MPL(Mobile Premier League) Sports would be the Official Kit Sponsor and official merchandise partner for the Indian Cricket Team for three years.
• This agreement will begin in November 2020 and will end in December 2023.
• Under this deal, the senior men and women and the Under-19 teams will be provided new kits by the MPL Sports.
• Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
  • BCCI is the governing body for cricket in India.
  • It was established in December 1928.
  • Headquarters: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
  • The current President of BCCI is Sourav Ganguly.

11. A report on “Vital Statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System”.

• As per the 2018 report on “Vital Statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System”, Arunachal Pradesh has recorded the best sex ratio, i.e., 1,084 females born per thousand males.
• Manipur has recorded the worst sex ratio, with 757 females born per thousand males.
• The report was released by the Office of the Registrar General of India, Ministry of Home Affairs.
• In the large states category, Kerala has recorded the best sex ratio at birth while Punjab has recorded the worst.
• Sex ratio at birth is defined as the number of females born per thousand males.
• The level of registration of births increased to 89.3% in 2018 from 81.3% in 2009.
• The time limit prescriber for the registration of birth or death is 21 days. If the birth/death is reported after 30 days, but within one year, the registration can be done with the written permission of the prescribed authority and producing an affidavit and payment of the fee.
• Births and deaths reported after one year of its occurrence shall be registered only on order of the Magistrate of the First Class after verifying the correctness and on payment of the prescribed fee.
• During the registration of birth, the name of the child is not mandatory. Name of the child can be entered within 12 months.
• Civil Registration System (CRS) in India is the unified process of continuous, permanent, compulsory and universal recording of vital events (births, deaths, still births).
• As per the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, births and deaths are compulsory.

(Source: The Hindu)