Daily Current Affairs and GK | 19 August 2020

1. World Photography Day: 19 August

• World Photography Day is annually celebrated on 19 August.
• World Photography Day has its beginning in the Daguerreotype. In 1837, Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niepce had developed Daguerreotype.
• Daguerreotype was the first successful photographic process. On August 19, the patent of Daguerreotype was purchased by the French government.
• In 1861, Thoams Sutton had taken the first durable colour photograph.

2. World Humanitarian Day: 19 August

• World Humanitarian Day is celebrated on 19 August annually to commemorate humanitarian workers killed and injured during their work.
• World Humanitarian Day was announced in remembrance of the 19 August 2003 bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq.
• During the attack, Sergio Vieira de Mello, a Brazilian United Nations diplomat and humanitarian, was also killed.
• In 2009, 19 August was declared as World Humanitarian Day by the UN General Assembly.
• This year’s World Humanitarian Day honours the front-line health workers -  the Real-Life Heroes - including doctors and nurses, midwives and community volunteers, and those who risk their lives to ensure that everyone has access to health services especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and all other emergencies.
• The theme of World Humanitarian Day 2020 is “Real Life Heroes”.

3. DRDO developed a sanitizer tower called UV Blaster.

• Recently the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has developed a sanitizer tower named UV Blaster.
• This ultra violet based field sanitizer has been designed and developed by the Laser Science and Technology Center (LASTEC), DRDO's premier laboratory in Delhi.
• The device is useful for high-tech surfaces such as electronic devices, computers, and other such devices in laboratories and offices that are not suitable for disinfection by chemical methods.
• Also the product is also effective for large flow areas like airports, shopping malls, metros, hotels, factories and offices etc.
• The UV based area sanitizer can be used by remote operation using a wifi link via laptop or mobile phone.
• Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO):
  • It is an agency of the Government of India that deals with the research and development work of the Army in India.
  • G. Sateesh Reddy is the current president of this organization.
  • It was founded in 1958.
  • Its headquarters is located in New Delhi.

(Source: News on AIR)

4. Government of Uttar Pradesh announced Electronics Manufacturing Policy 2020.

• Recently Uttar Pradesh government has announced Electronics Manufacturing Policy 2020.
• This policy has been announced to support the vision of PM Modi for achieving zero imports of electronics goods.
• The objective of this policy is to invite investment of Rs 40,000 crore and generate four lakh direct jobs over the next five years.
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced the Electronics Manufacturing Policy 2017 for the Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway areas. These three sectors are among the emerging mobile manufacturing hubs in the world.
• More than 60% of all mobile phones manufactured in India are from UP.
• The new electronics manufacturing policy 2020 has now been extended to the entire state.
• To overcome regional imbalances, the rate of land subsidy has been doubled to investors for setting up manufacturing units in Bundelkhand and Purvanchal regions.
• With this new electronics manufacturing policy, the state government wants to create a new global electronics hub.

(Source: News on AIR)

5. Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita announced his resignation.

• Recently Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has announced his resignation amid a military coup.
• After more than two months of regular demonstrations in Mali, President Keita had to decide to step down three years before the end of his last term.
• Not only this, rebel soldiers besieged his residence and while firing in the air, he and Prime Minister Boubou Sissé have been taken hostage.
• Mali:
  • It is a landlocked country in West Africa.
  • Mali is the eighth largest country in Africa.
  • Its capital is Bamako and the currency is the West African CFA Franc.

(Source: News on AIR)

6. ‘Ek Sankalpa-Bujurgo ke naam’ campaign being organized in Madhya Pradesh.

• In Madhya Pradesh, amidst the corona infection, a unique campaign by the Chhatarpur Police is being organized named "Ek Sankalp-Bujurgo ke naam” meaning “a commitment for the elders".
• Under this campaign, the police are taking care of the elderly from their food to health.
• This campaign is proving to be a boon for the elderly living alone at home during the global pandemic.
• Renowned social activist Anna Hazare has also praised the Chhatarpur Police's initiative.
• Madhya Pradesh:
  • Madhya Pradesh ranks second in terms of area in the country after Rajasthan.
  • The state capital is Bhopal.
  • The Chief Minister of the place is Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Governor Smt. Anandiben Patel.
  • The state animal of the state is Barasingha.
  • The state bird of Madhya Pradesh is the Asian Paradise Flycatcher (Dudhraj).
  • Its state flower is Palash.

(Source: News on AIR)

7. Madras High Court has upheld the sealing of Sterlite copper smelter plant at Thoothukkudi, Tamil Nadu.

• Recently, the Madras High Court upheld the sealing of the Sterlite copper smelter plant at Thoothukkudi in Tamil Nadu.
• The state government closed the plant in April last year citing environmental pollution.
• However, the National Green Tribunal ruled in favor of the plant owner Vedanta Group.
• But the top court deferred saying that it had no power to issue orders.
• Sterlite Copper:
  • It is a subsidiary of Sterlite Industries, a company owned by Vedanta Limited.
  • Sterlite operated the largest copper smelter plant in Thoothukkudi, Tamil Nadu, from 1998 to 2018.
  • The plant also included a refinery, a phosphoric acid plant and a sulphuric acid plant.

(Source: News on AIR)

8. Satya Pal Malik has been appointed as the Governor of Meghalaya.

• Recently Satya Pal Malik has been appointed as the Governor of Meghalaya.
• Currently he serves as the Governor of Goa.
• He has now been transferred and appointed as the Governor of Meghalaya.
• In addition to his duties, the Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari will also discharge the functions of the Governor of Goa.

• Meghalaya:
  • It is a hilly state in northeast India.
  • It is bounded on the north and north-east by Assam and on the south and southwest by Bangladesh.
  • Capital: Shillong
  • Chief Minister: Conrad Sangma

(Source: News on AIR)

9. Cricketer Rohit Sharma recommended for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.

• Recently cricketer Rohit Sharma has been recommended for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting honor.
• Also, Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat, table tennis champion Manika Batra and Paralympic gold medalist Mariappan Thangavelu have also been recommended for this award.
• Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna:
  • It is the highest sporting honor of India.
  • The award is given annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
  • The award has been instituted in the name of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi.
  • The first Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was conferred on Vishwanathan Anand in the year 1991-92.

(Source: News on AIR)

10. Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge was launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

• Recently India's Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has launched Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge-Innovate Solutions for self-reliant India.
• Recently IIT Madras and Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) have developed two microprocessors called SHAKTI and VEGA using open source architecture.
• The swadeshi microprocessor challenge invites innovators, startups and students to develop various technology products using these microprocessors.
• The competition will run for 10 months and will conclude in June 2021.

11. Ashok Lavasa resigned as Election Commissioner.

• Recently Ashok Lavasa has resigned from the post of Election Commissioner. He has submitted his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind.
• He has resigned to join the Asian Development Bank as a vice president.
• Recently, ADB announced the appointment of Ashok Lavasa to the post of vice-president.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB):
  • It is a regional development bank.
  • It was established on 19 December 1966.
  • Its headquarters are located in Mandaluyong, Philippines.
  • The current president of the institution is Masatsugu Asakawa.

12. Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurates Thalassemia Screening and Counseling Center at Indian Red Cross.

• Recently, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated the Thalassemia Screening and Counseling Center at the National Headquarters of the Indian Red Cross Society.
• This initiative will help in sensitizing common people for prevention of this disease.
• Currently, around 270 million people in the world suffer from thalassemia. India has the largest number of children with thalassemia major in the world about 1 to 1.5 lakh.
• About 10,000–15,000 children with thalassemia major are born each year. The only treatment available for such children is bone marrow transplantation.
• Thalassemia:
  • It is a genetic blood disorder.
  • There is a deficiency in the body of oxygen-rich proteins (hemoglobin) and red blood cells. This causes weakness, and fatigue in the body and the body is not developed properly.
  • Its milder forms may not require treatment.
  • World Thalassemia Day is observed every year on 8 May to spread awareness about it.

13. Ayurveda made accessible to the families of Delhi Police by Dhanwantari Rath.

• Recently, a mobile unit called Dhanwantari Rath has been started to make Ayurveda accessible to the families of Delhi Police.
• For this, MoU has been signed between All India Institute of Ayurveda and Delhi Police.
• It has been launched to expand the preventive and encouraging health services of Ayurveda in the residential colonies of Delhi Police.
• These services will be provided through a mobile unit called Dhanwantari Rath and Police Wellness Center, which is to be completed by AIIA, supported by the Ministry of AYUSH.
• The mobile unit of Dhanwantari Rath, Ayurveda Health Care Services, will comprise a team of physicians who will regularly visit the Delhi Police colonies.
• AYURAKSHA is the joint venture of AIIA and Delhi Police for maintain the health of frontline COVID warriors.
• Through these Ayurveda health care services, the prevalence of various diseases is likely to decrease and the number of patients referred to hospitals will be reduced, which will reduce costs for the health care system as well as patients.