Daily Current Affairs and GK | 19 June 2020

1. Auction for commercial mining of 41 coal mines has started

• Recently, the government has started an auction for commercial mining of 41 coal mines.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the auction through video conference.
• On this occasion, he has set a goal of making the country the world's largest coal exporter.
• India is the fourth largest country in the world in terms of coal reserves and the second largest producer.
• But still it is the second largest importing country in the world.
• The introduction of commercial coal mining is a major step towards self-sufficiency in the energy sector.

(Source: News on AIR)

2. Dr. Harshvardhan inaugurated the country's first Covid-19 Testing Mobile Laboratory

• Recently, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan inaugurated the country's first Covid-19 Testing Mobile Laboratory.
• This is an effective step to test samples of Covid-19.
• It is named I-Lab, infectious diseases diagnostic laboratory.
• This will make it easier to test samples of Covid-19 even in remote rural areas of the country.
• The laboratory is being operated with the help of the Department of Biotechnology.
• It has the capacity to perform 50 RT-PCR and 300 ELISA tests per day.

(Source: News on AIR)

3. Mobile application Air-Venti launched in Mumbai

• Recently the mobile application Air-Venti has been launched by the civic body in Mumbai.
• The purpose of this app is to provide overall statistics of ICU beds and ventilators.
• This app will also provide information on location maps with filled and empty ICU beds and ventilators in government and private hospitals.
• The ability to contact the hospital via telephone call and email is also available.
• The app has been developed by Octaware Technologies Limited in partnership with Probity Soft Private Limited.
• The purpose of launching this app is to provide timely treatment by saving time wasted by Covid-19 patients in search of hospitals with ICU beds and ventilators.
• The app is linked to the dashboard of the city's disaster control room and its link can also be accessed through the Mumbai civic body's app.

4. Government of Tamil Nadu has launched a new portal to assist job seekers

• Recently in the scenario of Covid-19, the Tamil Nadu government has launched a new portal to help job seekers.
• This portal has been started by the Department of Employment and Training, Government of Tamil Nadu.
• It has been named Tamil Nadu Private Jobs Portal, a unique move.
• Through this portal, job seekers will be digitally connected to job providers.
• The portal also provides facility to conduct online interviews.
• More details of the scheme are available online as well as from the district offices of the Employment and Training Department.
• Tamil Nadu:
  • The South Indian state of Tamil Nadu is famous for its Dravidian-style Hindu temples.
  • In Madurai, Meenakshi Amman Temple has high Gopuram towers ornamented with colorful figures.
  • State capital is Chennai and Chief Minister is E.K. Palaniswami.

(Source: News on AIR)

5. Biodegradable Face Mask, Pavitrapati developed by DIAT

• Recently the Defense Institute of Advanced Technology has developed a biodegradable face mask, Pavitrapati.
• This face mask is based on Ayurvedic products of nanofibers, which act as virus neutralizers and resist bacteria.
• The mask is made from herbal extracts such as neem oil, turmeric, Krishna tulsi, ajwain, black pepper, gum arabic, clove, sandalwood and saffron.
• It has been designed keeping in mind the guidelines of the Ministry of AYUSH.
• The Pavitrapati uses additives from immune-enhancing agents for self-care.
• This product can be regularly used as a mask to protect against any type of communicable diseases of air-borne medium.

6. Tobacco use prohibited in public places in Jharkhand

• Recently the Government of Jharkhand has banned the use of tobacco products in public places.
• Also, public spitting has been banned under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
• In addition, the state government has also directed the officials to constitute enforcement squads under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA-2003).
• However, the government of Jharkhand has not imposed a ban on the sale of tobacco products in the state.
• Spitting in public is known to be a major cause of infection outbreaks. Due to indiscriminate spitting, the chances of spreading of diseases such as Covid-19, encephalitis and tuberculosis are increased.
• Any person violating the order will be punished under sections 188, 268, 269 and 270 of the IPC.
• Jharkhand:
  • It is a state in eastern India. It came into existence on 15 November 2000 as the 28^th state of the Union.
  • The capital of Jharkhand is Ranchi.
  • Jharkhand's Governor is Draupadi Murmu and Chief Minister is Hemant Soren.
  • The state animal of Jharkhand is elephant, state bird is cuckoo, state tree is sal and state flower is palash.
  • Jharkhand has 14 seats in Lok Sabha and 81 assembly seats.

7. Iran's Navy tests cruise missile

• Recently the Iranian Navy has tested the cruise missile.
• Iran's Navy successfully tested a locally-made cruise missile during the war in the northern Indian Ocean and near the entrance to the Gulf.
• Iran has done this by sidelining the 2015 nuclear deal.
• 2015 nuclear treaty:
  • The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran deal, was signed on July 14, 2015, between Iran, the United States, China, France, Russia, the U.K., Germany, and the European Union.
  • Recently USA came out of this deal.
  • The term of this treaty is to end in October this year, which the United States is trying to pursue.
• Iran:
  • It is a country in Western Asia.
  • Its capital is Tehran and the currency is the Iranian Riyal.

8. Popular Axone: A type of fermented soybean

• Axone has become quite popular in recent times.
• It is a fermented soybean consumed by many tribal communities in Nagaland, especially the Sema tribe.
• Axone is also locally called Akhuni, known for its distinctive taste and smell.
• It is used to make pickles, chutneys or curries in the Northeast region.
• This fermented soybean is also used in Northeast India as well as East Asian countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, Japan, Korea, China, Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia.

9. Violent clashes between the army of India and China in the Galwan Valley

• Recently, there has been a violent clash in the Galwan Valley between the army of India and China.
• India's Foreign Ministry has blamed the Chinese Army for this.
• India and China are engaged in military-level talks, meanwhile this incident has come to light.
• The People's Liberation Army of China and the Indian Army clashed and attacked each other using stones, knives and poles.
• India and China share 3,488 km of border.
• For some time, there has been tension between the armies of the two countries over the over-control of the three points on the Line of Actual Control along the Indo-China border, the Galwan River Valley, the Hot Springs area and Pangong Lake.
• China:
  • China is a country in East Asia and the most populous country in the world. It is the fourth largest country in the world in terms of area.
  • Its capital is Beijing and the currency is Renminbi.
  • States like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh forms the border with China.

10. 19 June: World Sickle Cell Awareness Day

• World Sickle Cell Awareness Day is held every year on 19 June.
• The day is celebrated to help increase public knowledge about sickle cell disease and to raise awareness about people and their families suffering from the disease.
• This day was first celebrated in the year 2008.
• On this day, a resolution was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, officially recognizing SCD as a public health concern.
• According to the World Health Organization, the disease affects millions of people around the world, including both adults and children.
• It is a fatal blood disorder, a major cause of premature death in children under five years of age in various African countries.