Daily Current Affairs and GK | 20 August 2024

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

1. 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue between India and Japan held in New Delhi on 20th August 2024.

• The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Japanese Minister of Defense Kihara Minoru and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Yoko Kamikawa.
• On the sidelines of the 2+2 dialogue, a bilateral meeting was held between the Defence Minister and his Japanese counterpart.
• During the meeting, the Ministers reviewed the bilateral cooperation.
• They also exchanged views on global and regional issues of mutual interest.
• Defence Ministry said, India and Japan share ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’.
• The second India-Japan 2+2 dialogue was organised in September 2022 in Japan.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

2. Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) is India’s first airport to get the net zero carbon emission status.

• IGIA has achieved this status under the Airport Council International's accreditation programme.
• Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi is operated by GMR Group-led DIAL.
• The airport's initial target was to have net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
• Through a number of measures, the target has been reached well ahead of schedule.
• Delhi airport has attained the level 5 net zero emission accreditation in 2024.
• The highest accreditation level is level 5, out of a total of five.
• The ACA program offers an extensive framework for active carbon management at airports.
• ACI is a global trade association representing world's airports.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

3. Union Minister JP Nadda launched the ‘First Policy Makers’ Forum’ in New Delhi.

• Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare & Chemicals and Fertilizers, J.P. Nadda inaugurated the ‘First Policy Makers’ Forum.
• The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) in association with the Ministry of Health hosted an international delegation of policymakers and drug regulators from 15 countries.
• This forum will help to launch innovative digital platforms for pharmacopoeia and drug safety monitoring.
• The main aim of the forum is to foster meaningful discussions on the recognition of the IP and the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP)
• The IP Online Portal represents a major step towards digitalizing the Indian Pharmacopoeia.
• The ADRMS software is India’s first indigenous medical product safety database. It has been developed as part of India's. Pharmacovigilance Programme.

Topic: Science and Technology

4. India unveiled Kamikaze drones with a range of 1000 km range.

• The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) unveiled indigenous Kamikaze Drones with a range of 1,000 kilometres.
• The 30HP Wankel engine in these drones enables them to carry 100-120kg weight, which includes 30-40 kg of explosives.
• They are controlled from a command centre. It can fly at a certain altitude and detonate the explosives once they hit the target.
• It uses an Isro-developed navigation system.
• Marut Drone Academy has partnered with Unati Agri Allied and Marketing Multi-State Cooperative Society to launch Punjab's first rural drone academy.
• NAL is a constituent of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). It was established in 1959.

Topic: National Appointments

5. Ashok Kumar Singh assume as Director General of Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).

• Ashok Kumar Singh became the Director General of the Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
• Ashok Kumar Singh is an IAS officer of the 1999 batch of Kerala cadre.
• He has vast experience in the governance and management of district and State level organizations.
• He has served as the Executive Director of the National Mission for Clean Ganga.
• He also served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defense and as Director of the Ministry of Finance.
• Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC):
  • It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
  • It was founded in 1952.
  • It was set up under the ESI Act 1948 for the implementation of the ESI scheme.

Topic: International News

6. Sudan health minister declared cholera an epidemic.

• Sudan's health minister declared a cholera epidemic after weeks of heavy rain.
• The cholera outbreak in Sudan has killed at least 22 people.
• Cholera is a fast-developing, highly contagious infection that causes diarrhoea.
• Cholera causes severe diarrhoea, vomiting and muscle cramps. It arises from drinking food or water.
• The capital region and other urban areas into wrecking civilian infrastructure. Many hospitals and medical facilities have closed their doors.

Topic: Sports

7. Sumit Antil, Bhagyashree Jadhav named Indian flag bearers for the opening ceremony at Paris 2024 Paralympics.

• Reigning javelin throw champion Sumit Antil and leading shot put athlete Bhagyashree Jadhav have been selected to carry India's flag during the opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympics 2024.
• The Paralympic Games, to be held from August 28 to September 8, will be held at the same venues where the Olympics concluded on August 11 in the French capital.
• To compete across 12 sports, India is sending its largest Paralympic contingent to Paris 2024 with 84 athletes.
• This is significantly more than the 54 participants representing the country in Tokyo.
• For the first time, India will also compete in the sports of para cycling, para rowing and blind judo in Paris.

Topic: State news/ Uttar Pradesh

8. A major scheme to promote young entrepreneurs in the state announced by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Independence Day.

• Under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Yojana, the government will provide interest-free loans to young entrepreneurs.
• The aim is to provide one lakh every year for the next 10 years to ensure that 10 lakh MSME units are set up or provided support for expansion in the next decade.
• The scheme will create employment opportunities for more than 50 lakh youth and accelerate the development of the state through new jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities.
• In the current financial year, a budget of Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated for the establishment, operation and promotion of micro units in the state.
• The new scheme will help one lakh young entrepreneurs every year to get financial grants through bank loans.
• As per the terms of the scheme, only residents of Uttar Pradesh in the age group of 21-40 years will be eligible for the interest-free loan.
• The minimum educational qualification for this scheme is class 8th or equivalent qualification.

Topic: Important Days

9. World Mosquito Day 2024: 20 August

• Every year on 20 August, World Mosquito Day is observed.
• It is observed to commemorate the discovery made by Sir Ronald Ross in 1897.
• The theme for World Mosquito Day 2024 is "Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world."
• In 1897, Sir Ronald Ross discovered that the malaria parasite is transmitted to humans by Anopheles mosquitoes.
• World Mosquito Day is organized annually by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
• According to the official website of the World Mosquito Programme, 2024 is set to be the "worst year on record for dengue cases" as more than 11 million cases have been reported in 80 countries.
• In 2023, 2.89 lakh dengue cases were reported and 485 deaths were recorded in India, while in 2022, 2.33 lakh positive cases were reported and 303 deaths were recorded.
• This time the highest number of cases were reported from Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Topic: Indian Economy

10. In 2023-24, FDI in the food processing sector fell 30% to ₹5,037 crore.

• According to official data, foreign direct investment (FDI) in India's food processing sector declined by 30% to Rs 5,037.06 crore last fiscal.
• FDI in the food processing sector stood at ₹7,194.13 crore in 2022–23.
• According to data presented in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, FDI in the food processing sector stood at ₹5,290.27 crore in 2021-22 and ₹2934.12 crore in 2020-21.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India's food processing sector for the fiscal years 2015-16 to 2023-24:
• To enhance foreign investment in the food processing sector, the Ministry has taken various measures, including allowing 100% FDI through automatic routes for food processing sector subject to sectoral regulations.
• The government has exempted all processed food items from the purview of licensing under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951.
• For the development of this sector, the ministry is implementing the Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY), Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI), and Prime Minister Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) schemes.

Topic: State News/ Himachal Pradesh

11. Under the new scheme in Himachal Pradesh, school going children will be given boiled eggs or fruits once a week.

• ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Paushtik Aahar Yojana’ launched by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu in Hamirpur on August 18.
• Its objective is to provide nutritious food to government school children.
• Under the scheme, students from nursery to Class 8 in 15,181 schools will be given boiled eggs or fruits once a week, which will supplement the existing mid-day meal programme.
• This initiative will benefit around 534,000 children covered under the mid-day meal scheme.
• The state has allocated Rs 12.75 crore for this new programme.
• In addition to the nutrition scheme, Sukhu announced that 17,510 primary school teachers would be given tablets as part of efforts to digitise educational and administrative processes.
• The initiative aims to modernise teaching methods, improve access to digital resources, and simplify administrative tasks.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

12. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal officially launched the SOP for the Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP).

• The Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP) is a key initiative under the ‘Panch Karma Sankalp’.
• GTTP has been designed to phase out conventional fuel-based harbour tugs operating in Indian major ports and replace them with green tugs.
• Phase 1 of the GTTP will begin on October 1, 2024, and continue until December 31, 2027.
• Under this phase, four Major Ports—Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Deendayal Port Authority, Paradip Port Authority, and V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority—will procure or charter at least two green tugs.
• An investment of around INR 1000 Crores will be required to build these tugs.
• The first set of tugs will be battery-electric, with provisions for adopting other emerging green technologies.
• The GTTP will be a major boost to the domestic tug industry; these will be constructed in Indian shipyards as part of the Government of India's ‘Make in India’ initiative.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Personality in News

13. Former Army Chief General Sundararajan Padmanabhan passed away at the age of 83.

• Ex-Army Chief General Sundararajan Padmanabhan passed away at the age of 83.
• He was an alumnus of the prestigious Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun, and the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, in Pune.
• On December 13, 1959, he was commissioned into the Regiment of Artillery after graduating from the Indian Military Academy.
• He commanded one of the oldest artillery mountain regiments of the Indian Army from August 1975 to July 1976.
• He has also authored two books and participated in several wars.