Daily Current Affairs and GK | 20 May 2020

1. NCL prepared face masks to filter 99.9% bacteria and 92.6% particles

• Recently, face masks that filter 99.9% bacteria and 92.6% particles have been prepared.
• These masks have been prepared by National Chemical Laboratory, Pune.
• This mask is made of hydrophobic polypropylene which is a medical grade cloth.
• This cloth is suitable for preventing drops containing coronavirus.
• National Chemical Laboratory (NCL):
  • It is a laboratory of CSIR.
  • is a research, development and consulting organisation with a focus on chemistry and chemical engineering.
  • It is located in Pune, Maharashtra.
  • It was established in 1950.
  • The current director of this institution is Ashwini Kumar Nangia.

2. Enforcement Directorate attached assets worth Rs 18.50 crore

• Recently the assets worth Rs 18.50 crore in a bank fraud case had been attached by the Enforcement Directorate.
• The property belongs to Vikram Seth and his family, which includes 42 immovable and 7 movable properties in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
• Earlier, CBI and ACB, Chandigarh had filed an FIR against Mr. Seth and his family members for criminal conspiracy, forgery and cheating.
• Under this, Vikram Seth along with other accused and officials of Bank of Baroda have obtained 19 loans of more than Rs 21 crore.

(Source: Wikipedia)

• Enforcement Directorate (ED):
  • It is a specialized financial investigation agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
  • It implements the provisions of two special fiscal laws, the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
  • On 1 May 1956, an enforcement unit was formed in the Department of Economic Affairs under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947. Its purpose was to deal with violations of the exchange control law.
  • In the year 1957, the name of this unit was changed to Enforcement Directorate.

3. Declaration of results of star rating of garbage free cities

• Recently the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has announced the results of star rating of garbage free cities.
• In this announcement, 6 cities have been given 5-star, 65 cities have 3-star and 70 cities have been given 1-star status.
• The six 5-star Garbage-free cities are Ambikapur, Rajkot, Surat, Mysore, Indore and Navi Mumbai.

(Source: PIB)

• Along with this, a revised protocol for star rating of garbage free cities has also been launched.
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Star Rating Protocol was launched in January 2018 to motivate cities to achieve garbage-free status and higher levels of sanitation.
• Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, which started in 2014, has played an important role in achieving this goal. 4,324 urban local bodies have been declared open defecation free while more than 66 lakh individual household toilets and over 6 lakh community and public toilets have been constructed.
• A clean India thus achieved will pave the way for a Swachh, Swasth, Shashakt and Sampann Atma Nirbhar New India.

4. World Health Organization soon assured an independent review

• The World Health Organization will be launching an independent review to deal with the coronavirus pandemic at the earliest.
• WHO recently said this while speaking at the World Health Assembly.
• Also, WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that WHO is committed to transparency.

• US President Donald Trump raised serious questions on the performance of China and WHO in dealing with the pandemic.
• In the past, more than 100 countries, including India, supported a resolution called by the European Union for an independent investigation into the panidemic.
• It is known that the COVID-19 has so far taken the lives of more than 3 lakh people globally.
• World Health Organization (WHO):
  • It is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health.
  • It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • It was established on 7 April 1948.

5. Meghalaya COVID-19 declared a free state

• Recently the northeastern state of India, Meghalaya, has been declared COVID-19 free.
• Meghalaya initially had 13 COVID-19 positive cases, of which 12 cases have been cured so far, while the first patient of the state has passed away.
• State Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has stressed the need for the state to be mentally prepared and alert as the situation may change when a large number of stranded Meghalaya residents in various states return to the state.
• Meghalaya:
  • Meghalaya is a hilly state in northeast India.
  • Its capital is Shillong.
  • Meghalaya’s Governor is R.N. Ravi and Chief Minister is Conrad Sangma.
  • The state animal of Meghalaya is clouded leopard, state bird is hill myna, state tree is white teak and state flower is lady sleeper orchid.

6. Development of COVID-19 Smart Watch and Social Distance Identity Card

• Recently, COVID-19 Smart Watch and Social Distance Identity Card have been developed.
• Both these gadgets have been developed by Sneha, a student of BSc (Electronics) in Karimnagar district in Telangana.
• Both gadgets will warn people about the spread of coronavirus.
• Both sensor based gadgets are wearable.
• The person wearing the smart watch will give a beep sound when there is a possible infection through touching the mouth or eyes with infected hands.
• Whereas, when a person comes close to the person wearing the social distancing identity card, it will inform by playing the sound of a beep.
• These gadgets have been developed using minimal components.

7. 41 teams of NDRF deployed in West Bengal and Odisha

• Recently, 41 teams of National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in West Bengal and Odisha.
• The NDRF is fully prepared to deal with Super Cyclone Amphan and is taking all necessary steps like taking people to safe places, giving them information and creating awareness.

• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):
  • It was established in the year 2006 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
  • It currently has 12 battalions, with 1149 members in each battalion.
  • Its main objective is to provide immediate assistance in natural and man-made disasters.

8. 17% reduction in world carbon pollution during global lockdown due to pandemic

• In a recent study conducted by the Global Carbon Project, it has been found that the world carbon pollution has decreased by 17% during the global lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• During this period, carbon emissions in India and Europe has decreased by 26% and 27% respectively.
• The study found that a drastic reduction in air travel reduced overall pollution by 10%.
• In the US, California and Washington have seen the biggest pollution declines by more than 40%.
• This is the largest annual decline in carbon emissions since World War II.
• This situation persists for a long time, and the weather is also likely to change.
• The study was published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
• The Global Carbon Project is a consortium of international scientists. It was established in the year 2001. It researches global greenhouse gas emissions and their causes.

9. Pothireddypadu Project is not harmful to the interests of Telangana

• Recently the Andhra Pradesh Water Resources Department has informed the Krishna River Management Board that the implementation of the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator Project will not harm the interests of Telangana.
• The allocation of water to the respective states is within the limits.

(Source: The Hindu)

• Pothireddypadu Project:
  • The Pothireddypadu Project or Velugodu Reservoir is a water balance reservoir.
  • It is located across the Gelaru River in Velugodu town of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh.
  • The Gelaru River is a tributary of the Kundu River, which lies in the basin of the Pennar River.
  • It was proposed by Andhra Pradesh to divert the waters of the Krishna River from Srisailam to Rayalaseema via Pothireddypadu.

10. May 20: World Metrology Day

• World Metrology Day is observed every year on 20 May.
• The day marks the celebration of international unit systems.
• The theme of World Metrology Day 2020 - Measurement for Global Trade.
• On this day, the Meter Convention was signed in the year 1875.
• The treaty provides the basis for a worldwide coherent measurement system that enhances scientific discovery and innovation, industrial manufacturing and international trade, as well as improving the quality of life and protection of the global environment.
• The study of the measurement of an object is called metrology.