Daily Current Affairs and GK | 20 November 2024

Topic: Geography

1. 'Bomb cyclone' is set to hit the west coast of America.

• A powerful 'bomb cyclone' driven by a Category 5 atmospheric river is forecast to hit the US west coast this week.
• This storm poses a risk of strong winds, devastating floods and heavy snowfall in the mountains.
• Intense mid-latitude storms are expected to impact areas from Washington state to Oregon and northern California between November 19 and 21, potentially affecting millions of residents.
• Experts also warn that more than eight trillion gallons of rain will accumulate in states like California.
• What is Bomb Cyclone?

• Atmospheric rivers are narrow atmospheric corridors capable of transporting massive amounts of moisture.
• These form when cold Arctic air meets warm, tropical air, causing heavy rainfall.
• Meanwhile, a "bomb cyclone" forms when a cold air mass collides with a warm air mass, causing the storm to intensify rapidly and increasing the risk of violent winds and coastal flooding.
• Bomb cyclones were named in the 1980s by meteorologists who associated sudden, intense changes in weather with bomb explosions.

(Source: DD News)

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

2. On November 18, 2024, the Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index (GRAI) 2023 launched by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh.

• The Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index (GRAI) was conceptualized and designed by DARPG, Government of India based on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
• It aims to present a comparative picture organization-wise and provide valuable information regarding the strengths and areas of improvement in the grievance redressal mechanism.
• The first edition of GRAI 2022 was released on 21 June 2023.
• 89 central ministries and departments were assessed and ranked based on a comprehensive index across the dimensions of (1) Efficiency, (2) Feedback, (3) Domain and (4) Organizational Commitment and related 11 indicators.
• To calculate the index, data between January and December 2023 was used from the Centralised Public Grievance Redressal and Management System (CPGRAMS).
• There are 28 ministries/departments in Group A with registered grievances exceeding 10,000, 33 ministries/departments in Group B with registered grievances ranging from 2,000 to 9,999, and 28 ministries/departments in Group C with registered grievances fewer than 2,000.
• In Group A, the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare topped the ranking, followed by the Department of Posts.
• In Group B, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India topped the ranking, followed by the Department of Land Resources.
• In Group C, the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management and the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region secured first and second positions respectively.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

3. National Workshop on Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban 2.0 inaugurated by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs and Power, Manohar Lal in New Delhi on 18 November.

• The workshop was organised by the Ministry in partnership with Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO).
• The Minister spoke about Affordable Rental Housing which has been introduced as a separate vertical for the first time in a housing scheme.
• The workshop was centred on the theme of implementation of PMAY-U 2.0.
• PMAY-U 2.0 is currently in the implementation phase. Over 25 States/UTs have signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• HUDCO is a Central Nodal Agencies (CNA) for implementation of Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS) vertical of the Scheme.
• About 90 lakh houses have been constructed under PMAY-U.
• PMAY-U 2.0 was approved by the Union Cabinet in August 2024.
• It was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi in September 2024.
• It aims to provide pucca houses to 1 crore people of urban India.
• PMAY-U 2.0 will address the affordable housing requirement in urban areas through four verticals.
• The four verticals are Beneficiary-Led Construction (BLC), Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP), Affordable Rental Housing (ARH) and Interest Subsidy Scheme (ISS).

Topic: Important Days

4. Naturopathy Day: 18 November

• Naturopathy Day is celebrated on 18 November, the day on which Mahatma Gandhi became a Life Member of the Nature Cure Foundation Trust and signed the deed. 
• Naturopathy Day is celebrated every year since 2018 in India.
• Gandhi Ji is considered the founding figure of Naturopathy in India.
• This year, 7th Naturopathy Day was celebrated on 18 November.
• Naturopathy had its roots in 19th-century Germany.
• John Schell first used the term ‘naturopathy’ in 1895.
• Benedict Lust popularised it in the U.S. Benedict Lust is known as the 'Father of Modern Naturopathy'.
• When German nutritionist Louis Kuhne translated The New Science of Healing, naturopathy became well-known in India.
• Dronamraju Venkatachalapathy Sarma translated it into Telugu for the first time in 1894.
• Shri Shroti Kishan Swaroop translated it into Hindi and Urdu in 1904.