Daily Current Affairs and GK | 21 and 22 August 2022

By Priyanka Chaudhary | Last Modified: 22 Aug 2022 17:20 PM IST

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Topic: State News/ Punjab

1. Government decided to change the name of Chandigarh International Airport.

  • The Haryana and Punjab governments have agreed to name Chandigarh International Airport after Bhagat Singh.
  • The airport will be known as Shaheed Bhagat Singh Airport.
  • In another decision, the Punjab governor gave his assent to the Punjab State Legislature Members (Pension and Medical Facilities Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2022.
  • It will limit the multiple pensions to former MLAs with Chief Minister. It will save around ₹100 crores in five years.

List of Airports in Punjab:

Airport

Location

Type

Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport

Amritsar

International

Bathinda Airport

Bathinda

Domestic

Sahnewal Airport

Ludhiana

Domestic

Pathankot Airport

Pathankot

Domestic

Patiala Airport

Patiala

Domestic

 

List of Airports in Haryana:

Airport

Location

Type

Shaheed Bhagat Singh Airport

Chandigarh

International

Hisar Airport

Hisar

Flying School & Club

Karnal Airport

Karnal

Flying School

Topic: State News/Jharkhand

2. Jharkhand is India’s first state to use blockchain technology for seed distribution to farmers.

  • Directorate of Agriculture, Jharkhand and SettleMint, India jointly announced the launch of seed distribution to farmers based on blockchain technology.
  • SettleMint is a global blockchain technology company. Jharkhand is India’s 1st state where blockchain is being used to track seed distribution.
  • Blockchain technology is expected to be used to track the distribution of inputs, implements, etc. under all the schemes being implemented by the Directorate of Agriculture.
  • Blockchain technology is a decentralized, distributed ledger that stores the record of ownership of digital assets.

Topic: Sports

3. Antim Panghal is the first Indian woman wrestler to win the Gold medal at the Under-20 World Wrestling Championship in Sofia, Bulgaria.

  • To accomplish this feat, she defeated Atlyn Shagayeva of Kazakhstan in the 53kg weight class.
  • India had never won any gold medal in women's wrestling at U20 World Championships.
  • Antim Panghal is a wrestler who belongs to the Haryana state of India.
  • Sonam Malik and Priyanka won silver medals in 62 kg and 65 kg respectively.

Under-20 World Wrestling Championship

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

4. India has achieved the milestone of more than one lakh (1,01,462) ODF Plus villages.

  • The top five performing states are Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.
  • Maximum number of villages have been declared as ODF (Open Defecation Free) Plus in these states.
  • ODF Plus villages are sustaining their ODF status. Additionally, these villages have systems in place for managing solid and/or liquid waste.
  • In 2014, PM Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission to make the country open defecation free.
  • On 2nd October 2019, rural India became open defecation free (ODF).
  • The second phase of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) was approved in 2020.
  • Second Phase of the SBM-G is about appropriately managing all types of waste.
  • Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) had introduced intermediate stages in the process of declaring a village as ODF Plus.

Intermediate stage/category

Number of villages in category

Criteria

ODF Plus - Aspiring

54734 villages

All households and institutions besides having access to sanitation through individual household latrines, have arrangements for either SWM or LWM

ODF Plus - Rising

17121 villages

Have arrangements for both Liquid Waste Management (LWM) and Solid Waste Management (SWM) in addition to the criteria in Aspiring.

ODF Plus - Model

29607 villages

Have all the above and where  Information, Education and Communication (IEC) messages are prominently disseminated and displayed

Topic: State News/ Maharashtra

5. 'Dahi-Handi' will be an official sport in Maharashtra.

  • CM Eknath Shinde has announced that 'Dahi-Handi' will be recognised under the state’s sports category.
  • He also announced that competitions known as "Pro-Dahi-Handi" will be held in the state.
  • The tournament participant "Govinda" will get the job under the sport Maharashtra quota.
  • The government will also provide an insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh for all 'Govindas'.
  • Due to the number of severe incidents in this sport, the Supreme Court capped the height of "handi" to 20 feet.
  • In 2017, the Bombay High Court also prohibited the participation of children below the age of 14 years.
  • Dahi Handi:
    • It is commemorated on the occasion of Janmashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna.
    • Part of the Janmashtami festival is the Dahi Handi, which is made up of earthen pots filled with yogurt.
    • Young people, called "Govindas," dress in colourful clothes and form a human pyramid to reach the pot hanging in the air and break it.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

6. India launched its first indigenous monkeypox test kit.

  • The first indigenously developed RT-PCR kit for testing monkeypox disease has been launched at the Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone (AMTZ).
  • Ajay Kumar Sood, the center's principal scientific adviser, unveiled the kit, which has been developed by Transasia Bio-Medicals.
  • The Transasia-Erba monkeypox RT-PCR kit is a highly sensitive but simple test with a specially prepared primer for high accuracy.
  • The WHO has declared the Monkeypox infection a public health emergency of international concern.
  • The kit would assist in the earlier detection and improved management of the infection.
  • Monkeypox:
    • Monkeypox (MPX) is a viral zoonotic disease in which the symptoms are similar to smallpox.
    • Although the disease is clinically less severe. It is caused by the monkeypox virus which is a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.
    • The disease is called monkeypox as it was first found in colonies of monkeys in 1958 and was later found in humans in 1970.
    • The symptoms of the virus usually show from 6 to 13 days.
 
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Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

7. The second phase of the Grameen Udyami Project has been launched by NSDC in partnership with Seva Bharti and Yuva Vikas Society.

  • It has been launched to augment skill training in tribal communities for their inclusive and sustainable growth.
  • Shri Arjun Munda, Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, launched the programme.
  • He said Central Government has sanctioned a budget of 85,000 crore rupees exclusively for tribal areas. 
  • Grameen Udyami Project:
    • It is a unique multiskilling project, funded by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
    • It aims to train 450 tribal students in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
    • It is being implemented in six states. These states are Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.
    • This concept was crystallized by Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar and tribal MPs.

Topic: Personality in News

8. Syed Sibtey Razi passed away recently.

  • He was the former Governor of Jharkhand. He served as Governor of Assam.
  • He served as the Governor of Jharkhand from the year 2004- 2009.
  • He was associated with Congress. He formed a socio-cultural association in Lucknow called 'Anjuman Adab-e-Atfal.

former Governor of Jharkhand

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International News

9. Greece announced to exit from the 'enhanced surveillance' framework of European Union.

  • Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made this announcement. It will allow more freedom in policymaking and end the pain of 12 years.
  • After the first bailout in 2010, Greece has implemented pension cuts, spending constraints, tax increases and bank control.
  • Greece’s economic developments and policy have been monitored continuously since 2018.
  • The exit from the framework will help Greece in regaining an “investment grade” credit rating.
  • The surveillance framework's aim is to ensure the adoption of measures to tackle potential sources of economic difficulty and structural reforms to support sustainable economic growth.
  • Greece:
    • It is a country in Southeast Europe.
    • It shares land borders with Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria and Turkey.
    • It has the longest coastline in the Mediterranean Basin.
    • Kyriakos Mitsotakis is the current Prime Minister.
    • Athens is the capital of Greece and the currency is Euro.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

10. 18 out of 20 cities of the world with the most severe increase in PM2.5 pollution are from India: Study by HEI.

  • Among the most populous cities in the world, Delhi has the highest average level of fine PM2.5, according to a report by the Health Effects Institute (HEI).
  • From 2010 to 2019, 18 of the 20 cities with the most severe increase in fine particle pollutants (PM2.5) are from India.
  • This report is focused on the two most harmful pollutants: fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
  • This report has combined ground-based air quality data with satellites and models to produce air quality estimates for cities around the world.
  • The report estimated that 1.7 million deaths have occurred due to PM2.5 exposures in 7,239 cities. Asia, Africa, and Eastern and Central Europe are most affected by the health impacts of air pollution.
  • India and Indonesia have seen the most severe increase in PM2.5 pollution.
  • Out of the 50 cities with the most severe increase in PM2.5, 41 are from India and 9 are from Indonesia.
  • Between 2010 to 2019, the 20 cities with the most decline in PM2.5 pollution are from China.
  • India, Nigeria, Peru, and Bangladesh city residents face many folds higher PM2.5 exposures than the global average.
  • Air pollution is responsible for one in nine deaths around the world.

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

11. RBI released a report titled 'Governance, Efficiency and Soundness of Indian Banks'.

  • As per this report, in recent years, banks in India have made significant progress in adhering to governance standards.
  • But, the current level of compliance is not adequate to mark the existing governance structure as “socially efficient”.
  • This report is based on the individual bank’s annual report from 2008-09 to 2017-18. This report used publicly available information on Corporate Good Governance.
  • It also states that the Indian banking system was sound from 2008-09 to 2012-13. The decline in asset quality and profitability emerged in 2013-14.
  • In the last few years, private banks have shown improvement in their soundness position. However, a low level of soundness is still a challenge for public-sector banks.
  • It notes that noticeable asymmetries exist in the policy priorities of banks on the dimensions of governance and soundness.
  • As per the report, private banks have performed relatively better in adhering to good governance norms relating to audit work, subsequent risk management and board effectiveness.
  • Profit-efficient banks are sufficiently sound to keep up capital buffers and absorb shocks, which can reduce destabilizing effects.

Topic: Important Days

12. Akshay Urja Diwas 2022: 20 August

  • Every year, Akshay Urja Diwas is observed on 20 August.
  • This day also marks the birth anniversary of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
  • Akshay Urja Diwas has been celebrated since 2004. It is observed to spread awareness about the development of renewable energy in India.
  • The main aim of this day is to promote the use of renewable energy.
  • Note:
    • In the current fiscal year, Rajasthan and Gujarat added the most renewable capacity (4.8 GW and 2.4 GW, respectively) till January 31, 2022.
    • Till June 2022, India's renewable energy capacity stood at 114.07 GW. India has set a target of achieving 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022.
    • Biogas, Solar Energy, Wind energy, and hydroelectrical power are examples of renewable energy.

Topic: National Appointments

13. DCGI Venugopal Somani’s tenure has been extended for 3 months.

  • Venugopal Somani’s tenure ended on 15 August.
  • His term has been extended for three months or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  • Dr V G Somani was appointed Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for three years on August 14, 2019. 
  • The Drugs Controller General of India heads the department of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization.
  • DCGI has recently approved AstraZeneca’s drug Lynparza for patients with a high risk of early breast cancer.
  • Drug Controller General of India (DCGI):
    • It is responsible for setting the standards for the manufacturing, import, sales, and distribution of drugs in India.
    • It approves licenses of specified categories of drugs, including blood products, vaccines, sera, etc.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

14. Uttar Pradesh government released the draft of its Solar Energy Policy-2022.

  • Uttar Pradesh government is planning to produce 16,000mw renewable power by 2026-27.
  • As per the proposed policy, the state government will develop 20 solar cities in the next five years, covering 10 lakh households with solar rooftop installations.
  • Important cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Agra, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, etc. have been selected for the rooftop installations.
  • The draft of Solar Energy Policy-2022 could get approval cabinet after the completion of the solar policy 2017.
  • The Solar Energy Policy 2017 of Uttar Pradesh had set a target of producing 10,000mw solar power by 2022, but less than 3,000mw were produced.
  • Under the new policy, households can sell the excess power generated on their house to the distribution company.
  • As per the Solar Energy Policy-2022, 21,000 un-electrified primary schools across the state will be covered with solar rooftop installations.
  • The government will also install solar panels on the rooftop of Nagar Nigam assets.
  • Public institutions such as hostels and training institutions will be asked to meet a part of their energy requirements from solar energy.
  • The government is planning to utilize barren/un-cultivable government/private land in Bundelkhand for solar energy production.
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Important Day in News :

World Senior Citizen’s Day 2022: 21 August

  • Every year on August 21, World Senior Citizen’s Day is observed.
  • It is observed to increase awareness about the issues of elderly people.
  • Former US President Ronald Reagan officially founded the World Senior Citizen’s Day in 1988.
  • The General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) declared 21 August as World Senior Citizen’s Day on 14 December 1990.
  • The Government of India has launched several welfare schemes for senior citizens, including Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Scheme, National Programme for the Health Care of Elderly (NPHCE), Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana, etc.

 

 

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