Daily Current Affairs and GK | 23 July 2020

1. The operating routes of merchant and fishing vessels were separated in the South West Indian sea route.

• Recently the Ministry of Shipping has separated the operating routes of merchant and fishing vessels in the South West Indian waters.
• Operations on these new routes will come into effect from 1 August.
• Many trade ships pass through the Arabian Sea on the southwest coast of the country.
• The area is one of the busiest routes, causing accidents between maritime vessels.
• This decision has been taken to make shipping in Indian seas easier.
• This decision will benefit the following:
  • Incidents of ships colliding will decrease.
  • Protection of marine environment.
  • Sea traffic will be more accessible.
  • Loss of property will prevent loss of life.

(Source: News on AIR)

2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Manipur Water Supply Project.

• Recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of Manipur Water Supply Project through video conferencing.
• The project has been started under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• Jal Jeevan Mission:
  • In August 2019, the Center launched the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide safe and adequate drinking water supply to every rural household in the country by 2024.
  • The mission is based on a community approach to water and the key components of the mission are information, education and communication.
  • This creates a mass movement for water, making it a priority for everyone.

(Source: News on AIR)

3. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu unveiled the statue of Dr. Ambedkar at the CAG office in New Delhi.

• Recently, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu unveiled the statue of Dr. Ambedkar at the CAG office in New Delhi.
• Dr. Ambedkar was a multidisciplinary genius and the creator of modern India.
• He had drafted the Constitution of India and guided the country to a turning point.
• Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG):
  • It is an authority of India.
  • It is established by Article 148 of the Constitution of India.
  • It records all receipts and expenses of the Government of India and the State Governments.

(Source: News on AIR)

4. India and Maldives signed a contract to set up fish processing plants in two islands.

• Recently India and Maldives have signed a contract to set up fish processing plants in two islands of Maldives.
• A Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of fish processing plants was signed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldives President Ibrahim Solih in December 2020.
• These fish-processing plants are the first in series of High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP).
• India and Maldives are committed to execute HICDP projects under grants totaling US $ 5.5 million.
• These projects selected by the Maldives government include high levels of community influence and participation in the areas of livelihood and income generation, health, education, gender and child empowerment, etc.
• HICDP is an important dimension of the dynamic development partnership between India and Maldives. These projects are inspired by the needs of communities on the islands.
• Maldives:
  • It is a small island nation in South Asia, located in the Arabian Sea.
  • It is located about 700 km from the mainland of the Asian continent to the south-west of Sri Lanka and India.
  • Its capital is Male and the currency is Maldivian rufiya.

5. India Ideas Summit organized by USIBC concluded on 22 July.

• India Ideas Summit organized by USIBC concluded on 22 July.
• Speaking on the occasion, Nisha Biswal, Chairperson of US-India Business Council (USIBC), said that USIBC is playing a big role in strengthening not only the trade contacts between India and the US but also the basic relations between the two countries.
• Also, for inclusive growth, the Council is ready to help in increasing investment, setting up industrial units and creating business opportunities.
• The US India Business Council's India Ideas Summit is an annual event.
• This year was the 45^th edition of this conference.
• US-India Business Council:
  • It was established in 1975 as a professional advocacy organization.
  • It aims to encourage private sectors of India and the United States to increase investment flows.
  • It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States.

(Source: News on AIR)

6. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Chandrashekhar Azad on their birth anniversary on 23 July.

• Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has paid tribute to Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Chandrashekhar Azad on their birth anniversary on 23 July.
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak:
  • Bal Gangadhar Tilak, one of the trio of Lal Bal Pal, was born on 23 July 1856 in Chikhali village of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
  • Tilak was an Indian nationalist and an independence activist.
  • He was the first leader of the Indian independence movement. British officer Valentine Chirol called him the father of Indian unrest.
  • He founded two newspapers named Kesari and Maratha. Also in 1916, the Home Rule League was established in Maharashtra by him.
  • He died on 1 August 1920, the day the non-cooperation movement started in Mumbai.

(Source: Wikipedia)

• Chandra Shekhar Azad:
  • He was an Indian revolutionary who reorganized the Hindustan Republican Association in 1928.
  • Chandrasekhar Azad was born on 23 July 1906 in Bhabra in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh.
  • He died on February 27, 1931, in Chandrasekhar Azad Park, Prayagraj, after being shot.

(Source: Wikipedia)

7. India received first batch of 4,475 oxygen concentrators from the Temasek Foundation, Singapore.

• Recently India's Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey received the first batch of 4,475 oxygen concentrators from the Temasek Foundation, Singapore.
• A total of 20,000 oxygen concentrators will be provided to India by the Foundation.
• The remaining oxygen concentrators will be received next month.
• These devices will prove to be of great help in managing the moderate cases of Covid-19.
• These machines can be used in Covid-19 care centers and railway coaches that have been renovated as Covid care centers.
• It is also particularly useful in remote areas where logistic constraints become a hindrance to the continuous supply of oxygen cylinders.

(Source: News on AIR)

8. SNBNCBS, Kolkata has developed a mask with active respirator valve and filter for protection from suspended-particles.

• Recently SN Bose National Center for Basic Sciences, Kolkata has developed a breathable comfortable and hygienically active respirator mask with valve and filter for suspended-particulate protection.
• The active respirator is an innovative solution to the problem of recurrence of carbon dioxide and emitted moisture inside the mask.
• A nano-sanitizer with anti-microbial dispensing layer has also been developed by the center. This innovative sanitizer relieves the skin dehydration problem due to frequent use.
• Both products have been transferred by the National Research Development Corporation to a Kolkata-based company for manufacturing.
• These will be launched on the 15^th August.
• S. N. Bose National Center for Basic Sciences:
  • It is an autonomous research institute dedicated to basic research in Mathematics under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
  • It is located in Kolkata, West Bengal.
  • This institute was established in 1986.

(Source: News on AIR)

9. AIIMS Nagpur has developed smart wristbands to track Covid-19 positive patients.

• Recently, a model for effective tracking and monitoring of Covid-19 positive and suspected patients has been developed by All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur in collaboration with IIT Jodhpur and Indian Institute of Information Technology Nagpur.
• The device is in the form of smart wristbands.
• It has been conceptualized by Dr. Prathamesh Kamble, Assistant Professor, Physiology, AIIMS Nagpur.
• This wristband can provide mobile free operation, using Geo Fencing technology which will warn on any violation in the Quarantine area on real-time basis.
• In addition, this wristband will also provide warnings such as the wearer's temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate and oxygen saturation.

10. Britain will open a new special route for Hong Kong residents to gain British citizenship from January 2021.

• The UK government has recently announced that it will open a new special route for eligible Hong Kong residents from January 2021 to gain British citizenship.
• This change in immigration rules has been brought after China imposed a new comprehensive national security law on Hong Kong.
• These eligible Hong Kong residents can reach any position in the UK at any skill level and without salary limits.
• These people they can apply for settling in the UK permanently, after five years. After the next 12 months, they can apply for British citizenship.
• The UK handed its former colony Hong Kong to China in 1997, under a One Country, Two Systems Framework.

(Source: The Hindu)

11. US President Donald Trump started ‘Operation Legend’.

• Recently US President Donald Trump has started Operation Legend.
• This operation is meant to maintain law and order during the upcoming presidential election on 3 November 2020.
• It plans to send federal agents to more and more American cities to crack down on violent crime.
• It has expanded the Operation Legends program to include cities such as Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• The operation was named after Legend Taliferro, a four-year-old child shot and killed in Kansas City, Missouri.
• The operation has been implemented by President Trump as an increase in law enforcement and military efforts, so as to destroy the criminal riot trend as a result of the recent George Floyd assassination protest.

(Source: The Hindu)

12. CCI approved the acquisition of Krishnapatnam Port Company Limited by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited.

• Recently CCI has approved the acquisition of Krishnapatnam Port Company Limited by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited.
• The acquisition of equity shareholding along with management control of the company has been proposed by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited.
• Adani Ports is a customer-facing integrated port infrastructure service provider currently present in ten domestic ports in six maritime states of Gujarat, Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha.
• It manages the logistics chain i.e. ships management to anchorage, pilotage, tug pulling, berthing, goods handling, internal transport, storage, handling and processing, etc.
• Krishnapatnam Port Company Limited is engaged as a developer and operator of deep water port in Krishnapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• Competition Commission of India (CCI):
  • It is a statutory body of the Government of India.
  • It is responsible for implementing the Competition Act, 2002 and preventing activities which have an adverse effect on competition in India.
  • It was established on 14 October 2003.

13. Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah launched VRIKSHAROPAN ABHIYAN in New Delhi.

• Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah launched VRIKSHAROPAN ABHIYAN in New Delhi.
• Along with this, Shri Amit Shah also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of six eco-parks/ tourist places.
• The event was conducted through video conferencing at more than 130 locations spread across 38 districts in 10 states with coal / lignite reserves.
• During this period, large scale plantations will be done in coal/ lignite PSU mines, colonies and other suitable areas and plants will be distributed in the surrounding areas to promote tree plantation by the society.
• Eco-parks, tourist spots will provide options for entertainment, adventure, water sports, bird watching etc. for the people living in the surrounding areas.
• The work is being undertaken through the active participation of coal / lignite PSUs and private miners under the Ministry Going Green initiative.
• Going Green involves maximization of green cover through ecological reclamation of mined out areas and overburden dumps, plantation in and around mines and avenue plantation at suitable places.
• Also, these sites have been planned to generate revenue for self-sufficiency and to create employment opportunities for the local people.
• This year three coal / lignite PSUs - Coal India Limited, NLC India Limited and Singareni Collieries Company Limited have set an ambitious target of covering 1789 hectares in and around the coal fields.