Daily Current Affairs and GK | 23 November 2019

1. 1149 railway stations set up under 'Adarsh Station Yojana'

• 1149 stations have been developed till 30^th October under the ‘Adarsh Station Yojana.'
• Under the scheme, a total of 1253 stations were recognized.
• The remaining stations are targeted to be developed by the end of this financial year. 
• ‘Adarsh Station Yojana' is a scheme of Ministry of Railways that aims at upgrading suburban stations by installing modern infrastructure like foot over bridges, lifts, escalators, renovating existing waiting halls, etc.

2. Thousands of migratory birds died in Sambhar Lake due to Avian Botulism

• The recent deaths of migratory birds in Sambhar Lake of Rajasthan has been caused due to Avian Botulism. 
• This has been mentioned by the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, in its report. 
• Avian Botulism is an infectious disease which is caused due to Bacteria Clostridium Botulin.
• This bacteria release a toxin named Botulinum, which can be one of the following types- A, B, C₁, C₂, D, E, F, G.
• Type A, B, E are harmful to humans while type C is dangerous for birds. 
• This bacteria is found in soil, river, and seawater.
• Botulinum damages the nervous system and can lead to muscle paralysis. 
• After 20 years, the Sambhar Lake area received good monsoon, hence provided a breeding ground for this bacteria. 

3. Govt approves setting up of six plastic parks in India

• Govt has approved setting up of six plastic parks in various parts of India.
• These parks will be set up in different locations in Assam, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu.
• Out of these six parks, two parks will be set up in Raisen and Billaua region of Madhya Pradesh.
• These parks are being developed by the respective State Governments with assistance from the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemical.
• A plastic park is an industrial zone where all the plastic companies and its allied industries will be set up. These parks will provide opportunities for investment and employment.

4. Documentary film titled' Shikhar se Pukar' released by Jal Shakti Minister

• Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has launched a documentary film on water conservation titled 'Shikhar se Pukar.'
• The film is created to promote Jal Shakti Abhiyan and is based on the journey of IAS officer Ravindra Kumar. 
• This year, he climbed mount Everest to grab the attention of people towards critical issues of water conservation and water pollution. 

5. 11^th edition of Agro vision inaugurated

• Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the 11^th edition of Agro Vision- 2019 in Nagpur.  
• He laid emphasis on the significance of agriculture allied businesses for the holistic development of the Vidharbha region’s farmers.
• He also informed the participants about the honey cubes that are made by Central Food Technological Research, Mysuru.
• Agro Vision 2019 is an agricultural exhibition that will continue for four days.

6. A bill prohibiting the production of e-cigarettes tabled in Lok Sabha

• A bill banning production, manufacture, import, export, transport, sale, distribution, storage and advertisement of e-cigarettes has been tabled in the Lok Sabha by Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.
• The bill aims to protect the people from the adverse effects of e-cigarettes.
• The bill proposes 1 year imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1 lakh for the first time offenders while the punishment for storage of e-cigarettes will be imprisonment of up to 6 months or a fine up to Rs. 50,000 or both.
• E-cigarettes:
  • These are a form of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System.
  • Unlike conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes use a solution that is vapourised using a battery, and these vapours are inhaled by the user.
  • Many studies have reported that e-cigarettes can have long term health impacts and are not safe to consume.

7. 3-member panel constituted by RBI to advise DHFL administrator

• RBI has constituted a three-member panel to advise the administrator of DHFL before formally moving for resolution process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).
• The panel comprises of Rajiv Lall (Non-executive Chairman of IDFC First Bank), N S Kannan (MD and Chief Executive of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance) and N S Venkatesh (Chief Executive of Mutual Fund’s Association AMFI’s).
• Governance issues and liquidity crisis in Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited led to Loan defaults, and RBI took over the board of directors of the company thereby, appointing R Subramaniakumar as the administrator.

8. Indian scientists discovered a protein that can control blood sugar levels

• Indian scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) identified a protein Secretagogin (SCGN) that can help in the regulation of blood sugar levels.
• SCGN is a protein that binds with insulin, thereby protecting it from stresses and increasing its action in diabetes caused due to obesity.
• Cellular stresses result in functional and structural loss in insulin, leading to diabetes.
• Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB):

• It is a research organization that conducts researches and training in areas of modern biology.
• It was formed in 1977 as a semi-autonomous organization while in 1981, it was given the status of a full-fledged national lab.
• It works under the aegis of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• It is located in Hyderabad and its current director is Rakesh K. Mishra.

9. First-ever PICSA index released in Bilbao

• The first-ever Prosperity & Inclusion City Seal and Awards (PICSA) Index has been released in Bilbao, Basque Country in northern Spain.
• The index is compiled by D&L Partners and ranks 113 cities across the world not only on the basis of GDP per capita but also on their inclusive prosperity, i.e. affordability of housing, access to education, healthcare, etc.
• The top three cities in the index are- Zurich (Switzerland), Vienna (Austria), and Copenhagen (Denmark).
• Among Indian cities, only Bengaluru (83), Delhi (101), and Mumbai (107) were able to find the position in the index.  

10. Cartosat-3 to be launched by ISRO

• ISRO to launch Cartosat-3 and 13 commercial nanosatellites from the USA through PSLV-C47 on 27^th November from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota.
• This will be the 21^st flight of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in the ‘XL’ configuration.
• Cartosat-3 is a third GEN advanced remote sensing satellite that will be placed in Sun-synchronous orbit.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following Indian cities could not make to the recently launched Prosperity & Inclusion City Seal and Awards (PICSA) Index?

1. Mumbai
2. Delhi
3. Bengaluru
4. Chennai

Correct Answer: d

2. The name of the recently launched documentary film on water conservation is-

1. Jal Hi Jeevan
2. Nirmal Jal
3. Shikhar se Pukar
4. Pukar Jal Sanchay ki

Correct Answer: c

3. RBI constituted a three-member panel to advise the administrator of which of the following companies?

1. DHFL
2. DHLL
3. HHFL
4. DMFL

Correct Answer: a

4. Recently, the government approved setting up of six plastic parks in various states of India. Which of the following is not one of the approved states?

1. Madhya Pradesh
2. Jharkhand
3. Kerala
4. Tamil Nadu

Correct Answer: c

5. Where is Central Food Technological Research located?

1. Mysuru
2. Varanasi
3. Kolkata
4. Chennai

Correct Answer: a