Daily Current Affairs and GK | 24 October 2020

1. Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report 2020 shows marginal increase in wealth of Indian adults.

• Global Wealth Report 2020 released by Credit Suisse has shown a marginal increase in Indian adults' wealth by $120.
• As per the report, the average wealth of Indian adults has increased by 1.7% from $17,300 in December 2019 to $17,420 in June 2020.
• Credit Suisse has estimated the increase will be to 5-6% in 2020 and 9% in 2021.
• In the list of countries with ultra-high net worth individuals, India appeared in 4^th place after the US, China, and Germany.
• In the first half of 2020, household wealth increased only in China and India.
• Credit Suisse is a Switzerland based investment banking company.

2. DRDO successfully carries out Final User Trial of NAG Missile.

• DRDO has successfully carried out Final User Trial of 3^rd generation Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) NAG from Pokhran, Rajasthan.
• Now, Production of NAG will be started by Defence PSU Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
• During Final User Trial, NAG was launched from its Missile Carrier, NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier).
• NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier) is a BMP II based system. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty, which is a Russian phrase meaning infantry combat vehicle.
• NAMICA has the amphibious capability. This means it can be used on land and in water. Ordnance Factory Medak, Kolkata, will produce the NAMICA. 
• NAG missile:
  • DRDO has developed NAG. It can target enemy tanks in day and night conditions.
  • NAG has “Fire & Forget” “Top Attack” capabilities. Fire & Forget capabilities allow a missile to hit the target even if it is not in the launcher's line of sight. “Top Attack” capabilities mean that missile attacks target from the top.
  • NAG has passive homing guidance and can defeat all Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) having composite and reactive armour.

3. Growing Urban Heat Island phenomenon, a cause for cloud bursts.

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) climate change expert said that the increasing Urban Heat Island phenomenon in urban areas is causing heavy rains in short spells recently observed in Hyderabad.
• As per the expert, it is a La Nina year responsible for cloud bursts, high moisture retention by clouds, high temperature, heatwaves, and droughts.
• La Nina has resulted in the warming of the water bodies and increasing evaporation.
• La Nina means The Little Girl in Spanish. During a La Nina year, winter temperatures are warmer than usual in the Southeast and cooler than normal in the Northwest.
• Urban Heat Island phenomenon:
  • It is a phenomenon in which there is a higher temperature (mean temp 8 to 10 degrees) in urban areas than the surrounding rural areas.
  • What are the causes of the Urban Heat Island Phenomenon?
    • Lack of green areas- Lack of evapotranspiration (evaporation + transpiration)
    • Mass transportation system
    • Use of fossil fuels- emission of high particulate matter
    • Use of Air Conditioners
    • Use of materials like asphalt, concrete, bricks for roads, and roofs.
    • Impermeable pavements that absorb heat during the day and radiate during cooler evenings.
    • The rapid expansion of buildings, industrial parks, and high-rise apartments
  • What are the effects of the Urban Heat Island phenomenon?
    • Decrease air quality in cities
    • Increase colonization of species like lizards, ants
    • Heatwaves – leading to heat cramps, sleep deprivation, increased mortality rates.
    • Impaired water quality
    • Cloud bursts- heavy rainfall in a short span
    • Increased energy consumption
    • Destruction of wetlands
  • How can we control and mitigate Urban Heat Island phenomenon?
    • Using greener rooftops
    • Using light-colored concrete for making roads
    • Increasing green cover- Planting more trees and plants.

4. Amazon says that it would not appear before the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019.

• Amazon has said that it would not appear before the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, on 28 October.
• JPC examining Data Protection Bill has tried to get the views of Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, Google, Paytm, and other companies on data security and protection.
• The chairperson has said that Amazon’s refusal is equal to a breach of parliamentary privileges. Action may be taken against Amazon if it will not appear next Wednesday.
• Parliamentary privileges are the rights and immunities enjoyed by the Members of Parliament as a whole and individually. Article 105 of the Indian Constitution provides two privileges- Freedom of speech in Parliament and the Right to publish its proceedings.
• In December 2019, Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha. The bill was referred to the Joint Committee.
• Joint Committee on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019:
  • It was formed in December 2019. Meenakshi Lekhi is its chairperson.
  • It was given an extension till the winter session. It will submit its report in the winter session of 2020.
  • It has 20 members from Lok Sabha and 10 members from Rajya Sabha.

5. India’s first women-led manure cooperative society granted NDDB’s trademark Sudhan.

• India’s first women-led manure cooperative society, Mujkuva Sakhi Khad Sahakari Mandli, was granted NDDB’s trademark Sudhan.
• Mujkuva Sakhi Khad Sahakari Mandli of Anand district was granted Sudhan for making bio slurry-based organic fertilizers.
• Mujkuva Sakhi Khad Sahakari Mandli will now process slurry and manufacture organic fertilizer. NDDB will also support two such projects in Begusarai, Bihar, and Cuttack, Odisha.
• The next phase of the Manure Management Initiative, supported by NDDB, was launched at the Mujkuva Dairy Cooperative Society (DCS) campus in Gujarat.
• Under the Manure Management Initiative, dairy farmers put biogas plants in their backyard and use them to produce gas, used as cooking fuel.
• Biogas plants also produce bio-slurry. Farmers use this bio-slurry in their fields. Surplus bio-slurry is sold to other farmers or converted to organic fertilizers.
• National Dairy Development Board (NDDB):
  • It was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Anand, Gujarat.
  • It is a statutory body.
  • Mother Dairy is its subsidiary.
  • Chairman: Dilip Rath

6. India takes chairmanship of Governing Body of International Labour Organisation (ILO).

• India has taken the chairmanship of the Governing Body of International Labour Organisation (ILO) after a gap of thirty-five years.
• Labour Secretary Apurva Chandra has been elected as chairperson of the Governing Body of International Labour Organisation (ILO).
• He will remain chairperson from October 2020 to June 2021. He is an IAS officer of Maharashtra Cadre.
• He was chairperson of the committee to draft Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020, which became effective on October 1, 2020.
• The governing body is the executive organ of ILO. It elects the Director-General of ILO. It also decides policies, programmes, agenda, and budget of ILO. It meets thrice in March, June, and November months of a year.
• International Labour Organisation (ILO):
  • ILO was established in 1919 under the auspices of the United Nations. It is the first and oldest specialized agency of the United Nations.
  • It is created to ensure social and economic justice through the establishment of international labor standards.
  • Its headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Director-General: Guy Ryder
  • Currently, it has 186 members.
  • India is a founder member of ILO.     

7. Nanda Kishore Sahoo was appointed as Director-General Dental Services and Colonel Commandant of Army Dental Corps.

• Lieutenant General Nanda Kishore Sahoo has been appointed as Director General Dental Services and Colonel Commandant of Army Dental Corps.
• He holds multiple posts in his military career, including Command of a unit in Kashmir Valley, Command Advisor of Western, Central, and Southern Commands.
• He is a recipient of five Commendations and the Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for his meritorious service.
• He is an internationally acclaimed author, teacher, and winner of the KS Master silver medal.

(Source: PIB)

8. International Snow Leopard Day 2020: 23 October

• International Snow Leopard Day is celebrated every year on 23 October to protect and conserve snow leopards.
• They are mainly found in mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. They are also called the “ghost of the mountains.”
• During the Virtual meet event of International Snow Leopard Day “HimalSanrakshak” programme was launched by the Minister of State for Environment Forest and Climate Change.
• In India, Snow Leopard is mainly found in Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, Nanda Devi region of Uttarakhand, and Khangchendzonga – Tawang across Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Initiatives by Government of India for conserving Snow Leopard:
  • India is also a member of the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection (GSLEP) Programme. It had hosted the 4^th Steering Committee of the GSLEP program in October 2019 in New Delhi.
  • Ministry of Environment had launched the First National Protocol on Snow Leopard Population Assessment in 2019 for monitoring the populations of Snow Leopard.
  • It will encourage states and UTs to adopt innovative strategies to resolve multi-stakeholder landscape management issues, human-wildlife conflicts, wildlife crime, trade in wildlife parts and products, etc.
  • Project Snow Leopard:
    • It was launched in 2009.
    • It is a centrally sponsored project for the conservation of the species and its habitats.
    • It will also help in maintaining the ecological balance in the Himalayan Ecosystem.
• Snow Leopard:

9. IIT Kharagpur collaborates with TCS in India’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector.

• IIT Kharagpur and TCS have developed a novel Industry 4.0 technology for remotely controlled factory operations and real-time quality correction during industrial production.
• It was developed at the Centre of Excellence in Advanced Manufacturing Technology in association with TCS.
• Cloud infrastructure, remote and real-time operations systems will maintain effective industrial operations.
• It has not only set the course for remotely controlled operations in the Indian industrial sector but has also enabled real-time quality checks and correction during the production process.
• It will also help the Industrial sector to achieve standardized quality goals throughout the production process and reduce rejection.
• It will help the Industrial sector in delivering quality output at low costs.
• Advanced manufacturing: It uses innovative technologies and methods for enhancing competitiveness in the manufacturing sectors.

10. IIT Kharagpur develops ‘COVIRAP’ diagnostic test for COVID-19.

• COVIRAP, a low-cost portable COVID-19 testing device, has been developed by the IIT Kharagpur.
• It is a cuboid-shaped portable testing device that can deliver results in an hour with a cost of around Rs 500.
• It is based on a microfluidic paper-based detection system in which the colour of the paper will determine that a sample is positive or negative.
• It can test between 3 and 10 samples in one go.
• This machine can perform many other tests under the category of isothermal nucleic acid-based tests (INAT).
• It will help the government for the mass level testing in peripheral areas or distant rural areas where the health infrastructure might be lacking.
• IIT Delhi has also developed a device, Corosure, that replicates testing used by an RT-PCR machine.

11. Sri Lankan Parliament voted for the expansion of presidential power.

• The Sri Lanka Parliament has approved the 20^th Constitutional Amendment to expand the Presidential power and allow dual citizens to hold political office.
• Changes after the Constitutional Amendment:
  • President can appoint and remove Ministers.
  • President will appoint authority of the elections, public service, police, human rights, and bribery or corruption investigation commissions.
  • The Constitutional Council is abolished.
  • President can dissolve the Parliament after two years and six months of it being elected.
  • It lifted a ban on dual citizens for holding political office.
• Sri Lankan Political System:
  • It is the Democratic Republic and a Unitary State, which is governed by a semi-presidential system.
  • The President is the head of state, head of government, and commander in chief of the armed forces, directly elected for five years.
  • The President appoints and heads a cabinet of ministers responsible to Parliament.
  • The Legislature of Sri Lanka is unicameral.
• Sri Lanka:
  • It is an island country in South Asia.
  • Its capital is Colombo, and the currency is the Sri Lankan rupee.
  • Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the current President of Sri Lanka.

(Source: Aljazeera)

12. In a US-brokered deal, Israel and Sudan agreed to normalize relations.

• Israel and Sudan agreed to normalize their relations in the US-brokered deal.
• Sudan is the third Arab government to set aside hostilities with Israel in the last two months after UAE and Bahrain.
• Sudan's removal from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism has paved the way for the deal.
• It will help Sudan to come out of the international isolation from the US sanctions of the 1990s.
• Both countries will negotiate on the cooperation agreements in agriculture, technology, aviation, migration, and other critical areas.