Daily Current Affairs and GK | 31 July 2020

1. Indian folk musician Ren Sonam Tshering Lepcha passed away.

• Recently Indian folk musician Sonam Tshering Lepcha has passed away at the age of 92 due to age related illness.
• He was born in Kalimpong in 1928.
• He was the first person among the Lepcha people to give his voice on All India Radio and was credited with the revival of the Lepcha culture.
• Lepcha is one of the indigenous cultures of the Indian state of Sikkim.
• He was awarded the Padma Shri for his outstanding contribution in the field of folk music.

(Source: News on AIR)

2. New building of Supreme Court inaugurated in Mauritius.

• The new building of the Supreme Court in Mauritius was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi jointly with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth.
• This new building in Mauritius is another historic project completed under India's development partnership.
• The project has been completed on schedule and at a lower cost than the initial estimates.
• This is an example of India's ability to implement such projects in different parts of the world.
• The project is an example of the vision SAGAR adopted by India in 2015.
• SAGAR Vision - Emphasizes the safety and development of all in the Indian Ocean region.
• India has completed various projects such as a major housing project in Sri Lanka, Parliament House in Afghanistan, Mahatma Gandhi Convention Center in Niger and improvement in health services in Nepal as part of the development partnership.

(Source: News on AIR)

3. Inauguration of CII National Digital Conference on Ease of Doing Business.

• Recently, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the CII National Digital Conference on Ease of Doing Business for Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• The objective of this conference is to achieve a single window concept, so that policies can be simplified for the industry.
• On this occasion, he said that the government aims to cover the entire country with optic fiber within the next two years.

(Source: News on AIR)

4. Union Power Minister Raj Kumar Singh dedicated the state-of-the-art SECI 1, 2 and 3 wind projects of SEMBCorp to the nation.

• Recently Union Power Minister Raj Kumar Singh has dedicated Sembcorp's state-of-the-art SECI 1, 2 and 3 wind projects to the nation.
• Sembcorp Energy India Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Sembcorp industry, has completed its latest 800 megawatt wind power projects. This brings India's renewable energy capacity to 1,730 MW.
• With the commissioning of its 300 MW SECI 3 wind project, Sembcorp has now become the first independent power producer to fully commission its projects awarded in first three auctions.
• Sembcorp Energy India Limited (SEIL):
  • It is a major independent power generating company in India.
  • It was established in 2008 in New Delhi.
  • Its headquarters are located in Gurgaon, India.

(Source: News on AIR)

5. Jin Liqun has been elected the chairman of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for the second time.

• Recently Jin Liqun has been elected as the chairman of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for the second time.
• His second five-year term will begin on January 16, 2021.
• This decision was recently taken at the annual meeting of the Board of Governors of AIIB.
• The 2021 AIIB Annual Meeting will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates in Dubai on 27–28 October, 2021.
• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB):
  • It is a multilateral development bank, a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia.
  • It started operating in January 2016.
  • It is headquartered in Beijing, China.
  • AIIB now has 103 accepted members worldwide.

6. After finding out high level of ammonia in Yamuna river, Delhi Jal Board reduced the water production capacity.

• The Delhi Jal Board has reduced the water generation capacity by 25% after the recent discovery of high levels of ammonia in the Yamuna River.
• According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water is 0.5 ppm. DJB currently has a treatment capacity of about 0.9 ppm.
• Currently Delhi Jal Board does not have any specific technology for the treatment of ammonia. The only solution is to reduce production at three water treatment plants - Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla, which are highly affected due to pollutants.
• Ammonia:
  • Ammonia is a colorless gas.
  • It is used as an industrial chemical in the production of fertilizers, plastics, synthetic fibers, dyes and other products.
  • It is naturally released into the environment from the breakdown of organic waste and is mixed into ground and surface water sources through industrial wastes or through contamination by sewage.
• Yamuna:
  • It is a major tributary of the river Ganga.
  • It originates from the Yamunotri glacier in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
  • Chambal, Sindh, Betwa and Ken are its important tributaries.

(Source: Indian Express)

7. Center for Science and Environment published a survey report on antibiotic use in dairy sector.

• Recently a survey report on antibiotic use in dairy sector was published by Center for Science and Environment.
• The Center for Science and Environment organized an online meeting on the same subject.
• The meeting was attended by experts from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, National Dairy Development Board, World Health Organization, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• It was said in the meeting that-
  • India is the world's largest milk producer and for children, milk is an integral part of the Indian diet.
  • India produced 188 million tonnes of milk in 2018-19.
  • Milk that is sold directly to consumers and processed milk sold in packets is not tested.
  • This milk remains uncontrolled for antibiotic residues. This is a worrying issue as it directly affects children's health.

(Source: The Hindu)

8. Hundreds of elephants died mysteriously in the Okavango Delta of Botswana in the last few months.

• Hundreds of elephants have mysteriously died in the last few months in the Okavango Delta of Botswana.
• But the mystery of their death is still unresolved.
• Poaching and anthrax have been ruled out as possible causes.
• Other possibilities including novel virus and toxicity are being investigated.
• South Africa, Zimbabwe, Britain and the U.S. labs are helping in investigations.
• Okavango Delta:
  • It is a part of the Kalahari Desert.
  • This delta consists of permanent marshland and seasonal floodplains.
  • It is home to some of the world's largest endangered species.
• Botswana:
  • It is a country in southern Africa.
  • Its capital is Gaborone and the currency is Botswana Pula.
  • The Kalahari Desert extends over 70% of its territory.
  • According to a 2013 aerial survey, Botswana has the world's largest population of elephants.

(Source: The Hindu)

9. Bihad area of ​​Chambal-Gwalior belt will be developed as a prairie grassland for agriculture and eco-tourism area.

• The unique geographical area of ​​Bihad in the Chambal-Gwalior belt, once known for the dreaded dacoits, will now be developed as a prairie grassland for agriculture and eco-tourism area.
• The World Bank is supporting the Ministry of Agriculture for this task.
• The proposed reforms in this project will not only help in improving agricultural development and environment, but it will also create employment opportunities for the people and promote the development of the region.
• Earlier, the Center started a Mega Ravine Reclamation Project in 1971.
• Chambal-Gwalior belt:
  • These are drains made of sharp, steep, earthen hills in three states- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
  • These include Baran, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli and Dhaulpur districts of Rajasthan, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Auraiya and Jalaun districts in Uttar Pradesh and Bhind, Morena and Sheopur districts of Madhya Pradesh.

(Source: Daily Pioneer)

10. US President Donald Trump may be only global leader to address United Nations General Assembly session this year.

• For the first time in 75 years, the annual United Nations General Assembly session due to the Covid-19 pandemic will be held online. As the session takes place every year in New York, so US President Donald Trump can be the only global leader to address the UN General Assembly session this year.
• With this, a summit on biodiversity will be held on 30 September.
• A high-level meeting of the General Assembly will also be held on October 1 to mark the 25^th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.
• United Nations General Assembly:
  • It is one of the six major organs of the United Nations.
  • Its current president is Tijjani Muhammad-Bande.
  • It is headquartered in New York, United States.
  • It was founded in 1945.

(Source: The Hindu)

11. Andhra University signed an MoU for PG course with INS Vishwakarma.

• Recently Andhra University has signed an MoU for PG course with INS Vishwakarma.
• Under this, special duty shipwright officers will be given PG diploma in shipbuilding technology.
• Earlier, Andhra University and INS Vishwakarma had also recently signed a memorandum of understanding for awarding B.Sc degree to Hull Artificer Sailors of Indian Navy and Coast Guard.

12. Water ATM inaugurated at Maraimalai Nagar, Chennai.

• Recently Water ATM has been inaugurated at Maraimalai Nagar, Chennai.
• Cheap water will be made available through the Water ATM.
• The ATM has been launched by global supplier Alfa Laval.
• It has a processing capacity of 1,000 liters per hour.
• Each plant will be operational for eight hours in a day.
• Residents can take a 20 liter can of water at a cost of Rs 7 through a preloaded card.
• Each family can collect two cans of water daily.
• The amount collected will be used for the maintenance of the plant and the salary of the plant operator.
• Many people did not have access to cheap, clean drinking water due to declining groundwater levels.
• Similar facilities will be set up in other villages and municipalities soon.

(Source: The Hindu)

13. Suraj Soman wins CSIR Young Scientist Award in Chemical Sciences category.

• Recently Suraj Soman has won CSIR Young Scientist Award in Chemical Sciences category.
• The award will be presented to him on 26 September 2020.
• Suraj Soman is a scientist from CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Pappanamcode, Kerala.
• He is being given this award for his work on dye-sensitised solar cells.
• DSCs also operate in low, artificial or indirect lighting, making them ideal for indoor use.

(Source: The Hindu)