Daily Current Affairs and GK | 6 August 2020

1. Resignation of J&K Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu.

• J&K Lieutenant Governor G C Murmu has resigned.
• He has sent his resignation to President.
• He was appointed as Lieutenant Governor of J& K in October, 2019.
• President has accepted his resignation and appointed Manoj Sinha as new LG of J&K.
• Jammu and Kashmir:
  • After suspending Article 370, government has reorganized Jammu and Kashmir into Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh on 31^st October 2019.
  • Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is located to the north of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
  • Its winter capital is Jammu and summer capital is Srinagar.
  • Important valleys in the region: Kashmir Valley, Tawi Valley, Chenab Valley, Poonch Valley, Sind Valley and Lidder Valley
  • Important rivers flowing through region: Tawi, Ravi, Jhelum, Chenab

(Source: PIB)

2. Term of current chairman of SEBI extended by 18 months.

• The government has extended the term of current chairman of SEBI by 18 months till February 2022.
• The extension was approved by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
• The extension will become effective from 1^st September 2020 to 28^th February 2022.
• Ajay Tyagi is current chairman of SEBI. He was appointed in March 2017 for a period of three years and was given six month long extension in February 2020.
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
  • SEBI was set up in 1988.
  • It was given statutory status in 1992.
  • Its headquarters are located in Mumbai.
  • In addition to a chairman, SEBI currently has four whole time members and three part time members.

(Source: SEBI)

3. 18 million dollar worth line of credit extended to Maldives.

• 18 million dollar worth line of credit has been extended by India to Maldives for expansion of fishing facilities at MIFCO.
• The line of credit will be used for expansion of fishing facilities at Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO).
• The line of credit is part of 800 million US dollars line of credit, which India has offered with 20 years repayment tenor and a moratorium of 5 years.
• The term line of credit basically means a credit facility that can be used when the recipient needs funds.
• Maldives:
  • It is an island nation located in South Asia.
  • It is located to southwest of Sri Lanka and India.
  • In terms of land area and population, Maldives is smallest Asian country.
  • Its capital is Male (traditionally called King’s island). 
  • It is also world’s lowest-lying country.

4. Government provides 17 crore man days’ employment to migrant workers.

• Government has provided 17 crore man days’ employment to migrant workers under Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan.
• Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is providing employment to migrant workers returning to villages of six states.
• The names of states are Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
• Under the abhiyaan, government is emphasizing on creation of structures such as water conservation structures, rural houses, cattle sheds, farm ponds, and Community Sanitary Complexes.
• Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan:
  • It was launched on 20 June 2020. It aims to increase employment and livelihood opportunities for migrant workers, who have returned to villages due to Covid-19.
  • It is an employment -cum- rural public works Campaign.
  • It was started from village Telihar, Block Beldaur, District Khagaria, Bihar.
  • Government has plans to spend Rs 50,000 crore under for building durable rural infrastructure under this Abhiyaan.
  • Under this campaign, government has identified 25 work areas.

5. Webinar series on “Hydro-Meteorological Hazards Risk Reduction”.

• A webinar series on “Hydro-Meteorological Hazards Risk Reduction” is being organized by NIDM in collaboration with IMD.
• The series consists of four webinars. They focus on Thunderstorms and Lightning, Cloudburst and Floods, Cyclones and Storm Surges and Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events.
• National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM):
  • It was constituted as National Centre for Disaster Management (NCDM) in 1995.
  • NCDM was renamed as NIDM by the Disaster Management Act 2005. 
  • It comes under Ministry of Home Affairs and Minister of Home Affairs is its President. 
  • Its motto is “Resilient India- Disaster free India.”

(Source: News on AIR)

6. Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) launched by the Government of Haryana.

• Recently the government of Haryana has launched Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP).
• PPP is an 8-digit unique identification number allotted to each family. The family is considered single unit.
• The government aims to monitor each family in the state through PPP.
• The state government has made it mandatory to register themselves on PPP portal so as to avail benefits of social security schemes.
• The benefits will be directly transferred to the family using the same code.
• Also, the government employees in Haryana are directed to register otherwise their salaries will be withheld.
• PPP is different from Aadhaar as in the latter an individual is considered a single unit.
• PPP will contain the name of head of family, address, names, ages, income and mobile numbers of all family members.
• On registration, the family will be given unique ID and password.
• The government has already linked PPP with three social security schemes – old age samman allowance, divyang pension, and widow and destitute women pension scheme.

(Source: Indian Express)

7. Ram Mandir at Ayodhya will be built in Nagara Style.

• The proposed Ram Mandir will be double the size of what was planned initially as its design has been changed.
• The temple will be constructed in Nagara style of temple architecture.
• The temple will have five domes to accommodate more number of devotees and a shikhara over the sanctum sanctorum.
• Recently, PM Narendra laid the foundation stone for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
• The architect of the temple is Chandrakant Sompura.   
• Nagara Style:
  • It is a style of temple architecture generally followed in North India.
  • The temples are usually constructed on raised platform.
  • The Garbhagirha or sanctum sanctorum always lies below the tallest tower i.e. Shikhara.
  • Elaborate boundary walls or gateways are often absent in Nagara style temples.
  • The shikhara is adorned with Amalakh or Kalash.

(Source: NCERT)

8. KBR Airport’s security handed over to CISF.  

• The responsibility of handling the security of hyper sensitive KBR Airport was given to Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
• KBR Airport is located in Leh, Ladakh and is the 64^th airport in the country to get security cover from CISF out of the 140 operational airports.
• Executive Director Security of Airports Authority of India said that the authority is following the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BACS) guidelines.
• BACS is the regulatory authority for civil aviation security in India. It was established in 1978 on the recommendation of Pande Committee constituted following the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight in 1976.
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF):
  • It is one of the Central Armed Police Force in India.
  • It was established in 1969 under an act of the Parliament.
  • It works under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • Currently, it provides protection to 300 industrial units, government infrastructure projects and establishments in India.
  • Current Director General: Rajesh Ranjan
  • Headquarters: New Delhi

(Source: News on AIR)

9. India’s first ICMR approved mobile RTPCR COVID Lab inaugurated in Karnataka. 

• India’s first ICMR approved mobile RTPCR COVID Lab has been inaugurated in Karnataka by the State Medical Education Minister.
• The lab called Mobile Infection Testing and Reporting lab (MITR) was developed by Indian Institute of Sciences, Bengaluru along with a faculty startup ShanMukha Innovations Pvt. Ltd.
• The lab is India’s first and only ICMR approved BSL-2+ (Biosafety Level) complaint mobile diagnostic lab.
• This lab can produce accurate results within 4 hours.
• Around 9,000 tests can be conducted in a month through this lab.
• Testing for H1N1, HCV, TB, HPV, HIV virus can also be done in this lab.
• The lab has been handed over to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Bengaluru.
• Karnataka Bus Stand is also converted into COVID Care centre with help of Rotary Care Foundation and Nayonika Eye Trust.

(Source: News on AIR)

10. DCGI approved pharma companies Zenara and BDR to manufacture generic versions of Favipiravir.

• Recently, the two pharma companies- Zenara and BDR, have been granted permission by Drug Controller General of India to manufacture generic versions of Favipiravir tablets for treating patients with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19.
• Zenara is a Hyderabad based pharma company, which is a fully owned subsidiary of Biophore India Pharmaceuticals while BDR is Mumbai based pharma company.
• Zenara Pharma will sell the drug under the brand name Favizen, whereas, BDR will sell the drug under the brand name BDFAVI.
• The companies that have earlier launched the generic versions of Favipiravir include Glenmark, Sun Pharma, Cipla and Hetero.
• Favipiravir is an anti-viral drug used for the treatment of influenza. It is a generic version of Avigan made by Japanese firm Fujifilm Toyama Chemical.

11. Goa joins MyGov Citizen Engagement platform. 

• Recently, the Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, launched the MyGov Goa portal.
• With the launch of this portal, Goa has successfully joined the MyGov Citizen Engagement Portal.
• 12 states had already launched their MyGov platforms. These states are Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• MyGov:
  • It is citizen centric and crowdsourcing platform that was launched on 26 July, 2014.
  • It aims to encourage active citizen participation in governance and policmaking.
  • MyGov has also launched its channels on new age Apps like Sharechat and Roposo.
  • It is designed, developed and hosted by National Informatics Centre (NIC), MeitY.

(Source: News on AIR)

12. Andhra Pradesh High Court stays operation of three-capital Act.

• Recently, the High Court of Andhra Pradesh adjourned the hearing of Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020 till 14 August and ordered to maintain status quo till then.
• The court was hearing a writ petition filed by the farmers against the act which will pose a threat to their livelihood.
• The AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020, aims at creating three capitals for the state which are as follows:
  • Executive capital: Vishakhapatnam
  • Legislative capital: Amravati
  • Judicial capital: Kurnool
• The government had acquired large areas of land from farmers to expand the capital as part of a land pooling scheme. Now, the farmers are protesting the decision to decentralize functions of the capital.
• The Secretariat and Legislative Assembly were shifted to Amaravati in 2016 and the High Court began to function in 2019. Now, the High Court will be shifted to Kurnool as per the provisions of the Act.
• Andhra Pradesh:
  • It is an Indian state located in the south-eastern coastal region.
  • It shares its border with states like Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana.
  • Capital: Amravati
  • It is also known as Rice Bowl of India.
  • The Indian classical dance Kuchipudi originated in a village named Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh.
  • Governor: Bishwabhushan Harichandan
  • Chief Minister: Y S Jaganmohan Reddy