GK & Current Affairs: August 12, 13, 2015

New Delhi
The Government of India (GoI) has approved the setting up of All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) for imparting MD and Ph.D level education in the traditional medicine at Sarita Vihar in New Delhi. The Institute has been conceived as an apex institute of ayurveda with 200 bedded referral hospital for imparting education in the field of Ayurveda at MD and Ph.D level.

Pune
An International Climate Variability and Predictability project office will be set up in Pune for implementation of intra-seasonal, seasonal and inter-annual variability and predictability of monsoon systems. In this regard, an agreement has been signed between Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (ESSO-IITM) and World Climate Research Programme, Geneva

NABARD
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has been accredited by UN’s Green Climate Fund (GCF) as National Implementing Entity (NIE) for undertaking climate change related projects from India. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was set up under the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010 to help developing countries finance clean energy, other mitigation efforts and adaptation to climate change.

Suhasini Haidar
Ms. Suhasini Haidar, the diplomatic and strategic affairs editor at The Hindu, won the Prem Bhatia Memorial Award for the Best Political Reporting-2015. The award, instituted by the Prem Bhatia Memorial Trust, carries a cash prize of Rs. 2,00,000 and a citation.

Sourav Ganguly
Former Indian Cricketer Saurav Ganguly appointed as the social ambassador of Beverage Maker Coca Cola India and signed a 3-year contract uptil 2017. Under his contract’s stipulations, in addition to cricket association, Ganguly will lead Coca-Cola’s football programmers and run various football activities. He replaced Sachin Tendulkar who’s contract ended in 2014. Coca Cola is the official partner of FIFA Under 17 World Cup football in 2017.

Direct Benefit transfer of LPG
The Direct Benefit Transfer on LPG (DBTL) or Pahal Scheme has been acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest cash transfer program (households).Till date, 13.9 crore LPG consumers have joined the PAHAL scheme. The consumers who joined the PAHAL scheme will get the LPG cylinders at market price and receive LPG subsidy (as per their entitlement) directly into their bank accounts. The Pahal Scheme was launched in 54 districts on November 15, 2014 and in remaining districts of the country from January 1, 2015.

World Bank
The Government of India (GoI) and the World Bank signed the financing agreement for the assistance of National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project- I & II (NCRMP- I & II) for $ 104.00 Million and $ 308.40 Million. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs through National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). At the State level, it is executed by the State Disaster Management Authorities.

Delhi
The Delhi government banned on the sale of all blood-thinning medicines viz. aspirin and ibuprofen without prescription in the national capital, as these pills causes harm to dengue patients.

Mohali
To regain world supremacy in hockey, the Balbir Singh Senior Hockey Foundation has been launched in Mohali. Balbir Singh, hockey legend and triple Olympic gold medallist, has donated Rs. 30 lakh to the foundation, which he received as part of the life time achievement award from Hockey India in 2015.

Goa
The Netravali wildlife sanctuary is located in South Eastern Goa.Recently, here the new frog species “Netravali Leaping Frog (Indirana salelkari)” has been discovered. It is the 12th species in the Indirana genus. This particular species is distinct from the others in the genus on the basis of the mouth structure. Molecular studies and DNA analysis have also established the Netravali Leaping Frog as a distinct species.