Current Affairs - 2019-20

Notes:
India’s first automatic coastal warning for disasters will come up in Odisha from July 2017. Through alert system, Odisha will be able to warn its coastal population by pressing a single button from a control room in the Odisha capital in the event of natural disasters like tsunami or cyclone. The loud sirens will then go off simultaneously from towers at 122 spots locations including tourist destinations, fish landing centres and coastal habitations. The new system will also enable authorities to alert people in smaller pockets, depending on the severity of the disaster.

Notes:
Wrestler Bajrang Punia has clinched gold in the 71kg freestyle at the 2018 Yasar Dogu International in Istanbul, Turkey. It was his second consecutive gold medal, after he recently won gold at the 2018 Tbilisi Grand Prix in Georgia. Meanwhile, Sandeep Tomar finished with silver after losing 2-8 in the 61kg final against Iran’s Mohammad bagher Yakhkeshi. In the women’s competition, Pinki was the lone gold medallist in the 55kg category with her 6-3 win over Ukraine’s Olga Shnaider. Beside this, Sangeeta Phogat (59kg) and Geeta (65kg) won bronze medals in their respective categories. Overall, Indian wrestlers returned with 10 medals, including 7 by women in the event.

Notes:
These terms are related to Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) that were defined under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. INDCs were considered to be a compromise between “quantified emissions limitation and reduction objective” (QUELROs) and “nationally appropriate mitigation actions” (NAMAs) that the Kyoto Protocol used to describe the different legal obligations of developed and developing countries.

Notes:
All given features are of Andhra Natyam. The dance form was recently in news when several artists and political leaders from Andhra Pradesh, including Union minister Venkaiah Naidu, approached the Centre to add Andhra Natyam to the list of major classical dance forms of the country. While the culture ministry has already granted in-principle approval for the same, Sangeet Natak Akademi is not convinced with the same.

Notes:
Recently, the central government announced a National Mission on advanced ultra supercritical technologies for cleaner coal utilisation at a total cost of US $ 238 million. Under the mission, the government plans to set-up two Centres of Excellence on Clean Coal Technologies at US $5 million each. What is Advanced Ultra-Supercritical (AUSC) Technology? The pulverised coal power plants are divided into four categories based on operating temperature, pressure and efficiency of steam cycle. First is subcritical pulverised coal power plant that operates with critical temperature and critical pressure of water below 540 degree and 170-220 bars and has operating efficiency below 38%. Second is supercritical pulverised coal plant that operates with critical temperature and critical pressure above 615 degree and 250 bars and reaches efficiency upto 42%. Third is ultra-supercritical pulverised coal plant that operates with critical temperature and critical pressure of water above 620 degree and 330 bars and reaches efficiency in the range of 42% to 46 %. Fourth is advanced ultra-supercritical pulverised coal technology that operates with critical temperature and critical pressure of water in range of 700-760 degrees and 350 bars and targets operating efficiency greater than 50%.

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Nanaji Deshmukh was born in a Marathi-speaking Deshastha Brahmin family on 11 October 1916 in Kadoli, a small town in the Hingoli district of Maharashtra. Recently, on 11^th October, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the birth centenary celebration of Nanaji Deshmukh at IARI at Pusa in New Delhi. Prime Minister launched the Gram Samvad App which will carry information on the progress of rural development works at the Gram Panchayat level and released a commemorative postage stamp on Nanaji Deshmukh. Nanaji Deshmukh established Chitrakoot Gramodya Vishwavidyalaya, India’s first rural university. He also established Bharat’s first Saraswati Shishu Mandir at Gorakhpur in 1950. He established Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) in 1972 to validate the philosophy of Integral Humanism propounded by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. He launched the “Campaign for Self-Reliance” thereby carrying out a social restructuring programme in over 500 villages in the country. He passed away in 2010.

Notes:
Recently, the Ministry of Power has directed NTPC Ltd to source up to 10 per cent of its thermal fuel requirements from straw pellets, especially buying those generated in Punjab and Haryana during the winter season. The move is aimed at luring farmers away from stubble burning. As per recent reports from NASA, crop stubble burning is the major reason behind smog pollution in Delhi.

Notes:
On 20 July 2015, the United Nation Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2231 (2015) endorsing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The full implementation of Resolution 2231 (2015) provides for the termination of the provisions of previous Security Council resolutions on the Iranian nuclear issue and establishes specific restrictions that apply to all States without exception.

Notes:
Bharatmala Pariyojana is an umbrella programme which includes construction of roads nationwide including in border and coastal areas. It aims to achieve optimal resource allocation for a holistic highway development. It will look to improve connectivity particularly on economic corridors, border areas and national highways in the country.

Notes:
Project DARPAN (Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India) is an initiative by Ministry of Communication. It aims to improve the quality of services to rural poor, and achieve “financial inclusion” of un-banked rural population. The project will increase the rural reach of the Department of Posts and enable Branch Offices (BOs) to increase traffic of all financial remittances, savings accounts, Rural Postal Life Insurance, and Cash Certificates; improve mail operations processes by allowing for automated booking and delivery of accountable article; increase revenue using retail post business; provide third party applications; and make disbursements for social security schemes such as MGNREGS.