Current Affairs - 2019-20

Notes:
The top three states in India that generate the most hazardous waste are:

• Gujarat: 28.76%
• Maharashtra: 25.16%
• Andhra Pradesh: 8.93%

Other major generators of hazardous waste include:

• Chhattisgarh (4.74%)
• Rajasthan (4.38%)
• West Bengal (4.17%)
• Tamil Nadu (4.15%)

In 2022, Gujarat generated over 4.2 million metric tons of hazardous waste, which was more than one third of the total hazardous waste output in India. Gujarat also had the largest number of industries generating hazardous waste in 2021.

Notes:
Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for merger of State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur (SBBJ), State Bank of Patiala (SBP), State Bank of Mysore (SBM), State Bank of Travancore (SBT), and State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH) with the parent, State Bank of India. This merger will create a banking giant, having 1/4 of market share in India’s banking sector (in terms of loans and deposits), with an asset base of about Rs 40 lakh crore from Rs 23 lakh crore.

Notes:
The International Conference on Green Initiatives & Railway Electrification has inaugurated by Union Minister of Railways & Coal Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on October 27, 2017. The conference is organised by Ministry of Railways through Institution of Railways Electrical Engineer (IREE). The main purpose of the 2-day international conference is to bring green power project developers and other stakeholders on a common platform for making Indian Railways (IR) an efficient and Greener mode of transport. This will open an international discussion on various Green initiatives including use of renewable energy, shift towards electric traction, development of new locomotive technology, high speed rail traction system and development in generation of Solar/Wind power as well as use of energy in efficient ways.

Notes:
In October, 2022, India has emerged as the world’s largest producer and second largest exporter of sugar. In Sugar Season 2021-22, a record of more than five thousand lakh metric tons of sugarcane was produced in the country.

Notes:
Government has increased quota for disabled people for admission to PG medical courses from 3% to 5%. The move came after the union ministry of health and family welfare approved to amend the regulation for admission to post graduate medical courses in order to expand the scope of persons with disabilities getting the benefit of reservation. Now all 21 benchmark disabilities as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 can register for admission to medical courses.

Notes:
Pangong Tso Lake is also known as “high grassland lake”. It is a long narrow, deep, endorheic (landlocked) lake situated at a height of more than 14,000 ft in the Himalayas. Approximately 60% of the length of Pangong Lake lies in Tibet. The brackish water of Pangong Lake has very low micro-vegetation. The brackish water of Pangong Lake has very low micro-vegetation. The lake is in the process of being identified as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. It will be a first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under convention. Pangong Lake is a disputed territory. The Line of Actual Control passes through the lake. A section of the lake 20 km from the Line of Actual Control is controlled by China but claimed by India. It is known for its very high phosphate concentrations. Though it’s a saline water lake, it freezes completely during winters.

Notes:
Till now, only Highways, ports, inland waterways and railways were part of the planned multi-modal logistics hubs in India. But recently Aviation sector has been also included as the part of multi-modal logistics hubs in India. With this step the government will integrate all kinds of logistics hubs. It has been included as a part of India Integrated Transport and Logistic policy. The integrated policy would include construction of 50 Economic Corridors and upgrading key feeder and inter corridor routes to improve overall efficiency of freight movement. It also includes developing 35 multimodal logistics parks to serve as centres for freight aggregation and distribution, multimodal transportation, storage and warehousing and value added services.

Notes:
Progress MS-8 launched on 13 February 2018 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It was launched onboard of Soyuz-2.1a rocket from Russian-leased Baikonur launch facility. The cargo carries 1,390 kilograms of dry cargo, 890 kilograms of propellant in the tanks of its refuelling system, 430 kilograms of water in the tanks of the Rodnik system and 46 kilograms of compressed air and oxygen.

Notes:
The Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) is an externally-aided project being funded by the World Bank. Nearly 80% of the total cost is being funded by the World Bank as loan/credit and remaining is borne by the States/Central Governments. The Central Dam Safety Organization of Central Water Commission, assisted by Engineering and Management Consultant, is coordinating and supervising the Project implementation. There are 223 dams in seven states being improved under the Phase-I of the project. The phase-I of the project will be implemented till 2020. Recently, the phase-II of the project is proposed to be implemented over the six years (2020-26) at an estimated cost of Rs 7000 crore. Under Phase-II of the project, the safety and operational performance of 700 large dams across 18 states will be improved through repair and rehabilitation work.

Notes:
In 2014, SAARC countries had agreed to set up a South Asia Economic Union (SAEU) on the lines of European Union by facilitating a common market and removing trade barriers.