Current Affairs Question - October 2020

Explanation :

Context: Recently, National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC) Ltd. has started to collaborate with cement manufacturers across the country to supply fly ash as part of its endeavour to achieve 100% utilisation of the by-product produced during power generation.

About Fly Ash

• Fly ash is a fine powder that is a byproduct of burning pulverized coal in electric generation power plants.
• During combustion, mineral impurities in the coal (clay, feldspar, quartz, and shale) fuse in suspension and float out of the combustion chamber with the exhaust gases.
• As the fused material rises, it cools and solidifies into spherical glassy particles called fly ash.
• It is collected from the exhaust gases by electrostatic precipitators or bag filters.
• All fly ashes exhibit cementitious properties to varying degrees depending on the chemical and physical properties of both the fly ash and cement.
• Fly ash includes substantial amounts of Silicon Dioxide (SiO2), Aluminium Oxide (Al2O3), Ferric Oxide (Fe2O3) and Calcium Oxide (CaO).

Types

Fly ash is classified as either Class C or Class F ash based on its chemical composition.

• Class C ashes are generally derived from sub-bituminous coals and consist primarily of calcium alumino-sulfate glass, as well as quartz, tricalcium aluminate, and free lime (CaO). Class C ash is also referred to as high calcium fly ash because it typically contains more than 20 per cent CaO.
• Class F ashes are typically derived from bituminous and anthracite coals and consist primarily of an alumino-silicate glass, with quartz, mullite, and magnetite also present. Class F, or low calcium fly ash has less than 10 percent CaO.

Applications

• Fly ash can be used as prime material in many cement-based products, such as poured concrete, concrete block, and brick.
• One of the most common uses of fly ash is in Portland cement concrete pavement.

Explanation :

Context: On 14th October, 2020, Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare launched the second phase of "Thalassemia BalSewaYojna" for the underprivileged Thalassemic patients.

Explanation:

About Thalassemia

• It is a blood disorder passed down through families (inherited) in which the body makes an abnormal form or inadequate amount of hemoglobin.
• (Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen).
• The disorder results in large numbers of red blood cells being destroyed, which leads to anemia.
• (Anemia is a condition in which our body doesn’t have enough normal, healthy red blood cells).

Types

• Alpha thalassemia occurs when a gene or genes related to the alpha globin protein are missing or changed (mutated). It occurs most often in people from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, China, and in those of African descent.
• Beta thalassemia occurs when similar gene defects affect production of the beta globin protein.It occurs most often in people of Mediterranean origin. To a lesser extent, Chinese, other Asians, and African Americans can be affected.

Thalassemia BalSewaYojna

• Launched in 2017, this scheme is a Coal India CSR funded Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) program.
• It aims to provide a one-time cure opportunity for Haemoglobinopathies like Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Disease for patients who have a matched family donor.

Explanation :

• On 9th October, 2020, the Jal Shakti Ministry announced that Goa becomes the first ‘HarGharJal’ state by providing tap water connection to every rural household under JalJeevan Mission (JJM) ahead of its national dead-line.
• The state provided tap water connection to 2 lakh 30 thousand rural households in all the 191 Gram Panchayats of the state.
• The JalJeevan Mission of the Central Government aims to provide piped water to all the rural households by 2024.

Significance

• Goa’s achievement of providing 100 per cent tap water connection is an example for other states to ensure that rural household gets tap water connection, especially amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Explanation :

• The Chilika Development Authority (CDA) designated the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) as ambassador of Chilika Lake, the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia and India’s oldest Ramsar Site.
• The action is being dubbed as an important step towards conservation of the species.
• The fishing cat is the only wild cat species in India that is a wetland specialist, and it’s found all around Chilika.
• These are mostly found in marshlands fringing the north and north-eastern sections of the lake.
• Since 2016, it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Explanation :

• On 9th October, 2020, India’s first indigenous anti-radiation missile, Rudram, developed for the Indian Air Force, was successfully flight-tested from a Sukhoi-30 MKI jet off the East Coast.
• Rudram is an air-to-surface missile, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It has been developed for the Indian Air Force(IAF’s) requirement to enhance its Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) capability.

Anti-Radiation Missile

• Anti-radiation missiles are designed to detect, track and neutralise the adversary’s radar, communication assets and other radio frequency sources, which are generally part of their air defence systems.
• Such a missile’s navigation mechanism comprises an inertial navigation system — a computerised mechanism that uses changes in the object’s own position — coupled with GPS, which is satellite-based.
• For guidance, it has a “passive homing head” — a system that can detect, classify and engage targets (radio frequency sources in this case) over a wide band of frequencies as programmed.

Explanation :

Context: Recently, Goa’s first Lokayukta Justice Prafulla Kumar Misra, who retired from the post of Goa Lokayukta, has highlighted the issues related to the state office and the proceedings.

About Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013

• Under the 2013 Act, the Lokpal should consist of a chairperson and such number of members, not exceeding eight, of whom 50% should be judicial members.
• The Act states that not less than 50% of the members of the Lokpal should be from among persons belonging to the SCs, the STs, OBCs, minorities and women.
• It mandates that all public officials should furnish the assets and liabilities of themselves as well as their respective dependents.
• Underthe Act, the Department of Personnel and Training needs to create a list of candidates who are interested to become the chairperson or members of the Lokpal.
• The list was then to be presented to the proposed eight-member search committee. The committee on receiving the list shortlists the names and place them before the selection panel, headed by the Prime Minister.
• The Lokpal has jurisdiction to inquire into allegations of corruption against anyone who is or has been Prime Minister, or a Minister in the Union government, or a Member of Parliament, as well as officials of the Union government under Groups A, B, C and D.
• Also covered are chairpersons, members, officers and directors of any board, corporation, society, trust or autonomous body either established by an Act of Parliament or wholly or partly funded by the Centre.
• It cannot inquire into any corruption charge against the Prime Minister if the allegations are related to international relations, external and internal security, public order, atomic energy and space, unless a full Bench of the Lokpal, consisting of its chair and all members, considers the initiation of a probe, and at least two-thirds of the members approve it.
• Such a hearing should be held in camera, and if the complaint is dismissed, the records shall not be published or made available to anyone.
• It also covers any society or trust or body that receives foreign contribution above Rs10 lakh.

Explanation :

Context: Foodtech major Swiggy has signed an MoU with the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs or MoHUA to bring India’s street food vendors on to its online platform.

Explanation:

About PM SVANidhi Scheme

• It is a special micro-credit facility plan to provide affordable loan to more than 50 lakh street vendors, who had their businesses operational on or before 24 March 2020.
• The scheme is valid until March 2022.
• The scheme is applicable to vendors, hawkers, thelewalas, rehriwalas, theliphadwalas in different areas/contexts who supply goods and services.
• Street vendors belonging to the surrounding peri-urban/rural areas are also included.
• Small Industries Development Bank of India(SIDBI) is the technical partner for implementation of this scheme.
• It will manage the credit guarantee to the lending institutions through Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises.
• Under the scheme, vendors can avail working capital loan of up to ₹10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments within one year.
• On timely/early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy of 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) on six-months basis.
• There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan.

Explanation :

• The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 was passed in 2016 and the related rules were notified in 2018.

Salient Features of CAFA

• It provides for the establishment of the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India, and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each state.
• The payments into the funds include:
  • Compensatory afforestation
  • Net Present Value (NPV)
  • Any project specific payments
• The National Fund gets 10% of funds collected and the remaining 90% goes to respective State Fund.
• These funds would be brought under the focus of Parliament and State Legislatures by transferring them to non-lapsable interest bearing funds.
• The collected funds will be utilized for:
  • Afforestation
  • Regeneration of forest ecosystem
  • Wild life protection
  • Infrastructure development
  • Location of villages from protected areas
  • Managing human-wildlife conflicts
  • Training and awareness generation
  • Supply of wood saving devices and allied activities

Explanation :

In a major success amid the ongoing border crisis with China, India on 3rd October, 2020, successfully test-fired a new version of nuclear-capable Shaurya missile off the coast of Odisha.

About Shaurya Missile

• It is a land variant of short-range Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) K-15 Sagarika.
• It belong to the K missile family — codenamed after late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam — which are launched from Arihant class of nuclear submarines.
• It is a two-stage rocket missile having a strike range of around 800 kilometres.
• When fired, the missile in the final phase of its course moves at hypersonic speeds before reaching a height of 40 km as it gets closer to its target.
• The missile is less vulnerable to anti-ballistic missile defence systems due to its high maneuverability.

K Family of Missiles

• The K family of missiles are primarily Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) and are named after DrKalam.
• Because these missiles are to be launched from submarines, they are lighter, smaller and stealthier than their land-based counterparts, the Agni series of missiles.
• K family are primarily submarine-fired missiles to be fired from India’s Arihant class nuclear powered platforms.

Explanation :

To mark the occasion of 151 years of postcards in India, Maharashtra Circle of India Post has released picture postcards on Sawantwadi Toys on October 1, 2020.

The postcard is inspired by Prime Miniinsp'sspeech about the country's ability to become a "toy hub”.

About Samantwadi Toys

• Sawantwadi toys refer to hand made works of art made of wood in Sawantwadi a town in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra. Most of these toys are made in the village of Kolgaon in Sawantwaditaluka.
• These toys are made from the wood of the Indian Coral tree (Erythrinavariegata).
• Craftsmen who make these toys belong to the Chittari community who came to Sawantwadi from Karwar and Goa.

Indian Coral Tree

• Also known as tiger's claw, it is a species of Erythrina native to the tropical and subtropical regions of eastern Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, northern Australia, and the islands of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean east to Fiji.
• It is often used in agroforestry systems. It can be used for fodder as its foliage has a good nutritive value for most livestock.

Explanation :

• On 28th September, 2020, NITI Aayog and Embassy of the Netherlands signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to support the decarbonization and energy transition agenda for accommodating cleaner and more energy.
• It seek a strategic partnership to create a platform that enables a comprehensive collaboration among stakeholders and influencers, including policymakers, private enterprises, and sector experts.

Key Elements of SoI

• To lower the net carbon footprint in industrial and transport sectors.
• To realise the target potential of natural gas and promote bio-energy technologies.
• To adopt clean air technologies from monitoring to reducing actual particulates.
• To adopt next-generation technologies, such as hydrogen, carbon capture utilization, and storage forsectoral energy efficiency.
• To set up financial frameworks to deliver and adopt climate change finance.

Significance

• Both India and the Netherlands have set up sustainable energy targets and they face similar issues in realizing cleaner energy transition goals.
• So, India’s expertise in deploying high-tech solutions in a cost-effective manner in combination with the Dutch expertise in low carbon technologies will strengthen the Indo-Dutch collaboration.
• Further, SoIwill help both the countries to move towards becoming climate-resilient economies.

Explanation :

• On 27th September, 2020, the Ganga Avalokan Museum was inaugurated by Prime Minister.
• It has been dedicated to showcase the biodiversity, rejuvenation and culture in Ganga River.
• Located at Chandighat in Uttarakhand's Haridwar, the museum will also showcase the activities carried out for the rejuvenation of the river.