17 AUGUST 2021 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS | UPSC CDS CAPF AFCAT NDA SSB

1. Project BOLD

The Project BOLD (Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought) of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has received Indian Army's support in Leh.

About:

On August 15, Army planted 20 bamboo saplings at its compound in Leh.
These 20 saplings of special bamboo species were handed over to the Army by KVIC on 12th August at Jammu for plantation in Leh.
This is the first ever attempt to grow bamboo trees in the high Himalayan terrains with the objective of preventing land degradation and developing green cover.
In continuation with this effort, 1000 bamboo saplings will be planted at village Chuchot in Leh on 18th August. These bamboo plants will be ready for harvest in 3 years.

Source : PIB

2. DEFENCE TESTING INFRASTRUCTURE SCHEME

In order to boost domestic defence and aerospace manufacturing, Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS) with an outlay of Rs 400 crore for creating state-of-the-art testing infrastructure in partnership with the private industry.

About:

The scheme was launched by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on May 08, 2020.
The scheme would run for the duration of five years and envisages setting up of 6-8 Greenfield Defence Testing Infrastructure facilities that are required for defence and aerospace related production.
The projects under the scheme will be provided with up to 75 per cent Government funding in the form of ‘Grant-in-Aid’. The remaining 25 per cent of the project cost will have to be borne by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) constituents of which will be the Indian private entities and state governments.
In this regard, Department of Defence Production/Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DDP/DGQA) has published eight Expression of Interest (EOIs) catering to setting up of defence test facilities in selected domains.

Source : PIB

3. DRONE

Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have granted conditional exemption from Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules, 2021 to 10 organizations.

The detail of these permissions include:

Government of Karnataka: Drone based aerial survey for creating urban property ownership records in Bengaluru
National Health Mission, Mumbai: For conducting experimental BVLOS drone flights to deliver essential healthcare items in tribal areas of Jawhar in Palghar district of Maharashtra
Gangtok Smart City Development: Drone based aerial survey for Smart City Project.
Steel Authority of India, IISCO Steel Plant, Burnpur, West Bengal: For conducting perimeter surveillance of the plant
Asia Pacific Flight Training Academy, Hyderabad, Telangana: For conducting remote pilot training using drones
Blue Ray Aviation, Gujarat: For conducting remote pilot training using drones
Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, Chennai: For conducting drone based aerial spraying to assess crop health & prevent crop disease
Mahindra & Mahindra, Mumbai, Maharashtra: For conducting drone based agricultural trials & precision spraying on paddy & hot pepper crop in the state of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh respectively
Bayer Crop Science, Mumbai, Maharashtra: For conducting drone based agricultural research activities & agricultural spraying
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune: For atmospheric research at 5 locations.

Source : PIB

4. NATIONAL GENE BANK

Union Agriculture Minister inaugurated the world's second-largest refurbished gene bank at the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Pusa, New Delhi.

About:

The National Gene Bank established in the year 1996 to preserve the seeds of Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) for future generations, has the capacity to preserve about one million germplasm in the form of seeds.
Presently it is protecting 4.52 lakh accessions, of which 2.7 lakh are Indian germplasm and the rest have been imported from other countries.
National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources is meeting the need of in-situ and ex-situ germplasm conservation through Delhi Headquarters and 10 regional stations in the country.

Source : PIB

5. DRAFT ELECTRICITY RULES, 2021

The Ministry of Power has circulated the “Draft Electricity (promoting renewable energy through Green Energy Open Access) Rules, 2021”.

About:

These rules are proposed for purchase and consumption of green energy including the energy from Waste-to-Energy plants.
The draft rules have the following subheads within which details are provided: Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO); Green energy open access; Nodal Agencies; Procedure for grant of green energy open access; banking; and cross subsidy surcharge.
The Tariff for the Green Energy shall be determined by the Appropriate Commission, which may comprise of the average pooled power purchase cost of the renewable energy, cross-subsidy charges (if any) and service charges covering all prudent cost of the distribution licensee for providing the green energy.”
The draft rules state “Green hydrogen” is the hydrogen produced using electricity from the renewable sources. The obligated entity including the Industries can also meet their Renewable Purchase Obligation by purchasing green hydrogen.
The quantum of green hydrogen would be computed by considering the equivalence to the Green hydrogen produced from one MWh of electricity from the renewable sources or its multiple. The norms shall be notified by the Central Commission.
The Appropriate Commission shall put in place regulations in accordance with this Rule to provide Green Energy Open Access to consumers who are willing to consume the Green energy. All applications for open access of Green Energy shall be granted within a maximum of 15 days.

Source : PIB

6. HANDLOOM DESIGN RESOURCE CENTRES

10 more Design Resource Centres (DRCs) are in the process of being set up by National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) at Weavers’ Service Centres (WSCs) of Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kannur, Indore, Nagpur, Meerut, Bhagalpur and Panipat.

About:

Objective is to build and create design-oriented excellence in the Handloom Sector and to facilitate weavers, exporters, manufacturers and designers access design repositories for sample/product improvisation and development.
Initially, Handloom Design Centres at Mumbai, Chennai and Varanasi were set up in 1956. Activities of these Design Centres later expanded to cover other aspects of handloom textiles, which were then Re-designated as the Weavers’ Service Centres (WSCs).
Set up in 1986, NIFT is the pioneering institute of fashion education in the country and has been in the frontline of providing professional human resource to the textile and apparel industry.

Source : PIB

7. VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS

Indian researchers have developed a non-invasive, easy to administer, cost-effective, and patient compliant potential therapeutic strategy against Visceral Leishmaniasis.

About:

Their strategy based on nano carrier-based oral drugs coated with Vitamin B12 enhanced oral bioavailability and efficacy of the therapy by more than 90%.
Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a complex infectious disease transmitted by the bite of female Phlebotomine sandflies.
It is a neglected tropical disease that affects millions annually, making it the second most common parasitic killer after malaria.

Source : PIB

8. TOMATO LEAF CURL NEW DELHI VIRUS (ToLCNDV)

Effective defense strategy deployed by a resistant tomato cultivar against Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus has been unravelled by scientists of National Institute of Plant Genome Research.

About:

Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) infection causes severe losses in tomato yield worldwide.
Lack of information on resistance (R) genes against ToLCNDV has considerably retarded the pace of crop improvement against this rapidly spreading pathogen. Several attempts have been made to identify antiviral genes against ToLCNDV and related viruses.
Scientists from DBT Autonomous Institution, National Institute of Plant Genomics Research (NIPGR) report an effective defense strategy deployed by a resistant tomato cultivar against ToLCNDV.
It employs Sw5a (R gene) that recognizes AC4 protein (viral effector) of ToLCNDV to restrict virus spread. These findings could be translated into development of resistance in susceptible cultivars of tomato through modern breeding or molecular approaches.

Source : PIB

9. EARTHQUAKES IN HAITI

Earthquakes have been wreaking havoc in Haiti since at least the 18th century, when the city of Port-au-Prince was destroyed twice in 19 years. Recent powerful quake killed hundreds and injured thousands more.

About:

The Earth’s crust is made up of tectonic plates that move. And Haiti sits near the intersection of two of them — the North American plate and the Caribbean plate.
Earthquakes can occur when those plates move against each other and create friction.
Multiple fault lines between those plates cut through or near the island of Hispaniola, which Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic. What’s worse, not all of those fault lines behave the same way.

Important Info :

Why can earthquakes in Haiti be so devastating?

Haiti is also densely populated.
Plus, many of its buildings are designed to withstand hurricanes, not earthquakes. Those buildings can survive strong winds but are vulnerable to collapse when the ground shakes.

Source : Indian Express

10. TAJIKISTAN

Taliban forces have swept across Afghanistan, finally capturing the capital city of Kabul. As people are desperately trying to leave Afghanistan, many will likely seek refuge in neighbouring Tajikistan.

Concerns for Tajikistan

First, Tajikistan will have to consider the sentiments of Afghan-Tajiks, some who have been welcomed in the Taliban’s ranks but the majority of whom passionately reject the group.
Second, Dushanbe will be cognisant of the rise in extremism caused by the dominance of the Taliban, and the impact it will have on radical factions within Tajikistan who aim to establish an Emirate of their own.
Thirdly, Tajikistan will have to find ways to police its porous border with Afghanistan in order to prevent illicit drugs and refugees from overflowing into the country.

Important Info :

History of relations

Tajikistan lies on Afghanistan’s northeastern border, adjacent to the Afghan provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunduz and Balkh.
The 1200-km border is also home to the junction between the Hindu Kush and Karakoram Mountains, and is characterised by its rocky, inhospitable terrain.
For a long time, Tajikistan was considered to be under the influence of the Persians, and many ethnic Tajiks residing in Afghanistan retain similar cultural values. Today, Tajikistan, a small landlocked Central Asian nation, has a predominantly Muslim population and is largely considered to be undemocratic, volatile, and economically unstable.
Until 1991, Tajikistan was a part of the Soviet Union.
When Moscow invaded Afghanistan in 1979, Tajikistan, along with the other Soviet Socialist Republics in Central Asia, supported the takeover.
Tajikistan’s support for the Soviets made them a target of the Afghan Mujahadeen who launched attacks against the country in 1987. Due to the close cultural and kinship ties between Afghanistan and Tajikistan, many Tajiks secretly joined the Afghan jihad, fighting alongside the Mujahadeen.

Source : Indian Express

17 AUGUST 2021 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS | UPSC CDS CAPF AFCAT NDA SSB

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16 AUGUST 2021 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS | UPSC CDS CAPF AFCAT NDA SSB

18 AUGUST 2021 DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS | UPSC CDS CAPF AFCAT NDA SSB

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