General Awareness

Daily G.K. - Top Stories

10 Aug 2019

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India In US List On Drug Transit

US President Donald Trump has designated India among about 20 major drug transit or illicit drug-producing countries.
Apart from India, the countries identified in the list are Afghanistan, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Peru and Venezuela
Combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs to transit or be produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control measures, are the reasons countries are placed on the list
Trump designated Bolivia and the "illegitimate regime" of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela as having failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to adhere to their obligations under international counter-narcotics agreements

Pak To Suspend Jodhpur-Karachi Thar Express Train

Pakistan announced that it will suspend the Thar Express train service with India which links the two countries across the Rajasthan border.
Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed announced the suspension of the services.
The Thar Express has been running between Jodhpur's Bhagat ki Kothi station to Karachi every Friday night since services resumed on February 18, 2006 after a 41-year suspension.

On 74th Anniversary Of Nagasaki Bombing, Mayor Urges Govt To Sign Nuke Ban Treaty

Nagasaki marked the 74th anniversary of the atomic bombing on 9th August, 2019 as the city's mayor criticised nuclear states including the US and Russia for challenging survivors' efforts towards a nuclear-free world.
Nagasaki mayor Tomihisa Taue lamented in his peace declaration that the opinion that nuclear weapons are useful is gaining traction.
He said both the US and Russia are returning to development and deployment of nuclear weapons after the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was dissolved.

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ENVIRONMENT

Scientists Discover Why Some Sharks Glow In The Dark

It may not sound like the best way to go incognito, but some species of shark that lurk on the ocean floor glow a bright green hue visible to others of their kind.
Scientists said they identified the molecules responsible for the predators' biofluorescence, and that it might perform other functions too like fighting microbial infection.
The research, published in the journal iScience, pinpoints a previously unknown family of small-molecule metabolites.
"It's very different from all the other forms of marine biofluorescence" such as the processes seen in jellyfish and corals, David Gruber, a senior professor at City University of New York and co-author of the study said.
"This is a small molecule and it shows that in the blue ocean, animals are evolving this ability to absorb blue light and transform it into other colours."
The paper focused on two species, the swell shark and chain catshark, that Gruber studied during scuba trips in Scripps Canyon.
They dwell at depths of 30 metres or more, where only light at the blue end of the spectrum penetrates: if you were bitten there and started bleeding, it would look inky black.

Researchers Solve 'Hot Spot' Debate

Volcanic hot spots such as the ones that created the Hawaiian Islands have long been considered stationary points, created by processes deep within the earth's interior.
Volcanic hot spots such as the ones that created the Hawaiian Islands have long been considered stationary points, created by processes deep within the earth's interior.
Using new paleomagnetic data and analyses, researchers John Tarduno, a professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of Rochester; Richard Bono, a former post-doctoral research associate in Tarduno's lab and now a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Liverpool; and Hans-Peter Bunge, a geophysicist at Munich University, provide conclusive evidence that hot spots are not fixed but are moving.
The research, published in Nature Communications, solves a major debate about the origin of the large-scale structure of the earth's surface and deep interior.

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BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Trade On Agenda As PM Visits Bhutan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bhutan will be the occasion for moves by India to diversify its partnership with the kingdom by shifting the focus from the hydro-power sector to enhanced trade and linkages in sectors such as space and education.
India continues to be a key development partner for Bhutan against the backdrop of efforts by Beijing to woo Thimphu. India is providing Rs. 5,000 crore for Bhutan's 12th five year plan that began in 2018, the same as the allocation for the previous plan.
However, sections of the Bhutanese political establishment have called for a shift away from the hydro-power sector and some have also advocated stronger diplomatic ties with China.
Foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said India will retain its role as a developmental partner but intends to make the relationship more broad-based. As part of these efforts, India will provide Rs. 400 crore for a trade support facility to encourage Bhutanese exporters.

NCLT Rejects Deloitte, KPMG Arm's Plea Against 5-Year Ban

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) rejected an appeal by the auditors of debt-laden Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), challenging the court's jurisdiction to ban them for alleged abetment of financial fraud.
The government has asked for a five-year ban on Deloitte Haskins & Sells Llp and a KPMG affiliate for allegedly aiding and abetting a financial fraud at IL&FS Financial Service Ltd (IFIN), a unit of IL&FS, whose debt defaults in 2018 triggered fears of a financial contagion and spooked investors. Both firms have denied any wrongdoing.
As part of a widespread probe into an alleged fraud and mismanagement at IL&FS, the government detected at least 22 violations of auditing standards by the auditors, according to legal filings seen by Reuters.
The auditing firms gave clean audit reports and "deliberately" failed to report fraudulent activities at IFIN.

Godrej: State Derailing Bullet Train Land Deal

The Godrej Group, the city's biggest private land owner, railed against the state government in Bombay high court for trying to keep it from getting Rs 572 crore for a 10-acre plot it has offered for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project.
It is recognised as a project of national importance, but the state is putting a spoke in it.
The company said it is willing to give its land to the National High Speed Rail Corporation for tunnelling for the bullet train.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA Discovers Cloaked Black Hole In Early Universe

Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the ability of X-rays to pierce through the obscuring cloud, astronomers have discovered evidence of the farthest "cloaked" black hole found to date.
At only about 6% of the current age of the universe, this is the first indication of a black hole hidden by gas at such an early time in the history of the cosmos, said the study set to be published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

Scientists Develop World's Smallest Stent

Scientists have created the world's smallest stent — 40 times smaller than any produced to date.
Stents have been used to treat blocked coronary vessels for some time now, but the urinary tract in fetuses is much narrower in comparison, said researchers from Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich), Switzerland.
In order to prevent life-threatening levels of urine from accumulating in the bladder, paediatric surgeons have to surgically remove the affected section of the urethra and sew the open ends of the tube back together again.
It would be less damaging to the kidneys if a stent could be inserted to widen the constriction while the fetus is still in the womb, according to the study published in 'Advanced Materials Technologies'.

NASA Scientists Find Outer Boundary Of Solar System, Call It Hydrogen Wall

NASA scientists have found the outer boundary of solar system and called it the hydrogen wall. Earlier, the space was believed to be a continuous expanse of an imaginary sheet called ether.
The scientists working at NASA think that they have found the outer boundary of our solar system.
It was earlier thought to be not properly defined. Now, they have said that their New Horizons spacecraft can see that invisible boundary.
They have named it the "hydrogen wall." It is located at the edge of our solar system.
The hydrogen wall has been described by the scientists as the place where bubbles of solar wind cease to exist. The mass of interstellar matter here is very small but strong enough to not let the solar winds to pass through.
At the same time, it is not so strong to bust through the solar wind build up. It acts like a wall pressing the solar winds inward.

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SPORTS

BCCI Relents, Under NADA Now

After a long and contentious battle, the BCCI has finally agreed to come under the ambit of the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) to implement the doping policy followed by most other sports in India.
This will bring cricket in line with Olympic sports disciplines, as well as with the International Cricket Council (ICC) which follow the World Anti-Doping Code implemented by the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA).
NADA will be conducting the tests in all the domestic tournaments, including the Indian Premier League (IPL).
So far, the Sweden-based International Dope Testing Management (IDTM) has been collecting the samples and submitting them to the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), under BCCI's independent anti-doping system.

Mccullum Set To Become KKR Assistant Coach

Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum is returning to Kolkata Knight Riders after being signed by the IPL side as assistant coach.
McCullum, who retired from all forms of competitive cricket recently, will also take over as the head coach of the Caribbean Premier League side Trinbago Knight Riders.
He will replace Simon Katich in both the sides. With KKR, he will be associated as assistant coach and at Trinbago Knight Riders he will replace the Australian as head coach.KKR had announced that they were parting ways with Jacques Kallis, their head coach, and Katich.

Shubman's Double Ton Breaks Mark

Shubman Gill became the youngest India cricketer to score a first-class double century as he combined with skipper Hanuma Vihari to put India A in the driver's seat against West Indies A in the third unofficial test

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

DMK Wins Vellore LS Seat With a Slender Margin

Tamil Nadu's opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam won the Vellore Lok Sabha seatby a slim margin, wresting the constituency from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in a closely fought election that had been cancelled in April 2018 after the discovery of a large cash hoard.
DMK nominee DM Kathir Anand, son of the party's principal secretary S Duraimurugan, defeated AIADMK candidate A C Shanmugam with a margin of 8,141 votes in the election.

Govt Campaign On Solid Waste Management From August 15

The Delhi government will launch a campaign on solid waste management across the city.
To make the drive effective, the government has directed all the district magistrates to strategise and roll out the campaign in their respective zones.
The campaign will be launched from August 15, 2019 on Independence Day. It will include door-to-door awareness drives, workshops, competitions involving residential welfare associations and schools.
The campaign intends to involve residents, students, teachers and markets to spread awareness of waste segregation and disposal.

Konark Sun Temple To Get CISF Cover

The 13th century Sun temple at Konark in Puri district of Odisha will be the first national monument from Odisha to get security cover from Central Industrial Security Force.
Superintending Archaeologist of Bhubaneswar circle of Archaeological Survey of India, Arun Mallik said a little more than 100 CISF jawans would be deployed at the temple.

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PERSONS IN NEWS

Cong's J'Khand Chief Quits

Jharkhand Congress chief Ajoy Kumar resigned from the state party chief's post accusing many senior leaders with "vested interests" from the state of thwarting his efforts to rebuild the party bottom-up.
In his resignation sent to Rahul Gandhi, Kumar has also accused his opponents in the party of "hiring goons to assault him in the party office".
It is also another blow for the Congress, the party received a drubbing in the LS elections and its president Rahul Gandhi resigned soon after.
The state unit itself has been witnessing infighting, with several senior leaders demanding Kumar's removal from the post holding him responsible for the drubbing of the candidates in the LS polls.

Maguire Picked As Acting Chief Of Us Intel Body

US President Donald Trump named Joseph Maguire, the nation's top counter-terrorism official, as acting national intelligence director, part of a leadership shakeup at the agency that oversees 17 US spy agencies.
Maguire will become acting director on August 15,2019, the same day national intelligence director Dan Coats' resignation takes effect. It's also the same day deputy national intelligence director Sue Gordon will be walking out the door too.

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AWARDS AND HONOURS

66th National Film Awards

Actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Vicky Kaushal jointly won the National Film Award in the Best Actor category for their roles in 'Andhadhun' and 'Uri', respectively.
Keerthy Suresh won the Best Actress award for her portrayal of yesteryear star Savitri, in the Telugu film 'Mahanati'.
The Gujarati film 'Hellaro' was declared the best film.
The 66th National Film Awards, delayed this year because their original scheduled date coincided with the general elections held in May 2019.
Aditya Dhar was picked as the Best Director award for his debut 'Uri: The Surgical Strike', while 'Andhadhun' won the awards for Best Hindi Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.
'Badhaai Ho', a film that showcased the travails of a couple who conceived at a much advanced age, was adjudged the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment; veteran actor Surekha Sikri was adjudged Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the same film.
'Padman', starring Akshay Kumar, was named the Best Film on Social Issues. The film is based on Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social entrepreneur who became the inventor of lowcost sanitary pads.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavaat' won for Best Choreography for the song Ghoomer; Bhansali won the award for Best Music Director. Singer-lyricist Swanand Kirkire won the Best Supporting Actor award for Marathi film 'Chumbak'.

Shah Rukh Khan To Be Felicitated With 'Excellence In Cinema' Award

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be felicitated with 'Excellence in Cinema' honour at the awards night of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne on August 8,2019.
The festival would pay tribute to the actor's continuous contribution to cinema and popular culture in India with the award.

Biopic Gets National Award

Harjeet Singh is the most recent captain to win the FIH Junior World Cup in 2016.
For, the biopic 'Harjeeta' — based on his life's early struggles and his incredible journey from being born to a truck driver in rural Punjab to leading India to its only hockey World Cup at any level in 15 years — had won a National Award for Best Punjabi Film.

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GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES

Centre Launches Pension Plan For Small Farmers

The Modi government launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana, a pension scheme for small farmers of the country.
The social-security programme is aimed at 120 million cultivators categorised as "small and marginal" because they mostly own less than two hectares of land.
Under the scheme, eligible farmers between 18 and 40 years of age can register themselves for the pension scheme by visiting the nearest common service centre, digital facilities spread across states where beneficiaries can enrol for a clutch of welfare programmes known as centrally sponsored schemes.
Once enrolled they will start paying a monthly premium.
On completion of 20 years, a farmer will be eligible for a monthly pension of Rs. 3000.
In contrast, industrial workers in the country, who are enrolled under the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, qualify for a minimum monthly pension of ₹1000 depending on their category and contribution. Participation for qualifying industrial workers is compulsory.
The government has announced plans to raise it to a minimum of Rs. 3,000

Pilot Project To Save Rainwater On Plains Of Yamuna Launched

The Delhi government on August 9, 2019 launched a pilot project of its ambitious plan to conserve rainwater on the floodplains of the River Yamuna in a bid to meet the capital's drinking water needs.
Union Jalshakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the project, which aims to solve the national capital's water crisis in the coming years, could become a model for the entire world.
This is a first-of-its-kind project in the country, which aims to conserve water in the Yamuna floodplains by creating a mega reservoir between Palla and Wazirabad.
The project was launched jointly by Shekhawat and Arvind Kejriwal, chief minister of Delhi.

Top Court Keeps Creditor Status For Homebuyers

The Supreme Court upheld the validity of an amendment to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC), giving homebuyers the right to take legal recourse against developers under three key laws.
A bench headed by justice Rohinton Fali Nariman upheld the amendment that treats homebuyers as financial creditors. The bench said the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, or RERA, has to be read "harmoniously with the Consumer Protection Act and IBC" and, in case of any conflict, IBC will prevail.
This means that an aggrieved homebuyer has the option to seek relief under three laws— RERA, Consumer Act and IBC.
The apex court verdict empowers homebuyers to initiate bankruptcy proceedings against a developer, by expanding the scope of the IBC, treating them on a par with banks and institutional creditors, besides protecting their rights.

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GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION

Campaign For Non-Judgemental Gynaecs Gets Support

Two non-government organisations, Haiyya and Sacchi Saheli, have taken it upon themselves to ensure women receive "health care over stigma".
The campaign aims at motivating doctors, especially gynaecologists, to provide information about sex and sexuality without administering sermons.
Under the campaign, the organisations have come up with ten recommendations that can guide doctors in providing unbiased care.
The president of the Delhi Medical Council (DMC), a statutory body responsible for overlooking the practice of modern medicine in the state, has also extended support to the campaign.

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BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Walking The Roadless Road: Exploring The Tribes Of Nagaland By Easterine Kire

Easterine Kire's timely book looks at everything from myths of origin, village structure, institutions, and clans to the festivals, rituals, and taboos of the tribes of Nagaland
It is this fear that prompted Easterine Kire to write Walking the Roadless Road: Exploring the Tribes of Nagaland. The book claims to be "a comprehensive history of the Naga tribes who live within the borders of Nagaland."
That the study has been limited to the 16 Nagaland tribes means prominent Naga tribes like Tangkhul and Mao (they are concentrated in Manipur's Ukhrul and Senapati districts) are excluded while non-Naga tribes like Kuki and Dimasa Kachari are included.
The book ambitiously attempts to trace the evolution of the tribes from their origin in antiquity to the 21st century.
However, more than half is devoted to the nature and culture of Naga society before the arrival of Christianity.
The tone is descriptive and the near absence of chronology gives the stories a feel of timelessness. In a way, this puts a question mark over the book's claim to be a historical study.
Nevertheless, this is a timely book that tries to encapsulate the tribal story and looks at everything from origin myths, village structure, and institutions like the morung and the Feast of Merit to the spiritual world, clan systems, festivals, rituals relating to birth, marriage and funerals, and the customary law practices and social taboos of each tribe.
The centrality of land to the Naga identity is also beautifully laid out.

Deep Halder's Blood Island - a series of recitations by those who remember the experience.

The 1979 Marichjhapi massacre is entirely forgotten and does not find a place even in history text books. Indeed, the magnitude of the historical negligence by the State and its citizens over killings in the lush mangroves of the Sunderbans has never been in focus. Few even know about it, and a handful have lived to tell the tale.
Though Blood Island opens and closes with a memory, it is a strictly journalistic endeavour and documents history well. From a shifting lens, the author gives a rounded view of the island that was once home to Hindu refugees from Bangladesh, and that eventually turned into a battleground.
The book charts the unfulfilled promises of the Jyoti Basu-led Left government in West Bengal and shows how the refugees were shifted from one terrible camp to another until they decided to make the island of Marichjhapi their home.
Justifiably,Blood Island does not hold back in its criticism of the government. Witnesses talk of the state-sponsored violence that killed thousands (although officially, the death toll is in single digits) gathered there. The book hints that the state action against harmless refugees was motivated by caste politics, that the animosity of the 'people's government' towards the group was influenced by their position in the social hierarchy.

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TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS

AI Delhi-San Fransisco Flight Could Be India's First To Fly Over North Pole

The Air India flight between New Delhi and San Francisco could be the first flight by an Indian airline to overfly the North Pole.
The country's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has issued a circular seeking the interest of airlines interested in flying over the pole and Air India has expressed its interest .
Though many international airlines fly over the North Pole, no international airlines operating services from India currently use the route. And no Indian airlines has ever used it. Some international airlines flying from India to the US has previously used it, but they have since changed their route.
Flying the polar route saves time and fuel.

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General Awareness

Daily G.K. - Top Stories

10 Aug 2019

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India In US List On Drug Transit

Pak To Suspend Jodhpur-Karachi Thar Express Train

On 74th Anniversary Of Nagasaki Bombing, Mayor Urges Govt To Sign Nuke Ban Treaty

ENVIRONMENT

Scientists Discover Why Some Sharks Glow In The Dark

Researchers Solve 'Hot Spot' Debate

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

Trade On Agenda As PM Visits Bhutan

NCLT Rejects Deloitte, KPMG Arm's Plea Against 5-Year Ban

Godrej: State Derailing Bullet Train Land Deal

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA Discovers Cloaked Black Hole In Early Universe

Scientists Develop World's Smallest Stent

NASA Scientists Find Outer Boundary Of Solar System, Call It Hydrogen Wall

SPORTS

BCCI Relents, Under NADA Now

Mccullum Set To Become KKR Assistant Coach

Shubman's Double Ton Breaks Mark

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

DMK Wins Vellore LS Seat With a Slender Margin

Govt Campaign On Solid Waste Management From August 15

Konark Sun Temple To Get CISF Cover

PERSONS IN NEWS

Cong's J'Khand Chief Quits

Maguire Picked As Acting Chief Of Us Intel Body

AWARDS AND HONOURS

66th National Film Awards

Shah Rukh Khan To Be Felicitated With 'Excellence In Cinema' Award

Biopic Gets National Award

GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES

Centre Launches Pension Plan For Small Farmers

Pilot Project To Save Rainwater On Plains Of Yamuna Launched

Top Court Keeps Creditor Status For Homebuyers

GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION

Campaign For Non-Judgemental Gynaecs Gets Support

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Walking The Roadless Road: Exploring The Tribes Of Nagaland By Easterine Kire

Deep Halder's Blood Island - a series of recitations by those who remember the experience.

TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS

AI Delhi-San Fransisco Flight Could Be India's First To Fly Over North Pole

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