General Awareness

NATIONAL AFFAIRS - September 2015

Sep 2015

Feb 17, 2018

More Cauvery Water for K'taka

The SC upheld the 2007 Cauvery tribunal order with minor tweaks. It increased Karnataka's share in the river waters by 14.75 thousand million cubic feet (tmcft), considering the very high demand for potable water in Bengaluru city, and lessened Tamil Nadu's share to that extent.

Investigators and bankers suspect some cos may be related to Nirav Modi & Choksi

A clutch of overseas companies — Aura Gem Company, Sino Traders Co, Unity Trading, Sunshine Gems, Tri Colour Gems and Pacific Diamonds — were among the recipients of the money paid by Indian banks on letters of undertaking given by the beleaguered Punjab National Bank (PNB) in the past seven years. A copy of the complaint filed by PNB with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) discloses the names but it is not clear immediately how the money was used.

Feb 15, 2018

TIFR, Isro launch 10 payloads in one balloon, set new record

The National Balloon Facility at Hyderabad, under the joint management of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), created a new record on February 9, when 10 scientific payloads were launched in a single balloon D K Ojha, chairman of TIFR's balloon facility committee, "Usually, we have just one or two instruments, but this time we had 10 payloads in just one balloon." He added that the mission was to launch instruments to study aerosols in the upper atmosphere, which will help them to understand the monsoon pattern.

The mission carried payloads from Isro's National Atmospheric Research Centre, NASA, France's Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique and other national research institutes.

Feb 14, 2018

Contractors short-listed for Metro IV

Work on the Metro IV (Wadala-Thane via Ghatkopar) corridor is likely to begin in April as the MMRDA has shortlisted contractors for the project. The work orders are likely to be issued in March so that preliminary work can begin before the monsoon. "Two consortiums, one led by the Tata projects and another by Reliance, are likely to get the projects. Each of them will execute work on the two packages each on the entire 32-kmlong corridor," an MMRDA source said.

Bullet train status: Undersea test for 21km tunnel completed

Land acquisition for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor is set to begin and a host of government agencies are expected to assist in speeding up the project. In Maharashtra, land acquisition will be needed the most in Palghar. The underground section will be beneath the creek outside Mumbai. The official said a seismic resistance test was carried out beneath the sea bed between December 11 and 24.

Maharashtra still no. 1 in tree cover

Retaining its position as the state with the highest tree cover, Maharashtra has witnessed a marginal rise in tree cover over the last two years, stated the State of Forest 2017 survey. In 2015, trees covered an area of 9,558 sq km in the state. Last year, the figure was 9,831 sq km. However, environmentalists believe that inclusive efforts need to be taken to ensure a quality tree cover in the state.

Feb 13, 2018

India Among Top 10 Nations in Terms of Forest Area

India has increased its forest and tree cover 1% since 2015 to 802,088 square kilometres despite population and livestock pressures. India State Forest Report 2017, the 15th in the series of biennial reports that officially record the country's forest and tree cover, shows the country has added 8,021 sq km of forest and tree cover in the past two years. The report reveals that India now stands 10th in the world in terms of forest area and eighth in terms of annual forest gain.

Feb 12, 2018

Mumbai world's 12th richest city

Mumbai with a total private wealth of $950 billion ranks 12th among 15 richest cities in the world, says a survey. New York tops the list ($3 trillion), followed by London and Tokyo. Mumbai is followed by Toronto ($944 bn), Frankfurt ($912 bn) and Paris ($860 bn).

City zoo to get a Rs. 7crore garden

The Byculla zoo is expected to get a sprawling 4.5-acre landscaped garden at a cost of around Rs. 7crore. The open space, likely to come up in two years, will depict various climatic conditions through its design and installations. The plan has received BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta's nod.

City-bred engineer part of team that wins a science-tech Oscar

Vikas Sathaye, who grew up in the Mumbai suburb of Mulund, was part of a team that received a scientific and engineering award at the Oscars 2018 Scientific and Technical Awards. The ceremony, which was held in Beverly Hills, honoured the four-member team "for the concept, design, engineering and implementation of the Shot over K1 Camera System", which the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences describes as a "six axis stabilized aerial camera mount" that has an "enhanced ability to frame shots while looking straight down and getting a steady footage".

BJP vows free phones, jobs to Tripura in poll manifesto

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley released BJP's 28-page 'Vision Document', promising employment opportunities for every household, free education for women up to the graduate level, a college in every constituency and, in a push to its Digital India initiative, free smartphones for youth. "The manifesto reflects PM Narendra Modi's development agenda," Jaitley said, releasing the document. Besides promising brick housing for those who don't have homes, free health insurance for all BPL households and drinking water for everyone, BJP said it would implement 7th Central Pay Commission for state government employees, regularize all contractual government employees, and provide minimum social security pension of Rs. 2,000 and minimum wages of Rs. 340. Bringing those accused in the Rose Valley scam to the books also features on the party agenda.

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