Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2019

Notes:
The research team led by Assam forest officer Jatindra Sarma has discovered Dracaena cambodiana – a dragon tree species in the Dongka Sarpo area of West Karbi Anglong. Researchers took 4 years of fieldwork and study to classify the plant as a dragon tree species whose sap turns bright red after coming in contact with air. This is for the first time that a dragon tree species has been reported from India. Dracaena cambodiana is an important medicinal plant as well as an ornamental tree. It is a major source of dragon’s blood, a precious traditional medicine in China. Several antifungal and antibacterial compounds, antioxidants, flavonoids, etc., have been extracted from various parts of the plant. In India, the Dracaena genus belonging to the family Asparagaceae is represented by nine species and two varieties in the Himalayan region, the northeast and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. But Dracaena cambodiana is the only true dragon tree species.

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Uttar Pradesh has become number one in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) in the country. As per the statement released by state government, 1.95 crores people have been given insurance cover under the scheme till 31 march 2019. The implementation of this ambitious central government scheme started in state from January 2018 under which people between age group of 18 to 70 get accidental insurance cover of Rs. 2 lakh by paying a nominal premium of Rs 12 annually. Beside this, Uttar Pradesh stands second in the country in the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojana (PMJJBY). The PMJJBY is a life insurance scheme that provides a life cover of Rs.2 lakh at Rs.330/year. It is available to people in the age group of 18 to 50 years having a bank account who give their consent to join / enable auto-debit.

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The National Institute of Miners’ Health (NIMH), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Mines (MoM), has been dissolved and merged with the ICMR-National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad with all assets and liabilities. All the employees of NIMH will be absorbed in NIOH in the similar post/pay scale as the case may be and their pay be protected. The merger / amalgamation of NIMH with NIOH will prove beneficial to both the Institutes in term of enhanced expertise in the field of occupational health besides the efficient management of public money. The ICMR – NIOH works under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW).

Notes:
In the area of solar rooftop installations, Gujarat has stood first in the country with total 261.97 megawatts (MW) of installed rooftop solar capacity as on July 23, 2019. Gujarat is followed by Maharashtra (198.52 MW) and Tamil Nadu (151.62 MW), respectively. As per the Central government data, the total rooftop solar installations in India are 1700.54 MW. The Government of India (GoI) has set a target of installation of 40,000 MW of Rooftop Solar (RTS) projects by the year 2022 in the country including installation of RTS on rooftop of houses.

Notes:
Attoor Ravi Varma (88), the well-known poet and translator, has passed away in Thrissur, Kerala on July 26, 2019. He was considered as one of the pioneers of modern Malayalam poetry. He was recipient of many prestigious awards, including the Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, Ashan Award, Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, and Kendra Sahitya Academy Award. His poems ignored metre and used free verse. His major works include Kavitha; Attur Ravi Varmayude Kavithakal (1957-1994); Attur Ravi Varmayude Kavithakal (1995-2003); J.J. Chila Kurippukal; Oru Pulimarathinte Katha; Nale Mattoru Nal Matram; Randam Yamangalude Katha; and Puthunaanooru: Thamizh Kavithakalude Mozhimattam.

Notes:
The scientists at the IIT-Kanpur have developed two-finger robotic hand (exoskeleton) to help paralysed stroke patients. For the exoskeleton, Prof. Ashish Dutta and Prof. KS Venkatesh have partnered with the University of Ulster (based in the United Kingdom) and their teacher Girijesh Prasad, who belongs to Gorakhpur. The exoskeleton uses a four-bar mechanism and has four degrees of freedom (DOF). It can be used by a patient on the hand. It uses brain signals, with the help of the Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) that is worn on the head, and helps paralyzed patients to open and close the movement of their thumb, forefinger and middle fingers for physical practice. The exoskeleton is operated by a MEGA microcontroller of 300 Mhz and powered by a battery. The device will cost around Rs 15,000.

Notes:
Renowned Indian sand artist and Padma Awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik has won the People’s Choice Award at a prestigious sand sculpting festival in the United States. He won the award for his sand sculpture ‘Stop Plastic Pollution, Save Our Ocean’ at the 2019 Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival in Boston, Massachusetts. Pattnaik was the sole representative from India and Asia. The award-winning sculpture showed a turtle caught in a plastic bag and a fish with plastic trash such as slippers, bottles and glass inside its body. The tail of the fish is in the mouth of a human, signifying how plastic pollution in the oceans is adversely impacting human beings also when they consume sea food.

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The 22nd National Conference on e-Governance 2019 will be held with the theme “Digital India: Success to Excellence” on 8-9th August 2019 at Shillong, Meghalaya. It is being organized by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), in association with Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), and the State Government of Meghalaya. This is the first time that the event is being organized in the North-Eastern region of the country. The conference will provide a platform to disseminate knowledge on effective methods of designing and implementing sustainable e-Governance initiatives to provide end-to-end Digital services, exchange experience in solving problems, mitigating risks, resolving issues and planning for success. The Conference at Shillong is part of the DARPG’s 100 days initiatives in the new Union Government. 28 States and 8 Union Territories will participate in the 22nd National e-Governance Conference. Over 450 delegates are expected to attend the Conference.

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Pakistan has opened a 1,000-year-old Hindu temple in eastern city Sialkot for worship for the first time since partition on the demand of the local Hindu community. The step was taken on the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The Shawala Teja Singh Temple in Dhaarowal was built by Sardar Teja Singh and closed during partition. The Hindus of Sialkot stopped visiting the temple after a mob damaged it in 1992 while protesting the demolition of the Babri Masjid in India. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.

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Wing Commander Tarun Chaudhri has become the first Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot to perform a wingsuit skydive jump. He achieved the feat on July 21 during the Kargil Diwas celebrations at Air Force Station in Jodhpur. The jump was accomplished from a Mi-17 helicopter from an altitude of 8,500 feet. This is the first IAF Wing Suit Skydive Jump by a pilot who has flown and captained the same type of helicopter. The Kargil Diwas celebrations were held at Air Force Station in Jodhpur on July 21 and 22.