Current Affairs - 2019-20

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Union Health Minister JP Nadda, in April 2017, launched the Test and Treat policy for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients. As per this new policy, anyone who is tested and found positive will get the necessary treatment free of cost. Anyone found positive will be provided with ART (Anti- Retroviral Therapy) irrespective of his CD count.

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the first phase of the Ganga Path in Patna. The length of the first stage is 7.4 km. It will connect Digha with Patna Medical College and Hospital.

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The Soviet Union initiated Mars exploration with the Mars 1M series of uncrewed spacecraft in 1960 for flyby missions. In 1971, the USSR’s Mars 3 became the first to achieve a soft landing. NASA’s Mariner 4, launched in 1964, was the first successful flyby, while Mariner 9, also in 1971, was the first to enter Martian orbit. India’s Mars Orbiter Mission was the first to successfully achieve Mars orbit insertion on its first attempt.

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The Brent Index reflects the cash settlement price of Brent Futures on the ICE exchange, averaging the price of 600,000 barrels over 25 days in the BFOE market (Brent Blend, Forties, Oseberg, Ekofisk). WTI (West Texas Intermediate) serves as the primary crude oil benchmark for North America. The difference between the Brent Index and WTI is termed the Brent-WTI Spread.

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INS Khukri, the first indigenously built missile corvette, was decommissioned after 32 years of service in Visakhapatnam. INS Kiltan, commissioned in 2017, is the third of four anti-submarine warships under Project P 28, built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata, alongside INS Kamorta, INS Kadmatt, and INS Kavaratti. INS Shivalik and Kadmatt participated in Exercise MALABAR-21, while INS Kochi took part in Ex Al-Mohed AI-Hindi.

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The Malasar are a Scheduled Tribe in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, among the earliest inhabitants of the Western Ghats. The Chenchu tribe worships the tiger as a deity and part of their spiritual family, while the Baiga and Mising tribes view it as a forest companion. The Baiga tribe actively aids in tiger conservation in Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha National Park. The Singchung Bugun Community Reserve received the India Biodiversity Award for conserving the Critically Endangered Bugun Liocichla bird, named after the Bugun tribe.

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INS Sandhayak, the first indigenously designed hydrographic survey ship, was built at GRSE Kolkata and has retired. INS Sarvekshak, also a hydrographic survey ship, operates under the Southern Naval Command and is part of the Sandhayak class. INS Sahyadri, a multi-role frigate of the Indian Navy, belongs to the Shivalik class of stealth vessels and was built at Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai. INS Sharada is an offshore patrol vessel constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Kochi.

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Milad-un-Nabi, or Eid-e-Milad, celebrates the birth of Prophet Muhammad and is observed in most Islamic countries, except Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Muharram signifies the Islamic New Year, with the 10th day, Ashura, honoring the death of the Prophet’s grandson. Shab-e-Barat involves prayers for forgiveness and remembrance of the deceased. Chaand Raat, the night before Eid al-Fitr, is marked by gatherings to sight the new moon.

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The AVIC AG600, code named Kunlong, is the world’s largest amphibious aircraft made by China. It is designed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). The aircraft made its first flight in Zhuhai, Guangdong on 24 December, 2017.

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The Ministry of Labour and Employment, in January 2018, announced that the Prime Minister’s Shram Awards for 2016 would be awarded to 50 workers with departmental undertakings, public sector undertakings and private sector units employing 500 or more workers. Of these, 34 workers are from the public sector and 16 from the private sector.