Current Affairs [Monthly]

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India’s first industrial-articulated robot “TAL Brabo” has been launched by TAL Manufacturing Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Motors. It is the first industrial robot to be fully conceptualized, designed & made in India for Micro, Small and Medium Industries (MSME). The indigenously built robot is available in two variants of payloads of 2 kg and 10 kg, priced at Rs. 5 lakh and Rs.7 lakh. It can be used for tasks such as picking and placement of materials, welding, sealant application and vision-based inspection. The robot can be programmed to operate 24/7 and can perform complex operations cost effectively. Apart from the MSME sector, the robot can also be used by large-scale manufacturers.

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The Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary (AWS) is located in the southeast part of Kannur District of Kerala and covers an area of 55 Sq. Km. It is home to elephant, wild boar, leopard, mongoose, nilgiri langur, hanuman langur, malabar giant squirrel, etc.

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K Satchidanandan, noted Malayalam Poet and literary critic, has been selected for the prestigious 2017 Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest literary award of the Government of Kerala, him for his contributions to Malayalam literature and poetry. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh and a citation. Satchidanandan is the former Editor of Indian Literature journal and the former Secretary of Sahitya Akademi. He is also a public intellectual of repute upholding secular anti-caste views, supporting causes like environment, human rights and free software and a well known speaker on issues concerning contemporary Indian literature. Moreover, he is the festival director of Kerala Literature Festival.

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Pandit Arun Bhaduri (75), the renowned Hindustani classical singer, has passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal on December 17, 2018. He is considered to be one of the masters of Bengali songs and Bhajans. Bhaduri was an exponent on Kirana and Rampur Gharana. He has fused all these styles beautifully to create an inimitable style of his own. Some notable disciples of Him are Koushik Bhattacharjee, Kasturi Bandopadhyay, Tushar Dutta, Indrani Mukherjee and many more.

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President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoye has recently announced 2019 as the ‘Year of Active Investment and Social Development’ in the backdrop of proposed investments from India to boost economy of this Central Asian country, in his annual address to the Parliament. The President stated that concrete measures will be taken on creating an open economy, radically improving the business environment and investment climate, reducing the state presence in the economy. Activities on improving the health of the population will continue at a new level. He further stressed that investment was the driver of economy, new technologies, advanced experience and highly qualified specialists come with investments into all sectors and regions.

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The most recent Commonwealth Games were held in Gold Coast from 4-15 April, 2018.

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India has ranked 9th in the high category of 2019 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) presented on 10 December at the COP25 climate summit in Madrid, Spain. This is the first time India has ranked among the top 10 among the list. The current levels of per capita emissions and energy used in India are still comparatively low for the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use categories. The report suggest the Indian government to develop a roadmap for the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies that would consequently reduce the country’s high dependence on coal.

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently cancelled the Certificate of Authorisation (CoA) of Vodafone m-pesa after it voluntarily surrendered its authorisation. RBI authorises the Payment System Operator to set up and operate in India under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
After the closure of Aditya Birla Idea Payments Bank Ltd (ABIPBL), with which Vodafone m-pesa was merged, the company decided to apply for voluntary surrender of authorisation. After the cancellation, the company cannot transact business of issuance and operation of Prepaid payment Instruments but the customers or merchants with a valid claim on the company as a PSO, can approach it till September 30, 2022.

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The Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation implements the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme.
As per the ministry’s latest notification, the Members of Parliament can use the funds allotted to them under the MPLAD scheme to buy testing kits and other medical equipment needed to fight coronavirus pandemic. ₹5 crore is given to every member of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, per year under the MPLAD scheme to use for developing the community.

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The International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad has developed a Ultra-violet Baggage Disinfection System named ‘KritiScan’.
ARCI, an autonomous R&D Centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST) has co-developed the system along with Noida-based Vehant Technologies. The compact system can efficiently carry out a dry and chemical-free disinfection.