DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 13th July 2021
Sirisha Bandla Returns from Her Maiden Space Flight
- Indian American astronaut Sirisha Bandla became the third Indian-origin woman to fly into space after Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams. Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma is the only Indian citizen to travel in space.
- An Aeronautical engineer, she joined British billionaire Richard Branson and four others on board Virgin Galactic’s Spaceship Unity-22 to make a journey to the edge of space from the US state of New Mexico.
- They reached an altitude of about 88 kilometers over the New Mexico desert – enough to see the curvature of the Earth.
- Virgin Galactic – the business Branson started in 2004 – aims to fly private citizens to the edge of space. The trips are designed to permit passengers to experience three to four minutes of weightlessness and observe the curvature of Earth.
NTPC Commissions 10 MW floating Solar Power Project
- National Thermal Power Corporation’s (NTPC) Simhadri Super Thermal Power Plant, Visakhapatnam has commissioned a 10 MW floating solar plant, which is part of the 25 MW plant.
- It is India’s largest floating installation to date, and it is also regarded as an engineering marvel because of its unique anchoring and mooring techniques. The project was given to BHEL in the year 2019 with a cost of 110 Crores and with a completion period of 15 months.
- Another 100MW floating solar project till date is being developed in Telangana’s Ramagundam and is likely to be commissioned this year.
- Floating solar is also known as floating photovoltaics (FPV) or “floatovoltaics”.
- A new alternative has been used quite frequently in the solar industry, which is floating solar.
- The solar array floats above a waterbody or a reservoir in which solar panels must be attached to a buoyant structure. Usually, the floating solar installations are most likely to be in a lake, basin, or man-made water bodies, such as reservoirs.
- Advantages: Valuable land space is conserved, Higher solar panel performance, Environmental benefits etc.
40th foundation day of NABARD Celebrated
- Union Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar addresses a webinar on 40th foundation day of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.
- Established on 12 July 1982, is an apex regulatory body for overall regulation and licensing of regional rural banks and apex cooperative banks in India.
- It is under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
PM Greets People on the Occasion Rath Yatra
- Rath Yatra/Chariot Festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in the state of Odisha, India.
- It is the oldest Ratha Yatra taking place in India and the World, whose descriptions can be found in Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, and Skanda Purana and Kapila Samhita.
- The festival commemorates Jagannath’s annual visit to Gundicha Temple via Mausi Maa Temple (maternal aunt’s home) near Saradha Bali, Puri.
UP Unveiled its New Population Policy 2021-30
- Uttar Pradesh (UP) unveiled its New Population Policy 2021-30, on World Population Day (11th July).
- The policy proposes five key targets: population control; ending curable maternal mortality and illnesses; ending curable infant mortality and ensuring betterment in their nutrition status; betterment of sexual and reproductive health-related information and facilities among the youth; and care of elders.
- The UP-government’s law commission has also prepared a population control bill, under which a two-child norm will be implemented and promoted.
- As per the draft, violation of the policy is penalised with measures such as barring for elections and abidance is rewarded with measures such as promotion in jobs, subsidy etc.
- In 1989, UNDP recommended that 11th July be observed by the international community as World Population Day, a day to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues.
- Theme 2021: Rights and Choices are the Answer: Whether baby boom or bust, the solution to shifting fertility rates lies in prioritizing all people’s reproductive health and rights.
- World’s population stands at about 7.7 billion, and it is expected to grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.9 billion in 2100.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
- Who is the Current Chairman & Managing Director of NTPC?
- Gurdeep Singh
- Soma Mondal
- Manoj Jain
- Sashi Thakur
ANSWER: A
- NTPC was established on _________.
- 7 November 1975
- 17 November 1976
- 27 November 1977
- 13 November 1978
ANSWER: A
- In May 2010, NTPC was conferred ________ status by the Union Government of India.
- Navaratna
- Miniratna – I
- Maharatna
- Miniratna-II
ANSWER: C
- Which of the following is not a Maharatna PSU?
- National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)
- Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)
- Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)
- Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
ANSWER: D
- HQ of NABARD is Located at ___________.
- Chennai
- New Delhi
- Mumbai
- Kolkata
ANSWER: C
- __________ is Current Chairperson of NABARD.
- Harsh Kumar Bhanwala
- Rajnish Kumar
- Arvind Saxena
- Ajay Tyagi
ANSWER: A
- NABARD was established on the recommendations of __________.
- B. Sivaramman Committee
- Swaminathan Committee
- Ashok Kumar Committee
- D R Gadgil Committee
ANSWER: A
- First World Solar Technology Summit was conducted by?
- International Solar Alliance (ISA)
- United Nations Environment Programme
- United Nations Development Programme
- International Union for Conservation of Nature
ANSWER: A
- ISA Organized the First World Solar Technology Summit on __________.
- 8th October 2020
- 8th September 2020
- 8th October 2019
- 8th September 2019
ANSWER: B
- The Launch of ISA was announced at _________.
- COP 20 – Lima
- COP 22 – Morocco
- COP 21 – Paris
- COP 24 – Katowice
ANSWER: C
