DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 14^th August 2021

130th EDITION OF DURAND CUP 2021

• Durand Cup, the world’s third oldest and Asia’s oldest football tournament is scheduled to be held at Kolkata from 05 SEP TO 03 OCT 21.
• The prestigious tournament was first held in 1888, at Dagshai (Himachal Pradesh) and is named after Mortimer Durand, who was then the Foreign Secretary in charge of India. The tournament was a conscious way to initially maintain health and fitness amongst the British troops but was later opened to civilians and currently is one of the leading sports events in the world.
• The winning team is presented with three trophies i.e., the President’s Cup (first presented by Dr Rajendra Prasad), the Durand Cup (the original challenge prize – a rolling trophy) and the Shimla Trophy (first presented by citizens of Shimla in 1903 and since 1965, a rolling trophy).
• West Bengal would be the host for this year’s tournament.

Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules 2021

• The Government has notified the plastic waste management amendment rules 2021 prohibiting identified single-use plastic items by 2022. Pollution due to single-use plastic items has become major environmental challenge.
• The manufacturing, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of several single-use plastic will be prohibited with effect from 1st July of next year. The thickness of plastic carry bags will be increased from fifty microns to seventy-five microns with effect from 30th September of next month and to 120 microns with effect from the 31st of December of this year.

Vehicle Scrappage Policy Launched

• The Government of India has today officially launched its vehicle scrappage policy that’s aimed at phasing out unfit and polluting vehicles in an environment friendly manner.
• Constituting the infrastructure for this initiative will be Automated Testing Stations and Registered Vehicle Scrapping facilities across the country.
• The policy implementation will begin with heavy commercial vehicles, which will need to undergo mandatory fitness tests starting April 1, 2023. All other vehicles, including private ones, will be included in the mandatory fitness test criteria from June 1, 2024, in a phased manner.
• The scrappage policy comes into effect after a vehicle’s registration cycle is over. In general, private passenger vehicles have a life of 15 years and commercial vehicles have a life of 10 years, after which they become much more polluting than when they were new.
• if a vehicle fails the fitness test, and the two allowed retests, it will not be issued a renewed registration certificate. An unregistered vehicle is practically illegal to run on the road.
• This policy will also provide a great boost for the auto and metal industry, particularly from steel recycling. Getting rid of older vehicles will also boost sales of new models in the auto industry.

Bharat Biotech’s Covid Vasal Vaccine Gets Nod

• The first nasal COVID-19 vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech has got regulatory approval for phase second and third trials.
• This is the first of its kind COVID-19 jab to undergo human clinical trials in India.  
• The Department of Biotechnology said the phase one Clinical trial has been completed in the age groups ranging 18 to 60 years.
• The Company reports that the doses of the vaccine administered to healthy volunteers in this phase has been well tolerated and no serious adverse events have been reported.

Government asks it offices to switch over to Prepaid Smart Meters

• Ministry of Power has issued an advisory to all Central Ministries of the Government to direct organizations under their administrative control to ensure switch over to Prepaid Smart Meters on priority.
• As part of the same process, the ministries have also been asked to issue all enabling orders in this regard. This follows a clarification issued by Finance Ministry enabling all Central Ministries and Central Departments to make advance payments for pre-paid metered electricity without insisting on any Bank Guarantees, while at the same time ensuring proper accounting arrangements.
• Prepaid Smart metering in all Government Departments would go a long way in ensuring the commitment of the Government in bringing DISCOMs back on the path of financial sustainability and promotion of energy efficiency. It would also serve as a model for emulation by States for defining similar such mechanisms that support prepayment of the electricity dues by their own Departments.

Ahilyabai Holkar Remembered on Her 226th Death Anniversary

• Ahilyabai Holkar (31 May 1725 – 13 August 1795) was the hereditary noble sardar of the Maratha Empire, India.
• Ahilyabai husband Khanderao Holkar was killed in the battle of Kumher in 1754. Twelve years later, her father-in-law, Malhar Rao Holkar died. A year after that she took over the affairs of Holkar fief. She tried to protect her land from plundering invaders. She personally led armies into battle.
• Brave and fearless she is remembered for her brilliance and excellence in Administration.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• To save energy consumption by distributing LED bulbs which are energy efficient.
• Uday
• Surya Mitra
• Ujala
• Tarang

ANSWER: C

• Which of the Following Country is not Part of Golden Crescent?
• Urja Mitra
• Ujala Sathi
• Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS)
• Uday

ANSWER: C

• It will provide incentives for the installation of rooftop solar power plant projects in India.
• Tarang
• SRISTI
• Uday
• Surya Mitra

ANSWER: B

• To provide skill training to rural youth in handling solar installations.
• Surya Mitra
• Surya Sathi
• Surya Kiran
• Surya Kranti

ANSWER: A

• To provide electricity connections to over 4 crore families in rural and urban areas by December 2018.
• Uday
• Saubhagya
• Sugamya
• Urja Sathi

ANSWER: B

• It has ambitious target of making all discoms profitable by 2018-19.
• Ujala
• Ujjwala
• Uday
• Urja Setu

ANSWER: C

• To provide 24×7 uninterrupted electricity supply to each rural household across the country by 2022.
• Rajiv Gandhi Gram Kutir Yojana
• Indira Gandhi Gram Jyoti Yojana
• Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana
• Atal Urja Mitra

ANSWER: C

• It is grid connected network for the transmission of renewable energy produced from various renewable energy projects.
• Green Energy Corridors Project
• National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
• Renewable Energy Grid Corridor
• Setu Bharatam

ANSWER: A

• Which of the following initiatives were not launched keeping in line with the Digital India initiative.
• TARANG
• UJALA
• VIDYUT PRAVAH
• None of the above

ANSWER: D

• Which of the following stood first in Seventh Annual Integrated Ratings of State Power Distribution Utilities
• Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Limited
• Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited
• Punjab State Power Corporation Limited
• Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited

ANSWER: A

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