DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 22nd – 23rd August 2021
Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar Remembered on his Death Anniversary
- Chandrasekhar was an Indian American astrophysicist who spent his professional life in the United States.
- He received the Nobel Prize in Physics (1983) alongside William A. Fowler for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars.
- The Chandrasekhar limit is also named after him. The concept gives the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star. When a star like our Sun exhausts its nuclear fuel, it collapses into a compact, brilliant star known as a white dwarf.
Zydus Cadila’s Zy-Cov-D gets Emergency Use Nod
- Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical firm Zydus Cadila has received a nod for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).
- ZyCov-D becomes the world’s first and India’s indigenously developed DNA vaccine against infection from SARS-CoV-2.
- ZyCov-D becomes the second indigenous coronavirus vaccine after Covaxin and the sixth vaccine to get Emergency Use Approval in India by the government.
- The other vaccines include Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, SputnikV by Gamaleya Research Institute and US-made Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
- ZyCov-D will be administered in three doses, with an interval of 28 days between the first, second and third shots.
Scripting history, Commercial Flight Operation Starts from Tezu Airport of Arunachal Pradesh
- Tezu’s inclusion on the country’s aviation map is projected to enhance tourism in the frontier state bordering China. (Tezu is in the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh)
- Flybig Airlines took off from Guwahati, which landed in Tezu after a one-hour journey.
- AAI and Ministry of Civil Aviation (UDAN Scheme) were hailed for providing such connectivity in Northeast India.
India to Add 35 More Earthquake Observatories by End of This Year
- Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Joint Scientific Assembly of International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) – International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth’s Interior (IASPEI), Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the Indian subcontinent is considered as one of the world’s most disaster-prone areas in terms of earthquakes, landslides, cyclones, floods, and tsunamis.
- He further said that India is going to have 35 more earthquake Observatories by end of this year and 100 more such Observatories in next five years.
- Since Independence India had only 115 Earthquake Observatories but now there is going to be a quantum leap in the number of Earthquake Observatories in the country.
Narayankoti temple Included in Adopt a Heritage Project
- The Narayankoti temple (Uttarakhand) has been included under the Centre’s Adopt a Heritage project.
- This is the only place in the country which has nine planetary temples in a group that are a “symbol of nine planets”.
- Believed that these temples were constructed in the 9th century, It is devoted to Lakshmi Narayana who is associated with Pandavas.
- Adopt a Heritage Project was launched on 27th September 2017 (World Tourism Day), it is a collaborative effort by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), State/UTs Governments.
- The sites/monuments are selected based on tourist footfall and visibility and can be adopted by private and public sector companies and individuals – known as Monument Mitras – for an initial period of five years.
PM-KUSUM and Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II
- The Ministry of New and Renewable (MNRE) has conducted a review of implementation of Prime Minister’s Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme and Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II and suggested measures for expansion of the schemes.
- The PM-KUSUM scheme was launched by the MNRE in 2019, to support installation of off-grid solar pumps in rural areas and reduce dependence on grid, in grid-connected areas.
- The objective of the scheme is to enable farmers to set up solar power generation capacity on their barren lands and to sell it to the grid.
- Rooftop Solar Programme Phase II:
- The aim is to achieve a cumulative capacity of 40,000 MW from Rooftop Solar Projects by the year 2022.
- This scheme is being implemented in the states by distribution companies (DISCOMs).
- The MNRE is providing a 40% subsidy for the first 3 kW and 20% subsidy beyond 3 kW and upto 10 kW of solar panel capacity.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
- Subrahmanyam Chandrasekhar received the Nobel Prize in Physics (1983) alongside
- Tom Hardy
- William A. Fowler
- George Ellery
- Angelo Secchi
ANSWER: B
- Who is the founder of Cadila Healthcare?
- Ramanbhai Patel
- Pankaj Patel
- Ashish Patel
- Dilip Patel
ANSWER: A
- ______ is the highest optical telescope in the world, situated at an elevation of 4,500 meters.
- Chinese Astronomical Observatory
- Indian Astronomical Observatory
- Bhutan Astronomical Observatory
- Nepal Astronomical Observatory
ANSWER: B
- World Meteorological Organization’s Headquarters is Located at
- Paris
- Geneva
- London
- New York
ANSWER: B
- International Maritime Organization’s Headquarters is Located at
- Paris
- Geneva
- London
- New York
ANSWER: C
- Who is the head of Meteorological Department of India?
- Dr Jitendra Singh
- Madhavan Nair Rajeevan
- Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
- Dr. Shamlee Kumari
ANSWER: C
- The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin is released by
- UNEP
- WMO
- UNFCCC
- IMO
ANSWER: B
- Under the Chardham Pariyojana, the ________is aiming to improve the connectivity for Chardham.
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- Ministry of Tourism
- State Govt of Uttarakhand
- Tata & Sons Co.
ANSWER: A
- Gurudwara Shri Hemkund Sahib Ji, is a Sikh place of worship devoted to
- Guru Nanak
- Guru Angad
- Guru Gobind Singh
- Guru Arjan Singh
ANSWER: C
- Jim Corbett National Park (oldest national park of the country) is in
- Madhya Pradesh
- Andhra Pradesh
- Uttarakhand
- Karnataka
ANSWER: C
