Daily Current Affairs 20 May 2020 With Video Lecture

MOHUA announces results of Star rating of garbage free cities

The Star Rating Protocol for Garbage Free Cities – a comprehensive framework similar to our examination systems where each ward in every city must achieve a certain standard across 24 different components of solid waste management (SWM) and is graded based on overall marks received.
6 Cities rated 5 Star, 65 Cities rated 3 Star and 70 Cities rated 1 Star
The Star Rating Protocol was launched by the Ministry in January 2018 to institutionalize a mechanism for cities to achieve Garbage Free status, and to motivate cities to achieve higher degrees of cleanliness.
A total of six cities have been certified as 5-Star :Ambikapur, Rajkot, Surat, Mysuru, Indore and Navi Mumbai

Indian Railways operationalises its most powerful 12000 HP made in India locomotive

Proud moment for Indian Railways, as it became 6th country in the world to join the elite club of producing high horse power locomotive indigenously.
It is the first time, high horse power locomotive has been operationalised on broad gauge track in the world.
The locomotive has been produced under Make in India programme.
The locomotive has made its maiden commercial run between Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Station to Shivpur on 18.05.2020
Manufactured by Madhepura Electric Locomotive Pvt. Ltd. (MELPL), locomotive operated from Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jn.
These locomotives are state of the art IGBT based, 3 phase drive and 12000 horse power electric locomotive
These high horse power locomotives will help to decongest the saturated tracks by improving average speed and loading capacity of freight trains

Dr. Harsh Vardhan set to be WHO Executive Board chairman

Set to take charge as the chairman of the WHO Executive Board on May 22
Would succeed Dr. Hiroki Nakatani of Japan, currently the Chairman of the 34-member WHO Executive Board.
The proposal to appoint India’s nominee to the executive board was signed by the 194-nation World Health Assembly on Tuesday
His taking over the post seems to be a formality after the decision that he will be India’s nominee as the WHO’s South-East Asia group had unanimously decided last year that India would be elected to the executive board for a three-year-term beginning May
The chairman’s post is held by rotation for 1 year among regional groups & it was decided last year that India’s nominee would be the Executive Board chairman for the 1^ST year
It is not a full time assignment and the minister will just be required to chair the Executive Board’s meetings,
The Executive Board is composed of 34 individuals technically qualified in the field of health, each one designated by a member state elected to do so by the WHA. Member States are elected for three-year terms.
The Board meets at least twice a year & the main meeting is normally in January, with a second shorter meeting in May, immediately after the Health Assembly

Super Cyclonic Storm ‘AMPHAN’: Updates

The Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘AMPHAN’ over West central Bay of Bengal moved nearly northwards with a speed of 17 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centred at 1730 hrs IST of 19th May, 2020 over West central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal near latitude 17.4°N and longitude 87.0°E, about 320 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 470 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 610 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh).
It is very likely to move north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans during Afternoon to Evening hours of 20th May 2020 with maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph.