Daily Current Affairs 25 August 2020 With Video Lecture

What is One Sun, One World, One Grid Project?

• It is a trans-national electricity grid supplying solar power project.
• India envisaged having an interconnected power transmission grid across nations for the supply of clean energy.
• The project will link as many as 140 countries through a common grid that will be used to transfer solar power.
• Vision behind the OSOWOG is ‘The Sun Never Sets’ and is a constant at some geographical location, globally, at any given point of time.
• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy came out with a Request for Proposal (RFP) to hire consultants for converting this idea into policy.
• 1^stphase: India’s Neighbourhood first policy. It also involves under-sea link that connects with Oman in the west.
• 2^nd phase of the project deals with Middle East, South Asia and South East Asia that are inter-connected with African power pools.
• The third phase includes global interconnection.

National Council for Transgender Persons

• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has constituted the National Council for Transgender Persons.
• Established under Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019
• The Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment will be ex-officio Chairperson.
• Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment will be ex-officio Vice-Chairperson.

• Functions:
• Advising the Central Government on the formulation of policies, programmes, legislation, and projects with respect to transgender persons.
• Monitoring and evaluating the impact of policies and programmes.
• Reviewing and coordinating the activities of all the departments of Government and other Governmental and non-Governmental Organisations dealing with the same cause.
• Redress the grievances of transgender persons
• Composition:

I. Union Minister, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment- Chairperson (ex-officio)

II. Minister of State, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment- Vice-Chairperson (ex-officio)

III. Ex-Officio Members:

1. Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

2. Representatives not below the rank of a Joint Secretary, in the following Ministries/Departments:

i. Health and Family Welfare

ii. Home Affairs

iii. Housing and Urban Affairs

iv. Minority Affairs

v. Human Resources Development

vi. Rural Development

vii. Labour and Employment

viii. Department of Legal Affairs

ix. Department of Pensions and Pensioners Welfare and

x. National Institute for Transforming India Aayog

3. Representatives of the following Commissions not below the rank of Joint Secretary:

i. National Human Rights Commission

ii. National Commission for Women

IV. Nominated Members:

1. Representatives of the State Governments and Union territories by rotation, one each from the North, South, East, West and North-East regions

a. Representative of UT Administration of Jammu & Kashmir- North

b. Representative of State Government of Andhra Pradesh- South

c. Representative of State Government of Odisha- East

d. Representative of State Government of Gujarat- West

e. Representative of State Government of Tripura- North-East

2. Five Representatives of transgender community, one each from the North, South, East, West and North-East regions

3. Five experts, to represent non-governmental organisations or associations, working for the welfare of transgender persons

BIS’ draft standard for drinking water supply

• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has prepared a draft standard for the supply system of piped drinking water.
• The draft has been titled as ‘Drinking water supply quality management system — requirements for piped drinking water supply service’.
• Prepared by the BIS’ Public Drinking Water Supply Services Sectional Committee.
• It outlines the process of water supply, from raw water sources to household taps.
• It will make piped water supply more uniform, especially in rural and underdeveloped areas.
• Draft highlights establishment, operation, maintenance, and improvement of their piped drinking water supply service.
•  It sets the Indian Standard (IS) 10500 for the treated water for drinking.
• The concept of district metering area (DMA) should be adopted where possible.

India’s longest ‘ropeway over a river’

• The longest river ropeway of India has been inaugurated in Guwahati, Assam.
• The ropeway is 1.8 Km long
• Connects Guwahati and North Guwahati over Brahmaputra river.
• Will be operated from Kachari ghat in Guwahati and the Dol Govinda temple in North Guwahati.

India-Nepal to explore new petroleum pipeline

• India and Nepal had a Joint Working Group meeting.
• Two sides discussed future areas of cooperation in the petroleum energy sector, including possibilities of new pipelines for supply of petroleum products to the Himalayan nation.
• Inaugurated by PM of both nations in 2019.
• The pipeline, first of its kind in South Asian region, has been supplying most of the fuel requirement of Nepal to Amlekhgunj Depot of NOC.
• Motihari-Amlekhgunj Petroleum Products Pipeline:
• Inaugurated by PM of both nations in 2019.
• The pipeline, first of its kind in South Asian region, has been supplying most of the fuel requirement of Nepal to Amlekhgunj Depot of NOC.

Current COVID19 Situation in India

QUIZ TIME

National Council for Transgender Persons established under:

1. Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2020
2. Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 1995
3. Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019
4. Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018

Answer – C

Who is the ex-officio chairperson of National Council for Transgender Persons?

1. Prime Minister
2. Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment
3. Chairman of NHRC
4. President

Answer – B

Which of the following is incorrect about the composition of National Council for Transgender Persons?

1. It has ten representatives of transgender community
2. Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment will be ex-officio Vice-Chairperson.
3. There will be representatives of NHRC
4. There will be representatives of NCW

Answer – A

The longest river ropeway of India has been inaugurated at?

1. Manipur
2. Uttarakhand
3. Assam
4. Meghalaya

Answer – C

Question of the Day

What is Electoral Bond Scheme?

Answer in next session…