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Current Affairs Today – 29th February 2020
NEWS AT A GLANCE
- World rare disease day is observed on 28/29 (last day of) February.
- Shri R. K. Singh, the Union Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy & Minister of State (Skill Development and Entrepreneurship), inaugurated the Northern Region Renewable Energy Management Centre (NR-REMC) at a function in New Delhi on 28 February 2020.
- Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan announced that the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) will be set up by the first week of April 2020.
- The 14th Meeting of Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism on 28 February in New Delhi.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to launch 10,000 Farmers Producer Organisations (FPO) across the country at Chitrakoot on 29 February 2020.
- Government of India paid tribute to former PM Morarji Desai on his 124th birth anniversary on 29 February.
- An inter-ministerial approval committee under the ‘Unit’ scheme of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) sanctioned 32 projects spread across 17 states on 27 February.
- A meeting to review of 17 large-size infrastructure projects was organized by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in New Delhi.
- The Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has launched the world’s largest airport-based temperature-controlled facility known as the ‘Export Cold Zone’ for processing and storage of agro and pharma products.
- The Ministry of Food Processing Industries(MoFPI) has approved Rs 162 crore under Operation Green scheme which has an outlay of Rs 500 crore to stabilize the supply of tomato, onion and potato (TOP) crops and to ensure their availability round the year without price volatility.
- Maharashtra State government is set to become single-use plastic-free by 1 May 2020.
- Policy think tank NITI Aayog has selected Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir for the first pilot project among all States and UTs on Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG).
- The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved a proposal to change the name of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Urdu, Arabi-Farsi University in Lucknow.
- The Kerala High Court recently passed an order and banned all types of political movements in the college and school premises.
- HDFC Bank joined hands with the country’s largest airline IndiGo to launch a co-branded credit card, which will effectively work like a loyalty programme for the carrier.
- Abhishek Singh has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the new Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Production Hangar at Helicopter Division in HAL Complex at Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- President Ram Nath Kovind conferred national awards to 21 winners for science communication and popularization including women excellence awards for meritorious women scientists on the occasion of National Science Day.
- The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurating the 11th National Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Conference 2020 on 28 February in New Delhi.
- Forest Man of India Jadav Payeng will be awarded Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award 2020 in New Delhi.
- The world’s oldest man, Chitetsu Watanabe of Japan, has passed away at 112.
NEWS IN DETAILS
IMPORTANT DAYS AND THEMES
World rare disease day is observed on 29 February
- World rare disease day is observed on 28/29 (last day of) February.
- The day aims to raise awareness for the millions of people who are impacted by a rare disease.
- It aims to educate people about rare diseases and their impacts.
Theme:
- The theme of the day is “Reframe Rare”.
- The theme encourages everyone to take steps to clarify many of the misconceptions that can make people with rare diseases feel isolated and affect the quality of care and support they receive.
Rare disease:
- Any disease that affects fewer than 200,000 people is considered a rare disease in the United States.
- This definition is derived from the Orphan Drug Act of 1983.
- There are more than 7,000 rare diseases that affect 25-30 million Americans.
- 1 in 20 people are dealing with a rare disease.
- These people struggle to receive a proper diagnosis, find information and get treatment.
History:
- The World rare disease day was first launched by the European Organization for Rare Disorders (EURORDIS) and its Council of National Alliances on 29 February 2008, a rare date that comes only once in four years. Since then the day is observed on the last day of February. In 2009. the US joined with EURORIDS. By 2017, over 94 countries joined the alliance.
- The official sponsor of the day is the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) in the United States and EURORDIS. The sponsors organize the official international campaign.
NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS
Shri R. K. Singh dedicated 11 Renewable Energy Management Centers
- Shri R. K. Singh, the Union Minister of State (IC) Power and New & Renewable Energy & Minister of State (Skill Development and Entrepreneurship), inaugurated the Northern Region Renewable Energy Management Centre (NR-REMC) at a function in New Delhi on 28 February 2020.
- He also dedicated 11 REMCs to the nation.
- It is expected that the REMCs will place India among a league of few nations that have state-of-the-art management centers for renewable energy integration.
Highlights:
- India has targeted 175 GW RE Capacity by 2022 driving accelerated RE penetration poses challenges to the grid management due to intermittent and variable nature of RE generation.
- REMCs are equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) based RE forecasting and scheduling tools and provide greater visualization and enhanced situational awareness to the grid operators.
- The centres are co-located with the State Load Dispatch Centers (SLDCs) in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat & Rajasthan and in RLDCs at Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi and at the NLDC.
- Currently, the 11 REMCs monitors the 55 GW of Renewable (Solar and Wind).
- Background:
- GoI had approved the implementation of the REMCs as a Central Scheme. It had also mandated POWERGRID, a Maharatna CPSE under the Ministry of Power as Implementing Agency. These REMCs are being managed by Power System Operation Corporation of India Ltd. (POSOCO) at Regional and National level and at State level by SLDCs.
Extra Shots:
Other launches:
- A Report by POSOCO on “Analysis of Impact of Solar Eclipse – 26th Dec’19 on Indian Power System” was also released during the event. It covered various areas such as solar generation forecasting, ramp estimation, the behavior of PV plants during the solar eclipse. The report has analyzed the variation in Global Horizontal irradiance during a solar eclipse for plants falling in annular and partial eclipse zone.
Central Consumer Protection Authority to be established in 2020 April
- Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan announced that the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) will be set up by the first week of April 2020.
Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA):
- The CCPA will be established under the Consumer Protection Act 2019.
- The authority will address issues related to consumer rights, unfair trade practices, misleading advertisements. CCPA will be empowered to impose penalties for selling spurious and adulterated products.
- Also, an investigative wing will be formed under the aegis of the authority. It will deal with inquiries that are related to unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements.
- The rules related to the Consumer Protection Act will be finalized soon.
- It will also regulate e-commerce and direct selling as there is no regulatory body for these sectors at present.
The 14th Meeting of JWG on Counter-Terrorism
- The 14th Meeting of Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter-Terrorism on 28 February in New Delhi.
- The Indian delegation was led by Mr. Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary for Counter-Terrorism, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the French delegation was led by Mr. David Bertolotti, Assistant Secretary of State for Strategic, Security and Disarmament Affairs of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Highlights:
- India and France agreed to deepen their counter terrorism cooperation in the meeting.
- Both the countries stressed the need to deny safe havens and sources of funding to terrorists.
- The Ministers exchanged views on the challenges faced because of counter-terrorism including combating the financing of terrorism, countering radicalization, preventing the use of the internet for terrorist purposes, threats posed by internationally designated terrorist entities and cross-border terrorism in South Asian region.
- The next meeting of the JWG on Counter-Terrorism will be held in France in 2021 on a mutually convenient date.
PM to launch 10,000 Farmers Producer Organisations
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to launch 10,000 Farmers Producer Organisations (FPO) across the country at Chitrakoot on 29 February 2020.
- The event aims to mark the first anniversary of PM-KISAN, which transformed the lives of crores of farmers in the last one year.
FPOs:
- FPOs will help in the collectivization of small, marginal and landless farmers in order to give them the collective strength to deal with such issues.
- FPO members will manage their activities together in the organization to get better input, access to technology, finance, and the market for faster enhancement of their income.
GoI paid tribute ti the 124th birth anniversary of former PM Morarji Desai
- Government of India paid tribute to former PM Morarji Desai on his 124th birth anniversary on 29 February. President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and State leaders paid tribute the late former PM.
- His birth anniversary is celebrated every four years.
Extra Shots:
Morarji Desai:
- Morarji Desai was born in Bulsar district of Gujarat on 29 February 1896. He graduated from the Wilson Civil Service of the then Bombay Province in 1918. He served as a Deputy Collector for 12 years. In 1937, he became Minister for Revenue, Agriculture, Forest and Co-operatives in the Ministry headed by Shri B.G. Kher in the then Bombay Province.
Centre approved 32 projects under PM Kisan Sampada Yojana
- An inter-ministerial approval committee under the ‘Unit’ scheme of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) sanctioned 32 projects spread across 17 states on 27 February.
- The committee was chaired by the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Highlights:
- The 32 projects leverage an investment of Rs.406 crore.
- The projects will cover over 100 agro-climatic zones across India.
- The Processed food market is expected to grow to $543 billion by 2020 from $322 billion in 2016, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.6%.
- These projects aim to generate direct/indirect employment for approximately 15,000 persons along with employment opportunities in rural areas to be the focus area.
- The projects focus on increasing the level of processing, value addition leading to a reduction of wastage.
- All the food processing activities will be undertaken by the individual units. Each unit covers a wide range of post-harvest processes resulting in value addition to enhance shelf life with the required preservation of perishables facilities.
Extra Shots:
PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana is a comprehensive package which will result in creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet. It will not only provide a big boost to the growth of food processing sector in the country but also help in providing better returns to farmers and is a big step towards doubling of farmers income, creating huge employment opportunities especially in the rural areas, reducing wastage of agricultural produce, increasing the processing level and enhancing the export of the processed foods.
Piyush Goyal reviewed Infrastructure Projects on PMG Portal
- A meeting to review of 17 large-size infrastructure projects was organized by the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) in New Delhi.
- The meeting was chaired by the Union Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal.
Highlights:
- The meeting addressed the issues raised through the Project Monitoring Group (PMG).
- The meeting assessed critical projects, with important socio-economic and industrial significance.
- They also reviewed 36 issues in 17 projects with a total anticipated investment of Rs.32,910 crores.
- The meeting was attended by Shri Som Prakash, Minister of State for commerce and industry, Chief Secretaries of Karnataka and Maharashtra, senior officers of DPIIT, and senior officers of Jharkhand, Odisha, and UP attended through video conferencing. Senior officials of key ministries from Railways, Power, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Road Transport and Highways and Invest India participated in the review meeting.
Extra Shots:
Project Monitoring Group (PMG):
- PMG is DPIIT’s institutional mechanism to expedite the resolution of issues and removal of regulatory bottlenecks in projects, with investments upward of Rs.500 crores in India.
- Invest India, the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency provides implementational support to PMG to identify and follow up on issues with the States.
- PMG marks the unresolved project issues of all Public, Private and Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects. It then undertakes fast-tracking of approvals, sectoral policy issues and removes bottlenecks for expeditious commissioning.
- So far, PMG has resolved more than 3500 issues in 809 projects and has unlocked anticipated financial investment of more than Rs.32 lakh crores.
Mumbai Airport launches ‘Export Cold Zone’ to Store Agro, Pharma Products
- The Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has launched the world’s largest airport-based temperature-controlled facility known as the ‘Export Cold Zone’ for processing and storage of agro and pharma products.
- The exclusive terminal can hold over 700 tonnes of such cargo at one time with a combined annual capacity of 5.25 lakh tonnes.
- Mumbai airport, run by a joint venture between Airports Authority of India and GVK.
- Mumbai airport is the largest gateway for the movement of pharma and agro products in the country.
- It connects to over 500 cargo destinations across 175 countries through 60 airlines.
- The export cold zone is equipped with 12 truck docks with dock- levellers, spacious acceptance and examination area, automated workstations, X-Ray machines, unit load device (ULD) storage, ballmat system for ULD transfer and cold rooms.
- Mumbai airport is the first airport in the country and the third in Asia to obtain “IATA CEIV Pharma” accreditation, a global industry recognition supporting the air transport industry and is in full compliance with pharmaceutical manufacturers requirements.
Extra Shots:
Maharashtra:
- Capital: Mumbai
- Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray
- Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
- State Formed in: 1 May 1960
- Litracy Rate: 82.34%
- National Parks: Chandoli National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Gugamal National Park, Pench National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amba Barwa WLS, Bor WLS, Great Indian Bustard WLS, Lonar WLS, Melghat WLS, Gangewadi New Great Indian Bustard WLS, etc.
MoFPI approves Rs 162 cr under Operation Greens scheme
- The Ministry of Food Processing Industries(MoFPI) has approved Rs 162 crore under Operation Green scheme which has an outlay of Rs 500 crore to stabilize the supply of tomato, onion and potato (TOP) crops and to ensure their availability round the year without price volatility.
- The aim of the scheme is to enhance TOP Crops value chain & promote Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs), agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional management.
- Totally 5 projects have been sanctioned under OG scheme with a total cost of Rs 426(425.83) crore & the grant to be given is Rs 162(161.17) crore.
STATE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Maharashtra to become single-use plastic-free by 1 May
- Maharashtra State government is set to become single-use plastic-free by 1 May 2020.
- The announcement was made by the State environment minister Aaditya Thackeray.
Highlights:
- The ban on plastic bottles can not be implemented in the state as clean drinking water is still not universally available in the state.
- The drive against single-use plastic has been taken against 53 manufacturers so far. All their units have been shut down.
- As an alternative measure, the used plastic bags will be used in road repairs. Around 7% of plastic is being used for building roads, and for buyback in the state which has decided to pay Rs.15 per kg.
- The state government has announced that the self-help groups will be given Rs.5 crore to procure cloth bags.
Extra Shots:
Maharashtra:
- Capital: Mumbai
- Chief Minister: Uddhav Thackeray
- Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
- State Formed in: 1 May 1960
- Litracy Rate: 82.34%
- National Parks: Chandoli National Park, Nawegaon National Park, Gugamal National Park, Pench National Park, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli) National Park, Tadoba National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Amba Barwa WLS, Bor WLS, Great Indian Bustard WLS, Lonar WLS, Melghat WLS, Gangewadi New Great Indian Bustard WLS, etc.
NITI Aayog to begin a pilot project in JK on SDG
- Policy think tank NITI Aayog has selected Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir for the first pilot project among all States and UTs on Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG).
- The announcement was made by Principal Secretary Rohit Kansal.
Projects in JK on SDG:
- The project in J&K will get a chance to work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
- The UT J&K has recently made progress under different Outreach Programmes conducted across Jammu.
- The programmes will work under the district indicator framework. Hence, the information will be sought from the respective District Commissioners.
- The progress will be ranked by setting certain parameters.
- Under the Public Outreach Programme, the government will account for the issues faced by people and ensures redressal within the shortest possible time frame.
Extra Shots:
The NITI Aayog is a policy think tank of the Government of India, established with the aim to achieve sustainable development goals with cooperative federalism by fostering the involvement of State Governments of India in the economic policy-making process using a bottom-up approach.
- Website: niti.gov.in
- Formed: 1 January 2015
- Objectives: Foster involvement and participation in the economic policy-making process by the State Governments of India
- Jurisdiction: Government of India
- Headquarters: New Delhi
- Chairperson: Narendra Modi
- CEO: Amitabh Kant
- Vice Chairman: Rajiv Kumar
Jammu & Kashmir:
- Capitals- Jammu (Winter), Srinagar (Summer)
- Lt Governor- Girish Chandra Murmu
- National Parks: City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park, Dachigam National Park, Hemis National Park, Kishtwar National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Baltal-Thajwas WLS, Changthang Cold Desert WLS, Gulmarg WLS, Jasrota WLS, Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) WLS etc
UP cabinet renamed Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Urdu, Arabi-Farsi University
- The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has approved a proposal to change the name of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Urdu, Arabi-Farsi University in Lucknow.
- The Cabinet has decided to rename the university as Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Languages University.
- For this, the State University Act – 1973 will be amended.
- According to the Cabinet, the decision is based on the belief that French, German, Japanese are essential for employment & development of knowledge besides English & Foreign languages.
Extra Shots:
Uttar Pradesh:
- Capital: Lucknow
- Chief Minister: Yogi Adityanath
- Governor: Anandiben Patel
- State formed in: 24 January 1950
- Literacy Rate: 67.68%
- Nation Park: Dudhwa National Park
Kerala High Court bans all forms of strikes in schools, colleges
- The Kerala High Court recently passed an order and banned all types of political movements in the college and school premises.
- Banning various forms agitations like gherao and sit-in in the campuses, the High Court also said no one can be persuaded to participate in such protests.
- It observed that those who are not participating in the strike have every right to attend their classes and no one should force them to participate in agitations that affect the smooth conduct of classes.
- The court said that “the right to education is a fundamental right and no one has the right to violate that right.”
- The court said educational institutions can be made a venue for peaceful discussions.
- The judgment was delivered on a batch of petitions filed by various college and school managements against agitations in campuses disrupting the peaceful atmosphere prevailing there.
Extra Shots:
Kerala:
- Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
- Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
- Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan
- Festivals: Onam, Vishu, Thrissur Pooram, Nehru Trophy Boat Race
- National Parks: Anamudi Shola National Park, Eravikulam National Park, Mathikettan Shola National Park, Pambadum Shola National Park, Periyar National Park,Silent Valley National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Aralam WLS, Chimmony WLS, Idukki WLS, Periyar WLS, Wayanad WLS, Peppara WLS, Neyyar WLS, Kurinjimala WLS, Malabar WLS etc
AGREEMENTS AND MOU SIGNED
HDFC Bank launches co-branded credit card with IndiGo
- HDFC Bank joined hands with the country’s largest airline IndiGo to launch a co-branded credit card, which will effectively work like a loyalty programme for the carrier.
- Its first travel credit card named ‘Ka-ching’- powered by Mastercard.
- The credit card customers can get complimentary air tickets on activation worth between Rs 1,500 and Rs 3,000 as per the variant, 14 travel and lifestyle benefits which include cashback of 5 % or reward points on Indigo bookings, and 3 % on dining, grocery, entertainment.
- They can also enjoy rich travel experience with varied benefits and unmatched rewards on domestic/international travel.
Extra Shots:
HDFC:
- Establishment– 1994
- Digital Assistant– Eva
- Managing Director– Aditya Puri
- Head Office– Mumbai, Maharashtra
IndiGo is an Indian low-cost airline headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, India. It is the largest airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 47.5% domestic market share as of November 2019.
- CEO: Rahul Bhatia
- Parent company: InterGlobe Aviation Ltd
APPOINTMENT
Abhishek Singh becomes India’s next Ambassador to Venezuela
- Abhishek Singh has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
- He is currently serving as Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India in Kabul, Afghanistan.
- He will succeed Rajiv Kumar Napal, who passed away recently.
- He is a 2003-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
Venezuela (Capital/Currency): Caracas/ Petro, Venezuelan bolívar
- President: Nicolás Maduro
DEFENCE CURRENT AFFAIRS
Defence Minister inaugurated new LCH Production Hangar at HAL Complex, Bengaluru
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the new Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Production Hangar at Helicopter Division in HAL Complex at Bengaluru, Karnataka. The move is towards manufacturing military equipment indigenously under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
LCH:
- Light Combat Helicopter is a 5.5-tonne class combat helicopter.
- It is designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
- The helicopter is powered by two Shakti engines.
- It also holds many technical features of the Advanced Light Helicopter.
- The helicopter has been ordered by the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF).
- LCH is the first attack helicopter to land in Forward Bases at Siachen, 4,700 metres above sea level with 500kg load.
Extra Shots:
HAL: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company headquartered in Bengaluru, India. It is governed under the management of the Indian Ministry of Defence.
- Headquarters: Bengaluru
- Founder: Walchand Hirachand
AWARDS
President presented awards to 21 winners on National Science day
- President Ram Nath Kovind conferred national awards to 21 winners for science communication and popularization including women excellence awards for meritorious women scientists on the occasion of National Science Day.
- The awards included Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research (AWSAR) Awards, National Science and Technology Communication Awards, SERB Women Excellence Awards, and National Award for Young Woman Showing Excellence through Application of Technology for Societal Benefits.
Three initiatives:
- On the occasion, President announced three key initiatives for Gender Advancement and Equality in Academic and Research Institutions.
1) Vigyan Jyoti:
- Vigyan Jyoti is an initiative that will create a level-playing field for the meritorious girls in high school to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education.
2) GATI:
- The Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) initiative will develop a comprehensive Charter and a framework for assessing the Gender Equality in STEM.
3) Online portal for S&T resources for women:
- An online portal for science and technology resources for women will provide e-resources related to all women-specific government schemes, scholarships, fellowships, career counseling with details of subject area experts from various disciplines in science and technology.
Extra Shots:
National Science Day:
- National Science Day (NSD) is celebrated every year on 28 February in India to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ by the Indian physicist Sir CV Raman. This year the theme was ‘Women in Science’.
The 11th National KVK Conference 2020 was held in Delhi
- The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurating the 11th National Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Conference 2020 on 28 February in New Delhi.
Highlights:
- The conference directed KVKs to serve not only the affluent, resourceful and Progressive farmers but also focus on the small and deprived farmers.
- KVKs have a great responsibility by taking the fruition of the laboratories to the field.
- The experts discussed the R&D that has been done in the Agriculture sector
- KVKs have released superior crop varieties, 171 mobile apps developed for farmers and more than three lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) opened. The conference was in line to fulfill the target set by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi of doubling farmers’ income by 2022.
- Single window service has been recommended to meet the farmers’ various needs.
Extra Shots:
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK):
- The first KVK was established in the year 1974 in the Union Territory of Puducherry. KVKs are agricultural extension centres that are created by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR). It aims to provide various types of farm support to the agricultural sector at the district level. It implements the On-farm testing to assess the location specificity of agricultural technologies under various farming systems.
Jadav Payeng honoured with Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award 2020
- Forest Man of India Jadav Payeng will be awarded Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award 2020 in New Delhi.
- He was awarded the 6th Karmayogi Award for his consistent efforts in creating a real man-made forest through massive reforestation.
- The award is composed of a trophy, a recitation and a reward of Rs 1 lakh.
- Payeng is famously known as the Forest Man of India.
- He was also honoured with a Padma Shri a few years ago.
- He is an environmental activist and forest worker from Jorhat, Assam.
Extra Shots:
- Swami Vivekananda Smriti Karmayogi Award is organized by My Home India in New Delhi.
- The award was conferred for the first time in 2013.
- Karmayogi Award is presented to great personalities from North-Eastern India who dedicate their lives to Nation and promote Nationalism through art & culture, sports, education, etc. for their contribution to respective fields.
OBITUARIES
World’s oldest man Chitetsu Watanabe passes away
- The world’s oldest man, Chitetsu Watanabe of Japan, has passed away at 112.
- He was born on March 5th, 1907.
- He received his Guinness World Record certification on February 12, 2020.
- With the death of Chitetsu Watanabe, Britain’s oldest man, Bob Weighton, who is 111, has now become the oldest person in the world.
