DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: June 3, 2022

World Bicycle Day 2022

Tags: Important Days

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur launched a nationwide program of cycle rallies from Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi on 3rd June on the occasion of World Cycle Day.

• The Nehru Yuva Kendra Sanghatan of the Union Youth Affairs Ministry is organising this  program. 

• Under this programme, 1.29 lakh youth will cover a distance of 9.68 lakh km by bicycle in a day.

• The purpose of this program is to create awareness about cycling among people so that people can include cycling in their daily routine for fitness.

• Through this initiative, 1.29 lakh young cyclists will cover a total distance of more than 9.68 lakh km in a single day.

• Cycle rallies will be taken out in the capital of 35 states and union territories of the country and at 75 important places across the country.

• Cycling and Climate Change

• The benefits of cycling include a clean and carbon free environment, affordability and physical fitness. 

• Amidst the increasing global warming and the adverse effects of climate change, the positive role of cycling in meeting the short distance needs of people cannot be emphasised enough.

• Carbon emissions and greenhouse gases (GHWs) released by automobiles play a major role in warming the planet and causing sea level rise leading to massive floods and other disasters around the world.

• World Bicycle Day and its significance 

• The United Nations General Assembly declared 3 June as World Bicycle Day.

• The day is the result of Leszek Sibilski's campaign to recognize World Bicycle Day and the support of Turkmenistan and 56 other countries.

• World Bicycle Day focuses on drawing attention to the benefits of using the bicycle as a simple, clean, economical and environmentally friendly sustainable means of transport.

• The bicycle is a tool that helps contribute to a cleaner environment by making education, health care and other social services accessible to the most vulnerable populations.

• The day is now being associated with the promotion of a healthy lifestyle for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

India-Senegal sign three MoUs

Tags: International Relations

India and Senegal signed three MoUs for cultural exchange, cooperation in youth affairs and visa-free arrangement for officials.

• This is the first ever high level Indian visit to Senegal.

• The visit comes at a time when both the countries are celebrating 60 years of their diplomatic ties.

• The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu, who is on a three-nation tour, arrived in Senegal (West Africa) on June 2.

• Three MoUs were signed by both sides 

1. Visa-free arrangement for holders of diplomatic and official passports which will strengthen cooperation between the two countries through seamless travel of officials/diplomats.

2. Renewal of Cultural Exchange Progarmme (CEP) for the period 2022-26.

3. To enhance bilateral cooperation in youth matters.

• India-Senegal Bilateral Relations

• Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1962 at the ambassadorial level in Dakar.

• Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, India-Senegal trade grew by 37% to US$1.5 billion during the last one year.

• A significant amount of phosphate, an important component of fertilizers, is imported into India from Senegal.

• Senegal is a member of the International Solar Alliance (IAS).

• Phase II of the upgrade of the Center for Entrepreneurship Training and Development (CEDT) in Dakar has been approved and its implementation will begin soon.

• Senegal has supported India for permanent UNSC membership.

• About Senegal

• Senegal is a country in western Africa

• It is known as the “Gateway to Africa

• Head Of State And Government - President, Macky Sall

• Capital - Dakar

• Official Language - French

• Literacy - Male (2017) 64.8%, Female (2017) 39.8%

PM Modi lays foundation stone for projects worth Rs 80,000 crore in UP

Tags: National State News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Investors' Summit (3.0) in Lucknow on June 3 and laid the foundation stone for 1,406 projects worth Rs 80,000 crore.

• The event was attended by top industry leaders of the country.

• The first ground-breaking ceremony took place on July 29, 2018.

• The second Ground Breaking Ceremony was held on July 28, 2019.

• The foundation stone for 81 projects worth over Rs 61,500 crore was laid during the first ground breaking ceremony.

• In the second ground breaking ceremony, the foundation stone of 290 projects with an investment of over Rs 67,000 crore was laid.

• The foundation stone for the following projects was laid

• Agriculture and Allied sector, IT and Electronics, MSME, Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, Pharma, Tourism, Defence and Aerospace, Handloom and Textiles etc. 

Santoor maestro Pandit Bhajan Sopori passes away

Tags: Person in news

Noted santoor player Padmashree Pandit Bhajan Sopori passed away on June 2 at a hospital in Gurugram. He was 74 years old and had been ill for some time.

• He was undergoing treatment for stage IV of colon cancer.

• The disease had spread to the liver and bones.

• He was undergoing treatment at Fortis Memorial Research Institute (fMRI), Gurugram from February 2022. 

• About Pandit Bhajan Sopori 

• He was born in the year 1948 in Srinagar.

• He was given the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992 for his contribution to classical music.

• He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in the year 2004.

• Bhajan Sopori had inherited the education of playing the santoor. His grandfather SC Sopori and father Pandit SN Sopori were also santoor players.

• He was also proficient in singing with santoor.

• He did his post graduation in English literature with music. After this he also studied Western Classical Music from the University of Washington.

• He composed three ragas. These include Raga Laleshwari, Raga Patwanti and Raga Nirmal Ranjani.

• He belongs to the Sufiana Gharana.

• He made an album Nat Yoga on Santoor. He is also the founder of the Sopori Academy for Music and Performing Arts.

• He is the only classical musician in India who has composed music for more than four thousand songs in almost every language of the country including Sanskrit, Arabic.

Centre to set up PM Shri Schools

Tags: National

The centre is planning to set up "PM Shree Schools", which will aim to prepare students for the future and will be the laboratory of the new National Education Policy (NEP).

• Features of these schools

• It can imbibe the 5+3+3+4 (to change 10+2 schooling system) approach of the NEP.

• It may cover pre-school to secondary, emphasis on ECCE, teacher training & adult education.

• There will be an integration of skill development with school education and prioritising learning in mother tongue.

• 5+3+3+4 Schooling System

• As outlined in NEP 2020, children will spend 5 years in the Foundational stage, 3 years in the Preparatory stage, 3 years in the Middle stage, and 4 years in the Secondary stage.

• Stages are divided according to the types of cognitive developmental stages that a child goes through in early childhood, school years, and the secondary stage.

• Age-Wise Analysis of Different Levels of the New Schooling System

1. 5 years of Foundation stage

For ages - 3 to 8 years, For classes - Anganwadi/pre-school, class 1, class 2

2. 3 years of Preparatory stage

Age - 8 to 11, Classes - 3 to 5

3. 3 years of Middle stage

Age - 11 to 14, Classes - 6 to 8

4. 4 years of Secondary stage

Ages - 14 to 18, Class - 9 to 12

A new biomass-based boiler technology was launched in Kurukshetra, Haryana

Tags: State News

A new biomass-based boiler technology has been launched in Kurukshetra, Haryana which is claimed to accommodate all types of agricultural residues as fuel and can also help in reducing the burden of stubble burning.

• The new boiler has a capacity of 75 tonnes per hour and generates 15 MW of electricity.

• This is Denmark-based technology.

• This combustion technology is advantageous because of the vibrating grate.

• Existing conventional boilers are designed only for specific types of agricultural residues such as paddy husk, mustard etc. and restrict the biomass contribution to energy production.

• On the other hand vibrating grate boiler technology can be a better solution for firing any kind of biomass.

• What is Biomass?

• It is a renewable organic material made from plants and animals.

• It is an important fuel in many countries, especially for cooking and heating in developing countries.

• The use of biomass fuels for transportation and for electricity generation is increasing in many developed countries as a means of avoiding carbon dioxide emissions.

• Biomass consists of stored chemical energy from the sun.

World's largest plant discovered off Australia's west coast

Tags: Science and Technology

The world's largest plant has recently been discovered off the west coast of Australia, it is a sea grass with a length of 180 km.

• About the plant 

• The name of the discovered plant is Posidonia australis or ribbon weed.

•  It has been discovered in Shark Bay by a group of researchers from Flinders University and The University of Western Australia.

• Researchers have also found that the plant is 4,500 years old, is sterile, and has double the number of chromosomes than other similar plants.

• The plant has managed to survive in the volatile atmosphere of the shallow Shark Bay.

• Plant’s size

• Posidonia australis covers an area of 20,000 hectares.

• The second largest plant, is the clonal colony of a quaking Aspen tree in Utah, which covers 43.6 hectares area.

• The largest tree in India is the Great Banyan in the Botanical Garden of Howrah which is spread over 1.41 hectares.

• The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.