Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Quick Gyan (QG) Section of D2G. QG is just a glimpse of what happened today all over the world.
Only For Serious Candidates : We strongly recommend you to read the Current Affairs in detail. For your convenience, we have provided quick links under the updates. Make use of it.
Always Keep Yourself Updated!!!
AWARDS AND HONORS
Indian American Syamantak Payra wins $50K Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award
A 15-year-old Indian-American boy has won the prestigious ‘Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award’ for developing a low-cost electronically-aided knee brace that allows a person with a weakened leg to walk more naturally. Syamantak Payra, a Texas resident, won the $50,000 award along with 17-year-old Kathy Liu. The award was given by Intel Corporation and the Society for Science and the Public (SSP) at the 2016 ‘Intel International Science and Engineering Fair‘ in Arizona last week.
This year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair featured more than 1,700 young scientists selected from 419 affiliate fairs held in 77 countries. A team of students from India also attended the event. Five Indian Americans also figured in the 22 “Best of Category” winners and each received a USD 5,000 prize.
Quick Link – Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award
Indian artist Anjali Chandrashekar wins award at UN poster contest on N-disarmament
Anjali Chandrashekar, a 22-year-old Indian artist is among the three winners of a UN poster competition aimed at raising awareness about nuclear disarmament, with her poster of a peace dove slicing through a nuclear weapon garnering appreciation from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Anjali, a New York-based designer and “artivist“, won the third prize in UN Poster for Peace contest presented by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) to raise awareness of the need for nuclear disarmament. Titled ‘Cutting Barriers through Peace’, the poster features a peace dove slicing through a nuclear weapon.
She received her third-prize certificate from Ban at an award ceremony held here on May 3. Apart from the three winners, nine honorable mentions were chosen from among more than 4,100 entries representing 123 countries.
Quick Link – N-disarmament
Indian-American Rakesh K Jain to receive US National Medal of Science Award
A 65-year-old Indian American scientist will receive the prestigious ‘National Medal of Science’ award from US President Barack Obama.
Rakesh K Jain, a professor of tumor biology at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Harvard Medical School, will receive the award from Obama along with 16 other recipients of the ‘National Medals of Science and National Medals of Technology and Innovation’ on May 19.
Awarded annually, the Medal of Science recognises individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science, engineering and mathematics. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation recognises those who have made lasting contributions to America’s competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen nation’s technological workforce.
Quick Link – National Medal of Science Award
UR Rao becomes first Indian to be awarded IAF’s ‘Hall of Fame’ Award
Former ISRO Chairman Prof UR Rao became the first Indian to be given the ‘Hall of Fame’ award by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). The IAF award is intended to reward personalities for their contributions to the progress of astronautics and the Federation.
The IAF Hall of Fame consists of a permanent gallery of these personalities, including a citation, biographical information, and a picture, in a special part of the IAF web presence. This year’s 67th International Astronautical Congress will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico in September, where Rao will receive the award.
- UR Rao had served as Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from 1984 to 1994.
- Under his leadership, India had initiated the development of the geostationary launch vehicle GSLV and the development of cryogenic technology in 1991.
- He was also responsible for successful launch of INSAT satellites during his stint at ISRO.
Quick Link – Hall of Fame
South Korean Author Han Kang won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize
South Korean author Han Kang has won the Man Booker International Prize, sharing the £50,000 ($72,000) award with her translator – who had only taught herself Korean three years before. Han Kang, 45, an author and creative writing teacher who is already successful in South Korea, is likely to enjoy a spike in international sales following the win for her book, The Vegetarian.
She is the first South Korean to win the prize. It was picked unanimously by the panel of five judges, beating six other novels including The Story of the Lost Child, by Italian sensation Elena Ferrante, and A Strangeness in My Mind, by Turkey’s Orhan Pamuk.
Quick Link – Man Booker International Prize
5 Indians posthumously honoured with UN’s Dag Hammarskjold Medal
Four Indian peacekeepers and a civilian, who laid down their lives while serving in the U.N. peacekeeping operations last year, will be honoured along with other 124 personnel with a prestigious U.N. medal awarded posthumously for their courage and sacrifice.
The fallen Indian peacekeepers who will be honoured with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers are Head Constable Shubhkaran Yadav, Rifleman Manish Malik, Havildar Amal Deka, Naik Rakesh Kumar and Gagan Punjabi.
Quick Link – UN’s Dag Hammarskjold Medal
IIT student Nandini Bhandaru wins Young Scientist Award
Nandini Bhandaru of IIT-Kharagpur wins honour for her outstanding contribution. A doctoral researcher at IIT-Kharagpur has bagged the European Materials Research Society’s (E-MRS’s) Young Scientist Award for contribution to materials science.
Nandini Bhandaru won the award based on her outstanding contribution to materials science and nanotechnology, particularly nano-patterning of soft films and surfaces. Ms. Bhandaru works at the Instability and Soft Patterning Laboratory of the institute IIT-Kharagpur. Her area of research is nano-fabrication, including soft-lithography, thin film dewetting, polymer blend films and self-assembly.
Quick Link – Young Scientist Award
BANKING AND FINANCE
HDFC Bank launches SmartUp for start-ups
HDFC Bank Ltd has launched SmartUp, a first-of-its-kind dedicated solution for start-ups in Kolkata. SmartUp is HDFC Banks tailored solution to meet all the banking requirements of start-ups, and offers banking and payment solutions, along with advisory and forex services.
Launched in association with Nasscom, an IT and BPO industry body which is running the 10,000 Start-ups initiative,thissolution is aimed at scaling up the start-up ecosystem in the country. This initiative is part of a larger effort by HDFC Bank to create an ecosystem to nurture the spirit of innovation and enterprise in the start-up space.
Quick Link – SmartUp
World Bank approves 625 Million USD for Rooftop Solar Program in India
The World Bank’s Board has approved $625 million loan to support India’s grid connected rooftop solar programme to generate clean energy. The Board also approved a co-financing loan of $120 million on concessional terms and a $5 million grant from Climate Investment Fund’s (CIF) Clean Technology Fund. The project will finance the installation of at least 400 MW of grid connected rooftop solar photovoltaic (GRPV) across India. These solar PV installations will provide clean, renewable energy, and reduce GHG emissions by displacing thermal generation.
The project will also strengthen the capacity of key institutions, and support the development of the overall solar PV market. It will be implemented by the State Bank of India, which will on-lend funds to solar PV developers/ aggregators and end—users, who wish to invest in mainly commercial and industrial rooftop PV systems. Financing will be provided to those with sound technical capacity, relevant experience, and creditworthiness as per SBI standards.
Quick Link – Rooftop Solar Program in India
INDIAN AFFAIRS
GOI opens Tatkal like channel to speed up patent grant process
The GOI has opened a special window to process patent applications within 6 to 12 months as against the normal route which takes 5 to 7 years. The easy route will be open only to start-ups and firms willing to file patents for new innovations first in India, thereby recognising the Indian patent office as a competent International Searching Authority (ISA) or International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA).
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) notified the amended patent rules which included the provision among others. But the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks will only take up a limited number of applications under the fast-track route in one year. There are 18 patent offices classified as ISA or IPEA in the world.
Quick Link – GOI opens Tatkal
IT department launches e-nivaran portal to fast track taxpayers grievances
The Income Tax department has launched a special electronic grievance redressal system called ‘e-nivaran‘ in order to fast track taxpayer grievances and ensure early resolution of their complaints. A separate and dedicated window for grievance redressal has been launched recently in the Income Tax Business Application (ITBA), the new smart electronic platform for the regular operations of the department.
The facility is called ‘e-nivaran’ (electronic solution) and acts to integrate all online and physical complaints gathered by the department at this platform which will be monitored by the Assessing Officer of the case upto the supervisory officers in a paperless environment. The e-portal will also ensure that grievances related to any section or domain of the tax department is transferred quickly to the department concerned like that of refunds issue or any other IT matter concerning an assessee.
Quick Link – e-nivaran
Delhi Metro conducts trial run of country’s first driverless train
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has conducted the trial run of the country’s first ever Metro train equipped to run in the ‘Unattended Train Operation’ or driverless mode. The train was ceremonially flagged off by Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The inaugural train moved out from the Mukundpur depot and travelled up to the Majlis Park Metro stationof the Majlis Park – Shiv Vihar Metro corridor of Phase 3 (Pink Line).
The new trains, with extremely high levels of automation, will now undergo rigorous trials to ensurethat they are ready for smooth operations after the commissioning of the new corridors. In the driverless mode, the train operations can be remotely controlled, including starting and stopping, acceleration and braking, operation of doors and handling of emergencies, all of which are fully automated without any onboard staff.
World’s largest Single Rooftop Solar Power Plant inaugurated in Amritsar
World’s largest single rooftop solar power plant of 11.5 Mw capacity was inaugurated in Beas near Amritsar in Punjab. Spread at a single rooftop stretch of 42 acre at Dera Baba Jaimal, the project was synchronised earlier this year. In addition to single largest rooftop solar power plant, seven rooftop solar power plants of 8Mw capacity were also inaugurated in Beas Dera campus making this place the highest single campus generating solar power of 19.5 Mw at multiple rooftops in the country.
Punjab is generating 470 Mw of solar power and with projects of 500 Mw in the pipeline, the state would be able to generate solar power of close to 1,000 Mw by the end of FY 2016-17. New & Renewable Energy Resources Minister of Punjab Bikram Singh Majithia said this project would generate clean and green energy sufficient to power approximately 8,000 homes.
Quick Link – World’s largest Single Rooftop Solar Power Plant
Odisha Government launches Green Passage Scheme for orphan students
The Odisha government has launched Green Passage scheme for orphan students to ensure that they get free of cost higher education in the state. A proposal of the higher education department in this regard, was approved by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaikher. As per the scheme, orphan students pursuing higher education from Plus-II level to post-graduation level, will no longer have to bear the education expenses.
As many as 16,382 orphan students lodged in 272 institutions across the state, will be exempted of admission fee, tuition fees and laboratory fees for higher studies. “Even they will be provided free hostel facilities and food,” said a senior official quoting provisions of the Green Passage Scheme.
Quick Link – Green Passage
GOI launches ePACE, INFRACON and up-Scaled INAM PRO for Road Transport Sector
Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has launched ePACE, INFRACON and an updated version of INAMPRO, three innovative IT initiatives of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, developed in house by NHIDCL (National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.)
ePACE (Projects Appraisal & Continuing Enhancements)
- It is an online integrated Management Information System that brings projects from all wings of the Ministry under a common platform, ensuring their effective and real time tracking.
- More than 2000 projects being executed by multiple agencies are currently listed on the portal and it is possible to get any information about their real time status, fund utilization etc.
Quick Link – ePACE, INFRACON and up-Scaled
NTPC partners Coal India to foray into fertilizer sector
State-run power producer NTPC has signed a joint venture agreement (JVA) with state-run miner Coal India to revive plants of the Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL). The joint venture company will take up the revival of FCIL plants at Sindri in Bihar and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh by setting up an ammonia urea plant at each location.
The JV company would initially be incorporated with 50:50 equity participation from both, but also “contains provision of inducting strategic partners at a later date depending upon business requirement of JV company”. The JVA was signed by NTPC’s general manager (BD) Arun Kumar Gupta and Coal India’s general manager (Coal Videsh) T. Bandopadhyay.
Quick Link – NTPC with FCIL
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
British royals launch campaign to tackle stigma of mental health
Prince William, his wife Kate and brother Harry urged Britons to ditch their prejudices about mental health in what is being billed as the biggest joint project the three young royals have taken on. In the “Heads Together” campaign they launched in London, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will work with charities “to change the national conversation on mental wellbeing”, a note from the couple’s Kensington Palace residence said.
Harry played block-stacking game jenga, which is is used by some mental healthcare professionals as a therapeutic tool, while Kate and William tried some boxing moves to illustrate the role exercise is thought to play in promoting mental wellbeing.
Quick Link – Tackle stigma
FOREIGN RELATIONS
India, US hold first Maritime Security Dialogue
India and the US held the first round of discussions under the recently-constituted maritime security dialogue between officials of Defence and External Affairs ministries and their U.S. counterparts. The dialogue was one of the several new initiatives agreed between Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his U.S. counterpart Ashton Carter during the latter’s visit to India last month as part of the maritime security objectives under the India-US Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region.
U.S. Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, who participated in the discussions, noted that the creation of this dialogue “is a further sign of the growing relations between our two countries.” The other initiatives agreed include the conclusion of a “white shipping” technical arrangement to improve data sharing on commercial shipping traffic and Navy-to-Navy discussions on submarine safety and anti-submarine warfare.
Quick Link – Maritime Security Dialogue
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
NASA launches near-space monitoring super pressure balloon from New Zealand
NASA successfully launched a super pressure balloon from New Zealand’s South Island Wanaka Airport to conduct near-space scientific investigations. The launch marks the fifth attempt to get the massive balloon airborne, with previous bids thwarted by bad weather. Long-duration balloon flights at constant altitudes play an important role in providing inexpensive access to the near-space environment for science and technology.
- The 532,000 cubic meters (18.8 million cubic feet) balloon is expected to circumnavigate the globe about the southern hemisphere’s mid-latitudes once every one to three weeks, depending on wind speeds in the stratosphere. The aim is for it remain airborne for more than 100 days.
- According to NASA the balloon’s operational float altitude is 33.5 kms (20.8 miles) and it will be visible from the ground, particularly at sunrise and sunset, in the southern hemisphere’s mid-latitudes, such as Argentina and South Africa.
Quick Link – Super pressure balloon
India successfully test fired Ashwin & Prithvi-II missile
Ashwin
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has come up with a new indigenously produced Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile, Ashwin. The missile was tested on the newly named Abdul Kalam Island located in the Balashore district off the Odisha coast. This was the 12th test in the series to develop interceptor missiles.
About Advanced Air Defence interceptor missile, Ashwin
- Ashwin is capable of destroying any incoming hostile ballistic missile.
- Indigenously developed by DRDO, the ADD interceptor missile is a 7.5-meter long single-stage solid rocket propelled guided missile equipped with a navigation system, a hi-tech computer and an electro-mechanical activator.
- It weighs around 1.2 tonnes and has a diameter of less than 0.5 meter.
Quick Link – Ashwin & Prithvi-II missile
Australian researchers built world’s first scanning helium microscope
The World-first scanning helium microscope has been built by Australian researchers who feel it could “open doors” for many new discoveries by allowing scientists to scrutinize materials without disturbing them. Paul Dastoor of University of Newcastle who has been working on the scanning helium microscope (SHeM) for two decades said the new microscope will enable scientists to study human, animal and plant samples, as well as computer chips and pharmaceutical drugs, without damaging or changing them.
He said the scanning helium microscope means the samples will be analysed in their true state for the first time ever and every time a new microscope was developed there had been enormous scientific advances. The scientist said SHeM could be useful in major industries such as solar energy, defence, explosives and information technology.
Quick Link – World-first scanning helium microscope
World’s first robot lawyer ROSS hired by US law firm BakerHostetler
The world’s first artificial intelligence lawyer has been employed by a law firm in the US, which will use the robot to assist its various teams in legal research. The robot called ‘ROSS’ is built upon Watson, IBM’s cognitive computer. With the support of Watson’s cognitive computing and natural language processing capabilities, lawyers can ask ROSS their research question and the robot reads through the law, gathers evidence, draws inferences and returns highly relevant, evidence-based answers.
ROSS also monitors the law around the clock to notify users of new court decisions that can affect a case. The programme continually learns from the lawyers who use it to bring back better results each time.
Quick Link – ROSS with Watson
SPORTS
FC Barcelona wins La Liga Champions Parade 2016
Barcelona FC has retained the Spanish league title La Liga with 3-0 score against Granada in the final match. Luis Suárez finished as top scorer, being the first player apart from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to do so since the 2008–09 season. The football club finished the tournament with 91 points in total. It is Barcelona FC’s fifth straight win and eighth league title in 12 seasons. Football Club Real Madrid finished second with a 2-0 win over Deportivo.
La Liga is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system. It is contested by 20 teams, with the three lowest-placed teams relegated to the Segunda Division and replaced by the top two teams in that division plus the winner of a play-off. Real Madrid had won the title for a record 32 times and Barcelona has won it 24 times.
Quick Link – FC Barcelona wins
OBITUARY
Andre Brahic, discoverer of Neptune’s rings, dies
Andre Brahic, one of the people who discovered the rings of Neptune, has died aged 73. The Frenchman was one of the team who first spotted the rings in 1984, naming them Equality, Fraternity and Liberty after the motto of the French Republic. In a tribute, French President Francois Hollande said Brahic had known “how to easily explain the mysteries of space”.
Brahic, who was 73, was seen as a key figure in increasing public awareness of research into space. He once said science “could make the eyes of small children light up”. His discovery of Neptune’s rings, along with American astronomer William Hubbard, followed on from his interest in the rings of Saturn.
Quick Link – Andre Brahic dies
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