1. Govt To Create 2.5Lakh Dalit Entrepreneurs Under Stand Up India
i. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Stand up India Start up India initiative in New Delhi in January.
ii. The launch by the prime minister was done at the virtual exhibition and interaction with Startup entrepreneurs.
iii. At the inauguration of the 5th National Industrial & Trade Fair organised by Dalit Indian Chamber Commerce & Industry (DICCI) , Union Minister for MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) Kalraj Mishra has announced that, Under Stand-up India initiative, each of the 1.25 lakh bank branches would be encouraged to fund a SC/ST and woman entrepreneurs to create 2.5 lakh new entrepreneurs in the country.
iv. According to Mishra’s observation the availability of adequate credit was always been a major issue and his ministry has taken several initiatives to address the challenges .
v. The dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry has been encouraging and facilitating Dalit enterprise as a means of empowerment and has also ensured that the community contributes in the economy, and be the job givers, not job seekers.
2. ISRO Has Established GIRI Radar System In Andhra Pradesh
i. The Gadanki Ionospheric Radar Interferometer (GIRI) has been set up at the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL) near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh by The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
ii. NARL is an autonomous research institute of the Department of Space.
iii. Gadanki Ionospheric Radar Interferometer System is a 30 MHz radar system that will be engaged in meteor and space weather research in a comprehensive way.
iv. It consists of a rectangular antenna array of 160 two-element Yagi-antenna, arranged in a 20×8 matrix, 20 transmitter units, 6 digital receivers including data processing systems, a radar controller, and a host computer.
v. The main aim of GIRI is to carry out unattended observations towards studying the forcing from the sun like variation in solar flux, solar flare and magnetic storm on the ionospheric irregularities.
3. Fourth unit of NTPC-Bihar govt owned 195-Mw plant synchronised
i. The 4th unit of 195-Mw Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station (MTPS) has been successfully synchronised with the national grid.
ii. The plant is owned by Kanti Bijlee Utpadan Nigam Ltd, a joint venture between NTPC and Bihar State Power Generation Company Ltd, in which the two companies have 64.57% and 35.43% shares.
iii. First unit of 110 Mw at MTPS started generation in November, 2013, while the second unit of 110 Mw started generation in November, 2014, after successful renovation and modernisation work carried out by BHEL. Both the units, each of 110 Mw, had stopped generation in 2003.
iv. The plant, which is being constructed at the existing site of an old power plant, would draw water from the river Burhi Gandak.
v. It would get coal supply from a coal block of Central Coalfield Ltd located in Jharkhand.
4. Mizoram, JICA Sign Pact for Promoting Sustainable Agriculture
i. The Mizoram government and Japanese International Cooperative Agency (JICA) signed an agreement on Capacity Enhancement for Sustainable Agriculture and Irrigation Development.
ii. The Memorandum of Understanding(MoUs) was signed by top officials of Agriculture, Minor Irrigation, Horticulture and Soil and Water Conservation departments in the presence of state chief secretary Lalmalsawma.
iii. The Mizoram government and Japanese International Cooperative Agency (JICA) signed an agreement on Capacity Enhancement for Sustainable Agriculture and Irrigation Development.
iv. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by top officials of Agriculture, Minor Irrigation, Horticulture and Soil and Water Conservation departments in the presence of state chief secretary Lalmalsawma.
5. BHEL commissioned 600 MW Jaipur Thermal Power Plant in Telangana
i. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), a Maharatna central public sector enterprise, has successfully commissioned a 600 Mw coal-based thermal power plantin Telangana.
ii. The company has built 600 Mw rating sets which comprise of a four cylinder turbine, designed in-house. With the commissioning of the unit, Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) has successfully diversified into the power generation business.
iii. The heavy engineering major had earlier commissioned a 600 Mw thermal power plant at Kakatiya in the state in last December.
iv. The company commissioned 85 per cent of the coal-based power stations in Telangana amounting to 5,180 Mw.
v. The state government has recently placed orders with the company for executing around 6,000 Mw of thermal power projects in the state on engineering procurement construction basis.
6. Andhra govt set to inaugurate country’s first lift irrigation project
i. Andhra government which is known for its innovations and use of technologies in various sectors has also become the first Indian state to implement lift irrigation.
ii. Andhra Pradesh government is all set to inaugurate Pattiseema lift irrigation project, described as the first river linking project in country, connecting Godavari with Krishna in this lower riparian state, as it has been completed in a record time of one year.
iii. The first pump of this Rs 1,300-crore project was installed and switched on in September, 2015, about six months after the project contract was awarded to Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) on condition to complete the entire project in one year.
iv. The project was designed to lift 80 tmc (trillion metric cubic feet) of flood water in a span of 110 days during the flooding season between July and October from Godavari as was permitted by the Godavari Water Dispute Tribunal (GWDT) from the ongoing Polavaram Multi-purpose Irrigation Project.
7. Iran signs oil contract with France’s Total
i. Iran signed a confidential oil agreement with France’s Total to develope the South Azadegan oil field shared by Iran and Iraq, Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zangeneh said.
ii. Iran reached an agreement with the Japanese Inpex a decade ago to develop the oil field, however, the Japanese company quit the project as a result of US sanctions against Iran’s energy sector because of the disputed nuclear issue.
iii. Iran and the world powers clinched a nuclear deal in July last year which enables the country to re-engage with the world’s energy giants to develop its oil and gas fields.
8. Pakistan and Iran agree to boost cooperation on security, trade
i. Iran and Pakistan have mutually agreed to boost bilateral cooperation on regional security and trade.
ii. Decision in this regard was taken by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during intensive talks in Islamabad.
iii. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is on official state visit to Pakistan and is the first visit by an Iranian head of state in 14 years.
iv. Both the countries have agreed to fight extremist and terrorist groups in their countries’ shared border. They also announced the opening of two new crossing points to encourage trade long hampered by sanctions.
v. The opening will contribute to economic integration in the region and also promote tourism and people to people contacts.
9. Garry Shandling The Comedian And Actor Has Passed Away
i. Garry Shandling, the famous comedian who was best known for his faux docudrama and the show ” it’s Garry Shandling’s ” has passed away due to an apparent heart attack. He was 66 year old.
ii. Mr. Shandling became a hero to a generation of comedians for his self aware comedy and groundbreaking shows.
iii. He performed standup comedy and became a regular guest host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
iv. Shandling was born in Chicago and grew up in Arizona. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s, beginning as an advertising copywriter before getting a job writing for the sitcom Sanford and Son.
v. It’s Garry Shandling’s Show first graced American TV sets in 1986 with the eponymous protagonist portraying a high-strung comedian whose love life was on the rocks. The Larry Sanders Show debuted in 1992, earning the comedian cult status and numerous awards.
10. Actor Peter Brown passes away
i. Peter Brown, who had starring roles in two television westerns in the 1950s and ’60s and later acted in soap operas, has died at the age of 80 due to Parkinson’s disease.
ii. Mr. Brown played Deputy Johnny McKay on “Lawman,” which was seen on ABC from 1958 until 1962. His character was the wide-eyed but tough sidekick of Marshal Dan Troop, played by John Russell, tasked with bringing order to Laramie, Wyo.
iii. He was born Pierre Lind de Lappe in New York City on Oct. 5, 1935, and his name was changed when his mother remarried. He moved with his family to the West Coast when he was young.
iv. Mr. Brown’s last acting credit came in 2005 when he returned to the western genre in the movie “Hell to Pay,” but his family said he continued to make appearances at collectors’ shows and western festivals.
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