Daily Current Affairs, 29th January 2020

1) GOI launches Bhuvan Panchayat V3 web Portal developed by ISRO

•Union Minister of State for PMO Jitendra Singh launched the Bhuvan Panchayat V3 web Portal in Anthariksh Bhavan, ISRO Head Quarters in Bengaluru. This web Portal will enhance network application of gram panchayats. The Portal will function with the help of satellite technology developed by ISRO.

•In the project, ISRO will collaborate with the gram panchayat members and stakeholders to understand their data requirements. The third version of the portal will provide database visualisation and services for the benefit of panchayat members, among others. The project is meant to provide geospatial services to aid the gram panchayat development planning process of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

2) Govt of Odisha launches virtual police station

•The State Government of Odisha has launched a virtual police station where people can lodge complaints from their respective districts without visiting Police Station. The e-police station will function from the State Crime Records Bureau in Bhubaneswar. These initiatives are effectively reducing the necessity of citizens to visit Police Stations.

•The state government also launched the medico-legal opinion system and road accident case document module at Lok Seva Bhawan in the capital, in a bid to reduce human interface with government offices. The medico-legal opinion system is a web-based system that will benefit both the police and medical professionals. The road accident case documents module is a web-based application which can be accessed from the website www.imsop.odisha.gov.in. Through this web-based application, victims of road accidents, as well as insurance companies, can download documents like FIR, final form, spot map, MVI report, inquest, post-mortem report, driving licence, and registration certificates.

3) Uddhav Thackeray inaugurates Nagpur Metro Aqua line

•The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated 18.5 kilometre-long stretch of Nagpur Metro Aqua line of Maha Metro Rail Network. The newly inaugurated Nagpur Metro Aqua line passing over the Ambazari lake in the city will connect the east and west parts of the city.

•This Metro line will facilitate the commuters coming from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation’s Hingana area and adjoining areas of the outskirts of the city. This Line will have six stations starting from Lokmanya Nagar to Sitabuldi Interchange Metro Station. Nagpur Metro is the Greenest Metro deriving 65 per cent of its power consumption from Solar Energy. Nagpur Metro network is now operational up to 24.5 kilometres.

4) “Samvidhaan” announced as the Oxford Hindi Word of the Year 2019

•Oxford University Press (OUP) named “Samvidhaan” (Constitution) the Oxford Hindi Word of 2019. It received widespread attention in the year which was witness to the spirit of the Indian Constitution being embraced across segments of the society. The word was chosen as 2019 saw the values of democracy, secularism, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity being tested on the touchstone of the Constitution or “Samvidhaan”.

•"Samvidhaan” means a “body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organisation is acknowledged to be governed”.

5) Indian Railway’s 1st waste-to-energy plant commissioned at Bhubaneswar

•Indian Railways has commissioned India’s 1st governmental waste-to-energy plant in Mancheswar Carriage Repair workshop at Bhubaneswar under the East Coast Railway zone. It has been built at a cost of Rs 1.79 crore and has the capacity to dispose of 500 kg waste, including plastic and e-waste.

•This waste-to-energy plant uses a patented technology called ‘Polycrack’, which is the world’s first patented heterogeneous catalytic process to convert multiple feedstocks into hydrocarbon liquid fuels, gas, carbon and water. This process will produce energy in the form of light diesel oil which is used to light furnaces.

6) India’s 1st underwater metro project in kolkata to be completed by 2022

•The country’s 1st underwater metro project is set to complete its East-West Project of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation, which runs partly under the Hooghly river, West Bengal, by March 2022. The new metro rail is expected to carry about 900,000 people daily & will take less than a minute to cross a 520-meter underwater tunnel. 74% of the East-West Metro project is owned by India’s Railway & remaining 26% by the nation’s Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.

7) Qatar appoints Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdelaziz Al Thani as new PM

•Qatar’s emir has appointed Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdelaziz Al Thani as new Prime Minister. He will replace Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani. The earlier Prime Minister has submitted his resignation. The new prime minister had been the head of the Amiri Diwan, the emir’s office.

8) Tableaux of Assam wins 1st prize at 71st Republic Day parade

•The Tableaux of Assam wins the 1st prize at the Republic Day Parade, 2020 among the States/Union Territories. The theme of Assam’s tableau was “Land of unique craftsmanship and culture”, displaying bamboo and cane work and Bhortal Nritya performed by Xattriya dancers.  Best Tableaux awards for Republic Day Parade, 2020 was given by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

•Odisha and Uttar Pradesh won tied second prize. Odisha’s tableau depicted Lord Lingaraja’s Rukuna Rath Yatra whereas the tableau of Uttar Pradesh showcased the state’s cultural and religious heritage.

•The tableaux of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) and Jal Shakti Mission have jointly adjudged the best tableau among the Ministries and Departments. Central Public Works Department (CPWD) got the Special Prize for their tableau based on the theme Kashmir se Kanyakumari.

9) Former President releases Yashwant Sinha’s autobiography

•Former President Pranab Mukherjee released the autobiography of Yashwant Sinha titled ‘Relentless’. The book describes Sinha’s journey from normal life to a high political powered life. The book is published by Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt Ltd.

•Sinha served as the Union Minister of Finance (MoF) from 1990-1991 during the then Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar govt’s rule. He also served as finance minister from March 1998 to July 2002 under the then Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.