WORLD GK

Diu : First & Only Union Territory in the Country to be Fully Run on Solar Energy

Diu has become the first and only Union Territory in the country to be fully run on solar energy.

The UT generates total of 13 megawatts (MW) of electricity from solar power generating facilities daily.

Of this, 3 MW is generated by rooftop solar plants and 10 MW by its other solar power plants.

Key Facts
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Diu’s peak-time demand for electricity goes up to 7 MW and now it daily generates about 10.5 MW of electricity from solar energy, making it electricity surplus.

Despite scarcity of land, solar power plants have been installed over more than 50 acres.

The solar power also has come as big relief for local residents as their monthly bill charges have fallen by around 12%.

It also has significantly reduced electricity loss.

Background
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Diu has an area of just 42 square kilometres and population of 56,000.

For water and electricity, the Union territory was solely dependent on Gujarat government.

The electricity supplied from power grid owned by Gujarat government was causing huge line losses.

To overcome this limitation, UT’s administration has decided to set up solar power plants.

Bharati Defence Delivers C-162 Interceptor Boat to Coast Guard

Bharati Defence and Infrastructure Ltd (BDIL) delivered an interceptor boat, C-162 – to Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in Mangaluru, Karnataka.

It is the Sixth in a series of 15 high speed interceptor boats being procured by Indian Coast Guard.

C-162 is to be based at ICG’s Kochi unit, where it will be used mainly for patrolling purposes.

It is 28m-long and has an aluminium hull. It weighs about 60 dead-weight tonnage (DWT) and can attain speeds up to 35 knots.

The vessel is propelled by two engines of 1650 KW each and can accommodate 11 crew.

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India’s First Aviation Multi Skill Development Centre Launched in Chandigarh

Union Civil Aviation Minister, P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated a one-of-its-kind aviation multi skill development centre in Chandigarh.

This aviation multi skill development centre in Chandigarh is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of Airports Authority of India (AAI)

It has been set up by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council of India.

It is equipped with modern training infrastructure to supplement an industry-relevant course curriculum.

Over the next three years, the centre will train (free of cost) nearly 2300 students in eight aviation job roles.

Background
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Demand for aviation skilled personnel is rising commensurately in India with boom in civil aviation sector witnessed in last 3-4 years.

In the coming few years, more than 900 new aircraft are expected to be inducted by Indian scheduled airlines.

Air connectivity for both passenger transport and air freight is increasing with new air routes and operationalisation of unserved and underserved airports through UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS).

With this, aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and ground-handling demands for skilled personnel are also rising in tandem.

's :

first person to swim across the English Channel
----Mathew Webb (UK, 1875)

first woman to swim across the English Channel
----Gertrude Ederle (USA, 1926)

India Successfully Test-Fires Nuclear Capable Ballistic Agni II Missile

Indian Army successfully test-fired nuclear-capable Agni-II ballistic missile from the Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.

The missile test was conducted by the Indian Army’s Strategic Forces Command with logistic support from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

User Trials of Agni Series Missiles
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This was third successful trial of an Agni series missile in the last one month.

Earlier, a 5000-km range Agni-V was successfully test fired on January 18, 2018 and a user trial of 700-km range Agni-I was also conducted on February 6, 2018.

The first prototype of an operational variant of the Agni-II was tested on April 11, 1999.

About Agni-II Missile
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• Agni-II is a medium-range ballistic missile with two solid fuel stages.

• It is 20 metres long, weighs 17 tonnes and can carry a payload of 1000 kg.

• It has a strike range of more than 2000 km.

• It is equipped with advanced high accuracy navigation system guided by a novel scheme of state of the earth command.

• The missile can be fitted with 150 kilo ton of yield nuclear warheads in addition to chemical and high explosive versions.

• It can be fired from both rail and road mobile launchers and it takes only 15 minutes for the missile to be readied for firing.

World’s First Hyperloop Between Mumbai and Pune : Maharashtra Sign Deal With Virgin Group

The Virgin Group led by Richard Branson has signed an intent agreement with Maharashtra Government to build world’s first hyperloop transportation system between Mumbai and Pune.

The foundation stone for the project was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on first day of Magnetic Maharashtra investor summit held in Mumbai.

Key Facts
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The proposed hyperloop transportation system will link central Pune with megapolis as well as Navi Mumbai international airport.

It aims to reduce travel time between two mega cities to 20 minutes from three hours at present.

Details of project cost and time-line are yet to be announced.

The proposed loop will be a fully electric system and will have the capability travel up to 1,000 km per hour.

It will be able to ferry 150 million passengers every year.

It will transform transportation system and make Maharashtra global pioneer in this space.

The project will create thousands of jobs and has numerous socioeconomic benefits.

Hyperloop Technology
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Hyperloop Technology is dubbed as fifth mode of transportation.

It is system of magnetically levitating capsules (pods) that are sent at high speeds through low-pressure tubes.

It envisages tube modular transport system that runs free of friction.

It uses linear Induction motors in it to control speed of pods.

It is still in trial stages in different countries and not been implemented for practical use anywhere in world yet.

Advantages
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Hyperloop is two-to-three times faster than fastest high-speed rail and claimed to have speeds even greater than commercial air travel.

It has smaller civil engineering footprint, with no direct emissions or noise compared to railways.

Hyperloop system’s capital cost per mile is 60% that of high-speed rail, and is less expensive to operate.

Furthermore, Hyperloop departures could happen with a low frequency of a pod every 20 seconds which is not possible in railways.

Challenges
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It requires heavy investments and therefore effective public and private sector coordination is prerequisite for implementing it.

It consumes high-power compared to railways.

Technical challenges and accidents may hamper its progress.

Western Command Conducts Tri-Service Maritime Exercise 'Paschim Lehar'

Tri-service maritime exercise ‘Paschim Lehar’ was held off India’s western coast with an aim to build interoperability between Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard.

This exercise includes participation of large number of ships, submarines and aircraft from Western Naval Command of Indian Navy and units from Eastern Naval Command, Indian Army, Air Force and Coast Guard.

Key Facts
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Over 40 ships and submarines and similar number of maritime surveillance, fighter aircraft, helicopters and Remotely Piloted Aircraft of Indian Navy and IAF are participating in the exercise.

It will test operational tasking and amphibious capabilities of armed forces, along with elements of Army Amphibious Brigade.

The exercise also includes number of weapon firings, including missile, gun and torpedo firings during initial phase.

The second phase of the exercise is structured to validate and refine the operational plans of Western Naval Command.

India to Host First Summit of International Solar Alliance

India is to host the first International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit on 11th March 2018, in Delhi.

French President Emanuel Macron will participate in the First International Solar Alliance Summit.

Leaders of African countries, Presidents of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, leaders of South American co untries and Pacific Islands are expected to attend the summit.

Heads of World Bank, ADB (Asian Development Bank), BRICS Bank and European Investment Bank are also expected to participate in the summit.

The International Solar Alliance is a treaty based inter-governmental alliance.

It comprises of 121 solar energy abundant nations located between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.

The aim of ISA is to make solar energy affordable, develop solar grids and solar credit mechanism.

Shikhar Dhawan : First Indian Batsman to Score Century in 100th ODI

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan became the first Indian batsman to score a century in his 100th One-day International on February 10, 2018.

Dhawan reached the historic mark during the fourth ODI of India’s six-match series against South Africa at the Wanderers.

This was the batsman’s first century in South Africa. His score total included two sixes and 10 fours.

Key Highlights
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• The only other Indian batsman to have come close to scoring a century in his 100th ODI was former Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly, who fell for 97 during the 1999 World Cup game against South Africa.

• Internationally, Dhawan became the ninth batsman to score a century in his 100th ODI.

• The last batsman to achieve the feat was Australian opener David Warner, who scored a century against India in September 2017.

• The other batsmen to achieve the landmark include Gordon Greenidge, Chris Cairns, Mohammad Yousuf, Kumar Sangakkara, Chris Gayle, Marcus Trescothick and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

About Shikhar Dhawan
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• The 32-year-old left-handed batsman made his ODI debut in 2010 against Australia.

• His landmark century in India’s 4th ODI against South Africa was also his 13th one. He scored a brisk 109 runs from just 105 balls.

• With the century, he also became the first Indian opener since Sachin Tendulkar in 2001, to score a century against South Africa in their home pitch.

• Prior to this match, Dhawan’s total run tally in his 99 outings for Team India includes 4,200 runs at an average of 45.65.

Air Pollution May Lead to Unethical Behaviour : Study

According to a study on adults in India and the US, exposure to air pollution may lead to unethical behaviour such as crime and cheating.

According to Jackson G Lu, a behavioural scientist at US’s Columbia Business School and one of the study’s lead researchers, the research reveals that air pollution may have potential ethical costs that go beyond its well-known toll on health and the environment.

The study was published in a journal called Psychological Science.


Key Findings
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• The findings suggest that air pollution does not only impact people's health, but it can also contaminate people’s morality.

• Previous studies have indicated that exposure to air pollution elevates individuals' feelings of anxiety, which is known to correlate with a range of unethical behaviours.

• In one study, the researchers examined air pollution and crime data for 9,360 US cities collected over a nine-year period.

First-Ever Pelican Festival Begins at Atapaka Bird Sanctuary

The ‘Pelican Bird Festival-2018’ was held for first in Atapaka Bird Sanctuary on at Kolleru lake in Andhra Pradesh.

It was jointly organised by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) and Krishna district administration.

Background
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During winter season, thousands of pelicans, painted storks and other birds migrate to Kolleru lake.

During their stay they roost, breed and later fly away with their off springs.

Recently, Atapaka Bird Sanctuary was recognised as one of the largest pelicanry in the world.

Kolleru Lake
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Kolleru Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India located in Andhra Pradesh.

It is located between Krishna and Godavari deltas.

It spans into two districts of Andhra Pradesh- Krishna and West Godavari.

It was declared as wildlife sanctuary in November 1999 under Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, and designated wetland of international importance in November 2002 under Ramsar Convention.

It is important habitat for resident and migratory birds, including the grey or spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis).

Many birds migrate here in winter, such as Siberian crane, ibis, and painted storks.