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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 24 May 2020

::NATIONAL::

West Bengal seeks support of army for restoring essential services in state

The West Bengal government on Saturday sought support of the Indian Army, railways and port for restoring essential infrastructure and services in the cyclone-ravaged areas of the state. It also urged private entities to provide manpower and equipment for the purpose.
It said that drinking water and drainage infrastructure is getting restored fast and the Public Health Engineering Department has been asked to supply water pouches in areas where there is a crisis.
The announcement came after protests in several parts of Kolkata and neighbouring districts over power and water crisis even three days after cyclone 'Amphan' hit the state.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged people to have patience as the administration was working tirelessly to restore normalcy.
Cyclone 'Amphan' has claimed 86 lives in the state and caused havoc in at least 14 districts, mainly in South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore.

IMD issues heatwave warning in central and northwestern parts of the country

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave warning over northwest and central India for the coming five days.
The heatwave is due to dry northwesterly winds that are prevailing over these regions over the last two days. Rainfall activity has also reduced over peninsular India, making the southern regions also susceptible to extreme hot weathers. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana might see the mercury rise over the coming week, but only in isolated spots.
The IMD also issued heavy rainfall warnings for the northeastern states. They warned that Assam and Meghalaya should brace themselves for "extremely heavy" rainfall, while other states are slated to experience slight to moderate rain.
The IMD considers a heatwave for a particular region if it reaches at least 40°C or more for plains, 37°C or more............................

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::ECONOMY::

Finance ministry upholds importance of Atmanirbhar Bharat programme

The AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan stimulus package of 20 lakh crore aims at providing the required relief to every sector under stress. Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman while interacting with BJP spokesperson NalinKohli on social media platform informed that government has instructed all Public Sector Banks to start disbursal of collateral free loans through the automatic route.
She said, the series of announcements under the scheme also aim at creating a strong foundation for a hassle free economic operation throughout the country. The Finance Minister said, long pending issues of sectoral reforms have also been addressed.
Responding to a query regarding the fiscal outlay under the AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, Ms Sitharaman said, the economic stimulus is not only restricted to handing out immediate cash to people but is also aimed at creating a sustainable demand base by augmenting employment opportunities.
The Finance Minister also said that the Reserve Bank of India has also taken timely decisions to extend relief on market borrowing and moratoriums on loans. She said these decisions will ensure affordable liquidity in the market.

Centre claims solar energy can reduce electricity costs significantly

Union Minister NitinGadkariyesteray held meeting via video conferencing with the members of Maha Solar Sangathan to understand the opportunities in the solar energy sector.
The Minister highlighted the importance of solar energy and said the sector has huge potential and can help to reduce the electricity cost significantly. He further mentioned that sectors such as agriculture and warehousing are energy extensive sectors and proper commercial use of solar energy can contribute towards reducing power cost.
The Minister emphasized the need of export enhancement along with import substitution to replace foreign imports with domestic production. He encouraged manufacturers to make India self-reliant with the help of “Make in India” products.
Mr Gadkari mentioned that for providing much-needed impetus to the MSME sector.........................

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::INTERNATIONAL::

Srilanka seeks Indian help for revival of economy and stalled projects

Sri Lankan President GotabayaRajapaksa has sought the intervention of PM Modi to revive some of the key projects as Sri Lanka strives to restore the economy in the wake of COVID crisis.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Modi said, Sri Lanka is fighting COVID-19 effectively under the leadership of Mr Rajapaksa and India will continue to support its close maritime neighbour in dealing with the pandemic and its economic impact.
The Prime Minister said, the two nations agreed to accelerate Indian-assisted development projects in Sri Lanka and also strengthen investment links. The Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes for the health and wellbeing of the Sri Lankan people.
President Rajapaksa briefed Prime Minister Modi on the steps being taken by the Sri Lankan government to restart economic activity. They also discussed the possibilities of promoting investments and value-addition in Sri Lanka by the Indian private sector.
Mr.Rajapaksa said he is trying to promote value added industrial and agricultural activities and will be happy to encourage Indian investors to start such investments, including Indian companies already in Sri Lanka to increase domestic value addition.
The Sri Lankan President also requested government of India to provide USD 1.1 billion special SWAP facility to top up USD 400 million under SAARC facility as it would enormously help Sri Lanka in dealing with the foreign exchange issues.

China hints change in BRI path amid debt concerns

China has hinted at a shift in how it will pursue its signature Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) amid growing concerns about debt repayments from many partner countries because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2018, the BRI has had a dedicated sub-section in the NPC report, which is China’s most important policy document. The BRI was written into the Communist Party of China’s Constitution in 2017, underlining its special status.
The report in 2018 did not mention “quality”, merely saying China “will promote the joint pursuit of the BRI”. It also mentioned then China would seek to advance infrastructure connectivity, which was omitted this ...................

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::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

New solar parabolic trough collector developed by Indian researchers

A new trough collector equipped with enhanced energy to serve industries has been developed by Indian Institute of Madras (IIT-M), its researchers said here on Wednesday.
The 'Parabolic Trough Collector' is a lightweight and low-cost system with high energy efficiency and can operate under the country's varied climatic conditions.
The 'Trough Collector' focuses sunlight on a small area where it is absorbed and then utilised for heating and subsequently into energy generation, the researchers said.
The system can help manufacturers in solar energy devices with higher efficiency, they said. The concept also follows the Centre's National Solar Mission which has set a target of providing 20,000 MW solar power by 2022.
"Particularly, concentrated solar power technology can meet therma and electrical energy demands due to its high dispatchability and reliability", Reddy, who led the team to develop the collector, said.States like Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat have great potential to harness this energy, he said.

::SPORTS::

SAI and Cycling federations to conduct trials of JyotiKumari

Sports Minister KirenRijiju has said he will ask the officials of Sports Authority of India(SAI) and Cycling Federations of India to conduct trial of JyotiKumari, a young girl from Bihar who paddled for over 1000 Kms on cycle from Gurugram to Darbhanga with her father as pillion during this lockdown.
In a tweet, Mr Rijiju said that she will be selected as trainee at the National Cycling Academy in the IGI Stadium complex in New Delhi if she is found..................

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