Stages of Amphan Cyclone
Date/Time(IST) |
Position (Lat. 0N/ long. 0E) |
Maximum sustained surface wind speed (Kmph) |
Category of cyclonic disturbance |
19.05.20/1130 |
16.5/86.9 |
210-220 gusting to 240 |
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm |
19.05.20/1730 |
17.1/87.1 |
200-210 gusting to 230 |
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm |
19.05.20/2330 |
18.0/87.3 |
190-200 gusting to 220 |
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm |
20.05.20/0530 |
19.3/87.7 |
180-190 gusting to 210 |
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm |
20.05.20/1130 |
20.9/88.2 |
160-170 gusting to 190 |
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm |
20.05.20/2330 |
22.7/88.7 |
95-105 gusting to 115 |
Cyclonic Storm |
21.05.20/1130 |
24.3/89.3 |
50-60 gusting to 70 |
Depression |
21.05.20/2330 |
25.6/90.2 |
20-30 gusting to 40 |
Low Pressure Area |
Source: PIB
Star Rating Protocol of Garbage Free cities
Context
A total of six cities have been certified as 5-Star (Ambikapur, Rajkot, Surat, Mysuru, Indore and Navi Mumbai), 65 cities as 3-Star and 70 cities as 1-Star. While announcing the results of the Star Rating Protocol of Garbage Free cities under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
About Star Rating Protocol of Garbage Free cities
Vision
Source: PIB
National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC)
Key functions:
Composition:
Source: PIB
Doppler Weather Radar
Context
Extremely severe Cyclone Amphan very likely to move north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans during Afternoon to Evening hours of 20th May 2020 with maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph.
The system is now being continuously tracked by the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Paradip (Odisha) and Gopalpur (Odisha).
About Doppler Weather Radar
What is Radar?
Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging) is a device which uses electromagnetic waves in the microwaves region to detect location (range & direction), altitude, intensity and movement of moving and non-moving objects.
What is Doppler Principle?
When the source and the signal are in relative motion to each other there is a change in the frequency observed by the observer. If they are moving closer frequency increases and vice versa.
What is Doppler Radar?
Doppler radar is a specific radar that uses the Doppler principle to produce relative motion data about objects at a distance.
Indian Doppler Radar:
Also known as INDRA series of 2D Radars and developed by DRDO for the use of Airforce and the Army. Some have been even exported to Sri Lanka.
INDRA-1: Is low-level target detection mobile surveillance radar.
INDRA 2: Is a modified version of INDRA radar for ground controlled interception of targets. It uses pulse compression to detect low flying aircraft.
Application of Doppler Radars:
Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) by ISRO
Polarimetric Doppler Weather Radar
Source: PIB
WAG12
Advantages of WAG12
Madhepura factory
Source: PIB
National Test Abhyas
Context
Union Human Resource Development Minister launched a AI-powered mobile app called the ‘National Test Abhyas'.
About National Test Abhyas
Source: PIB
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (1913-1996)
Context
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, paid homage to Shri Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, former President of India, at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (May 19, 2020) on his Birth Anniversary. He paid floral tributes in front of the portrait of Shri Neelam Sanjiva Reddy.
About Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
Source: PIB
Keoladeo National Park
It is Located in Bharatpur district, the eastern part of Rajasthan. The park is spread over nearly 30 sq.km which comprises many artificial and seasonal lagoons. Keoladeo attracts several migratory birds that make the region their breeding and wintering grounds.
Ramsar convention
The Convention on Wetlands called the Ramsar Convention is the intergovernmental treaty. It provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. Since then, almost 90% of UN member states, from all the world’s geographic regions, have acceded to become “Contracting Parties”.
The Convention uses a broad definition of wetlands, It includes all lakes and rivers, underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, Peatlands, oases, estuaries, deltas and tidal flats, mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs, and all human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs and salt pans.
Source: TH
Ujh multipurpose project
The Central Water Commission (CWC) has finalised a detailed report on Ujh multi-purpose project . The project is to come up in Kathua district, will store around 0.65 million acre feet (MAF) of water from Ujh (a tributary of Ravi).
CWC
Central Water Commission is a premier Technical Organization of India in the field of Water Resources. It is presently functioning as an attached office of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (NOW JAL SHAKTI MANTARALYA).
The Commission is entrusted with the general responsibilities of initiating, coordinating and furthering in consultation of the State Governments concerned, schemes for control, conservation and utilization of water resources throughout the country, for purpose of Flood Control, Irrigation, Navigation, Drinking Water Supply and Water Power Development. It also undertakes the investigations, construction and execution of any such schemes as required.
Source: PIB
Spike missile
Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel. This is because of decision of defence ministry to procure world-class missile from state owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) by 2021. Spike is a man-portable "fire and forget' missile built by Israel's state-run firm, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, which can hit moving targets such as a tank. It allows the soldier who fires the missile to quickly move for cover.
Barak missile
India is now planning a deal for 131 Barak surface-to-air missiles from the Israeli firm coasting around $70 million. These missiles are surface to air missiles designed to be used as a ship-borne anti-missile defence system against anti-ship missiles. Barak also known as LR-SAM or as MR-SAMis an Indian-Israeli surface-to-air missile (SAM), both maritime and land-based versions of the Barak exist. Barak 8 was jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), India's Defence Research &Development Organisation (DRDO).
Source: PIB
Humpback Whale
Source: TH
NABARD
The Parliament has recently passed the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Amendment) Bill, 2017. The Bill seeks to amend the NABARD Act, 1981 which establishes NABARD by transferring the agricultural credit functions of RBI and refinance functions of the then Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation (ARDC).
Direct Finance |
Refinance |
|
|
Source: PIB
Classical Language Status
Maharashtra government has sent a proposal to Ministry of Culture for granting classical language status to Marathi language. As of now, six languages i.e. Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia and Sanskrit have been given the status of classical languages.
The criteria adopted for the eligibility of a language for granting classical language status are
The benefits include-
Source: PIB
Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga
Jagdishpur-Haldia & Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas Pipeline (JHBDPL) project is also known as Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga. The 2,655 km project aims to connect the eastern states to the national gas grid.
Source: PIB
Swayam Prabha
The Swayam Prabha is a group of 32 DTH channels devoted to telecasting of high-quality educational programmes on 24X7 basis using the GSAT-15 satellite. The channels cover higher education, school education and assist the students (class 11th & 12th) prepare for competitive exams.
Under Swayam Prabha, the government had one DTH channel in English and Hindi of the 32 channels for telecasting educational programmes dedicated to teacher training. The government has decided to increase it to 3 channels along with providing an encoder device that permits live video interaction ISRO is collaborating with NIOS in providing the devices to the teachers.
Source: PIB
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra is the Director General of IMD
Source: TH
Cerberus-Trojanware
A malicious software called Cerberus is stealing financial data such as credit card details by luring people with COVID-19 related information, the Central Bureau of Investigation has warned states, Union territories and agencies after receiving Interpol inputs.
The Trojan virus contacts smartphone users via text messages and asks to click on a link saying it will provide COVID-19 updates. When clicked, the link installs a malicious application on their phones, which extracts sensitive financial data.
This malicious software takes advantage of COVID-19 Pandemic to impersonate and send SMS using the lure of COVID-19 related content to download the embedded malicious link, which deploys its malicious app usually spread via phishing campaigns to trick users into installing it on their smartphones.
Source: TH
Awa Guaja
Source: TH
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