18th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis | Prelims & Mains 2020
“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” –Herman Melville
ORANGE COLOUR: Important for Prelims.
RED COLOUR: Important for Mains.
BLACK COLOUR: Must Read !
BLUE COLOUR : Important Links/Survey.
PINK COLOUR: Reports/Themes/Summits.
Today's Must Read Articles :Page Contents:
NEET, JEE won’t be postponed: SC
HEADLINES:
NEET, JEE won’t be postponed: SC
WHY IN NEWS:
COVID may continue… are you going to wait another year, court asks petitioners
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2 : Judiciary
ISSUE:
Exam authorities’ promise that all necessary precautions would be taken to keep safe the candidates, whose numbers run into lakhs.
VERDICT
- Education should be opened up.
- COVID may continue for a year more.
- Are you going to wait for another year?
IASbhai WINDUP:
- Are you not demanding that the court should be opened up amid COVID? Do you see this glass partition fixed here [between the judges]?-Justice Mishra
- When we are getting ready to open up, you say exams should not be held.
SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 18th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis
Bhadbhut Project
HEADLINES:
Recently, the Gujarat government has awarded the contract for the Bhadbhut project in Bharuch.
WHY IN NEWS:
Hot from IE !
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Ports : IWAI
ISSUE:
BHADBHUT PROJECT
The Inland Waterway Authority of India has given clearance for this project.
LOCATION
It is located across the river Narmada, 5 km from Bhadbhut village and 25 km from the mouth of the river, where it flows into the Gulf of Khambhat.
FEATURES
- The project is part of the larger Kalpasar Project.
- Kalpasar Project aims to store Gujarat’s 25% average annual surface water resources..
- This reservoir will store about 8,000 million cubic metres (MCM) of surface water and will be one of the world’s largest freshwater reservoirs in the sea.
SIGNIFICANCE
- Due to the reduced flow of freshwater, saline seawater gushes into the Narmada estuary during high tide, thus increasing salinity along the banks.
- It will stop most of the excess water flowing out of theSardar Sarovar Dam from reaching the sea and will create a sweet water lake .
- Thus this is likely to solve the freshwater problems in Bharuch.
- This will tap the excess waters of the Narmada, Mahisagar and Sabarmati rivers in the reservoir.
IASbhai WINDUP:
- The barrage is expected to interfere with the migration and breeding cycle of hilsa, blocking their natural entry.
- Hilsa is a marine fish which migrates upstream and arrives in the brackish water of the Narmada estuary near Bharuch for spawning.
- The migration is usually during the monsoon months of July and August and continues doing so till November.
- Part of Aliya Bet, an island in the delta of the Narmada and known for shrimp farming, is likely to get submerged.
SOURCES:IE | 18th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis
Usense
HEADLINES:
FastSense Diagnostics (FD) and Module Innovations (MI)
WHY IN NEWS:
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has funded the above two companies to develop Usense.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Health:Diseases
ISSUE:
USENSE
- FastSense Diagnostics (FD) and Module Innovations (MI), to develop antibody kits as well as a quicker version of the Rapid RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) test .
- The diagnostic kit is being developed on the lines of one of its products called ‘Usense’,
- Usense is a point-of-care diagnostic kit that can detect urinary tract infections within 15 minutes.
- About 50 samples can be tested in an hour.
- This can provide on the spot results in less than 15 minutes per sample.
IASbhai WINDUP:
The start-up is now developing nCoVSENSE, a test device that can detect antibodies generated against COVID-19.
SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 18th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis
SC to study context of charges against Judges
HEADLINES:
SC to study context of charges against judges
WHY IN NEWS:
It will hear arguments on process to make allegations public
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 2 : JUDICIARY
ISSUE:
IASbhai WINDUP:
- Corruption in public life has a wide and expansive definition.
- Corruption is not restricted to pecuniary gratification alone but various instruments identify its particular forms such as bribery, embezzlement, theft, fraud, extortion, abuse of discretion, favouritism, nepotism, clientelism, conduct creating or exploiting conflicting interests.
SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | 18th Aug Current Affairs News Analysis
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