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UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 05-10-2020

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October 05, 2020

Atal Tunnel

  • World’s longest highway tunnel at Rohtang was recently inaugurated.
  • It is a 9.02 km-long-tunnel, at an altitude of above 3,000 metres.
  • It connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley.
  • It is built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
  • It provides all-weather connectivity to the landlocked valley of Lahaul-Spiti, which remains cut-off for 6 months due to bad weather connection.
  • It is also strategically important as it provide better connectivity to the armed forces in reaching Ladakh.

K family and Shaurya Missile

  • The K family of missiles are primarily Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles.
  • It is a nuclear capable ballistic missile.
  • It is indigenously developed by DRDO.
  • Missiles from this family are launched from Arihant class of nuclear submarines.
  • The capability of being able to launch nuclear weapons submarine platforms has great strategic importance in context of achieving a nuclear triad.
  • Shaurya is a land-based variant of short range K-15 Sagarika.

Wildlife Week

  • Wildlife Week is observed from October 2 to 8 every year.
  • The theme of this year campaign is to promote the preservation of fauna.
  • As part of it, an intensified tree planting exercise was organised in Western Ghats bordering Tamil Nadu.
  • Various kinds of dioecious trees are being planted in the Cheekoor forest range areas.
  • It is also an attempt to protect the fast dwindling vulture population in the Western Ghats.
  • The various parts of the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu is home to at least 4 kinds of vultures which play a major role in ensuring the eco-balance in the forest.

Dhaulasidh Hydro Electric Project

  • The project is going to be launched in Beas River in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh.
  • The capacity of the project will be 66 MW.
  • It is a run-of-the river project with little storage capacity for production of electricity during lean period.

New Species in Western Ghats

  • Two new species of pipeworts was discovered in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
  • Scientists from the Agharkar Research Institute in Pune have discovered it.
  • Pipeworts (Eriocaulon) is a plant group which completes its life cycle within a small period during monsoon.
  • It exhibits great diversity in the Western Ghats.
  • The species from Maharashtra has been named Eriocaulon parvicephalum (due to its minute inflorescence size).
  • The other reported from Kumta, Karnataka is called Eriocaulon karaavalense (named after Karaavali, Coastal Karnataka region).

Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE)

  • The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) was launched in 2013 as a response to the call at Rio+20.
  • It aims to support those countries wishing to embark on greener and more inclusive growth trajectories.
  • PAGE seeks to put sustainability at the heart of economic policies and practices to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  • PAGE brings together five UN agencies
  1. UN Environment,
  2. International Labour Organization,
  3. UN Development Programme,
  4. UN Industrial Development Organization,
  5. UN Institute for Training and Research
  • PAGE represents a mechanism to coordinate UN action on green economy.
  • It also aims to assist countries in achieving and monitoring the emerging Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 8: “Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

 

Source: PIB, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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