UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 06-01-2021

Bank Investment Company

A Bank Investment Company (BIC) would be established by the government under Companies act, 2013.
BIC would act as a core investment company and will hold more than 50% shares in Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
The character of BIC’s business would make it resemble a passive sovereign wealth fund for the Government’s banks.
BIC was mooted in 2014 by the Reserve Bank of India’s PJ Nayak Committee to review governance of boards of banks.
As per the Committee’s recommendations, the government set up a Bank Boards Bureau (in 2016) for selecting the top management of PSBs.

Kochi-Mangaluru Natural Gas Pipeline

This 450 km long gas pipeline has been built by Gas Authority of India Limited i.e., GAIL (India) Ltd.
This pipeline marks an important milestone towards the creation of ‘One Nation One Gas Grid’.
It will carry natural gas from the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Regasification Terminal at Kerala’s Kochi to Karnataka’s Mangaluru.
It will supply eco-friendly Piped Natural Gas (PNG) to households and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to the transportation sector.
It will also supply Natural Gas to commercial and industrial units across the districts along the pipeline.
To overcome the hurdle of laying the pipeline to cross water bodies at many locations, the Horizontal Directional Drilling method was used.

Deepor Beel

Kamrup district administration has prohibited community fishing at Deepor Beel - Assam’s only Ramsar site.
Deepor Beel is a permanent freshwater lake located to the south-west of Guwahati city.
Lying in a former channel of the Brahmaputra river, it lies to the south of the main river channel.
It was designated as a Ramsar site in 2002 for sustaining a range of aquatic life forms besides 219 species of birds.

Himgiri

Himgiri, the first of the three Project 17A ships built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), has been launched.
P17A ships are the first gas turbine propulsion and largest combat platforms ever built at GRSE.

Project 17A

Project 17A or Nilgiri-class frigate is follow-on of the Project 17 Shivalik-class stealth frigate for the Indian Navy.

A total of seven P17A ships are being built using integrated construction methodology at Mazagon Dock and GRSE.
P17A frigates integrate new design concepts for improved survivability, sea keeping, stealth, ship manoeuvrability, advanced indigenous weapon and sensor fit along with other improvements.

Bird Flu

The mysterious deaths of thousands of birds, across species, in several parts of India have prompted concerns about bird flu.
Bird flu or Avian influenza is a disease caused by infection with avian flu Type A viruses.
These viruses are found naturally in wild aquatic birds around the world and can infect domestic poultry as well as other bird and animal species.
Based on their molecular characteristics and potency, these viruses are divided into,
1. Low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) A viruses - Causes mild or no disease, and
2. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A viruses - Causes severe infection that leads to high mortality.

Avian influenza A viruses can infect birds through contact with infected wild birds or other infected poultry, as well as surface contamination.
Human infections, though rare, happen when sufficient quantity of bird flu virus enters a person’s nose, eyes or mouth, or through inhalation.

Sagarmala Seaplane Services Project

Sea Plane will utilise the nearby water bodies for take-off and landing.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways kicked off the project of Sagarmala Seaplane Services (SSPS) with potential airline operators.
The joint development and operation of SSPS on the select routes will be undertaken by forming a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL).
[SDCL would execute and implement the SDCL project.
SDCL comes under the administrative control of the Shipping Ministry.]
The proposed Origin-Destination pairs are developed under Hub and Spoke model.
One Seaplane Service is already in operation between Kevadia and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad.

Source: Hindustan Times, Economic Times, Business Line, The Hindu, Down To Earth, Times Now