Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 24 MAY 2020

::NATIONAL::

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.
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.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave warning over northwest and central India for the coming five days.
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 for coastal areas, and at least 30°C or more for hilly regions. If at least two weather stations record these temperatures for two consecutive days, a heatwave is officially announced.

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.

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.

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.
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.

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 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 to have potential.