Daily News

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Nipah the virus that has put entire Kerala in panic mode

Eight deaths in the state are being investigated for possible links to the Nipah virus in Kerala.

Nipah induces flu-like symptoms that often lead to encephalitis and coma.

According to WHO fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus is considered the main carrier of the virus for which there is no vaccination.

Did you Know

Nipah was first identified in Malaysia in 1998. In India, the disease was first reported in 2001 and again six years later, with the two outbreaks claiming 50

Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans.

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Sailing around the world in 254 days

At Verem in north Goa, INSV Tarini was received at the INS Mandovi jetty by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

INSV Tarini became the first Indian vessel with an all-women crew to successfully circumnavigate the world.

The expedition named Navika Sagar Parikrama.

The team of 6 women sailed for 254 days and covered 22,000 nautical miles.

Did you Know

INSV Tarini is the second sailboat of the Indian Navy.

She was constructed at Aquarius Shipyard located in Goa.

After undergoing extensive sea trials, she was commissioned to Indian Navy service on 18 February 2017.

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Bengaluru gets its first ‘Bicycle Mayor’

Bengaluru got its first ‘Bicycle Mayor’ as 42-year-old civic activist Satya Shankaran.

The Bicycle Mayor is an honorary two-year position, part of a global programme envisioned by Amsterdam-based NGO ByCS, which aims to ensure that 50% of the transport in cities is made up of bicycles by 2030.

In India, the project is being implemented in coordination with the NGO Evangelical Social Action Forum (ESAF).

Did you Know

Mr. Shankaran is the co-founder of the NGO Prajaa, which has been focusing on civic interventions in Bengaluru, and the founder of Citizens for Sustainability (Cifos), focusing on technology and infrastructure.

He has been actively involved in projects concerning non-motorised transport.

Bangalore is third in India to have a Bicycle Mayor after Vadodara in Gujarat and Guwahati in Assam.

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Rare Black Panther recorded in Odisha

Odisha’s forest and Environment Department have recorded the presence of black panthers in a forest in Sundargarh district.

This makes Odisha the 9th State in India where the elusive and rare big cat has been seen.

Reserve forest where the footage has been recorded is spread across the Hemgir and Gopalpur Range.

Did you Know

Black Panther or melanistic leopard is a colour variant of the Indian leopard and the footage of this animal.

The leopards’ skins vary in colour and the jet black melanistic form is called black panther.

It is very shy and found in densely forested areas of southern India.

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Arunachal enters India’s commercial aviation map

Arunachal Pradesh becomes the last of the eight northeastern States to be on India’s commercial flight service map.

Pasighat Airport, too, made it to the record books as India’s easternmost airport with civilian operations.

Pasighat, about 570 km northeast of Guwahati, is the headquarters of East Siang district and the State’s oldest city.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Air India said the near-full flight holds promise for the thrice-a-week service on the Kolkata-Guwahati-Pasighat circuit introduced under UDAN.

Did you Know

Pasighat Airport, one of six operational advance landing grounds (ALGs) in Arunachal Pradesh primarily for military use, was laid in 1952 but was virtually abandoned after the China-India war in 1962 until the Indian Air Force took it over in 2010.

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World Bank extends $300 mn credit to scale up energy efficiency program

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved Rs 1,496 crore loan and Rs 544 crore guarantee for the India Energy Efficiency Scale-Up Program.

The Program, to be implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), will help scale up the deployment of energy saving measures in residential and public sectors, strengthen EESL’s institutional capacity, and enhance its access to commercial financing.

Did you Know

World Bank

Headquarter in Washington D.C., U.S.

President: Jim Yong Kim, 12th, South Korea

CEO: Kristalina Georgieva, Bulgaria

Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)

EESL was formed under India’s Ministry of Power to facilitate energy efficiency projects.

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Informal Summit between India and Russia

PM Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin held their first informal Summit in the city of Sochi in the Russian Federation.

Both leaders expressed their concern over terrorism and radicalization, and their determination to combat terrorism.

They endorsed the importance of restoring peace and stability in Afghanistan in an atmosphere free from the threat of terrorism.

Did you Know

Russia, the world’s largest nation, borders European and Asian countries as well as the Pacific and Arctic oceans.

Capital: Moscow

Currency: Russian Ruble

President: Vladimir Putin

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Delhi’s Purana Qila gets a makeover

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken up several important conservation, restoration, Up-Gradation & development works at the Historical Purana Qila in New Delhi.

ASI has taken up conservation and upgradation of Central Antiquity Collection Section (CAC) which spread in the cells along the periphery of the fortification.

The CAC section is being designed into a modern gallery which will display artifacts and pottery from Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Taxila, Chanhu-daro and Central Asia as well as from Indian sides like Kalibangan, Hastinapur, Arikamedu, Tamluk etc.

Did you Know

Purana Qila (Old Fort) is one of the oldest forts in Delhi. The present citadel at Purana Qila was believed to have been built under Sher Shah Suri.

ASI under the Ministry of Culture is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.

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Prabhat Dairy enters beverages segment

Prabhat Dairy Ltd. has entered the dairy beverages segment in a bid to grow its consumer business from the current ₹400 crore to ₹1,000 crore in 2 years.

Beverages such as milkshakes, lassi, and Chaas would be made available in retail stores in Tetra Pak.

The firm plans to expand its beverage market in two phases. In phase I, it will cover Maharashtra followed by pan-India expansion in phase II next year.

B2C segment: This venture is aimed at increasing the market share in B2C (business to consumer) segment.

Piloted the ‘Goodness Zones’ in Ahmednagar district and are looking for fast expansion in tier II and tier III cities.

Did you Know

Categorisation of cities on the basis of a grading structure devised by the GoI helps the authorities to allot House Rent Allowance (HRA) to the employees of the public sector, posted in different cities across the country.

Recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission of 2008- the cities are categorised under sections X, Y and Z better known as Tier-I, Tier-II, and Tier-III cities, respectively.

There are about 8 Tier I cities, 26 Tier II cities, 33 Tier III cities and over 5,000 Tier IV towns, while there are more than 638,000 villages in the country.

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Moody’s Downgrades PNB

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded PNB from ba3 to ba1 after the completion of a rating review started after the bank was hit by letters of undertaking (LoU) scam.

The downgrade reflects the negative impact of fraud on the bank’s standalone profile, particularly its capital position.

Moody’s said PNB will require external capital of about ₹12-₹13,000 crore.

Did you Know

MOODY’S: Moody's assigns ratings on the basis of assessed risk and the borrower's ability to make interest payments, and its ratings are closely watched by many investors.

It was founded in 1909, and the headquarter is in New York.

LoU is an undertaking provided by one bank by another bank, in favour of or on behalf of the customer.