Current Affairs Assam – January 1 - 7, 2020
( Covers all important Assam Current Affairs & GK topics for the week of January 1 – 7, 2020 )
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JANUARY 01, 2020
US varsity honours human rights activist Dibyajyoti Saikia from Assam
- Human rights activist from Assam Dibyajyoti Saikia has been conferred honorary doctorate degree by the California Public University, USA for his invaluable services in the field of human rights, social harmony and community welfare.
- Saikia received the Doctor of Humanities (D Hum) honour at a special programme organised in Tamil Nadu, where a number of other eminent personalities from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Dubai were given honorary doctorate.
- Saikia, who has been actively involved in anti witch-hunting campaigns throughout the State and also in several parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Bihar, has two decades of experience in the field of social work.
- Apart from working in the field of eradication of superstition in the rural pockets of Assam, he has also worked to foster communal harmony.
- Saikia has received a number of other awards and honours including Babu Jagjivan Ram Award, Maulana Azad National Award and Bhupen Hazarika Peace Award.
Assam Govt announced financial grant to indigenous literary bodies
- The State government announced financial grant for indigenous Sahitya Sabhas (literary bodies) of Assam, including Asam Sahitya Sabha and Bodo Sahitya Sabha.
- The State government would provide Rs 10 crore to the corpus fund of Asam Sahitya Sabha, Rs 5 crore to Bodo Sahitya Sabha and Rs 3 crore each to the other indigenous Sahitya Sabhas as one-time grant.
- Accordingly, the Asam Sahitya Sabha would be able to derive an amount of Rs 80 lakh annually as interest from the corpus fund, while the Bodo Sahitya Sabha would receive Rs 40 lakh and other indigenous Sahitya Sabhas would get Rs 24 lakh each annually.
- The Chief Minister also announced that the State government would provide a one-time financial grant of Rs 50,000 each to one thousand new writers belonging to various communities of the State under the ‘Bhasha Gaurav’ scheme which was a budget announcement.
- CM Sonowal hoped that the scheme would be able to inspire young generation writers to engage in literary works in different indigenous languages of the State.
- The Chief Minister also urged the indigenous literary bodies to put emphasis on research works for preservation and promotion of indigenous language and culture, and assured all help from the State government in this regard.
FACTFILE – ‘Bhasha Gaurav Achoni’
- On September 07, 2019, Assam CM Sarbanand Sonwal announced that under the ‘Bhasha Gaurav Achoni’, under which 1000 new generation authors will be provided one-time financial grant of Rs 50,000 each for promotion of various languages of Assam.Various ‘Sahitya Sabhas’ will select the authors for the scheme.
General Bipin Rawat takes charge as first ‘Chief of Defence Staff’
- Former Army Chief BipinRawat, took charge as the first Chief of Defence Staff. General Rawat, who demitted office on retirement as Chief of Indian Army received the guard of honour from all the three forces.
- Besides Rawat, Army Chief Manoj MukundNaravane, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria and Navy Chief Karambir Singh and other senior officers were also present during the guard of honour.
- General Rawat said, “All the three services will work as a team. As per the task given to the Chief of Defence Staff, we have to enhance integration and do better resource management.”
New Indo-Bangla river route opened through Dhubri District
- In a bid to boost trade between Bangladesh and India, the Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh Tanvir Mansur formally opened a river route between India and Bangladesh by flagging of a commercial cargo service between the two countries in Dhubri.
- The Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh said that Indo-Bangla trade has increased manifold in the wake of improving relations between the countries and the new route is likely to give a fresh impetus to bilateral trade.
- On July this year the first cargo vessel from Dhubri to Bangladesh was introduced.
JANUARY 02, 2020
Assam tourism lost Rs 500 crore due to anti-CAA stir
- State tourism sector has lost an estimated revenue of Rs 500 crore due to the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act during the peak tourist season from December to March.
- Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah said when the tourism industry of the State was witnessing a surge in tourist footfall, the violent protest dealt a blow, resulting in trip cancellations and an expected 30 per cent fall in the annual tourist inflow.
- Also, with the negative travel advisories issued by a dozen countries, including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, France, Russia and Israel, the brand value of Assam tourism received a major setback that would take a long time to recover.
- The period from December to March is the peak tourist season for Assam. However, as the violent protests erupted in different corners of the State, including the capital city, a number of sectors, including tour operators, hoteliers, tour guides, transport services to name a few, have been badly hit.
- As a damage control exercise, the ATDC has entered into a tie-up with Google for a digital campaign that would help in image building for the State tourism sector through small promotional videos on YouTube and Facebook, besides pushing promotional contents in the Google search engine.
- The State tourism department that has been running several campaigns to woo foreign tourists is also apprehensive about the duration it will take for withdrawal of negative travel advisories to foreign tourists.
4 IAF pilots selected for India’s manned space mission
- Four ace pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF) were selected for India’s maiden manned mission Gaganyaan around the earth’s orbit by 2022.
- Three of them will go into space to orbit around the earth for a week and conduct experiments in micro-gravity and bio-science.
- The quartet will undergo training in Russia from the third week of this month for becoming the first Indian crew to go into space from native soil.
- The four pilots have undergone medical tests at the Indian Aviation Medicine of the IAF in Bengaluru and in Russia at the space agency which will train them in all aspects of a manned mission in outer space.
RBI launches mobile app MANI for visually impaired
- The Reserve Bank of India launched a unique mobile application for aiding visually impaired persons to identify the denomination of Indian bank notes.
- The application Mobile Aided Note Identifier was launched by RBI Governor.
- At present, Indian bank notes contain several features which enable the visually impaired to identify them, viz., intaglio printing and tactile mark, variable bank note size, large numerals, variable colour, monochromatic hues and patterns.
- The mobile app is capable of identifying the denominations of “Mahatma Gandhi Series and Mahatma Gandhi (New) Series” bank notes by checking “front or reverse side or part of the note including half folded notes at various holding angles and broad range of light conditions”.
- Feature-wise, the app is capable of identifying the denomination through audio notification in either Hindi or English and non-sonic mode such as vibration.
- Besides, it can be navigated via voice controls. After installation, the mobile application does not require internet and works in offline mode.
PM Modi dedicates 5 DRDO Young Scientists Labs to nation
- As part of the ongoing efforts to boost indigeneous research capabilities in the country”s defence sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicate five DRDO Young Scientists Laboratories to the nation.
- The Prime Minister unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion at the Aeronautical Development Establishment in Bengaluru during his two-day visit to Karnataka.
- The Prime Minister also viewed DRDO innovations on show in an exhibition at the event.
- This event comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister”s proposal in 2104 to identify at least five DRDO labs for innovation by young scientists aged under 35 years.
- Giving away the DRDO awards in 2014, Modi had also called for facilitating greater involvement of youth in defence research related activities so that India remained abreast of global technological advancements in the field.
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JANUARY 03, 2020
‘Kayakalp’ certification to Down Town Hospital
- Guwahati’s Down Town Hospital has been rewarded with the ‘Kayakalp’ certification for the year 2019-20 in recognition for its efforts towards excellence in promoting cleanliness, hygiene and infection control in the hospital and contributing to improved quality of care to the patients, said a press statement.
- The assessment was conducted by a team of auditors with expertise in their respective fields from various parts of the country.
Kayakalp is an initiative launched by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and aims to promote and maintain sanitation and hygiene in healthcare facilities.
Wipro, HAL tie up to make aerospace components
- Software major Wipro’s Infrastructure and Engineering arm and aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) tied up to jointly design, develop and manufacture aerospace components using metal additive technology (3D printing).
- The agreement will enable the partners to develop, prove and apply new material in the production of aerospace applications, including Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO).
- The joint initiative will make manufacturing and certification of aerospace components feasible using metal 3D printing.
- The 3D printing is a new age manufacturing technique, which uses solid material such as plastic or metal as ink to print or manufacture the desired object layer by layer, also called additive printing.
- Desired product images with exact dimensions are fed into a computer to 3D print required specimens using the molten ink, which later solidifies.
- Wipro 3D metal additive facility offers layered metal printing consulting, design, production and research and development services.
- HAL designs, develops, manufactures and supplies aircraft, helicopters, aerospace equipment, engines and accessories.
IIT Hyderabad set to help Telangana govt carry out research on AI
- The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) is going to collaborate with the Government of Telangana to carry out research in Artificial Intelligence.
- The Institute is partnering with the Information Technology, Electronics and Communication Department, for building, and identifying quality datasets, along with third parties such as Industry.
- The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Prof B S Murty, director, IIT Hyderabad, and JayeshRanjan, principal secretary to Government of Telangana, during an event.
- They will also work on Education and Training to prepare and deliver content and curriculum on AI courses, which are to be delivered to college students along with industry participants.
JANUARY 04, 2020
Assam Govt to start State-wide vaccination drive against Japanese Encephalitis
- The State government will start an adult vaccination drive to prevent spread of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in Assam from the January 2020 end.
- The step to start the vaccination drive has been taken by the government after JE and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) took a disastrous form last year across the State.
- I n the preliminary stage the vaccination drive is likely to start from Goalpara district, to be followed by South Salmara and Kokrajhar.
- The health department will use Jenvac vaccine during the drive. Jenvac is a locally produced JE vaccine available in India.
FACTFILE – Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) In Assam
- In 2019, altogether 2,652 cases of AES were reported across the State with 353 of those resulting in death. The highest number of 601 cases was reported in Dibrugarh district, followed by Kamrup Metro (241) and Lakhimpur (167) districts.
- The number of JE cases reported in 2019 was 641 with 161 of those resulting in death. Last year, the highest cases of JE were reported in Lakhimpur (50), followed by Nagaon (45) and Sivasagar (45) districts.
- In 2019 altogether 89 AES cases and 34 JE cases were reported in Goalpara district. While AES claimed the lives of 21 people, JE claimed 13 lives in that district.
PM Modi kicks off 107th Indian Science Congress in Bengaluru
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC 2020) in Bengaluru in the presence of galaxy of top scientists, Nobel Laureates, dignitaries and students from across the country and the world over.
- During his address, the Prime Minister called for new solutions to remove and reuse plastic waste and metal from the electronic waste. He also sought solutions to farmer-centric problems like the stubble burning.
- About 15,000 delegates, including two Nobel Laureates and eminent scientists from across India and abroad are attending the mega 5-day event at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), which is hosting the annual event.
- This year’s event focal theme is ‘Science & Technology : Rural Development’
FACTFILE – Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA)
- Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) is a premier scientific organisation of India with headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal. The association started in the year 1914 in Kolkata and it has a membership of more than 30,000 scientists.
- The first Indian Science Congress was held in 1914 at the Asiatic Society in Calcutta.
- Several prominent Indian and foreign scientists, including Nobel laureates, attend and speak the congress.
ISRO sets up 4th regional academic centre for space in NIT Karnataka
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) set up a regional academic centre for space at the National Institute of Technology (NITK) at Surathkal in Karnataka”s southwest Dakshina Kannada district.
- The centre at NIT-K will conduct joint research and development in space technology applications to meet the needs of space programmes.
- The state-run ISRO will provide Rs 2 crore grant annually to NIT for the R&D projects and promotional activities through the year.
- The space agency and the engineering institute signed an agreement on the industry-academic collaboration at Surathkal, about 380km from Bengaluru.
- The centre, fourth in the country, will also facilitate promoting space technology in the southern states, including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana and be an ambassador for capacity-building, awareness and research and development.
- A joint policy and management committee will guide the centre in optimal utilisation of the research potential, infrastructure, expertise and experience of the space agency and the autonomous institute.
- The committee will plan activities like research programmes of common interest and reviewing their projects periodically.
- Students of under-graduation (B.Tech) and post-graduation (M.Tech) will be involved in one-year short-term research projects and 2-4 year long-term projects in advance space programmes.
- The other three such centres are Malaviya National Institute of Technology at Jaipur in Rajasthan, Gauhati University in Assam and Kurukshetra University at Thanesar in Haryana.
Dubai-based Indian girl Sucheta Satish wins Global Child Prodigy Award
- A Dubai-based Indian girl, who can sing in 120 languages, has won in the ”Global Child Prodigy Awards 2020”.
- The 13-year-old Sucheta Satish, known as the Dubai Indian High School”s nightingale, won in the singing category.
- The Global Child Prodigy Award is a platform to celebrate children”s talent and power in different categories such as dancing, music, arts, writing, acting, modelling, science, innovation, sports etc.
- The awards are supported by the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation and Oscar award winning music producer A.R. Rahman.
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JANUARY 05, 2020
Tripura per capita income to cross the national average
- Due to proactive economic measures taken by the State Government, Tripura’s per capita income would cross the national average in the current fiscal (2019-20), said Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.
- According to official documents, the per capita income of Tripura was Rs 1,13,467 in 2018-19 against the national average of Rs 1,25,397.
- The Chief Minister said that besides the urban areas, the rural areas of Tripura are also economically developing following which the per capita income has increased substantially and it is expected to cross Rs 1,50,000 by the end of 2019-20.
Indian states and union territories by NSDP per capita
- According to the IMF, on a per capita income basis, India ranked 142nd by GDP (nominal) and 119th by GDP (PPP) per capita in 2018.
| Rank | State/UTs | NSDP per capita (nominal) |
| 1 | Goa | ₹467,998 (US$6,600) |
| 2 | Delhi | ₹365,529 (US$5,100) |
| 3 | Sikkim | ₹357,643 (US$5,000) |
| 4 | Chandigarh | ₹297,313 (US$4,200) |
| 5 | Haryana | ₹226,644 (US$3,200) |
| 6 | Puducherry | ₹220,461 (US$3,100) |
| 7 | Karnataka | ₹210,887 (US$3,000) |
| 8 | Telangana | ₹205,696 (US$2,900) |
| 9 | Uttarakhand | ₹198,738 (US$2,800) |
| 10 | Tamil Nadu | ₹193,750 (US$2,700) |
| 11 | Maharashtra | ₹180,596 (US$2,500) |
| 12 | Kerala | ₹179,523 (US$2,500) |
| 13 | Himachal Pradesh | ₹179,188 (US$2,500) |
| 14 | Gujarat | ₹174,652 (US$2,400) |
| 15 | Andhra Pradesh | ₹164,025 (US$2,300) |
| 16 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | ₹159,664 (US$2,200) |
| 17 | Punjab | ₹154,598 (US$2,200) |
| 18 | Mizoram | ₹141,210 (US$2,000) |
| 19 | Arunachal Pradesh | ₹127,748 (US$1,800) |
| — | India | ₹126,406 (US$1,800)2 |
| 20 | West Bengal | ₹109,491 (US$1,500) |
| 21 | Rajasthan | ₹109,105 (US$1,500) |
| 22 | Tripura | ₹105,044 (US$1,500) |
| 23 | Nagaland | ₹102,581 (US$1,400) |
| 24 | Chhattisgarh | ₹96,887 (US$1,400) |
| 25 | Jammu and Kashmir | ₹94,992 (US$1,300) |
| 26 | Odisha | ₹93,352 (US$1,300) |
| 27 | Madhya Pradesh | ₹90,998 (US$1,300) |
| 28 | Meghalaya | ₹85,609 (US$1,200) |
| 29 | Jharkhand | ₹76,019 (US$1,100) |
| 30 | Assam | ₹74,204 (US$1,000) |
| 31 | Manipur | ₹62,640 (US$880) |
| 32 | Uttar Pradesh | ₹61,351 (US$860) |
| 33 | Bihar | ₹43,822 (US$610) |
Rs 457 crore to be spent in 2020 for upgrading NE airports
- Almost all the airports in the northeastern region are on upgrade projects for which about Rs 457 crore will be spent in the year 2020, focusing mainly on developing airport-related infrastructure and enhancing passenger amenities.
- Most of the land disputes in the region have been resolves and hundred per cent land mutation done for all airports.
- At present 12 airports are operational in the Northeast. Air connectivity in the region has also increased and some routes have been reactivated. Focusing about some remote locations, Lengpui (Aizawl) and Dimapur airports have seen new connectivity.
- Cargo development is another sector where the Northeast is growing fast and the AAI is in the process of developing cargo terminals at all the airports of the region.
- The AAI is coming up with world class integrated terminal buildings in Guwahati and Agartala. Greenfield (completely new project) airports are also being developed at Holongi (Arunachal Pradesh) and Silchar (Assam).
28th World Book Fair started in New Delhi
- The 28th edition of the nine-day New Delhi World Book Fair (NDWBF) opened at Pragati Maidan, and saw Lt. Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi launch a book written on her.
- This year, the book fair is themed Gandhi: Writer”s Writer.
- The 2020 Fair was inaugurated by HRD Minister Ramesh Pokkhriyal ”Nishank”
- He also urged publishers to promote books and the habit of reading as people are moving away from books, and said that a book fair like the NDWBF ensures that books and reading is preserved and increases.
- Organised by the National Book Trust (NBT) and the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), the fair is featuring over 600 exhibitors in different languages including Bangla, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Maithili, Malayalam, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu, who are exhibiting books in over 1300 stalls.
- Along with business sessions, several literary and cultural activities including seminars, book release functions and panel discussions, are part of the fair.
- It sees participation from about 20 foreign countries including China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Nepal, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the UK, and the US.
Children’s Science Congress kicks off in Bengaluru
- The two-day children’s science congress of the 107th Indian Science Congress (ISC), kicked off aimed at encouraging school children to take up science education.
- The main objective is to motivate children to take science and technology education and encourage a sense of discovery.
- ISC organising committee Chairman and University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) Vice Chancellor S. Rajendra Prasad said the Children”s Science Congress targeted students in the age bracket of 10-17 years.
- Thousands of students from across the country and Bengaluru attended the event where Israeli Chemistry Nobel Laureate Ada Yonath and Bharat Ratna C.N.R. Rao also spoke.
JANUARY 06, 2020
Guwahati Refinery carries out Akira Miyawaki method of afforestation
- As a mark of support to Indian Oil’s commitment towards the cause of environment protection and conservation, Guwahati Refinery carried out an ‘Akira Miyawaki’ method of afforestation at Amingaon in Guwahati.
- A total of 4,000 saplings of around 48 species of indigenous plants were planted near the Saraighat Lake in an attempt to build ‘the lungs of Guwahati city’.
- A large number of employees took part in the afforestation drive which was carried out in line with the ‘Think Green’ mission of Indian Oil. The afforestation was carried out under the CSR initiatives of Guwahati Refinery and in collaboration with the district administration of Kamrup.
- Miyawaki method of afforestation is a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, that helps build dense, native forests. The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual. It involves planting dozens of native species in the same area, and becomes maintenance-free after the first three years.
BIOGRAPHY – Akira Miyawaki
- Akira Miyawaki is a Japanese botanist and expert in plant ecology, specializing in seeds and the study of natural forests.
- He is active worldwide as a specialist in the restoration of natural vegetation on degraded land.
- Since 1993, he has been Professor Emeritus at Yokohama National University and Director of the Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology.
- He received the Blue Planet Prize in 2006.
Indian Navy kicks off 1st Maha Navy Connect 2020
- The Indian Navy launched a first-ever three-dimensional expedition to promote the heritage of India and spread awareness on coastal security among the sea-side communities in Maharashtra.
- The tri-axes expedition – comprising yachting, running and cycling teams of 50 naval personnel was flagged off by Western Naval Command”s Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral Ajith Kumar P. at the Naval Dockyard.
- The expedition extends from Arnala Fort, the northernmost fort in Palghar district built by the then Portuguese rulers to Sindhudurg Fort, the southernmost fort in the state built by ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj.
- The team of sailors, runners and cyclists will cover a staggering distance of over 555 kms, and complete the expedition after a week.
- The three teams will touch prominent coastal locations like the KanhojiAngre Island with the Khanderi Fort, around 20 kms off Mumbai harbour in the Arabian Sea, Revdanda, Korlai, Murud-Janjira, Raigad, Suvarnadurg, Jaigad, Ratnadurg, Purnagad, Vijaydurg and Devgad forts, spanning Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg in the Konkan region.
- Besides, the teams would visit and interact with students of schools-college, NCC-NSS and local establishments to spread awareness about coastal security.
Delhi launches ”She Codes” programme for girl students
- The Directorate of Education of the Delhi government on Friday launched ”She Codes” programme for girl students of the city government schools, With an aim to empower young girls in the field of Computer Science.
- Launched in collaboration with She Codes Foundation – a Not for Profit organization — the programme aims to provide free and flexible Computer science and coding skills programmes for girls.
- While 1,000 girl students of the Delhi government schools have been enrolled in the programme, the government is aiming to accommodate 10,000 girls by March 2021.
- The aim is to equip girls to be strong enough to pursue a career in technology.
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JANUARY 07, 2020
Centre clears Rs 5,908 crore aid to Assam and other 6 disaster-hit states
- The Centre decided to provide additional assistance of Rs 5,908.56 crore to seven disaster-hit states – Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.
- The states were affected by floods, landslides and cloudburst during south west monsoon 2019.
- A High Level Committee (HLC), chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, approved the additional assistance to seven states from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
- Rs 616.63 crore to Assam, Rs 284.93 crore to Himachal Pradesh, Rs 1869.85 crore to Karnataka, Rs 1749.73 crore to Madhya Pradesh, Rs 956.93 crore to Maharashtra, Rs 63.32 to Tripura and Rs 367.17 crore to Uttar Pradesh.
- Earlier, the Central government had released an interim financial assistance of Rs 3,200 crore to four states — Rs 1,200 crore to Karnataka, Rs 1,000 crore to Madhya Pradesh, Rs 600 crore to Maharashtra and Rs 400 crore to Bihar.
- In addition, during 2019-20, till date, the Centre had released Rs 8,068.33 crore to 27 states as Central share from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Bodo Sahitya Sabha signed MoU to digitise Bodo language
- The Bodo Sahitya Sabha signed an MoU with ASCOSYS, an organisation working in information technology, for a project to digitise the Bodo language.
- The MoU was signed in the presence of Sabha president Taren Boro, general secretary PrasantaBoro, Vice Chancellor of CMJ University, Meghalaya PranhariTalukdar, director ASCOSYS Mandeep Sharma and others.
- The Sabha singed the memorandum for a project called ‘e-thunlai’ (e-literature) to digitise the language and make it easily available online.
- The main aim is to popularise the language among non-Bodo speakers.
- More than 1,000 books will be available on online platforms after completion of the project.
- The project will be formally launched at the 59th annual conference of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha to be held at Khoirabari in Udalguri district from January 20.
IIT Mandi develops mechanism for hydrogen production
- Indian Institute of Technology Mandi said its researchers have developed new materials that can use sunlight for the production of hydrogen from water.
- This collaborative research work by IIT Mandi and Yogi Vemana University in Andhra Pradesh.
- Hydrogen gas, with its high energy yield and eco-friendliness has been identified as a potential energy vector that can herald a new hydrogen-based economy.
- The catch with hydrogen economy is that the gas is now largely obtained from fossil fuels by petroleum and natural gas steam reforming processes, which does not help with the problem we set out solving – finding alternatives to fossil fuels.
- Water, the simplest chemical compound known to man, is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom and is logically a good source of hydrogen.
- However, splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen is not easy and is energy intensive. It has been known for decades that light can assist in the splitting of water into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
- The researchers have developed a novel multicomponent catalyst comprising nitrogen doped zinc oxide nanorods coated with molybdenum sulphide nanosheets.
- Materials in the nanometre scale have high surface area-to-volume ratio, improved physical properties and tuneable electronic properties, all of which make them suitable for photocatalytic activities.
- This collaborative research has not only provided an easy method to fabricate the N-ZnO-MoS2 nanosheet heterojunctions but has also offered insights into the scope of exploitation of such materials for hydrogen fuel generation using water and sunlight.
Delhi launches Mission NEEV health scheme
- The Delhi government launched Neonatal Early Evaluation Vision (NEEV) covering close to 1.5 lakh newborns to tackle visible, functional and metabolic defects in them.
- Health Minister Satyendar Jain laid the foundation of NEEV at Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC).
- The scheme is being supported by the Delhi government and Delhi State Health Mission under the Rashtriya Baal SwasthyaKaryakram.
- With the programme being implemented at many government hospitals, newborns who do not have clinically evident disease like congenital hypothyroidism, critical congenital heart disease and hearing loss will be picked up early and treatment can be initiated early
- To start at 31 birthing facilities with the highest load, Jain said that this will be expanded later to include all delivery points and other birthing facilities.
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