Current Affairs is the most important area in all competitive exams. But the difficulty level is very high. That’s why; many aspirants get confused, how to select Current Affairs for Preparation of Competitive Examination? In this Post, Daily Current Affairs 11 August 2021, we have tried to cover each and every point and also included all important facts from National/ International news that are useful for upcoming competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, Railway, State Govt. etc.
Daily Current Affairs 11 August 2021
Funds to MGNREGS to solve unemployment due to pandemic
During Nation-wide lockdown amidst Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, more than 1.14 crore inter-State migrant workers returned to their home most of the migrant workers have returned to their workplaces and engaged themselves in gainful employment.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) is a demand driven wage employment programme which provide for the enhancement of livelihood security of the households in rural areas of the country.
The financial allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi NREG Scheme is Rs.73,000 crore at Budget Estimate stage in the current financial year 2021-22 which is 18.69 % more than Budget Estimate of previous financial year 2020-21.
The Ministry has released Rs. 46,705.24 crore during the current financial year 2021-22 (as on 06.08.2021) to States/UTs for the implementation of the Scheme.
Further Government of India is committed to making funds available to States/UTs for the implementation of the Scheme.
National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Lok Sabha has passed the National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
The National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill proposes to amend the National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020 to provide a medical education system that improves access to quality and affordable medical education.
The 2020 Act replaced the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973. The 1973 Act set up the Central Council of Homeopathy for regulating homoeopathic education and practice.
The 2020 Act replaced the Council with a national commission for regulating homoeopathic education and practice.
Similarly, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021 proposes to amend the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020.
The 2020 Act replaced the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970. The 1970 Act set up the Central Council of Indian Medicine to regulate the education and practice of the Indian Medicine system which includes Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy.
The 2020 Act replaced the Council with a National Commission for regulating education and practice of the Indian medicine system.
Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Lok Sabha has unanimously passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2021.
The bill was passed with more than two-third of majority of the house strength as well as the members present in the house.
During division of votes, 385 members voted in favour of the bill and none against.
The legislation seeks to restore the power of States and Union Territories to make their own OBC lists.
India to host the first Internet Governance Forum
India to host the first Internet Governance Forum in the country. The Forum will act as the platform for various stakeholders to discuss public policy issues related to the Internet.
IIGF- 2021 will be planned for three days, starting from 20th October, 2021. The theme of this year’s meeting is Inclusive Internet for Digital India.
With this announcement, the Indian chapter of the United Nations based forum namely Internet Governance Forum has begun.
It’s an Internet Governance policy discussion platform to bring representatives together from various groups, considering all at par to discuss public policy issues related to the Internet.
Khadi’s new products launched by Government
Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched two new products- Khadi babywear and handmade paper ‘Use and Throw’ Slippers.
KVIC has introduced Babywear for the first time for the age group of new-born and upto 2 years.
Khadi babywear is made of high quality hand-spun and hand-woven Khadi Cotton fabric.
The fabric is eco-friendly and made using natural fibres to suit the sensitive skin of new born babies. The fabric is free from any chemical treatment and harmful dyes
The idea behind introducing babywear is to further diversify the product range for more consumption of Khadi fabric and ultimately creating more income for Khadi Artisans.
‘Seekho Aur Kamao’ Scheme
The Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi informed Rajya Sabha about the Seekho Aur Kamao scheme.
Seekho Aur Kamao is a skill development scheme for youth of 14 – 35 years age group and aiming at providing employment and employment opportunities, improving the employability of existing workers, school dropous etc.
The scheme ensures 75% placement, out of which 50% should be in organized sector.
As per scheme guidelines, the implementing organizations will be required to establish linkages with placement services.
For the candidates interested in self employment after availing the training, the organization shall arrange easy micro finance/ loans for them through financial institutions, National Minority Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC), banks etc.
Post placement support of Rs. 2000/- per month is provided to placed trainees for two months as placement assistance.
In the last 7 years appx. 3.92 lakh persons have been benefitted under this employment oriented scheme.
Olympian bat is peaking the interest of climate scientists
An Olympian bat is peaking the interest of climate scientists after she broke British records by flying a distance of more than 2,000 km from London to the Pskov region in northwestern Russia.
The female Nathusius’ pipistrelle bat was only as big as a human thumb and its wing was marked with a “London Zoo” ring.
Bats belonging to the Nathusius’ pipistrelle species typically weigh less than 10 grams are known to migrate from summer breeding grounds in northeastern Europe to warmer areas of the continent where they hibernate in trees in buildings.
Bat Conservation Trust UK says that the Nathusius’ pipstrelle’s range expansion is linked to climate change and future changes in climate will further impact this species. With more information scientists will be better equipped to fully understand these effects.
There have been more than 2,600 Nathusius’ pipistrelles recorded in the UK since the National Nathusius’ Pipistrelle Project launched in 2014 to shed light on their breeding, distribution and migration behaviours.
The Atlantic Ocean current system is slowing down
A study published in Nature Climate Change notes that the North Atlantic Ocean circulation, known officially as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), is losing its stability.
The AMOC is a large system of ocean currents. It is the Atlantic branch of the ocean conveyor belt or Thermohaline circulation (THC), and distributes heat and nutrients throughout the world’s ocean basins.
AMOC carries warm surface waters from the tropics towards the Northern Hemisphere, where it cools and sinks. It then returns to the tropics and then to the South Atlantic as a bottom current. From there it is distributed to all ocean basins via the Antarctic circumpolar current.
The findings support the assessment that the AMOC decline is not just a fluctuation or a linear response to increasing temperatures but likely means the approaching of a critical threshold beyond which the circulation system could collapse.
zGulf Stream, a part of the AMOC, is a warm current responsible for mild climate at the Eastern coast of North America as well as Europe. Without a proper AMOC and Gulf Stream, Europe will be very cold.
The Smallest baby born at Singapore’s National University Hospital
An infant believed to be the tiniest in the world at birth has been released from Singapore’s National University Hospital after 13 months of intensive treatment.
The unique thing about 10 of the world’s tiniest surviving babies is that all of them were born before the average gestation period of 40 weeks.
Babies that are born before 37 weeks of gestation are known as preterm or premature babies.
Broadly, the earlier a baby is born from the average gestation period of 40 weeks, the greater are the risks of death or developing serious disability.
In 2018 for instance, preterm and low birth weight accounted for about 17 per cent of infant deaths. Even the babies which do survive are prone to suffering from breathing issues, digestive problems and bleeding problems.
India got its first Gold medal in Olympics in the men’s javelin throw event
India recently got its first Gold medal in Tokyo Olympics 2020 in the men’s javelin throw event bagged by Neeraj Chopra got, also a first in the category of Track and Field.
The Javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear is thrown. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area.
It was added to the Ancient Olympic Games as part of the pentathlon in 708 BC. It consisted of the participation of both men and women. Modern Olympics Games programme had initiated the javelin throw for men in 1908 and women in 1932.
While throwing the javelin, the athlete must not turn his back towards the landing area at any given time between their approach and throw.
The javelin must be thrown from above the upper part of their throwing arm and must not cross the foul or scratch line at any cost. For the throw to be measured, the javelin must land tip first.
There are different standards for men and women in the sport, where men’s javelin must weight a minimum of 800g and be 2.6m-2.7m long, women’s javelin can weigh a minimum of 600g and be 2.2m-2.3m long.
Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021
Parliament recently passed the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021 with the Lok Sabha clearing it amid din with voice vote. The Rajya Sabha has already approved it.
The Bill seeks to amend the constitutional list of Scheduled Tribes as recommended by Arunachal Pradesh.
It removes the Abor tribe from the list of identified STs in that state and also replaces certain STs with other tribes.
Further, it replaces certain STs with other tribes in the list
- Khampti is replaced with Tai Khamti,
- Mishmi, Idu, and Taroan are replaced with Mishmi-Kaman (Miju Mishmi), Idu (Mishmi), and Taraon (Digaru Mishmi),
- Momba is replaced with Monpa, Memba, Sartang, and Sajolang (Miji)
- Any Naga Tribes is replaced with Nocte, Tangsa, Tutsa, and Wancho.
Wildfires continue to rip through Greek island of Evia
Wildfires are continuing to rip through the Greek island of Evia with strong winds driving flames towards villages.
More than 2,000 people have already been evacuated from the island, many of those by ferry.
Euboea or Evia is the second-largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete.
It is separated from Boeotia in mainland Greece by the narrow Euripus Strait.
Euboea was believed to have originally formed part of the mainland, and to have been separated from it by an earthquake. This is fairly probable, because it lies in the neighbourhood of a fault line.
IPCC report is a clarion call to decarbonise economies
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav reported that the IPCC report on climate change is a clarion call for the developed nations to immediately cut emissions and decarbonise their economies.
The authors of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis”, said the warming of the ocean would lead to a rise in sea levels, leading to frequent and severe coastal flooding in low-level areas.
The planet was irrevocably headed towards warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial times in the next two decades.
The report recommended that countries strive to achieve net zero emissions — no additional greenhouse gases are emitted — by 2050. The Fifth Assessment Report was released in 2014.
World Lion Day 2021
World Lion day is observed on August 10 each year to raise awareness about the conservation of lions. The lion is an endangered species on the IUCN Red List.
In 2013, co-founders Dereck and Beverly Joubert the Big Cat Initiative, and National Geographic made a partnership to create World Lion Day.
The 5 biggest cats are found mostly in India, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, Indian leopard, Clouded Leopard, and Snow leopard.
India is also recorded as the highest lion population with an increase of 29 percent from 2015 to 2020.
Lions maintain the ecological balance and ensure the protection of natural forests and help in the conservation of biodiversity.
National Webinar on the ‘Use of Technology in Education’
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has organised a series of theme-based webinars on various aspects of National Education Policy, 2020 to mark the completion of one year of transformative reforms under National Education Policy.
Technology driven education being one of the major innovative thrust area of NEP, MoE and University Grants Commission organised a National Webinar on Use of Technology in Education.
As advances in technology drive globalization and digital transformation, teachers can help students acquire the necessary skills to succeed in the careers of the future.
The effective use of digital learning tools in classrooms can increase student engagement, help teachers improve their lesson plans, and facilitate personalized learning. It also helps students build essential 21st-century skills.
