www.gradeup.co 1 www.gradeup.co Weekly Current Affairs 23rd to 30th November 2020 1. India International Cherry Blossom Festival in Shillong cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic • India International Cherry Blossom Festival, the calendar event of Meghalaya which attracts record number of tourists annually in Shillong, has been cancelled this year in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. • The capital, Shillong hosts the only Cherry Blossoms festival in India. These beautiful flowers can be spotted across Meghalaya during this time of the year. It is expected that the flowers will continue to bloom till the end of November. But people of Meghalaya celebrate festivals through virtual mode. • The beautiful hill station Shillong in Meghalaya has turned pink with blooming cherry blossoms. • Every year, the Cherry Blossom Festival in Shillong hosts a plethora of events like fitness art, fashion show, rock concerts and much more. This time, the pomp and fervour of the festival will be missed. Due to the COVID -19 pandemic, the Cherry Blossom Festival held annually in Shillong has been cancelled this year. But, the wispy pink-and-white blooms that adorn the town’s trees around this time of the year have kept their promise, bringing cheer to the people. Local tourist is happy to see blooming cherry flowers and they are sharing the latest pictures and videos about cherry blossom on a social media platform for friends and relatives. • Everyone hopes if everything will be normal that they will celebrate the cherry blossom festival next year. Source:- Newsonair 2. PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone of rural drinking water supply projects worth Rs 5,555 cr in Uttar Pradesh • Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of rural drinking water supply projects worth Rs 5,555.38 crore in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts of Vindhyachal region of Uttar Pradesh. • Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone via video conference and also interacted with Village Water and Sanitation Committee/ Paani Samiti Members during the event. • The projects will reportedly provide household tap water connections in all rural households of 2,995 villages and will benefit about 42 lakh population of these districts. The projects are planned to be completed in 24 months. • PM Modi said, "During the last one and half years from the start of Jal Jeevan Mission, more than 2 crores 60 lakh families have been provided piped drinking water connection to their homes including lakhs of families in Uttar Pradesh as well." Source:- Zee News 3. Department of Fisheries presents first Fisheries Awards • The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India celebrated the ‘World Fisheries Day’ 2020 at NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi. The Minister of 2 www.gradeup.co State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi, was the Chief Guest at the occasion. • Shri Sarangi said that this sector is responsible for providing nutritional security, livelihood support and employment to millions of Indians. It is estimated that the world’s population will exceed 9 billion by 2050. With the increase in the population, the demand for nutritional security also goes on parallel lines. The agriculture and the allied sectors have to contribute the food demand and supply will play an important role combined with other food sectors to meet the nutritional demands of the growing population. • Aquaculture activities have to be taken up in India as the alternative way of meeting the growing demand of nutritional security. Shri Sarangi also said that Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada at a total estimated investment of Rs. 20,050 crores intends to address critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management, modernisation and strengthening of value chain, traceability, establishing a robust fisheries management framework and fishers’ welfare. • During the event, for the first time in Fisheries Sector, the Government of India awarded best performing States for 2019-20 namely, Odisha (amongst Marine states), Uttar Pradesh (amongst Inland states) and Assam (amongst Hilly and NE states). The Govt. also awarded best Organisations for 2019-20 [Tamil Nadu Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd. (for Marine); Telangana State Fishermen Cooperative societies Federation Ltd (for Inland), and Assam Apex Cooperative Fish Marketing and Processing Federation Ltd. (for Hilly region)]; Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh as best Marine District; Kalahandi, Odisha as best Inland District; Nagaon, Assam as Best Hilly and NE District. Besides, it also felicitated the best Fisheries Enterprise; best performing Fisheries Cooperative Societies/FFPOs/SSG and best Individual entrepreneurs; best Marine and Inland Fish Farmer; and best Finfish and Shrimp hatcheries as well, in recognition to their accomplishments in the field and their contribution into the growth of the sector. Source:- Indianews 4. PM Modi thanks Saudi Arabia for hosting G20 Summit in Riyadh successfully • Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting G20 Summit in Riyadh successfully and welcomed Italy as it takes over the G20 presidency in 2021. • It was decided that the G20 Presidency will be held by Indonesia in 2022, India in 2023 and Brazil in 2024. • External Affairs Ministry said that at the end of the two day Summit, a G20 Leaders’ Declaration was issued which called for coordinated global action, solidarity, and multilateral cooperation to overcome the current challenges and realize opportunities of the 21st century for all by empowering people, safeguarding the planet, and shaping new frontiers. Source:- Newsonair 5. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan addresses Boston Center of Excellence for Health & Human Development • Health Minister Harsh Vardhan addressed the Boston Center of Excellence for Health and Human Development through Video Conference. 3 www.gradeup.co • Saluting millions of front-line health workers who bravely carried on with their duty in spite of risk and adversity, including professionals other than doctors and nurses, Dr. Vardhan elaborated India’s strategy to contain COVID-19. • In this regard, the Health Minister observed that it is not the first one and definitely not the last one but this COVID 19 will soon be a past episode of the 21st century. • He said, our treatment protocol for COVID patients is well defined now. • He said, vaccines will be available soon and the cases will significantly go down in the next few months. • Detailing that India has already mastered all components of Modern medicine from antibiotics to emergency care, surgery, immunization, and vaccine, Dr Vardhan noted that the focus is now on the cost, quality, and affordability. Source:- HT 6. Indian Navy participates in two-day trilateral exercise SITMEX-20 in Andaman sea • The Indian Navy is participating in the two-day trilateral maritime exercise SITMEX-20 in the Andaman sea along with the navies of Singapore and Thailand, senior military officials said on Sunday. • Indian naval ships, including indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare corvette Kamorta and missile corvette Karmuk, are participating in the 2nd edition of the trilateral exercise was held on Sunday and Monday. • The two-day maritime drills will witness the three navies participate in a variety of exercises, including naval manoeuvres, surface warfare exercises and weapon firings. The SITMEX series of exercises are conducted to enhance mutual interoperability and to imbibe best practices between the Indian Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and Royal Thai Navy (RTN). • The first edition of SITMEX, hosted by the Indian Navy, was conducted off Port Blair in September 2019. • The 2020 edition of the exercise is being hosted by the RSN. Source:- ET 7. NASA-ESA Launch SENTINEL-6 MICHAEL FREILICH SATELLITE to monitor the oceans • A US-European satellite designed to extend a decades-long measurement of global sea surface heights was launched into Earth orbit from California on Saturday. • A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellite blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 10:47 pm IST (9:17 am PST) and arced southward over the Pacific Ocean. The Falcon’s first stage flew back to the launch site and landed for reuse. • The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite was released from the second stage about an hour later. It then deployed its solar panels and made the first contact with controllers at a ground station in Alaska Sentinel-6a will be the first of two identical satellites -- the second to be launched in five years -- that will provide measurements of unprecedented precision until at least 2030. • The twin satellites will measure sea-level rise, tracking changes threatening to disrupt tens of millions of lives within a generation. 4 www.gradeup.co • Each Sentinel-6 probe carries a radar altimeter, which measures the time it takes for radar pulses to travel to Earth’s surface and back again. • The satellites will circle the planet in the same orbit as earlier missions that supplied sea-surface height data over the last three decades, mapping 95 percent of Earth’s ice-free ocean every ten days. Source:- First Post 8. India Becomes 4th Nation To Get IMO Nod For Navigation Satellite System • India has become the fourth country in the world to have its independent regional navigation satellite system recognised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as a part of the World Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS). • The other three countries that have its navigation systems recognised by the IMO are the US, Russia and China. • The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) was designed to provide accurate position information services to assist in the navigation of ships in Indian Ocean waters. The Director General of Shipping (DGS) had approached the IMO for granting recognition to the IRNSS as a component of the WWRNS, similar to the US-owned Global Position System (GPS) or Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) – a process that took two years.