THE EXAMS MADE SIMPLE: PIB and AIR News 12th April, 2019

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PIB and AIR News 12th April, 2019

Questions:
1. Who composed the "Aihole inscription" & is related to which ruler?
2. Which dynasty originally developed the "Vesara style of temple architecture"?
3. In whose reign was The Kailasa temple of Ellora excavated?
4. Who composed the following: i) Devaram; ii) Nalayradivyaprabandham?

Today's News:

1. "Virtual reality centre" a reality

  • It has been  inaugurated at the Directorate of Naval Design (Surface Ship Group)
  • This centre would provide major boost to the Indigenous warship design capabilities of Indian Navy, providing impetus to self-reliance and greater fillip to warship construction under “Make in India” initiative of the Indian government.
  • Directorate of Naval Design (Surface Ship Group) had a humble beginning in 1960s and since then has made major contributions towards indigenous warship design capabilities of the Indian Navy improving self-reliance for warship design and construction.


2. Russia confers highest state decoration of country on PM Modi

  • Russia today announced its decision to confer the Order of St Andrew the Apostle
  • The decoration is being given to Mr Modi for his exceptional services in promoting special and privileged strategic partnership between the Russian Federation and India and friendly relations between the Russian and Indian people.
  • The 'Order of St Andrew the Apostle' is awarded to prominent statesmen, public figures and those working in the fields of science, culture and arts in recognition of their exceptional services in promoting prosperity and glory of Russia.
  • The Order was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia.


3. SpaceX carries out first commercial launch with Falcon Heavy rocket

SpaceX, is a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars

4.  West Bengal’s Utkarsh Bangla and Sabuj Sathi schemes have won the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) awards under the United Nations.

  • WSIS is, at global level, the world’s largest annual gathering of the ‘ICT for development’ community and provides an opportunity for information exchange, knowledge creation and sharing of best practices
  • The WSIS Forum is co-organized by The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
  • In 2019, The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum will celebrate its 10th anniversary of the establishment of WSIS Forum from April 8 to 12 in Geneva at the International Telecommunication Union, under the theme “Information and Communication Technologies for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”.
  • World Summit on the Information Society Awards:
    • Aims to create an effective mechanism to evaluate and recognize individuals, governments, civil society, local, regional and international agencies, research institutions and private-sector companies for outstanding success in implementing development oriented strategies that leverage the power of ICTs as an enabler of the development..
  •  Under Utkarsh Bangla, skill development training is given to youths. Several centres have been opened and youths are being given training there. The trained youths are then absorbed in different industries.
  • Sabooj Sathi is a scheme for distribution of bicycles to the students of class IX to XII studying in Govt. run and Govt. aided Schools and Madarsas


5. e-cigarettes


  • An electronic cigarette (or e-cig) is a battery-powered vaporizer that mimics tobacco smoking. It works by heating up a nicotine liquid, called “juice.”
  • Nicotine juice (or e-juice) comes in various flavors and nicotine levels.
  • Proponents of e-cigs argue that the practice is healthier than traditional cigarettes because users are only inhaling water vapor and nicotine.
  • The current unregulated sale of e-cigarettes is dangerous for a country like India where the number of smokers is on the decline (WHO Global Report, 2015) as it increases the possibility of e-cigarettes becoming a gateway for smoking by inducing nicotine addiction and perpetuating smoking by making it more attractive, thereby encouraging persons to become users of tobacco as well as e-cigarettes.
  • As per WHO report on e- cigarettes  Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) (also known as e-cigarettes) emits nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco products.
  • It can have adverse effects on the development of the foetus during pregnancy and may contribute to cardiovascular disease
  •  it may function as a “tumour promoter” and seems to be involved in the biology of malignant disease, as well as of neurodegeneration.


6. Four decades later, bamboo rice shows up in Odisha.


  • The rare variety, which was last harvested in Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary in 1979, grows twice or thrice in a century
  • Bamboo rice is special rice that is grown out of a dying bamboo shoot. When the bamboo shoot breathes its last, it flowers into a rare variety of rice seeds, which are known as bamboo rice.


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