Daily Current Affairs 17 August 2022 | WBCS, WBPSC, WBP

Daily Current Affairs 17/08/2022

Important News: International

UK: The first country to approve Omicron vaccine

Why in News:

• The United Kingdom has approved the COVID-19 vaccination for the Omicron version for the first time.

Key Points:

• The Omicron vaccination was first authorized in the United Kingdom.

• The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority has approved a COVID-19 vaccination that is compatible with the Omicron version, paving the way for an autumn booster campaign utilizing Moderna's two-strain injection.
• Drugs and Health Care Products Regulatory Authority gave the vaccination conditional authorization.
• The permitted vaccination is a supplement to the original coronavirus and the Omicron BA.1 strain.
• People over the age of 18 are permitted to utilize it.
• The UK will currently concentrate its booster program on persons over 50 who are extremely susceptible to getting COVID.
• SARS-Omicron CoV-2's B.1.1.1.529 is a variation.
• The variant was discovered for the first time in Botswana in November 2021 and was initially reported in South Africa by the Network for Genomics Surveillance. Since then, it has spread throughout the world to become a significant variant that is currently in use.

Source: Navbharat Times

Important News: National

The world’s highest Chenab railway bridge inaugurated

Why in News:

• The world's tallest railway bridge crossing the Chenab River now has a golden joint.

Key Points:

• After an overarch deck on the Chenab River's highest single-arch railway bridge, Srinagar will be joined by the rest of India for the first time since independence.
• The Eiffel Tower will be 35 meters lower than this recently built railroad bridge.
• In the western (Punjab) Himalayas of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, two streams, the Chandra and the Bhaga converge to form the Chenab.
• The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is the Indian-administrated portion of the disputed Kashmir area, is traversed by the Chenab River as it runs west between the Lesser Himalayas and the sheer cliffs of the Shivalik Range in the south (north).
• The Chenab joins the Sutlej River, an Indus River tributary, after receiving the Jhelum River close to Trimu.
• The Chenab Bridge and 16 more railroad bridges are being built by AFCONs for the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) in the dangerous region of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The project to build the Udhampur, Srinagar, and Baramulla rail links includes all of the bridge construction.

Source: Livemint

Kolkata to host 23rd edition of India International Seafood Show (IISS)

Why in News:

• The 23rd India International Seafood Show (IISS) will be held in Kolkata, City of Joy, from February 15 to February 7 of the following year. It will be organized by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in collaboration with the Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI).

Key Points:

• The greatest export by India to date was 13,69,264 tonnes of marine products valued at US$ 7.76 billion over the years 2021–2022.
• Shrimp production has increased in recent years in other countries as well, including India, where it has now surpassed one million metric tons.
• India hopes to export fisheries and aquaculture products worth $15 billion over the next five years using a multifaceted strategy.
• The expansive Biswa Bangla Mela grounds in Kolkata will be the site of the biennial showpiece event in the seafood industry, the largest in the industry with the goal of showcasing India's export potential, according to MPEDA President Dr. K.N. Raghavan.
• The conference will serve as a prime forum for communication between Indian marine product exporters and global importers.

Source: Economic Times

Important News: State

Chief Minister Anupriti Coaching Scheme

Why in News:

• The Rajasthani government has budgeted around Rs. 17 crores for the "Mukhyamantri Anupriti Coaching Scheme" during the fiscal year 2022-2023.

Key Points:

• Students will receive free coaching for competitive exams under the Mukhyamantri Anupriti Coaching Scheme.
• Ashok Gehlot, the chief minister of Rajasthan, launched the Mukhyamantri Anupriti Coaching Scheme in 2021–2022.
• As part of the program, the government will give deserving students free coaching from reputable coaches so they may achieve their goals.
• The government has doubled both the funding and the number of seats allocated under this program, bringing the total to 15,000 seats.
• In accordance with this program, the government will provide an additional Rs 40,000 per year for boarding and lodging if the student is assigned to a coaching facility in another city.
• Students from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Minorities, and Other Backward Classes, Specially Handicapped, and Economically Backward Classes who hail from families with an annual income of less than Rs. 8 lakhs are eligible for free coaching through the Mukhyamantri Anupriti Coaching Scheme.
• As part of the program, students will receive preparation for a number of competitive exams, including the IIT JEE, Civil Services, Rajasthan Administrative Service, Rajasthan Eligibility Test for Teachers (REET), and Medical College Admission. tests, etc.
• The state government set a goal of offering free coaching to 10,000 students in the academic year 2021–2022, and 9,000 of those students were chosen from more than one lakh applications.

Source: Indian Express

Arunachal's third airport named 'Doni Polo Airport'

Why in News:

• The Arunachal Pradesh government has given the third airport in the state, which is currently being built in Itanagar, the name "Doni Polo Airport."

Key Points:

• Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu presided over a meeting of the state cabinet, which approved "Donny Polo Airport" as the name of the airport, according to a spokesman of the Chief Minister's Office.
• According to the official, the name of the sole airport in the capital city will reflect the long-standing indigenous veneration for Surya (Doni), as well as the state's rich cultural history and long-standing customs.
• The Airports Authority of India has launched a Rs 650 crore project to improve the airport with the goal of boosting aviation connectivity in mountainous regions.
• Along with Pasighat and Tezu airports, the "Donny Polo Airport" in Itanagar will be the 16th airport in Northeast India and the third airport in Arunachal Pradesh.
• Currently, there are 15 airports in the Northeastern Region that are in operation: Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Lilabari, and Rupsi (all in Assam), Tezu and Pasighat (both in Arunachal Pradesh), Agartala (in Tripura), Imphal (in Manipur), Shillong (in Meghalaya), Dimapur (in Nagaland), Lengpui (in (Sikkim).

Source: Times of India

Important News: Awards

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) Awards 2022 Announced

Why in News:

• The 13th annual Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2022 kicked up on August 12 and runs through August 30.

Key Points:

• The IFFM event, which takes place every year in Australia, honors the Indian film industry by showing some of the most well-known and highly regarded movies and TV shows.
• The Awards Night, where special prizes are given to the top actors from Indian cinema and the OTT scene from the previous year, is the festival's high point.
• The sports drama 83, starring Ranveer Singh, the Prime Video web series Mumbai Diaries 26, and the movie Jalsa received the most prizes during the event, which was hosted by Rithvik Dhanjiani.
• At the Melbourne Indian Film Festival in 2022, Ranveer Singh won the Best Actor Prize for the movie "83."
• The Best Actress Award went to Shefali Shah (Jalsa) at the Melbourne Indian Film Festival in 2022.
• At the Melbourne Indian Film Festival in 2022, 83 films received the Best Film Award.
• The Best Director trophy was given to Shoojit Sircar for the movie Sardar Udham and Aparna Sen for the movie The Rapist at the 2022 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
• The Best Series prize was given to Mumbai Diaries 26/11 at the Melbourne Indian Film Festival in 2022.
• Kapil Dev received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Melbourne Indian Film Festival in 2022.

Source: The Hindu

Important News: Defence

75 laps "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Run" from INS Satpura in San Diego

Why in News:

• On August 13, the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Satpura arrived in San Diego Harbor to mark the 75th anniversary of India's independence.

Key Points:

• On the occasion of India's Independence Day, the INS Satpura ran the 75-lap Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav race at the US Navy Base in San Diego.

• On the momentous occasion of 75 years of India's independence in North America, the Indian Tricolor flag is raised on the Indian Naval Ship in front of notable local dignitaries and foreign Indians.
• An Indian Navy destroyer has never before made it to the west coast of North America, making INS Satpura's landing at San Diego US Navy Base a historic occasion.
• The occasion highlights the Indian Navy's potential and development after 75 years of independence.
• The greatest multilateral naval exercise, The Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii included the Indian Naval Warship, INS Satpura, and the P81 LRMRASW aircraft.
• In an exercise that lasted six weeks and featured intense operational and training activities, INS Satpura and a P81 Maritime participated.
• The purpose of this exercise is to foster communication and confidence between the navies of different nations.

Source: PIB

Important News: Science & Tech

Bharat Biotech's Intranasal Vaccine

Why in News:

• For its intranasal COVID vaccine, BBV154, Bharat Biotech has requested approval for two doses of the vaccine as well as a booster dose.

Key Points:

• Bharat Biotech received data from BBV154 Phase 3 clinical studies for approval.
• Bharat Biotech claims that BBV154 is stable between 2 and 8 °C. Under carefully monitored clinical trials, it is secure, well-tolerated, and immunogenic.
• An intranasal vaccination called BBV154 has the power to create antibodies that are specific to the upper respiratory tract and can lessen infection and transmission.
• Two distinct, concurrent clinical trials have been carried out to assess the efficacy of BBV154 as a primary dosage and a booster dose.
• Over 3000 people participated in primary dosage Phase III trials to evaluate the drug's immunogenicity and safety.
• This vaccination may be administered through the nose because of its design.
• The University of Washington and Bharat Biotech are working together to develop the nasal vaccination for BBV154.
• Bharat Biotech was founded in 1996, and the company's headquarters are in Hyderabad.

Source: Economic Times

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