APNA UREA – SonaUgle
Why in news?
- Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister launched the APNA UREA – Sona Ugle brand of Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Limited (HURL) at a function in New Delhi.
Key facts
- HURL is Joint Venture Company promoted by the three Maha Ratna Companies – Coal India Limited, NTPC Limited and Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
- With the objective of making the country self-reliant in Urea, Prime Minister had directed for the revival of five major sick or shutdown fertilizer plants.
Background:
- In 2016, Government had approved the revival of three sick Urea plants located at Gorakhpur, Sindri and Barauni, which have been undertaken by HURL.
- The other two plants at Ramagundam and Talcher will also commence production soon. He said the country is importing 70 to 80 Lakh metric tonne of fertilizer every year.
- After the commissioning of these five units, the total production of Urea will increase by over 63 Lakh Metric Tonne per annum. He said the revival of five Urea plants will reduce dependence on imports.
1984 riot SIT
Why in news?
- Centre has accepted the recommendations of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by retired Delhi High Court judge Justice SN Dhingra which probed 186 cases of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Key facts
- Large-scale riots targeting members of the Sikh community had broken out in the national capital in the aftermath of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984. The violence had claimed 2,733 lives in Delhi alone.
- Trial judges handed out acquittals in a routine manner, failed to separate cases based on incidents and rejected testimonies of witnesses on grounds of delay of FIRs.
- In some riot-cum-murder cases, police clubbed hundreds of murders that took place at different locations and sent all accused together for trial. The report said this led to trials lingering for years as the accused would be absent on several dates.
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed Supreme Court that the Centre will take appropriate steps on the SIT recommendations.
TrueNat
Why in news?
- The World Health Organisation has endorsed TrueNat, an indigenous molecular diagnostic tool for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis.
- The disease remains a threat to public health and is the top infectious cause of death globally.
Key facts
- In 2018, an estimated 10 million people developed TB and 1.5 million died of it while at least a million children become ill with it every year.
- About 5,00,000 new cases of multidrug 2 and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) are estimated to emerge annually but only one in three cases was reported by countries to have been diagnosed and treated in 2018.
- WHO has noted that since the approval of Xpert MTB/RIF in 2010, significant additional evidence has been generated on its use as initial test for the diagnosis and rifampicin-resistant TB.
- In recent months new data on the use of Xpert and on the latest version TrueNat MTB and MTB Plus system have also become available.
- WHO commissioned a systematic review of all the available data in 2019.
- The results were assessed during a meeting of an independent WHO-convened Guideline Development Group (GDG) on 3-6 December 2019.
Z Morh tunnel
Why in news?
- A Concession Agreement for completing the 6.5-kilometre long Z-Morh tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir was signed in New Delhi.
Key facts
- Under the agreement, the two-lane bi-directional tunnel with parallel escape tunnel will be completed in 3.5 years at a cost of 2379 Crore rupees.
- The project includes construction, operation and maintenance of the tunnel with approaches on NH-1 at Srinagar-Sonmarg-Gumri Road from 61 kilometres to 89.30 kilometres on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer Annuity basis.
- Z-Morh Tunnel will provide all-weather road connectivity to Sonmarg tourist spot in Jammu and Kashmir.
- It mostly remains closed during the winters due to heavy snowfall in Gagenger area.
Must run’ status
Why in news?
- Indian Electricity Grid Code (IEGC) has asserted that renewable energy power plants shall be treated as “must run” and electricity from these plants shall not be curtailed for any commercial reasons.
Key facts
- Part of the latest draft IEGC prepared by the group, the provision comes at a time when a number of states have repeatedly resorted to not scheduling power from renewable sources, citing high costs.
- A ‘must run’ status means that the concerned power plant has to supply electricity to the grid under all conditions.
- The group has added new codes in the latest IEGC draft — the Protection and Commissioning code, which entails a centralised database containing details of relay setting for grid elements, and the Cyber Security code, which provides for identification of critical information infrastructure.
- The IEGC lays down regulations for various persons and participants in the country’s power ecosystem to plan, develop, maintain and operate power system in the country “in a secure, economic, reliable, resilient and efficient manner”, states the draft.
Boeing 737-800
Why in news?
- Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 accident happened in the backdrop of geopolitical tensions between Iran and the United States.
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (PS752):
- Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (PS752) was a scheduled international passenger flight from Tehran to Kiev operated by Ukraine International Airlines (UIA).
- On 8 January 2020, the Boeing 737-800 operating the route was shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport. All 176 passengers and crew were killed.
- It was shot down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran after mistaking it for a US cruise missile. The incident occurred five days after US president Donald Trump ordered a drone strike that killed Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani.
Yada Yada Virus
Why in news?
- Researchers recently reported the discovery of a new virus conceded that the discovery wasn’t a big deal, with new viruses being announced every day. Therefore, the researchers have named their discovery “Yada Yada virus” (YYV).
Key facts
- Yada Yada Virus (YYV) is an alphavirus, a group of viruses that the researchers described as small, single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses (that) include species important to human and animal health and which are transmitted primarily by mosquitoes and (are) pathogenic in their vertebrate hosts.
- Unlike some other alphaviruses, Yada Yada does not pose a threat to human beings.
- The virus was detected in mosquitoes trapped in three locations in Victoria, Australia.
Background:
- YYV takes its name from ‘The Yada Yada’, an episode of the television sitcom Seinfeld, which aired on the American network NBC on April 24, 1997.
- Merriam-Webster says yada yada is “boring or empty talk”, a way to recount words that are “too dull or predictable to be worth repeating”. The Cambridge dictionary says yada yada is only “blah blah blah”.