Daily Current Affairs for UPSC IAS: 3rd February 2021

First Human Milk Bank in Kerala:

Kerala is going to open its first Human Milk Bank (HMB) on February 5, 2021.

The milk bank will ensure the availability of breast milk for new-born babies who are not breastfed by their own mothers who are sick or deceased or due to insufficient production of breast milk. The milk will be collected by following all the safety protocols and procedures and it will be preserved and provide it to needy children as per government guidelines.

• This is a state-of-art facility that will be opened at the Ernakulam general hospital by the Health Minister of Kerala, KK Shailaja.
• The milk bank is being set up with the support of the Rotary Club of Cochin Global.
• Approximately 3600 babies are born in the general hospital a year
• Among them, 600 to 1,000 sick babies are admitted into the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
• But mothers are unable to feed them sufficiently because of the low birth-weight or premature babies or babies separated from mothers.
• Thus, the pasteurized breast milk from the milk bank will reduce the risk of infections and help in boosting their immunity.
• This concept of milk bank had come to India 32 years back but Kerala did not have a milk bank until now.
• The collected milk will be stored for 6 months safely in the bank.
• The milk will be provided free of cost initially to those babies who are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.
• At the later stage, a network of hospitals will be planned for multiple collections and safe distribution points.
• The milk will be donated by the mothers from the hospital who have delivered babies.
• These mothers will have all their health statistics available at the hospital.

Protein-based Biosensors:

A team of researchers led by David Baker, who is the professor of biochemistry and director of the Institute for Protein Design at UW Medicine, have created a new protein-based biosensor that will detect the Coronavirus.

• The protein-based biosensors will detect the proteins that make up the pandemic coronavirus.
• It would also help in detecting the antibodies against it.
• The biosensor will glow when mixed with components of the virus or specific COVID-19
• Thus, it will enable faster and more widespread testing.
• These protein-based biosensors will recognize the specific molecules on the surface of the virus.
• The protein will bind to them and then emit the light through a biochemical reaction.

Nari Shakti Puraskar-2020:

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has recently extended the last date for submission of nomination for Nari Shakti Puraskar-2020. The last date has been extended till February 6, 2021

• Nari Shakti Puraskar is conferred every year on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
• The award is conferred by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• It is conferred for recognizing the exceptional work done by individuals in the area of empowering women.
• The Nari Shakti Puruskar is awarded to individuals or groups or NGOs or institutions.
• The award encourages the women to participate in decision making roles, skill development in traditional and non-traditional sectors among the women.
• It also facilitates the basic amenities for rural women and promotes women in non-traditional sectors such as science and technology, sports, culture, art, and other significant work towards safety & security, education, life skills, health & wellness, respect & dignity of women.
• The award comprises a citation and a cash reward of Rs. 2 Lakh.
• As per the Guidelines of ministry, any individual of at least 25 years of age and institutions that have worked in the relevant field for at least 5 years are eligible to apply.

Aero India 2021:

The Aero India 2021 show will start from February 3, 2021 in Bengaluru. The show will conclude on February 5, 2021.

• During the Aero show, a deal will be Signed worth Rs 48,000 crore to manufacture the 83 indigenous Teja Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-73.
• Another key highlight of the Aero India Show will be India’s defence diplomacy.
• The order for 83 LCA’s will be completed by 2030.A deal will be signed with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture the Teja Light Combat Aircraft.
• Following that, the first aircraft will be handed over in the next three years. In total, nine years will be required to hand over the crafts to the Indian Air Force.
• Further, the Aero India Show will include the defence ministers’ conclave of countries of the Indian Ocean Region.
• The defence minister conclave will be participated by the Twenty-eight countries. Among them, 19 ministers and representatives will be present at the event while nine will attend it virtually.

Aero India exhibition:

• The exhibition is organized every alternate year.
• It is one of the major exhibitions for the aerospace and defence industries with the public air show.
• The exhibition will also enable the industry professional to gain the market insights, announce new developments and gain the media coverage.
• Aero India 2021: This is the 13th edition of Aero India which is being organised at Bengaluru, Karnataka. Aero India 2021 will provide opportunity to demonstrate the products to the potential customer and investors.

India’s first Centre For Wetland Conservation And Management :

The Central government has announced that, it will soon set up a new Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM) in Chennai.

• This Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management will be set in a bid to address the knowledge gaps and specific research needs for the conservation and management of wetlands.
• The Centre for Wetland Conservation and Management (CWCM) will be set up by the central government in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• This conservation centre would be a part of the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management.
• This national centre is an institution under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• The CWCM will play a significant role to design and implement the regulatory frameworks and policies.
• It will also help in monitoring, management planning and targeted research in a bid to conserve the wetlands.
• The conservation centre will also act as a knowledge hub.
• It will enable the exchange between the wetland authorities in States or Union Territories, managers, wetland researchers, practitioners, policy-makers and users.
• The centre will further help in building networks and partnerships with the relevant international and national agencies.

Wetland :

• It is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded by water.
• They are flooded either permanently or seasonally. In such ecosystems, oxygen-free processes prevail.
• Wetlands help in water purification, water storage, processing of carbon and the stabilization of shorelines.
• It also provides support to plants and animals.
• They are the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems.
• They occur naturally on every continent and the water in the can be either freshwater, brackish, or saltwater.
• India has 42 Ramsar sites that have been designated as Wetlands of International Importance. They cover around 4.6% of the Indian landmass.

Udyog Manthan:

The commerce ministry is organizing the Udyog Manthan. Under the Udyog Manthan, a series of webinars are being conducted.

• The Webinar is focusing on about 45 sectors including the pharma sector and electronics sector.
• The webinar under the Udyog Manthan is being organized with the focus on quality and productivity in all the major manufacturing sectors and services sectors.
• The Udyog Manthan in the upcoming webinar will cover various sectors such as pharma, closed-circuit camera, medical devices, electronics system design & manufacturing.
• It will also focus on new & renewable energy, aerospace, robotics, and defense.
• It will further focus on the quality in the government processes that will be a guiding light in realizing the vision of Aatma-Nirbhar Bharat.
• The webinar was started on January 4, 2021, and in the span of four weeks, 18 webinars on various sectors such as toys, leather, furniture, and drones have been organized.
• Such webinar delves deep into the issues related to the quality of products and productivity in a specific sector.

Udyog Manthan:

• It is a marathon that is focused on sector-specific webinars. The webinars are focused on promoting Quality and Productivity in Indian Industry.
• The webinar was started on January 4, 2021, and it will conclude on March 2, 2021.

Amendment of The Companies Rules:

The ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) has amended the definition of small companies by amending the Companies Rules. The new amendment allows the non-resident Indians (NRIs) to incorporate one-person companies (OPCs) in India.

• The changes were announced by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the presentation of the Union Budget.
• These changes will come into effect from April 1.
• The notification also highlights that the paid-up capital and the turnover of the small company shall not exceed respectively rupees two crores and rupees twenty crores.
• Earlier, the definition was based on the thresholds defined by the Companies Act.
• The companies act had mentioned a maximum paid-up capital of Rs 50 lakh and turnover of Rs 2 crores.
• In the year 2018, amendments were made to the companies act. It contained provisions of increasing the paid-up capital and turnover thresholds for small companies respectively up to Rs 10 crore and Rs 100 crore.
• The Finance Minister highlights that the change in the threshold will lighten the compliance burden of about 200,000 companies.

A domestic manufacturing program:

A domestic manufacturing program for critical power and renewable energy equipment will be launched by the Ministry of Power in the Financial Year 2021. The program has an outlay of Rs 1,500 crore. This scheme was announced in the Union Budget. It would set up three manufacturing zones per year.

• The three zones are divided into three categories:
  • coastal,
  • land-locked and
  • hilly states.
• The scheme would also call for the offers from the states to submit the applications in order to set up these zones.
• All of the three selected zones would get Rs 500 crore each in order to develop the manufacturing hubs.
• The zone will also be given open access to a power supply in the selected states which are unable to supply cheaper electricity.
• The states will also set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). SPV would be transferred to the private companies when they set up the manufacturing facilities.

Chauri Chaura Centenary Celebrations:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Chauri Chaura Centenary Celebrations at Chauri Chaura, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, on 4th February 2021.

• The day marks 100 years of the ‘Chauri Chaura’ incident, a landmark event in the country’s fight for independence.
• The Chauri Chaura incident took place on 4 February 1922 at Chauri Chaura in the Gorakhpur district of the United Province (modern Uttar Pradesh) in British India.
• In this, a large group of protesters participating in the Non-cooperation movement clashed with police who opened fire.
• In retaliation the demonstrators attacked and set fire to a police station, killing all of its occupants.
• The incident led to the death of three civilians and 22 policemen.
• Mahatma Gandhi, who was strictly against violence, halted the non-co-operation movement on the national level on 12 February 1922, as a direct result of this incident