Daily GK Updates - 12th March, 2018

NATIONAL UPDATES

1. Loktak Lake floating laboratory launched: Manipur forest and environment minister, Thounaojam Singh launched a floating research laboratory of Institute of Bio-Resources and Sustainable Development at Sendra. Keibul Lamjao National Park, the only floating park in the world, is located in the lake.  A water quality machine has been installed inside the boat to collect necessary data to check deteriorating eco-system of Loktak Lake.

2. India’s first Coastal Policing Academy: National Academy of Coastal Policing will be launched from a campus of Gujarat’s Fisheries Research Centre located in coastal Okha in the newly created Devbhoomi Dwarka district. The Country’s first national academy to train police forces in effectively safeguarding the Indian shoreline will start functioning from the next month. It will be created and run by a team of paramilitary forces.

3. UP’s largest Solar Power Plant inaugurated: PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated Uttar Pradesh’s biggest solar power plant in Dadar Kalan village of Chhanvey block in Mirzapur. Approximately 1,18,600 solar panels have been set up in over 380 acres. The solar plant will generate 15.6 crore units of electricity annually, which is about 1.30 crore units per month.

4. Govt. pushes for e-vehicles: The Power Ministry has directed all central government departments and PSUs in the National Capital Region to switch to e-vehicles for local use. The move comes as the government plans to have 30% of the total vehicle fleet in the country running on batteries by 2030. Charging facilities for such vehicles are being installed at various locations, the ministry added.

5. Madhya Pradesh to map ‘happiness quotient’: Madhya Pradesh will carry out a study to find how happy people are. The ‘happiness quotient’ of people became a global talking point when Bhutan came out with a ‘happiness index’ and linked it to development, which is otherwise based on GDP numbers. The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government had set up the ‘Anand Vibhag’, or the happiness department, in 2016.

6. The Delhi End TB Summit to be inaugurated tomorrow: The PM will inaugurate “The Delhi End TB Summit” on 13th March. The Summit will be co-hosted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, WHO South East Asia Regional Office and “Stop TB Partnership”. The Prime Minister will launch TB Free India Campaign on this occasion. TB free India Campaign will take the activities of National Strategic Plan for TB elimination forward in Mission mode.

7. ‘Palace on Wheels’ gets “Tourist Train of the Year” award: The luxury train ‘Palace on Wheels’ of Rajasthan, popular among foreign tourists, has bagged the ‘Tourist Train of the Year’ award of the Pacific Area Travel Writers’ Association. It was launched by the Indian Railways in association with Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation to promote tourism in Rajasthan. The Palace on Wheels was started on 26 January 1982.

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES

1. Bangladesh to observe “Genocide Day” on March 25: Bangladesh will observe a one-minute ‘blackout’ on March 25 to mark ‘Genocide Day’, in memory of the three million people killed by Pakistani forces during the country’s Liberation War in 1971. The government will not suspend power supply, he said, but people will be asked to switch their lights off. Bangladesh started observing March 25 as ‘Genocide Day’ in 2017.

2. ‘Incredible India’ wins “Best Exhibitor Award” at ITB Berlin: India has won the “Best Exhibitor Award ” at ITB – Berlin. ‘ITB- Berlin World Tourist Meet’ was convened at Berlin, Germany from 7th March to 10th March 2018. More than 100 countries participated in the ITB- Berlin meet with their respective Tourism Ministers. India’s Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism) presented a short film named “Yogi of the Racetrack” in the meet.

OTHER UPDATES

DEFENCE:

1. Russia test-fires ‘Kinzhal-hypersonic missile’: Russia test-launched a hypersonic missile from a MIG-31 supersonic interceptor jet that took off from an airfield. The hypersonic missile has been described as “Kinzhal missile” – named after a type of dagger – as “an ideal weapon”. The Kinzhal is said to travel at 10 times the speed of sound and have a range of 2,000 km (1,200 miles).

SPORTS:

1. Matt Wallace wins Indian Open Golf: Matt Wallace from Britain won his second European Tour title at the Indian Open. He beat compatriot Andrew Johnston in the first hole of their play-off. Wallace attacked the first extra hole, the par-five 18th, and birdied to win the tournament after Johnston took a more conservative approach to finish on par.