September 20, 2014

Cleanliness Index

Union Tourism Ministry announced that it was working on a "Cleanliness Index" for cities in the country to encourage the best performers.

The Index will tell the top 5 cleanest cities in India in the beginning. The step has been taken to develop the tourism sector.

India attracted 6.85 million international tourist arrivals and $18.4 billion in foreign exchange earnings from tourism receipts in 2013. 

Mandolin U Srinivas

Carnatic music legend Mandolin maestro Uppalappu Srinivas passed away in Chennai due to liver failure. 

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1998 by GOI and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2009.

World's first water-based Nuclear Battery

Developed by Kwon's Research group at the University of Missouri.

A radioactive isotope called Strontium-90 is used and it boosts the electrochemical energy in water based solutions.

It can work in wide variety of applications including car batteries and spacecrafts.

ASIAN Games 2014

Jitu Roy emerged as victorious in men's 50 m pistol event to give India its first Gold medal in 17th Asian Games at Incheon.

First medal was won by Shweta Chaudry (Bronze) in 10 m pistol event.

Tang Prize - Asia's Version of the Nobel

The President of Taiwan presented the first Tang Prizes in Taipei.

This award honors the outstanding contributions to the Sustainable development, Rule of law, Medicine and Sinology.

The winners are

Sustainable Development - Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Premier of Norway. 

Rule of Law - Albie Sachs, former Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa

Medicine - James P Allison of US and Tasuku Honjo of Japan

Sinology -  Chinese American Yu Ying-shih.

The prize was founded in 2012 with the donation of 3 billion Taiwan dollars by Samuel Yin, one of the richest men in Taiwan.

US Envoy to India

Obama nominated Richard Rahul Verma as the next US Ambassador to India. He will be the first Indian-American to serve the top US diplomatic position in India.

General Knowledge

The Industrial Policy of 1956 was announced by Jawaharlal Nehru.

Strait of Gibraltar connects the Mediterranean Sea with Atlantic Ocean.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa.

The North Star is also known as Polaris.

Schwann Cells produce the myelin sheath for neurons.