September 11,2018

Current Affairs for Engineering Service Exam

Video Lectures and Test Series for ESE 2019

 Topics list:

1. National and International Issues on
   1. Economic Development
   2. Social Development
   3. Industrial Development
2. Energy and Environment
   1. Energy
   2. Environment
3. Information and Communication Technology
   1. Technology
   2. Application
4. The Key Initiatives of Government
5. General Knowledge

Topic 1:Social development

Rural Development schemes

Ministry of Rural Development implements various flagship programmes:

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes (MGNREGS)- to provide wage employment and asset creation
• Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin –  for rural housing
• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) – rural roads
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana -National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) for rural livelihoods
• Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU GKY) for skill development of rural youth
• National Rurban Mission (NRuM) etc. – all aimed at poverty alleviation.

Read more at: PIB

Topic 1:Industrial development

India rolls out world’s largest UPS project

Chennai-based supplier of uninterrupted power Supply (UPS) systems Consul Neowatt announced it has started the world’s largest deployment of lithium-ion UPS solution in Andhra Pradesh.

Highlights:

• Lithium-ion battery technology  can withstand higher ambient temperatures
• It has five times more cyclic life than valve-regulated lead acid batteries
• It has lower weight and smaller footprint compared to lead acid batteries than conventional lead acid batteries.

Read more at: ET

Topic 2 : Environment

Greenhouse gas emissions from Indian paddy fields very high: study

Rice farming across the world could be responsible for up to twice the level of climate impact relative to what was previously estimated, according to a study conducted in India.

Highlights:

• The intermittently flooded rice farms can emit 45 times more nitrous oxide as compared to the maximum from continuously flooded farms that predominantly emit methane.
• The methane and nitrous oxide emissions from rice farms could have the same long-term warming impact as about 600 coal plants.
• Increasing pressure on limited water resources under a changing climate could make additional rice farming regions look to intermittent flooding to address water limitations and concerns about methane emissions.

Read more at: PIB

Topic 3 : ICT

e-Pashuhaat portal

e-Pashuhaat portal is launched in 2016 in Animal Husbandry sector.It aims to connect breeders and farmers regarding availability of bovine germplasm. The portal has been launched under the scheme “National Mission on Bovine Productivity.”

Aims and objectives:

• E-Trading Market portal for livestock germplasm and additional related services.
• Will connect farmers with breeders – Central, State, Co-operative and private agencies.
• Real time authentic certified information on availability of germplasm.
• Centralized repository of information for Central and State Governments.

Read more at: PIB

Topic 4: The Key Initiatives of Government

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana

• The Cabinet Committee has approved the renaming of SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) as “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana‖.
• It is the new Central Sector Scheme that aims to supplement agriculture, modernize processing and decrease Agriculture waste.
• The implementation period of the scheme is 2016-20 coterminous with the 14th Finance Commission cycle.  
• It is a comprehensive package to give a renewed thrust to the food processing sector in the country.
• The implementation of this scheme will result in creation of modern infrastructure, growth of food processing sector and providing better prices to the farmers.

Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana

Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana –“Saubhagya” is a scheme to ensure electrification of all willing households in the country in rural as well as urban areas.

Objective:To provide energy access to all by last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all remaining un-electrified households in rural as well as urban areas to achieve universal household electrification in the country.

Beneficiaries of the project:

• The beneficiaries for free electricity connections would be identified using Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data.
• The un-electrified households not covered under the SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500 which shall be recovered by DISCOMs in 10 instalments through electricity bill.