{"id":15170,"date":"2021-05-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/uncategorized\/12-05-2021\/facts-in-news-149\/"},"modified":"2021-05-12T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-05-12T00:00:00","slug":"facts-in-news-149","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/12-05-2021\/facts-in-news-149","title":{"rendered":"Facts in News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/h2>\n
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Facts in News<\/u><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Shuvuuia Deserti<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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    \n
  • Shuvuuia is a genus of <\/span><\/span><\/span>bird-like theropod dinosaur<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> from the late Cretaceous period.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
      \n
    • It is a member of the family Alvarezsauridae, small coelurosaurian dinosaurs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • This dinosaur species were prevalent around 70 million years ago in present-day Mongolia and Northern China.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
        \n
      • In the Mongolian language, Shuvuuia stands for <\/span><\/span><\/span>“bird”<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

        Image Courtesy: scitechdaily<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

        Key Characteristics<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        • It has boasted visual and auditory capabilities akin to a barn owl, indicating it could hunt<\/span><\/span><\/span> in total darkness<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
            \n
          • Shuvuuia had a very wide scleral ring, indicating an extra-large pupil size that made its eye a specialized light-capture device.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
          • Like many carnivorous dinosaurs,<\/span><\/span><\/span> it<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>did not have strong jaws and sharp teeth<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
              \n
            • It had a <\/span><\/span><\/span>bird-shaped body<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, a <\/span><\/span><\/span>lightly built skull<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and many tiny teeth like grains of rice.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
            • Unlike birds, it had short but powerful arms ending in a single large claw.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
                \n
              • It has short but <\/span><\/span><\/span>powerful forelimbs specialized for digging<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
              • With its long legs and digging forelimbs, it could run at a fast pace and catch its prey like nocturnal mammals, lizards and insects<\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Bad Bank<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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Padmakumar M Nair named as CEO of proposed bad bank<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

About<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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  • It is an <\/span><\/span><\/span>Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> or an <\/span><\/span><\/span>Asset Management Company (AMC)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> which helps commercial banks to clean their account books and recover bad loans over a period of time.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
      \n
    • Bad loans are loans or advances made by a financial institution, on which both principal or interest is u<\/span><\/span><\/span>npaid for a specified period of time<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Simply stated, NPAs are those loans that have ceased to generate income for the bank.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Genesis<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • For the first time, the Bad Bank was established by US-based Mellon Bank in 1988, after which the concept has been implemented in other countries such as Sweden, Finland, France, Belgium, Germany and Indonesia.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
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        • In the US, the bad bank was institutionalised by the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Troubled Asset Relief Programme (TARP)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • In India, the Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramaniam in Economic Survey 2016-17 recommended the establishment of <\/span><\/span><\/span>Public Sector Asset Rehabilitation Agency<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to tackle the growing menace of NPAs, which is badly affecting the economy of the country.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • In <\/span><\/span><\/span>Budget 2021-22<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, the finance minister has announced the setting up of a bad bank to take over the bad loans of commercial banks in India.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Rhea Bird (Rhea americana)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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    \n
  • It is a flightless bird and resembles an ostrich and emu.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Rhea bird is native to South America.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Types<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>: Greater or American rhea and the Lesser or Darwin’s rhea.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • IUCN status<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
      \n
    • Greater Rhea as near-threatened<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Darwin’s Rhea as least concern.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • They are grassland birds and both species prefer open land.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • These birds are omnivores and unlike most birds, rheas have only three toes.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • They can\u2019t fly but use their wings for balance and changing direction.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Threats: <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>Their eggs are collected for food and their meat is also in great demand. Their skins are used in the manufacturing of leather.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      Image Courtesy: Britannica<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Barren Island<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Barren Island is part of <\/span><\/span><\/span>Andaman and Nicobar Islands<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and is located in the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Andaman Sea<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>, around <\/span><\/span><\/span>140 kilometres northeast of Port Blair<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Barren Island is India\u2019s and South Asia\u2019s only active volcano<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
      \n
    • The volcano erupted for the first time in 1787 and latest in 2017.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • It is a <\/span><\/span><\/span>barren landscape<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span>uninhabited by humans<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • It belongs to the North and Middle Andaman administrative district.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • This region is protected by the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Indian Coast Guard<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> to curb illegal entry and other activities.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      \u00a0Image Courtesy: Maps of Indi<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>a<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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IREDA bags \u201cGreen Urja Award\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA) has been conferred with \u201cGreen Urja Award\u201d for being the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Leading Public Institution in Financing Institution for Renewable Energy<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
      \n
    • IREDA plays a pivotal role in <\/span><\/span><\/span>Green Energy Financing.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • The award has been given by the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \t\t\t\u00a0<\/p>\n

      About IREDA<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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      • It is a <\/span><\/span><\/span>Mini Ratna<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> (Category \u2013 I) Government of India Enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry<\/span><\/span><\/span> of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • It was established as a <\/span><\/span><\/span>Non-Banking Financial Institution<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in 1987.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • It is the only dedicated institution for financing <\/span><\/span><\/span>Renewable Energy (RE)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> & <\/span><\/span><\/span>Energy Efficiency (EE)<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> projects in India.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • Motto<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>: Energy for Ever.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Five Deep Project<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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  • The <\/span><\/span><\/span>world’s first manned expedition to the deepest point<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in each of the five oceans.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
      \n
    • the Puerto Rico Trench in the Atlantic,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • South Sandwich Trench in the Southern Ocean,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Java Trench in the Indian Ocean,\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Challenger Deep in the Pacific and\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Molloy Deep in the Arctic.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • It is the first submarine-based (world\u2019s first two-person, titanium-built) mission.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    • The mission was launched in December 2018.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      Image courtesy-\u00a0 Guardian<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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MPLAD Fund<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/td>\n

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    \n
  • Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) is a centrally sponsored scheme initiated in 1993 by Narsimha Rao Government.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • It is <\/span><\/span><\/span>fully funded by the Government of India.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Objective<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>: Under the scheme, the <\/span><\/span><\/span>MPs can recommend development programmes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> involving the spending of Rs 5 crore every year in their respective constituencies.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Administered by:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Key Points<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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    • MPs and MLAs do not receive any money under these schemes<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span>. The government transfers it directly to the respective local authorities.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
        \n
      • These funds are <\/span><\/span><\/span>non-lapsable<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> in nature i.e. in case of non-release of the fund in a particular year it is carried forward to the next year.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • For the MPLAD Scheme, the guidelines focus on the creation of durable community assets like roads, school buildings etc.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
      • States have their version of this scheme with varying amounts per MLA.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>\n
          \n
        • Delhi has the highest allocation under MLALAD; each MLA can recommend works for up to Rs 10 crore each year.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
        • In Punjab and Kerala, the amount is Rs 5 crore per MLA per year.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          \u00a0 Facts in News Shuvuuia Deserti Shuvuuia is a genus of bird-like theropod dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period.\u00a0 It is a member of the family Alvarezsauridae, small coelurosaurian dinosaurs. This dinosaur species were prevalent around 70 million years ago in present-day Mongolia and Northern China. In the Mongolian language, Shuvuuia stands for “bird”. Image […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[30,26,25],"class_list":["post-15170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-current-affairs","tag-gs-2","tag-gs-3","tag-gs1"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2023\/07\/2282779current-affairs.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15170\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}