Bangladesh, Solar Power - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan

Explanation:
Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, the Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh & the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, in an historical event on Nov 9, 2017 flagged off Cross Border Train between India & Bangladesh, the Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan Express through video conference from Kolkata station.

The leaders unveiled jointly an e-plaque to inaugurate the following:

(i) Second Bharirab & Titas Railway Bridges in Bangladesh,

(ii) International Rail Passenger Terminus with End-to-End Immigration and Customs Clearance Facilities (for the passengers of Maitree Express and Bandhan Express) at Kolkata station.

The close connection and understanding between two countries requires connectivity between the people across the border and Maitree Express and Bandhan Express trains will further add to connectivity between India and Bangladesh and strengthen and strengthen bonding.

The Bandhan Express train is the second train to be flagged off after the introduction of Maitree Express' between Kolkata and Dhaka Cantonment stations in April, 2008.

It covers the distance between Kolkata and Khulna through Petrapole & Benapole route to cater to the demands of the people from both the countries to enhance the connectivity.

The Bandhan Express will be a weekly service on every Thursday.

In order to reduce the en-route journey time of the passengers of the existing Kolkata - Dhaka Cantt. Maitree Express and newly introduced Kolkata - Khulna Bandhan Express, Ministry of Railways, with the coordination of Department of Immigration & Customs has opened an International Rail Passenger Terminus at Kolkata station with proper infrastructure and facilities of end-to-end immigration.

With this new facility at Kolkata Terminal, the passengers of Maitree Express and Bandhan Express will be immensely benefitted.

The second Bhairab Bridge and Titas Bridge in Bangladesh built under the assistance of Government of India are two of the most important projects in Bangladesh for infrastructure and rolling stock development.

The one kilometer long second Bhairab Railway Bridge was built over the mighty Meghna river at a cost of around USD 75 millions by Indian contractors and consultants.

Similarly, the Titas bridge over river Titas in Eastern Bangladesh was built with a cost of around USD 25 million. Both these bridges are on the main Chittagong to Dhaka Trunk Rail Line which will help in faster movement of both passenger and freight trains of Bangladesh.

ANSWER: Provide uninterrupted electricity supply

Explanation:

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has signed an MoU with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a policy research institution, to launch a new ‘Initiative on Solar for Healthcare’.
• The collaboration will focus on providing effective health care delivery at the last mile by reducing uncertainty in critical infrastructure, particularly electricity supply via cost effective solar-based solutions.
• Under this collaboration, on a pilot basis, ICMR will install solar systems at select PHCs in partnership with three state governments and evaluate its impact on healthcare delivery and health outcomes.
• The aim of the collaboration is to create resilient health systems in rural India, benefitting primarily women and children.
• In the absence of electricity, services catered by health institutions such as institutional deliveries, paediatric emergencies, and administering of vaccines get severely affected. Electricity access in health centres is also imperative as a means to facilitate communication services, tele-health applications and to retain skilled health workers.

ANSWER: Council on Environment and Water

Explanation:
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has signed an MoU with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a policy research institution, to launch a new ‘Initiative on Solar for Healthcare’.

• The collaboration will focus on providing effective health care delivery at the last mile by reducing uncertainty in critical infrastructure, particularly electricity supply via cost effective solar-based solutions.
• As of 2015, nearly 35 million citizens in rural India rely on un-electrified PHCs for primary health services.
• The synergy between health and energy are the two specific goals of this initiative, and the efforts within this collaboration advances on both fronts.

ANSWER: Dera Baba Jaimal

Explanation:
World’s largest single rooftop solar power plant of 11.5 Mw capacity was inaugurated in Beas near Amritsar in Punjab.

• Spread at a single rooftop stretch of 42 acre at Dera Baba Jaimal, the project was synchronised earlier this year.
• In addition to single largest rooftop solar power plant, seven rooftop solar power plants of 8Mw capacity were also inaugurated in Beas Dera campus making this place the highest single campus generating solar power of 19.5 Mw at multiple rooftops in the country.

ANSWER: Punjab

Explanation:

• World's largest single rooftop solar power plant of 11.5 Mw capacity has been inaugurated in Beas near Amritsar in Punjab.
• Spread at a single rooftop stretch of 42 acre at Dera Baba Jaimal, the project was synchronised earlier this year.
• The project would generate clean and green energy sufficient to power approximately 8000 homes.

ANSWER: Gujarat Energy Development Agency

Explanation:
In an attempt to scale up the present solar power generation in Gujarat, the state government is now all set to launch its much awaited project of grid-connected rooftop solar power units, wherein residential property owners will be encouraged to install this new system.

• The Solar Rooftop project was initiated by Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA), which is the state nodal agency to promote renewable energy.
• In the current fiscal of 2016-17, GEDA has set a target of generating 50 megawatt (MW) of electricity by installing such rooftop solar photovoltaic (SPV) units across Gujarat.
• This rooftop solar project is for residential consumers only

ANSWER: Supreme Court

Explanation:
Supreme Court of Bangladesh on 28th March 2016 upheld the status of Islam as a state religion

Ruling was given out of High Court division of the court while dismissing the petition filed by S.N. Goswami.

The legality of the constitutional provision of Islam as state religion despite secularism as a fundamental state policy under a 2011 amendment to the Constitution was challenged by Goswami.

• Bangladesh was formed in 1971. As per 2011 census, 87% of the population here is Muslim
• In 2010, the Supreme Court restored secularism as one of the basic tenets of the constitution and declared the 5th amendment as illegal. However, the provision relating to Islam as the State religion remains untouched.

ANSWER: Rajasthan > Gujarat > Madhya Pradesh > Maharashtra

Explanation:
The installed capacity of solar power in India crossed the milestone of 5,000 MW. The cumulative installed capacity has reached to 5,130 MW. The state of Rajasthan stands 1st in the country with 1264 MW, followed by Gujarat (1024MW), Madhya Pradesh (679 MW), Tamil Nadu (419 MW), Maharashtra (379 MW) and Andhra Pradesh (357 MW). The Government has set the ambitious target of generating 100 GW of solar power by the year 2021-22 under the National Solar Mission.

ANSWER: Facebook

Explanation:
Bangladesh has lifted the ban on FB 3 weeks after the popular social networking service was blocked after the SC upheld death penalty of 2 opposition leaders convicted for war crimes in independence war against Pakistan in the year 1971. The bans on WhatsApp and VIber will continue for security reasons, the authorities said.

ANSWER: Bangladesh

Explanation:
Bangladesh’s ex premier and key-opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia was on 30th November granted bail after she surrendered before a court here over a nearly USD 2 billion graft case dating back to 2007 when she exhausted all legal options to evade the trial. The ruling was issued after she filed the petition while it was subsequently upheld by the apex court as the statutory Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) challenged the High Court order.