Current Affairs April 2015

National Green Tribunal bans diesel vehicles older than 10 years in Delhi

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 7 April 2015 held that all diesel vehicles heavy or light which are more than 10 years old will not be permitted to ply in Delhi and NCR. The judgment was given by bench headed by NGT Chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar on a petition filed by Vardhaman Kaushik who had contended that the level of particulates in Delhi is raising manifold.

NGT bench held that 

• Diesel is prime source of air pollution in Delhi. 
• The current situation is so alarming that people have been advised to leave Delhi due to adverse effects on health. 
• Numbers of countries like Brazil, China, and Denmark etc are in the process or have prohibited diesel vehicles. They have achieved it by imposing stringent taxes on the vehicles. 
• Certain stringent measures need to be taken to ensure that residents of Delhi do not travel closer to ill-health with each breath they take. 
• In this regard, tribunal bench directed the Transport department of Delhi government and other concerned authorities to prepare a comprehensive data of registration of all such vehicles which are 10 or more years old. Earlier in November 2014, NGT had banned all the petrol vehicles over 15-year old in Delhi and NCR.

CCEA approves strengthening and widening of three sections of highways connecting Varanasi and Madurai

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7 April 2015 approved strengthening and widening of three sections connecting the two temple towns of Varanasi and Madurai.
CCEA approved four laning of Sultanpur-Varanasi section of National Highway-56 in Uttar Pradesh- This project will upgrade 138 km long stretch NH-56 at the cost of 3,800 crore rupees. It will substantially upgrade Varanasi’s connectivity to Lucknow and other parts of Central UP.

• Varanasi to Ghazipur, Gorakhpur and Nepal section of NH- 29 in UP- This project will upgrade 200 km long stretch NH- 29 at the cost of 4,400 crore rupees. It will improve regional connectivity and facilitate improved movement of people and goods in the region and across the border. 
• Madurai-Ramanathapuram section of NH- 49 in Tamil Nadu- This project will upgrade 115 km long stretch NH- 49 at the cost of 1,400 crore rupees. It will be undertaken under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-III.

April 7: World Health Day

World health Day was observed all over the world on April 7, 2015. Theme for year 2015 was “food safety” with the slogan from farm to plate, make food safe. The theme highlights

• Need to make food free from viruses, microbes and chemicals substances that are responsible for more than 200 diseases. Indirectly unsafe food is linked to the annual deaths of some 2 million people, mostly children. 
• Need to create awareness about food safety as it possesses challenges from the changes in food production, distribution and consumption. Changes in the environment and new emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance are also challenge to food safety.

In this regard, WHO is also working with countries to strengthen efforts to detect, prevent and respond to foodborne disease outbreaks in line with the Codex Alimentarius

About World Health Day

• Every year on April 7, World Health Day is celebrated under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO). Purpose: To focus on increasing the life expectancy by adding good health to the lives of people and promoting healthier living habits. 
• This day marks the WHO’s founding and is observed since 1950, Since then April 7 every year is seen as an opportunity by the WHO to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year.

Dr. Mayilsamy Annadura took charge as Director of ISRO satellite centre

Dr Mayilsamy Annadurai has assumed the office of Director, ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He replaced Dr. S.K. Shivakumar, who had retired on 31 March 2015.
About Dr Mayilsamy Annadurai

• Annadurai had joined ISRO in 1982. He had started his career at ISAC as the team leader to design and develop Software Satellite Simulator. 
• He was Mission Director of ISRO’s INSAT Missions from 1992 to 2005. 
• He was also lead member of ISRO’s satellite mission team and brought about the efficient ground automation for satellite operations. 
• Annadura also had served as Project Director of India’s first Lunar Mission, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2. In 2011, he was Programme Director of Indian Remote Sensing Satellites and Small Satellite Systems (IRS&SSS). 
• He also had served as Programme Director of India’s first interplanetary mission- Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called Mangalyaan. Annadura has authored 3 books and has 75 papers to his credit.