11 Jul 2022: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray
2. Dwarka Expressway
3. Prelims Facts

1. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray

Syllabus: GS Paper 3- Science and Technology: Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology.

Prelims: Contributions of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray

Context:

International Conference on Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray.

Details:

• The conference will be held by the Ministry of Culture and Vijnana Bharti (VIBHA) on the 161st birth anniversary of Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray on 2nd-3rd August 2022.

About Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray:

• Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray (1861-1944) is also known as the ‘Father of Indian Chemistry’.
• He was one of the first modern Indian chemists and established Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, India’s first pharmaceutical company. 
• He was also a noted philanthropist and educationist who was knighted by the British in 1919.
• He discovered mercurous nitrite in 1896. This stable compound spurred a lot of research on metal nitrites and hyponitrites, ammonia nitrites, and organic amines.
• He also proved that the pure ammonium nitrite is indeed stable by bringing to pass a lot of experiments and explained that it can be sublimed even at 60 °C without decomposition.
• He helped establish the Nagarjuna Prize to be awarded for the best work in chemistry.
• Some of his noted works:
  • A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of Sixteenth Century (1902)
  • Saral Prani Bijnan (Simple Science) (1902)
  • Life and Experience of a Bengali Chemist (1932)

2. Dwarka Expressway

Syllabus: GS paper 3- Economy: Infrastructure-Roads

Prelims: Dwarka Expressway

Context:

Dwarka Expressway is being developed as the first elevated urban expressway in India.

Details:

• The expressway is a 16-lane access-controlled highway with the provision of minimum 3-lane service road on both sides.
• It will connect Dwarka in Delhi to Gurugram in Haryana and is being developed at a total cost of Rs 9,000 Crore.
• It has a total length of 29 km out of which 19 km length falls in Haryana while the remaining 10 km of length is in Delhi.
• It is expected to decongest the city of Delhi.

3. Prelims Facts

NITI Aayog gets new CEO

• Shri Parameswaran Iyer has been appointed as the CEO of NITI Aayog.
• With over 25 years of experience in the water and sanitation sector, Mr Iyer spearheaded the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• He is a 1981-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre.

National Emblem

• The PM unveiled the National Emblem cast on the roof of the New Parliament Building.
• The National Emblem is made of bronze with a total weight of 9500 Kg and is 6.5 m in height. It has been cast at the top of the Central Foyer of the New Parliament Building. A supporting structure of steel weighing around 6500 Kg has been constructed to support the Emblem.

Read previous PIB here.

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