DAILY GK: 25,26 MAR 2021

 DAILY GK: 25,26 MAR 2021

1. TERI & SHELL REPORT

•      According to the report by ‘India:Transforming to a net-zero emissions energy system’ released by TERI (The Energy & Resources Institute) & Shell (otherwise known as Royal Dutch Shell plc), the Net Zero emissions in energy system in India is achievable by 2050.

•      The report is one of the first assessments of the challenges that India would face if India were to move towards Net-zero emissions energy system.

 

2. AIRBORNE RADAR SURVEY IN HIMALAYAN GLACIERS

•      Indian govt. is planning to conduct airborne radar survey in the Himalayan region to estimate the thickness of Glaciers at Lahaul-Spiti basin of Himachal Pradesh.

•      The pilot project will then be extended to Indus, Ganga & Brahmaputra sub-basins.

•      Technology used – Ground Penetration Radar (GPR), to assess the depth of Glacier.

•      Initiated by – National Centre for Polar & Ocean Research (NCPOR), Ministry of Earth Science.

•      Note- Currently, India is ranked as the 7th Most Vulnerable Country in the Global Climate Risk Index 2021.

 

3. CHAMPION STATE FOR VAN DHAN VIKAS YOJANA

•      With active cooperation from the state government of Manipur, Van Dhan Vikas Yojana has been successfully implemented, turning Manipur into the Champion State for the scheme.

•      Van Dhan Yojana was launched in October 2019 in Manipur, with the successful establishment of 100 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras in the state.

•      This constitutes 1500 self-help groups for marketing & providing value-addition to the tribal, minor forest produces.

 

4. UN WWDR REPORT 2021

•      According to the 2021 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR 2021) titled ‘Valuing Water’, Each person on the planet may have to live on less Water as per capita reservoir capacity is decreasing.

•      The World population is set to increase to 9 Billion by 2040, but the projected reservoir volume is stabilising around 7, 000 billion cubic metre.

 

5. EMPOWERMENT COMMITTEE FOR MANUFACTURING IN HIGH-TECH SECTORS

•      Central Govt. of India has notified to set-up an Empowerment Committee to discuss and enhance manufacturing of products in High technology areas in India.

•      The 10-member committee will be headed by the Minister of Commerce and Industry.

•      Motive- To facilitate investments and promote manufacturing in technology-intensive sectors including semiconductors.

 

6. POWERGRID LAUNCHES E-TENDERING PORTAL “PRANIT”

•      E-Tendering Portal ‘PRANIT’ was launched by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a central PSU under the Ministry of Power.

•      This e-portal was established to minimize the paperwork and ease of operation and expects the tendering process to become more transparent.

 

7. ISRO DEMONSTRATES QUANTUM COMMUNICATION

•      For the 1st time in India, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully demonstrated free-space Quantum Communication over a distance of 300 Metres. The free-space QKD (Quantum Key Distribution) was demonstrated at Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

•      The demonstration is a major breakthrough towards ISRO’s goal of demonstrating Satellite-Based Quantum Communication (SBQC).

 

8. WORLD TUBERCULOSIS DAY

•      World Tuberculosis Day is observed annually on 24th March.

•      It is observed to raise awareness about the global epidemic of Tuberculosis (TB).

•      2021 Theme – ‘The Clock is Ticking’

 

9. INS JALASHWA REACHED MADAGASCAR’S PORT EHOALA

•      As part of Mission Sagar – IV, Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa arrived at Port Ehoala, Madagascar to deliver a consignment of one thousand Metric Tonne of rice and one lakh Hydroxychloroquine tablets in response to an appeal made by Madagascar for assistance to deal with natural calamities.

 

10. ESAF SMALL FINANCE BANK  BAGS ‘GREAT PLACE TO WORK’ AWARD

•      Esaf Small Finance Bank has been awarded ‘Great Place to Work’ certification by the Great Place to Work Institute.

•      ESAF started its operations as an NGO in 1992 as Evangelical Social Action Forum.Paul Thomas the Founder of ESAF.

 

11. STATE TB INDEX 2021

•      On the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day on March 24, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare inaugurated the celebrations at Dr Ambedkar International Centre at Delhi. During the event,

•      Lakshadweep (UT) & District of Budgam (Jammu & Kashmir) were declared Tuberculosis (TB) free.

•      Himachal Pradesh achieved 1st Rank in India amongst the states with a population of more than 50 Lakhs, to end Tuberculosis.

 

12. ‘INDIA-US HOME SECURITY DIALOGUE’

•      India & US have agreed to re-establish the ‘India-US Home Security Dialogue’.

•      Issues like Cybersecurity, emerging technology & addressing Violent Extremism will be discussed.

•      It was launched in 2010 as the mechanism to a sequel to signing of the India-US Counter-Terrorism initiative.

•      It is an initiative of Barack Obama, Former President of the USA.

•      US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin III arrived in India on a Three-day visit.

•      It is the first visit by a Top Official of the newly elected Biden Administration to India.

 

13. INDIA & FRANCE WORKING ON 3RD JOINT SATELLITE MISSION

•      K Sivan, the Chairman of ISRO stated that India and France are working on the third joint satellite mission, as a bilateral space collaboration is entering into multiple domains like space exploration and human spaceflight programmes.

•      ISRO and French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) have already undertaken two joint missions “Megha Tropiques” launched in 2011 and “SARAL Altika” launched in 2013.

 

14. INTERNATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INDEX 2021

•      India with a score of 38.40 has been ranked 40th out of 53 Global Economies  in the 9th Edition of the ‘International  Intellectual Property (IP) Index : Recovery through Ingenuity 2021’ released by US Chamber of Commerce Global Innovation Policy Centre (GIPC).  

•      USA, UK & Germany topped the Index.

1      USA                        95.31

2      UK                          93.90

3      Germany               92.27

 

15. GOVERNMENT SELLS 15% STAKE IN RVNL

•      Indian Government has announced to sell 15% of its stake in Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) through an Offer for Sale (OFS) for Rs. 750 crores.

•      Of this 15% stake, Govt. will diverse 10% (208.5 million shares) of the total paid-up equity capital through OFS and 5% (104.25 million shares) through the Green Shoe option.

•      This sale comes as a part of Indian govt’s Rs 1.75 lakh crore disinvestment plan.

 

16. IMD LAUNCHED A CLIMATE DATA SERVICE PORTAL

•      The India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched a Climate Data Service Portal with meteorological data of over 100 years(since 1900) which can be accessed by the public.

•      The portal has been developed by IDM, Pune.

•      The platform was developed with climate data management and supply to the users.

 

17. FEDERATION CUP: AVINASH SABLE SETS NEW NATIONAL RECORD IN MEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE

•      Avinash Sable posted a new national record of 8 minutes 20.20 seconds as he won the men’s 3000-metre steeplechase at the National Federation Cup.

•      Avinash has already qualified for Tokyo Olympics.

•      He broke his own record of 8:21.37 at the 2019 Doha World Championships

 

18.ASIA’S LARGEST TULIP GARDEN IN KASHMIR OPENED

•      In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Asia’s largest Tulip Garden in Srinagar is scheduled to be opened for the general public and tourists.

•      The Tulip Garden in Srinagar is a spectrum of colours featuring lakhs of tulips which have blossomed in the lap of Zabarwan Hills along the banks of world famous Dal Lake in Srinagar city.

•      Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his tweet has urged the people to visit Jammu and Kashmir and enjoy the scenic Tulip Garden Festival in Srinagar where 15 lakh flowers of more than 64 varieties are in full bloom nowadays.