Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 20 December 2021

::NATIONAL::

Right to be Forgotten

Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 containsprovisions related to Right to be Forgotten (RTBF).
Centre also stated that RTBF comes under the right to privacy (held to be a fundamental right by the Supreme Court).

About:

RTBF is an evolving concept in India where an individual could seek to remove or delete online posts which may contain an embarrassing picture, video or news articles mentioning them.

Significance:

Protect autonomy and right to privacy of an individual,
Protect women’s interests on internet (limiting harassment, threats etc),
Avoid social and economic isolation etc.

Ramna Kali temple

President of India inaugurated the renovated Sri Ramna Kali Mandir in Dhaka (Bangladesh).

About:

Revived shrine is considered a symbol of the spiritual and cultural bond among the people ofIndia and Bangladesh.
The temple was destroyed by Pakistani forces during their Operation Searchlight in March 1971,the brutal crackdown that led to the Bangladesh War of Liberation.
The original RamnaKalibari was built during the medieval era and was famous for its tall structure.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

Reporters WithoutBorders

Recently, RSF has brought out the following findings:

1.   Currently 488 media professionals imprisoned around the world (highest in 25 Years).
2.   By contrast, the number killed this year was the lowest, due to relative stabilisation of conflicts in the West Asia.
3.   Most dangerous countries for media professionals are Mexico, Afghanistan, Yemen and India.
About:

Based in Paris, it is one of the world’s leading NGOs in the defense and promotion of freedom ofinformation.
It has consultative status with United Nations, UNESCO and Council of Europe.
It publishes annually the World Press Freedom Index.

Technology-based Energy Solutions: Innovations for Net Zero

It is a programme to support India-US S&T-based entrepreneurial initiatives for development and implementation of next-generation clean and renewable energy, energy storage, and carbon sequestration challenges.

About:

The programme titled ‘Technology-based Energy Solutions: Innovations for Net Zero’.
It will identify ‘technology showstoppers’ by investing in clean technologies and attract entrepreneurial talent to create new markets and industries for transition to Net Zero.
It also aligns with the goals of U.S.-India strategic Clean Energy Partnership.

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::ECONOMY::

Ganga Expressway

Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the longest expressway of Uttar Pradesh Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur district.

About:

The 594 Km long six-lane Expressway will be built at a cost of over Rs 36,200 crore.
Starting near the Bijauli village in Meerut, the Expressway will extend till near the Judapur Dandu village in Prayagraj. It will pass through Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Amroha, Sambhal, Budaun, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Unnao, RaeBareli, Pratapgarh and Prayagraj districts.
By completion of work, it will become the longest expressway of Uttar Pradesh, connecting the western and eastern regions of the state.
The journey from Meerut to Prayagraj which otherwise takes 13 to 14 hours can be covered in 6 to 7 hours after completion of the Ganga expressway.
A 3.5 Km long airstrip for assisting emergency take-off and landing of Air Force planes will also be constructed on the Expressway in Shahjahanpur. An industrial corridor is also proposed to be built along the Expressway.
This is the fourth expressway in the state in last five years which is either complete or under construction.

::SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY::

World’s first living robots can now reproduce

The US scientists who created the first living robots say the life forms.

About:

It is known as xenobots, can now reproduce -- and in a way not seen in plants and animals.
Formed from the stem cells of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) from which it takes its name, xenobots are less than a millimeter (0.04 inches) wide.
The tiny blobs were first unveiled in 2020 after experiments showed that they could move, work together in groups and self-heal.

Potential applications of Xenobots:

To clean up plastic pollution, both in sea and on land.
If built with mammalian stem cells, xenobots could be organised to form lenses to restore vision.
To clean up plaque that causes heart blocks, or brain damage.

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