Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 06 March 2021

::NATIONAL::

Three Indian Institutes of Technology have entered the prestigious group of the top 100 engineering institutes with IIT-Bombay grabbing the best-ever 49th position in the engineering and technology category followed by IIT Delhi (54) and IIT Madras (94). MIT, USA has retained its top position.
Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore — that secured number one position in the NIRF 2020 — is placed at the 92nd spot for natural sciences, followed by IIT Bombay (114), IIT Madras (187), and IIT Delhi (210), as per the data released by QS.

QS World University Rankings by subject calculate performance based on four parameters:

Under the scheme, development of Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple, Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh was approved.
PRASHAD is a Central Sector Scheme launched by Ministry ofTourism in 2014-15 with objective of integrated development of identified pilgrimage and heritage destinations.

Activities under scheme include:

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of the King-dom of Sweden H.E. Stefan Löfven held a Virtual Summit where they discussed bilateral issues and other regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.

About:

The Prime Minister fondly recalled his 2018 visit to Sweden for the first India-Nordic Summit, and the India visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden in December, 2019.
The two leaders reviewed the extensive ongoing engagement between India and Sweden, and expressed satisfaction at the implementation of the Joint Action Plan and Joint Innovation Partnership agreed during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Sweden in 2018.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed Sweden’s decision to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
The leaders also noted the growing member-ship of the India-Sweden joint initiative – the Leadership Group on Indus-try Transition (LeadIT) that was launched during the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019 in New York.

India and Norway agree to conduct marine spatial planning (MSP) in Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
MSP is a process of analyzing and allocating spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives.
MSP initiative will be implemented by Ministry of Earth Sciences and Norwegian Environment Agencythrough the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway.
Earlier, National Centre for Coastal Research had developed coastal management plans for Chennai, Goa,and Gulf of Kachchh which proved very successful.

The Union Minister of Road Transport & Highwaysreviewed the progress of India’s first grade separated urban expressway, Dwarka Expressway (NH – 248BB).
The 29-kilometre long Expressway, being constructed under the Bharatmala Project and with a cost of Rs8,662 crore, would be completed before the Independence Day next year.
Being built in four packages, total length of the Expressway is 29 kilometres out of which 18.9 kilometre length falls in Haryana while remaining 10.1 kilometre length is in Delhi. It starts from Shiv-Murti on National Highway-8 and ends near KherkiDaula Toll Plaza.
Delhi-Gurugram section of National Highway-8, a part of Delhi-Jaipur-Ahmedabad-Mumbai arm of Golden Quadrilateral (GQ), is presently carrying traffic of over three lakh Passenger Car Units (PCUs), which is much beyond design capacity of this 8-lane highway, leading to severe congestion and with the construction of the present project, 50 to 60 per cent traffic on National Highway-8 will be reduced.

Significance:

It will be the first-ever elevated Urban Expressway in India and will immensely help reducing the air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
The Dwarka Expressway would also be the first instance of a project where Tree Plantation of approximately 12,000 trees has been undertaken, keeping protection of the environment in view.
This will have longest (3.6 kilometre) and widest (8 lane) Urban Road Tunnel in India. The project’s road network will also comprise of four levels, i.e., tunnel / underpass, at-grade road, elevated flyover and flyover above flyover.
It will also comprise India’s first 9-kilometre long 8-lane flyover (34-metre wide) on single pier with 6-lane service roads.
There will be a fully automated tolling system with 22 lanes toll plaza. The entire project will be equipped with Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has clarified that Part III of rules are administered by Ministry itself and powers have not been delegated to State Governments.
Part III of rules prescribes age-based classification and a three-tier grievance redress system mechanism which includes an oversight mechanism of government at the third level.
Rules were recently notified under IT Act, 2000 to regulate digital news and current affairs and publishers of online curated content (OTT platforms).