Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 20 October 2021

::NATIONAL::

The University Grants Commission has issued notification recognizing Bachelor of Sowa Rigpa Medicine and Surgery (BSRMS) under the specified Degrees.
Duration of the degree will be of minimum of five years and Ten plus Two (102) is fixed as entry qualification.

About:

Sowa Rigpa Is a traditional and popular medicinal practice in the Himalayan region.
So far, only two deemed to be universities, namely Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS) in Leh and Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (CIHTS) located in Sarnath are offering the degree in Sowa Rigpa medicine.
With UGC recognition, any university could offer BSRMS degree in their colleges.

Union home minister Amit Shah will flag off “Modi van” under the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) “Seva hi Sangathan” programme to commemorate Prime Minister Narendra Modi completing 20 years as a head of government.

About:

The special van will be operated under the aegis of Kaushambi Vikas Parishad.
The Modi Van will also help in promoting vaccination against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in remote villages.
The vehicle has a telemedicine, as well as a machine that can test 39 blood samples at one go.
It will be used to administer oath to people to keep villages clean and plastic-free. A pledge for water conservation will also be administered.
The van will also help in the registration of people for several central schemes.

An Indian consortium led by ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) contractually has a right to take a 30 per cent interest in the Farzad-B gas field development in the Persian Gulf even after Iranian decision to award rights of the giant field to a local firm.

About:

In February, 2020, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) informed Indians about its intention to conclude the contract for Farzad-B development with an Iranian company. In May this year, it awarded a USD 1.78 billion contract to Petropars group.
The field was discovered by the Indian consortium and naturally it was interested in bringing it to production and submitted a development plan. But Iranian government decided to go ahead with the project without a foreign participation.

Existing Overseas assets of OVL:

Commonwealth of Independent States and Far East- Azerbaijan (CaspianSea and Baku), Bangladesh (Bengal Basis), Myanmar (Rakhine Coast), Russia(Sakhalin, Siberia) and Vietnam (Nam Con Son basin in South China Sea).
Middle East- Iran (Persian Gulf), Iraq (Western Desert), Syria(Euphrates-Graben) and UAE (Zakum).
Africa- Libya (Cyrenaica Basin), Mozambique (Rovuma) and South Sudan(Greater Nile oil project).
Latin America- Brazil (Campos and Sergipe Basin), Columbia (Velasquez) andVenezuela (Orinoco Belt).

Dubbed as the “Eco Oscars”, The Earthshot Prize is an award set up by Prince William and the Royal Foundation, the charity founded by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and historian David Attenborough to honour five finalists between 2021 and 2030 for developing solutions to fight the climate crisis.
The inaugural edition remains special for India as Vidyut Mohan’s technology that recycles agricultural waste to create fuel was named among the winners of the coveted prize.

Background:

Established in 2020, 2021 was the first year when awards were handed out to finalists for their contributions towards the five UN Sustainable Development Goals — restoration and protection of nature, air cleanliness, ocean revival, waste-free living and climate action.

What are the prizes about?

Inspired by former US President John F Kennedy’s Moonshot — when the president had set a goal of reaching the Moon in less than a decade — the Earthshot Prize hopes to encourage and support the development of solutions for Earth’s environmental problems.
Five individuals or organisations that have come up with impactful solutions to problems plaguing the planet will be awarded one million euros. Each year five winners will be selected, one for each of the UN SDG goal categories, with a total of 50 million euros being awarded by 2030.
The winners will be chosen from 15 finalists, three for each category, by the Earthshot Prize Council. The council comprises global spokespersons who are striving to bring impactful action in various capabilities.

Union minister of power and new and renewable energy demanded that developed countries fund solar power projects in poor countries through the International Solar Alliance.
During the ministerial plenary of ISA’s fourth general assembly on Wednesday, Singh said the developed world cannot say, sorry it’s not my business when it comes to funding clean energy projects.
He added that for the developing world some carbon space should be free.
John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy on Climate said that the global target to reach net zero emissions by 2050 needed dramatic action in the present decade.
To keep 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach, need to take dramatic action during this critical decade in order to reduce emissions by half worldwide.

The British Museum in London will display an ancient object called the Nebra Sky Disc, which is thought to be the world’s oldest concrete depiction of stars.
The object is being loaned to the museum by Germany’s State Museum of Prehistory in Halle that owns it and will be showcased as part of an exhibition on Stonehenge, which will open in February 2022.

What is the Nebra Sky Disc?

About 3,600 years ago, the disc was ritually buried along with two swords, axes, two spiral arm-rings and one bronze chisel near Nebra in Germany. The burial of these objects is thought to be made as a dedication to gods.
While the exact purpose of the disc cannot be determined, hypotheses about its existence have imagined it as an astronomical clock, a work of art and a religious symbol.