(FREE) UPSC Current Affairs 2024 PDF

Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 28 August 2021

::NATIONAL::

About:

It aims to create a platform to initiate dialogues for the development of uniform policies and help achieve specific results in reducing carbon emissions from the transport sector by promoting electric vehicles.
The forum is a part of the Nationally Determined Contribution -Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) project.
It focuses on developing a coherent strategy of effective policies and the formation of a multi-stakeholder platform for decarbonising transport in the region.
It is a joint programme of seven organisations that will engage China, India, and Vietnam in promoting a comprehensive approach to decarbonising transport in their respective countries. The project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI).

The National Board of Wildlife (chair-PM, under Wildlife Protection Act 1972) has cleared construction of roads near the Line of Actual Control.
These roads are in Ladakh’s Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary adjoining the border.
It encompasses two of the world-famous high altitude water lakes, Tsomoriri and Pangong Tso.
Panel also cleared the construction of a border outpost at East Sikkim, to allow logistics support near the Pangolakha Sanctuary.
The Pangolakha Range, extending below the Chola Range, separates Sikkim from Bhutan.
The Sanctuary has typical alpine-temperate-subtropical vegetation with high altitude lakes around JelepLa.

Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar addressed the 11th meeting of BRICS Agriculture Ministers under the theme BRICS Partnership for Strengthening Agro Biodiversity for Food Security and Nutrition.

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Tn the Ministers’ meeting, the Action Plan of 2021-24 for Agricultural Cooperation of BRICS Countries was adopted.
The Action Plan focuses on the themes of food security, welfare of farmers, conservation of agrobiodiversity, resilience of food and agricultural production systems, promotion of digital agricultural solutions etc. which are integral to the sustainable development of agriculture.
It has been proposed to include “Conservation and promotion of agrobiodiversity for nutrition and sustainability” as a focus area for collaboration in the Action Plan 2021-2024 for Agricultural Cooperation of BRICS Countries.

At the 7thmeeting of the BRICS Environment Ministerial 2021, India stressed the need for taking concrete collective global actions against global environment and climate challenge, guided by equity, national priorities and circumstances, and the principles of “Common butDifferentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities(CBDR-RC)”.

About:

The meeting was held virtually under the chair of India and was participated by the Environment Ministers from the BRICS nations.
The meeting was preceded by the BRICS Joint Working Group on Environment meeting on 26th August, 2021.
Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change stated that India gives great importance to BRICS and said that 2021 is a very crucial year not only for the BRICS but for the whole world as well, as we have UN Biodiversity COP 15 in October and UNFCCC COP 26 in November and emphasized that BRICS Countries can play a very significant role in addressing the contemporary global challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, air pollution, marine plastic litter, etc.
The key areas proposed in the BRICS Environment Ministers’ Statement, 2021 are guided by the issues, which may have primacy in COP 15 and COP 26.

Government cautions stakeholders as 348 companies fail to meet requisite criteria for declaration as Nidhi company.

Nidhi Companies:

Registered under Companies Act, 2013 and governed by Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).
Under Nidhi Rules, 2014, it is a company with the object of cultivating the habit of thrift and saving amongst its members, receiving deposits from, and lending to, its members only, for their mutual benefit.
It is a certain category of NBFC and RBI has powers to issue directives to them though not directly under RBI.
They have been exempted from core provisions of RBI Act applicable to NBFCs.

Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, launched QSim – Quantum Computer Simulator Toolkit, to enable Researchers and Students to carryout research in Quantum Computing in a cost effective manner.

Key features highlighted:

Intuitive UI: QSim offers a robust QC Simulator integrated with a GUI based Workbench allowing students / researchers to create Quantum programs, visualize the instant circuit generation and simulated outputs.
Simulate noisy Quantum logic circuits: Helps simulate Quantum circuits with and without noise and test how well various algorithms work with imperfect quantum components. This is essential to simulate real-life conditions.
Pre-loaded Quantum algorithms and Examples: QSim comes loaded with Quantum programs and algorithms providing a head start to the users. E.g. QFT, Deutsch Jozsa, Grovers and so on.
Integrated with HPC: The quantum simulations are performed on powerful HPC resources allowing multiple users to submit jobs simultaneously with different QuBit configurations.

Offering Models:

PARAM SHAVAK QSim - Standalone system with Quantum Simulator in a box
PARAM QSim Cloud - Available on cloud using HPC infrastructure PARAM SIDDHI AI (developed and deployed under NSM program)

India’s Bhavina Patel made history at the Tokyo Paralympic Games by getting into medal contention in Women’s Singles Class 4 table tennis at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Bhavina, the 34-year-old from Ahmedabad, stormed into the semifinals by upsetting Rio 2016 gold-medallist BorislavaPericRankovic of Serbia in straight games 3-0 (11-5,11-6, 11-7) in just 19 minutes.
Bhavina is the first Indian woman table tennis player to reach the semi-finals in Paralympic Games. In the semifinals, she will meet China’s Zhang Miao on Saturday.
Bhavina broke away from 3-3 in the first game to win the next six points and take a 9-3 lead before clinching the game 11-5.