Economy
NTPC commisions 25 MW floating solar PV Project
NTPC Ltd. has commissioned the largest 25 MW floating solar PV project in Vishakhapatnam on the reservoir of Simhadri thermal power station.
The project will help in lighting around 7,000 households, ensuring that at least 46,000 tons of CO2 are avoided every year and save 1,364 million liters of water per annum.
It is the first solar project that was set up under the Flexibilisation Scheme that was notified by the government in 2018.
Quick Fact: National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) is headquartered in New Delhi.
Environment
UNICEF states that children in India are at high risk of Climate Change impacts
According to a new report by UNICEF, children in India are at extremely high risk of the impacts of climate change.
The findings were published in the UNICEF’s report titled “The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index” (CCRI).
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and India are the four South Asian countries where children are at extremely high risk of threatening their health, education, and protection.
Quick Fact: Twenty-one out world’s 30 cities with the most polluted air were in India in 2020.
Environment
India’s Highest Herbal Park inaugurated near Indo-Chia border
India’s highest herbal park at a height of 11,000 feet was inaugurated near the Indo-China border at Mana village in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.
The high-altitude herbal park has been developed to conserve various medicinally and culturally important alpine species.
The park has been developed under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme of the central government.
Defense
India-Russia deals to procure AK-103 rifles
India and Russia have signed a deal to immediately procure AK-103 rifles as part of a mega infantry modernization program.
The deal was finalized under the provisions of emergency procurement which have been granted to the three services to make urgent purchases.
The rifles will be manufactured under the joint venture Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL).
Quick Fact: The world’s coldest city Oymyakon is located in Russia.
International Affairs
China passses new Online Privacy law
China has passed a new Online Privacy Law to prevent businesses from collecting any sensitive personal data.
The new law was passed in the backdrop of China facing an uptick in internet scams where companies like ride-hailing giant Didi and gaming behemoth Tencent have been accused of misuse of personal data.
The new law has been modeled based on European Unions’s General Data Protection Regulation which is considered the world’s strictest privacy protection law.
Economy
Facebook India launches ‘Small Busines Loans Initiative’
Facebook India has launched a new initiative called the ‘Small Business Loans Initiative’ recently in partnership with online lending platform ‘Indifi’.
The initiative will extend help to small and medium businesses (SMBs) who advertise on Facebook to get quick access to credit with the help of independent lending partners.
The initiative was announced by Facebook India at a virtual event “Enabling MSME Growth through Financial Inclusion” hosted by Facebook Inda in partnership with FICCI.
Quick Fact: The full form of FICCI is the ‘Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Miscellaneous
World’s first fossil-free steel manufactured in Sweden
Sweden has become the first country in the world to manufacture the first fossil-free steel (Green steel).
The steel has been developed by HYBRIT Technology and its first delivery was done by truck-manufacturer Volvo AB as a trial run.
Sweden strives to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and become one of the world’s first fossil-free welfare nations.
Quick Fact: Stockholm is the Capital of Sweden.
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