International Affairs
UN Human Rights Council recognises ‘Right to a clean environment’
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) unanimously voted to recognize a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a universal right.
The resolution was approved following a campaign led by 13000 civil society organizations and indigenous peoples’ groups, 90,000 children, and private sector stakeholders.
The Right to a clean environment was first rooted in the “1972 Stockholm Declaration”.
Quick Facts: UNHCR is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Science and Technology
Telangana to test Mobile-based e-voting system
The Telangana State Election Commission has planned to conduct a dry run of a “Mobile-based e-voting system” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Telangana State Election Commission is implementing the system in association with the emerging technologies wing of IT Electronics and Communications (ITE&C) and CDAC.
The dry run to be held in the Khammam district of Telangana will be India’s first smartphone-based e-voting process.
International Affairs
India and UK sign pact on ‘Forward Action Plan’
India and the United Kingdom have inked a pact on ‘Forward Action Plan on power & clean transportation, renewables, green finance, and green energy research”.
The ‘Forward Action Plan’ was discussed at the “3rd India-UK Energy for Growth Partnership- Ministerial Energy Dialogue” held in the backdrop of the United Nations COP26.
The action plan covers several topics such as energy storage, battery storage, and the need of mobilising investments across renewable energy.
Quick Facts: The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP-26) is set to start from October 31 in Glasgow.
Economy
India faces a Coal shortage
According to the data of ‘Central Electricity Authority of India’, India is facing an unprecedented shortage of coal stocks across the thermal plants.
Out of the 135 thermal plants using coal for power generation, 106 or nearly 80 percent were either in the critical or supercritical stage.
The coal shortage might delay the economic reopening in India and will hit the underdeveloped energy infrastructure the harder in India.
Quick Fact: RK Singh is the Union Power Minister of India.
Art and Culture
Bathukamma festival begins in Telangana
Bathukamma festival, a nine-day floral festival has begun in Telangana, India with women dressing in traditional clothes and colorful processions.
The Bathukamma festival is celebrated during the Durga Navratri.
The festival begins on the day of Mahalaya Amavasya and continues for nine days ending on the day of Durgashtami.
Quick Facts: K. Chandrashekar Rao is the Chief Minister of Telangana.
Economy
Reliance New Energy Solar acquires REC Solar Holdings
Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd. (RNESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of RIL has acquired 100 percent shareholding of REC Solar Holdings AS.
RNESL has acquired the REC group from the China National Bluestar (Group) Co. Ltd. for an Enterprise Value of USD 771 million.
The acquisition will enable Reliance to achieve the goal of generating 100GW of solar energy by 2030 also supporting the country’s global goal to produce 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030.
Quick Facts: RNESL is headquartered in Mumbai.
Miscellaneous
Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences announced
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2021 with one-half to David Card.
The other half has been jointly given to Joshua Angrist and Guido Imbens for their methodological contributions to the analysis of casual relationships.
The Prize in Economic Sciences is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden.
Person in News
Aryabhata Award conferred to G Satheesh Reddy
The Secretary of the Department of Defense R&D and the Chairman of DRDO Dr. G Satheesh Reddy has been conferred the prestigious Aryabhata Award.
The Award was presented by the Astronautical Society of India (ASI) to Reddy for his outstanding contribution to the promotion of astronautics in India.
Dr. Reddy is a pioneer in the area of R&D of advanced avionics, navigation, and missile technologies.
Quick Facts: Dr. K Sivan is the President of the Astronautical Society of India.
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