Prelims Factoids
Prabuddha Bharata

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Prabuddha Bharata)
What's the NEWS

• The Prime Minister, addressed the 125th anniversary celebrations of ‘Prabuddha Bharata', a monthly journal of the Ramakrishna Order, started by Swami Vivekananda.
• Swami Vivekananda named the journal Prabuddha Bharata to manifest the spirit of the nation.

Know! all about Prabuddha Bharata

• Prabuddha Bharata' is a monthly English language journal of the Ramakrishna Order which was started by Swami Vivekananda.
• It has been in publication since 1896 and carries articles on social sciences and humanities comprising historical, psychological, cultural and social sciences themes.
• Prabuddha Bharata' is regarded as a significant medium for spreading the message of India's ancient spiritual wisdom.
• It was initially published in Chennai for two years after which the publication operation was shifted to Almora town of Uttarakhand.
• The place of publication was again moved in April 1899 to the Advaita Ashrama and the journal has been publishing from there ever since.
• Several prominent people such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sri Aurobindo, Netaji Subhas Chandra Sister Nivedita and the first Vice President of India Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan have contributed their writings towards the journal in the fields of history, psychology, social issues, Indian culture etc.
• Prabuddha Bharata is India's longest running English journal.

Prelims Factoids
8^th India International Silk Fair

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about International Silk Fair + Indian Silk Export Promotion Council + Silk production in India
What's the NEWS

• The Textile Minister inaugurated the 8th edition of India International Silk Fair virtually,
• The fair is considered to be India's biggest silk fair, being held under one roof on Indian Silk Export Promotion Council's virtual platform from 31^st January to 4^th February 2021.
• The event is being held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic.
• More than 200 overseas buyers have already registered and equal number of their representatives in India shall be interacting on virtual platform with more than 100 renowned and big Indian companies manufacturing and trading silk and silk blended products.

India International Silk Fair

• India International Silk Fair is the Sourcing Fair for silk and silk blend products organised by the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council under the aegis of Ministry of Textiles and sponsored by Department of Commerce.
• India has long history of silk production and is the 2nd largest producer of Silk.
• India is the only country in the world which produces all the four major varieties of silk i.e. Mulberry, Eri, Tassar, and Muga and has large varieties of products to offer i
• India has around 11 Geographical Indications (GI) such as Pochampally Ikat,Chanderpaul Silk, Mysore Silk, Kanchipuram Silk, Muga Silk, Salem Silk, Arni Silk,Champa Silk, Bhagalpur Silk, Banaras Brocade and Sarees etc.

Indian Silk Export Promotion Council

• The Indian Silk Export Promotion Council (ISEPC) was set up in 1983 as a company not for profit under Companies Act duly sponsored by the Government of India in the Ministry of Textiles.
• The Council as on date has a membership of 853 regular exporters of Silk goods whereas more than 1800 exporters have registered with the Council.
• ISEPC works closely with the Government of India on policy formulation concerning silk sector and provides specialized services to the entrepreneurs enlarging global business opportunities for the silk industry in India.

Prelims Factoids
Khelo India Zanskar Winter Sports and Youth Festival 2021
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Khelo India Zanskar winter sports - location )
What's the NEWS

• The 13 day long Khelo India Zanskar winter sports and youth festival concluded at Zanskar Valley of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
• The festival, first of its kind was organized by the Department of Sports & Youth Services under the Khelo India banner in collaboration with the Ladakh Tourism Department.

Khelo India Zanskar Winter Sports

• The festival was organised to showcase potential in adventure tourism and sports and aims to open a new arena in Ladakh for adventure and economy.
• It is one of the biggest events that has been organised to promote winter tourism in Ladakh.
• The 13day long festival was started on January 18^th and concluded on Saturday, January 30^th 2021

Infrastructure Development
SJVN Bags 679 MW Lower Arun Hydro Electric Project in Nepal

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Arun Hydro Electric Project - location + River ) + Mains ( GS III infrastructure development + GS II bilateral relations)
What's the NEWS

• Government of Nepal has allotted 679 MW Lower Arun Hydro Electric Project in Nepal to SJVN through competitive bidding.
• The Investment Board of Nepal chaired by Hon'ble Prime Minister of Nepal, Sh. K.P. Sharma Oli has awarded the Project to SJVN.

Know! about Arun Hydro Electric Project

• The Lower Arun Hydro Electric Project is located in Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur Districts of Nepal.
• On completion 679 MW Lower Arun Hydro Electric Project will generate 3561 million units of electricity per annum.
• The Projects being developed by SJVN in Nepal would result in overall development and boost mutual economic growth in India & Nepal.
• The Infrastructural Development related to project activities would ensure overall socio-economic development of the region.
• SJVN is already constructing 900 MW Arun 3 HEP in Nepal and 217km 400 kV associated transmission system. With addition of Lower Arun Hydro Electric Project to its kitty, SJVN portfolio now stands at 8960.5 MW.
• SJVN has presence in various sectors of energy generation which includes Hydro, Wind, Solar & Thermal. The company also has presence in the field of Energy Transmission.

Arun-III hydroelectric power plant

• The Arun-III hydroelectric power plant is a 900MW run-of-the-river hydropower project under construction in Nepal. Scheduled for commissioning by 2024, it will be the biggest hydroelectric facility in the South Asian country.
• SJVN Arun-III Power Development Company (SAPDC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of India's Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN), is developing the project on a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) basis. SVJN is a joint-venture between the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh.
• SAPDC will operate the facility for a period of 25 years, excluding the construction period of five years, before transferring the ownership to the Nepal government.
• Nepal will receive 21.9% of the electricity generated at the power plant as free power during these initial 25 years of commercial operations.
• The Arun-III hydroelectric facility is being built on the Arun River in Sankhuwasabha district, Nepal.
• Arun is a tributary of the Koshi River in Nepal. The project site is located approximately 657km east of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

International Organisations
World Solar Bank (WSB)
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about International Solar Alliance (ISA) + World Solar Bank (WSB) + Mains ( GS II Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India'sinterests
What's the NEWS

• The steering committee of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) is set to meet shortly to clear the decks for the World Solar Bank (WSB), which is expected to be headquartered in India
• India would like to become lead member of the World Solar Bank (WSB), a multi-lateral lender proposed by the International Solar Alliance (ISA), by making an equity commitment of $ 600 Million for a 30% stake in it.
• This would be the first multilateral development bank (MDB) headquartered in India and comes even as Beijing has taken the lead in creating the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank (NDB).

World Solar Bank (WSB)

• ISA and Brickworks Analytics has prepared a feasibility study report for setting up the WSB
• The international steering committee members comprising France, India, the UK, Netherlands, Cuba, Guyana, Fiji and Nauru are expected to discuss issues such as WSB's governance structure, resource mobilization and the country where it should be headquartered.
• The Steering Committee, which was formed at India's initiative in 2016 to promote the cause.
• The WSB plans to disburse around $50 billion to ISA member countries over the next 10 years.
• The idea of a WSB has gained traction as many ISA member countries may have difficulty raising finances on their own. This also comes against the backdrop of around 800 million people not having access to power.

The International Solar Alliance (ISA)

• The primary objective of the alliance is to work for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
• This initiative was first proposed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a speech in November 2015 at Wembley Stadium
• The alliance is a treaty-based inter-governmental organization.
• Countries that do not fall within the Tropics can join the alliance and enjoy all benefits as other members, with the exception of voting rights.
• After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states world-wide.
• The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was conceived as a coalition of solar-resource-rich countries (which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) to address their special energy needs.
• The ISA will provide a dedicated platform for cooperation among solar-resource-rich countries, through which the global community, including governments, bilateral and multilateral organizations, corporates, industry, and other stakeholders, can contribute to help achieve the common goal of increasing the use and quality of solar energy in meeting energy needs of prospective ISA member countries in a safe, convenient, affordable, equitable and sustainable manner.
• The ISA has 122 sun-belt countries that lie between the two tropics as its prospective member countries and currently boasts a membership of 86 countries globally.
• ISA will not duplicate or replicate the efforts that others (like International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), International Energy Agency (IEA), Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), United Nations bodies, bilateral organizations etc.) are currently engaged in, but will establish networks and develop synergies with them and supplement their efforts in a sustainable and focused manner

Prelims Factoids
Spices Board
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Spice Board)
What's the NEWS

• Spices Board conducted the Virtual Buyer Seller Meet(BSM) for Chili and Turmeric, with focus on Andhra Pradesh, which saw participation from 245 stakeholders.
• This was the 14th BSM conducted by the Board in FY 2020-21.
• India is the world's largest exporter of chili and turmeric, the exports of which have recorded a steady progress, over the years.

Spices Board

• Spices Board was constituted on 26th February 1987 under the Spices Board Act 1986 with the merger of the erstwhile Cardamom Board (1968) and Spices Export Promotion Council (1960).
• Spices Board is one of the five Commodity Boards functioning under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• It is an autonomous body responsible for the export promotion of the 52 scheduled spices and development of Cardamom (Small & Large).
• There are five statutory Commodity Boards under the Department of Commerce.
• These Boards are responsible for production, development and export of tea, coffee, rubber, spices and tobacco

Prelims Factoids
Republic Day Parade 2021
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the Republic day Parade 2021 - awards)
What's the NEWS

• Three panels of judges were appointed for assessing the performance of marching contingents from three Services, marching contingents from CAPFs/other Auxiliary Forces, tableaux from various States/Union Territories (UTs) Central Ministries/Departments/CAPFs and other auxiliary forces and Schoolchildren items.

Know! the awardees

• Jat Regimental Centre Marching Contingent has been adjudged as the best marching contingent among the three services during the Republic Day Parade at the majestic Rajpath on January 26, 2021.
• Delhi Police Marching Contingent has been chosen as the best marching contingent among Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and other auxiliary forces.
• They have been adjudged on the basis of the assessment of the panels of judges and the results of the competitive presentation of the contingents.
• Among the tableaux of States/Union Territories (UTs) Uttar Pradesh, Tripura and Uttarakhand were chosen 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd respectively.
• Department of Biotechnology was chosen the best tableau among the Central Ministries/Departments/CAPFs/other auxiliary forces.
• Special prize was given to the tableau of Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

Science & Technology
CSIR celebrates 20 years of India's Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, the first of its kind globally

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL)

What's the NEWS

• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched a new campaign of highlighting 80 success stories from the organization as it is set to turn 80 years old in 2022.
• This campaign was launched recently as CSIR's Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) completes two decades of safeguarding India's Traditional Knowledge.
• To commemorate the two decades' journey, a webinar "Two Decades of TKDL - Connecting to the Future" was organized.

Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL).

• CSIR jointly with Department of Indian Systems of Medicine & Homeopathy (ISM&H, now Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) developed the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL).
• This initiative was a follow up action to thwart misappropriation of India's valuable traditional knowledge, based on learnings from the patent battles with international patent offices over the grant of intellectual property rights on turmeric, neem, basmati rice and other such ancient knowledge and practices of the country.
• TKDL database contains more than 3.9 lakh formulations/ practices from the Indian systems of medicine (Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Sowa Rigpa) and Yoga.
• The database is available to only patent examiners through TKDL Access (Non-disclosure) Agreement and so far, Access Agreements have been signed with 13 international patent offices including India.
• Significantly, 239 patent applications have either been set aside/ withdrawn/ amended, based on the prior art evidences present in the TKDL database.
• The valuable partnership with Ministry of Ayush and DPIIT and support from WIPO were acknowledged.
• TKDL should aim to promote traditional knowledge and emerge as a global repository, apart from safeguarding the information from misappropriation.
• Over the years, TKDL has grown in strength and is now poised to expand its scope.
• It envisages covering information from traditional knowledge such as disease diagnostics, veterinary medicine, agricultural practices, food, cosmetics, metallurgy, etc. and Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCE) such as architecture, metallurgy, paintings, carvings, textiles, etc.
• Going forward, the information from digitized and published manuscripts as well as oral knowledge is also proposed to be included in the TKDL database.

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