Why in news?

• China recently launched a new satellite with a camera that can take pictures of the ground with a resolution of five

About “Ziyuan-1 02E”

• The satellite, called “Ziyuan-1 02E” or “five-meter optical satellite 02,” was launched by a Long March-4C rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in north China’s Shanxi province.
• Ziyuan-1 02E weighs about 2.5 kilograms and is equipped with infrared, near-infrared and hyperspectral
• The cameras can take full-colour panchromatic images of the Earth, state-run CGTN-TV

Why in news?

• The committee formed is to suggest withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) from Nagaland will comprise seven members and will submit its report within three

About the Committee

• Dr Vivek Joshi, Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India, is the chairman while J Alam, chief secretary of Nagaland is a member. Director General of Assam Rifles Lt Gen PC Nair, DGP Nagaland T John Longkumer, Dr MS Tuli joint director of Intelligence Bureau are

Why in news?

• The Belgian government has reached a deal to close seven ageing nuclear reactors by

About Belgium closing the ageing nuclear reactors

• The reactors, housed at two plants in Doel and Tihange, have long been controversial. They have been shut down repeatedly for safety checks and have sparked fear in neighbouring
• A compromise was reached after years of debate and overnight talks by government
• The plan in principle was confirmed at a press conference
• Closures will begin in 2022 with the aim of both plants being safely decommissioned and demolished by 2045, Reuters news agency
• Some reactors at the plants, operated by utility company Engie, have been operational since the 1970s and have long been a source of regional

Why in news?

• As part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ – to celebrate 75 years of Independence, REC Limited, a public

infrastructure finance company under the Ministry of Power organized a ‘Bijli Utsav’ at Karsada sub-station in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

About ‘Bijli Utsav’

• The event highlighted the benefits of electricity, the challenges faced during electrification in rural areas and how the quality of life improved with access to power. The event also witnessed several beneficiaries of Saubhagya Yojana who were invited on stage to share their
• To engage with the villagers, various cultural programmes such as Nukkad Natak and a Lok Gayan were held along with that a quiz on various Government programmes, on awareness about usage of electricity, billing, energy efficiency etc. was conducted to impart knowledge to the public. The event concluded with the distribution of LED bulbs as prizes to the winners of the
• Given the large gathering, it was ensured that all Covid safety protocols such as social distancing and wearing of masks were adhered In addition, masks were also distributed to all the attendees.

About REC Limited

• (Rural Electrification Corporation) REC Limited is a Navratna NBFC focusing on Power Sector Financing and Development across India. Established in 1969, REC Limited has completed over fifty years in the area of its
• It provides financial assistance to state electricity boards, state governments, central/state power utilities, independent power producers, rural electric cooperatives and private sector
• Its business activities involve financing projects in the complete power sector value chain; different types of projects include Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Renewable Energy segments. REC’s funding illuminates every fourth bulb in

Why in news?

• Pawan Hans has assured Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur that the fares of the Shimla-Dharamsala heli-taxi services will be reduced to promote tourism in the state.
• The Chief Minister met Sanjeev Razdan, Managing Director, Pawan Hans Ltd., in New Delhi today and reviewed the government company’s operations in Himachal Pradesh.
• He asked Razdan to reduce the fare of the Shimla-Dharamsala heli-taxi services and operate direct flights from Shimla to Dharamsala and Shimla to Manali at the earliest.

Why in news?

• Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) activists took out a candlelight march in McLeodganj last night to protest the demolition of a 99-feet-tall statue of the Buddha by the Chinese government in Tibet.
• The bronze statue was built with the contributions of Tibetans in Drakgo which cost around 40,000,000 Yuan (around 6.3 million USD). In 1973, Drakgo had witnessed a massive earthquake that caused widespread damage. The statue was built on October 5, 2015, to ward off natural disasters.

Why in news?

• Iit Mandi innovate new fabric to mix Artica Parviflora
• found from Himalayans) with cotton under his Startup programs
• This fabric will be suitable for both summer And winter seasons.
• This innovation help also to Planatation programs in the forests.

Why in news?

• IndusInd Bank has announced the launch of ‘green fixed deposits’, whereby the deposit proceeds will be used to finance projects and firms supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

About ‘green fixed deposits’

• Investing in green deposits allows customers to build a cleaner and better society
• These deposits will be offered to both retail and corporate customers.
• The Bank will use the proceeds from these deposits to finance a wide array of sectors falling under the SDG category including, energy efficiency, renewable energy, green transport, sustainable food, agriculture, forestry, waste management and greenhouse gas reduction.

Why in news?

• Japan introduces world’s first dual-mode vehicle that can run on roads and tracks.

About world’s first dual mode vehicle

• The world’s first dual-mode vehicle has hit the ground recently in the town of Kaiyo, Japan. It is said that the vehicle can run on roads as well as rail tracks.
• The DMV looks like a minibus and runs on normal rubber tyres on the road. What makes this vehicle different from the rest is, it also has steel wheels in its underbelly which descend when it hits the rail tracks.
• The front tyres are lifted off the track and the rear wheels stay down to propel the DMV onto the railway. This feature of effectively changing into a train-like module easily on a rail track is the first of its kind.
• According to reports, the DMV can carry upto 21 passengers and runs at a speed of 60km/h on rail tracks and can go as fast as around 100km/h on public roads.
• Powered by diesel, the small fleet of vehicles comes in different colours. It runs along part of the coast of Shikoku island in southern Japan, connecting several small towns and offering passengers attractive seaside scenery.

Why in news?

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) NITI Aayog recently released the second edition of – ‘Innovations for You’- a compendium of innovations focused on agriculture featuring 70 startups supported by Atal incubation Centers (AICs) of AIM and ‘The Ingenious Tinkerers’ – a compendium on the innovations on technology featuring 41 innovations from Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) of India.

About ‘Innovations For You’ & ‘The Ingenious Tinkerers’

• As the nation rejoices the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav – 75th Year of Independence, both the books are celebration of the success stories of young innovators of India. The ‘Innovations For You’ is a compilation of successful innovations by the entrepreneurial minds of India solving problems of present for future, while as ‘The Ingenious Tinkerers’ is a compilation of the top innovations created by young student innovators who participated in the ATL Marathon – which invites school students to address a problem that they see or face on a day-to-day basis.
• ‘The Ingenious Tinkerers’ leveraged the up-and-coming technologies available at ATLs to devise a solution. These young tinkerers took it upon themselves to identify their problem statements by interacting with the members of their community and designing a prototype in a manner that fits their needs and demands.
• Meanwhile, the ‘Innovations For You’ in its second edition, focuses on the startups and innovations in field of Agriculture and Allied services. The book is a compilation of 70 Ag-Tech startups, incubated at Atal Incubation Centres spread across the country. These startups are leveraging frontier technologies such as AI, IoT, ICT and others to provide socially relevant solutions to problems of modern farming. The first edition of this book was focused on innovations in Health Care, which was launched in October, this year.