LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRY (LDC)
The United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has recommended graduation of Bangladesh from the category of Least Developed Country (LDC) as it fulfilled the eligibility criteria in terms of per capita income, human assets and economic and environmental vulnerability.
About:
- This is the second consecutive time since 2018 that the CDP has made recommendation for Bangladesh for graduation from LDC category.
- The CDP decides on the LDC status of a country based on three criteria-
- per capita income,
- human assets index and
- economic vulnerability index.
- per capita income,
- A country must achieve at least two of the three criteria at two consecutive triennial reviews to be considered for graduation.
- The proposal will be sent to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for endorsement in June to be finally approved by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September this year.
- Bangladesh will get time upto 2026 to prepare for the transition to the status of a developing country. Usually countries are given three years for transition but this year due to the Corona pandemic, Bangladesh has been given five years for the process.
CHANNAPATTANA TOY MAKERS
The Channapattana toy makers thanked Prime Minister Modi for his support to the Indian toy makers.
About:
- Channapatana is a city and taluk headquarter in Ramanagara District, Karnataka, India.
- Channapatana is also called as Channpatna by locals.
- The city is famous for its wooden toys and lacquerware. Channapatna is also called Town of toys ("Gombegala nagara").
- The origin of these toys is dated back to the reign of Tipu Sultan who invited the artisans from Persia in order to train the local artisans in the art of wooden toy making.
- These toys have been given Geographical Indication tag by Government of India.
BIR CHILARAY
Shukladhwaja (1510–1571 AD), or more popularly Bir Chilaray, was the younger brother of Nara Narayan, the king of the Kamata Kingdom in present day assam in the 16th century.
- He was Nara Narayan's commander-in-chief and got his name Chilarai because, as a general, he executed troop movements that were as fast as a chila (kite/Eagle).
PAKISTAN TO REMAIN ON FATF ‘GREY LIST’
Global money laundering watchdog the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided to keep Pakistan on its terrorism financing “grey list”.
About:
- FATF President Marcus Pleyer said Pakistan must demonstrate in taking action against UN-designated terrorists and their associates. It also said once Pakistan completes three unfulfilled tasks, the FATF will verify and take decision on Islamabad's present status in June plenary.
- In its plenary held in October last year, the FATF had kept Pakistan on the grey list citing its failure to fulfill six out of 27 obligations of the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.
- The FATF is an inter-governmental body set up in 1989 to combat money laundering, terror financing and other related threats to the international financial system.
- Currently, it has 39 members. Pakistan has been on the grey list since June 2018.
SWATI MOHAN
The world witnessed the historic landing of NASA's Perseverance Rover, the most advanced astrobiology laboratory ever sent to another world.
About:
- Among the scientists who are part of this historic mission, Indian-American Dr Swati Mohan spearheaded the development of attitude control and the landing system for the rover.
- Besides that she was the lead systems engineer throughout the development.
- She is the key communicator between the GN&C subsystem and the rest of the project's teams.
- Dr Mohan had emigrated from India to the United States at the age of One. She has worked on Mars-2020 since almost the beginning of the project in 2013 and is currently working at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.
BLOCKING OF CONTENT
Union Government clarified that no new provision has been made with regard to Blocking of Content in the recently issued Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules.
About:
- It said that certain misgivings are being raised regarding Rule 16 of the new guidelines which mention that in case of emergency nature, interim blocking directions may be issued by the Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
- In a statement, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that the same rule was being exercised by the Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology since the past eleven years under the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.
- Now, under the new rule, this provison will be exercised by the I & B Secretary in place of IT Secretary.
AMAZONIA-1 SATELLITE
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch Amazonia-1 satellite of Brazil and 18 Co-passenger satellites through PSLVC51 rocket from the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on February 28, 2021.
About:
- PSLV-C51, which is the 53rd mission of PSLV, will launch Amazonia-1 of Brazil as primary satellite and 18 Co-passenger satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota.
- PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 is the first dedicated commercial mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Government of India company under Department of Space. NSIL is undertaking this mission under a commercial arrangement with Spaceflight Inc. USA.
- Amazonia-1 is the optical earth observation satellite of National Institute for Space Research (INPE).
- This satellite would further strengthen the existing structure by providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory.
- The 18 co-passenger satellites include four from IN-SPACe (three UNITYsats from consortium of three Indian academic institutes and One Satish Dhawan Sat from Space Kidz India) and 14 from NSIL.
NATIONAL SCIENCE DAY
National Science Day is being observed on 28th of February.
About:
- The day is celebrated every year on 28th of February to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’.
- On this day, Physicist CV Raman announced the discovery of the 'Raman Effect' for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930.
- The day is aimed at spreading the message of the importance of science and its application in human life.
- The theme for National Science Day 2021 is ‘Future of Science and Technology and Innovation: Impact on Education Skills and Work'.
- With a view to promote science and innovation, the government presents the National Science Communication Awards on this day. It was instituted in 1987.
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