Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2021

Notes:
The e-SHRAM portal was launched on 26 August 2021 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The portal is aimed at creating the first national database of unorganised workers, including migrant, construction, gig, and platform workers. Registrants receive a Universal Account Number and e-SHRAM card. Integration with the PM Gati Shakti Portal and e-SHRAM One-Stop-Solution was added in 2024. Over 19,000 registrations were processed via UMANG as of December 2024.

Notes:

• Walmart-owned PhonePe has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as an Account Aggregator (AA).
• The license permits PhonePe to launch its AA platform that will enable instant exchange of financial data between the Financial Information Users (FIUs) and Financial Information Providers (FIPs) with due consent from customers.
• Customer financial data is distributed among banks and other institutions, each with different methods and platforms for accessing information. Account aggregation solves this problem by compilingdata from multiple accounts under one roof. This can include deposits, investments, insurance policies, pension schemes, etc.

Notes:

• United States is commemorating the 101st year of Women’s Equality Day.
• On August 26, the day is largely commemorated in the United States to honour American women gaining the constitutional right to vote.
• The United States Congress established August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day” in 1971, and it was approved in 1973.
• Women’s Equality Day draws attention to women’s ongoing struggles towards gaining full equality.

Notes:

• Rajasthan has undertaken a biodiversity conservation project in eastern districts of the state, with the support of the French development agency Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD).
• The Rajasthan Forestry and Bio development Project planned had already received the approval of the state government.
• It aims to promote eco-tourism and other sustainable income generation activities in the target villages with assistance to nearly 1200 self-help groups.
• A biodiversity park is also proposed to be developed in Bharatpur as part of the project.

Notes:

• The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13th April 1919, which is a dark event in the history of Indian independence.
• A renovated monument at the Jallianwala Bagh is set to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister in Amritsar, Punjab, to mark the 102 years of the massacre.
• The renovated complex has various amenities including a sound and light show to display the events that happened on April 13, 1919.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the Chairperson of the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Trust.

Notes:

• China’s Supreme People’s Court has recently announced that the overtime practice of “996”, working 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week, is illegal.
• The policy is regarded as a common practice among many Chinese technology firms.
• China’s top court and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security published guidelines and examples on what constituted as overtime work.
• China recently announced regulatory crackdown on technology giants, targeting monopolistic behaviour to consumer rights.

Notes:

• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar announced the operationalization of BRICS Agricultural Research Platform.
• The platform has been prepared and set up in India for strengthening the cooperation in the field of agricultural research & innovation among the BRICS nations.
• The 11th meeting of ‘BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ was recently held under the theme of “BRICS Partnership for Strengthening Agro Biodiversity for Food Security and Nutrition”.
• The BRICS- Agricultural Research Platform, is a global platform for science-led agriculture for promoting sustainable agricultural development.

Notes:

• The Environment Ministers of BRICS nations have jointly adopted the New Delhi statement, at the recently held virtual BRICS Environment Ministerial meeting.
• The statement aims to strengthen the cooperation among the BRICS nations on environment related issues.
• The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change- Bhupender Yadav.
• India is the chair for 2021 BRICS.
• During the meet, India stressed the need for taking concrete actions against environment and climate challenge.

Notes:

• The Government of Odisha has approved a Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy for the year 2021.
• The overarching objective of the policy is to achieve 20% Electric vehicle share in the total registration, by 2025.
• Under the policy, it has been proposed to extend financial incentives for units manufacturing EVs and its components, and also provide interest subvention in loans, waiving of road tax and registration fees.

Notes:

• The Association of Renewable Energy of States (AREAS) is an initiative of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• It was formed as a Society in the year 2014 by MNRE. State Nodal Agencies (SNAs) for renewable energy (RE) interact and learn from each other’s experiences through this association.
• MNRE is the nodal agency at the central level for promotion of grid-connected and off-grid renewable energy in the country.
• The Association of Renewable Energy of States (AREAS) recently celebrated its 7th Foundation Day.