Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2021

Notes:
According to the provisional data from the Union Commerce Ministry of India, the two-way trade stood at USD 77.7 billion last year.
With this, China regained its position as India’s top trade partner in 2020, with the higher reliance of India on imported machines. The bilateral trade with the United States stood at USD 75.9 billion. The UAE remains the third trade partner.

Notes:
Australia has passed a new law, which will require digital platforms like Facebook and Google to pay local media outlets and publishers to link their content in news feeds or search results.
The “News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code” aims to remunerate the news media businesses for the content they generate. Earlier, Google agreed to pay the publishers for news content in France.

Notes:
The militaries of India and Pakistan announced that they have agreed to stop firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and other areas.
This is to be followed with effect from the midnight of February 24-25. The authorities of both the countries held discussions over the mechanism of hotline contact. They also reviewed the situation along the Line of Control and all other sectors in a cordial atmosphere.

Notes:
India’s foreign minister S. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi recently had a phone conversation.
During the conversation, both the countries have agreed to set up a hotline, amidst various stand-offs. The foreign Ministers also acknowledged the disengagement of troops from the north and south banks of Pangong Tso lake.

Notes:
The National Bamboo Mission (NBM) was originally launched as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme in 2006-07, under the Agriculture Ministry. It was then restructured with the Cabinet approval in 2018.
Recently, the National Bamboo Mission along with the NITI Aayog and Invest India to organise a conference, National Consultation on Opportunities and Challenges for Bamboo in India’. Union Minster Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the conference, along with various Ministers and officials.

Notes:
The ISSF World Cup was scheduled to be held in Changwon, South Korea, from April 16 to 27. It was recently announced that the tournament has been postponed due to restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, the Indian team withdrew from the tournament because of South Korea’s mandatory two-week quarantine rules, which would come in the way of the shooters’ training.

Notes:
Black-browed Babbler, which was considered to be extinct, has reappeared after 170 years. The bird has been spotted in Borneo of Indonesia.
The bird was first described by scientists around 1848 and it was then considered to be extinct. According to Global Wildlife Conservation, two men accidentally photographed the bird in Borneo, Indonesia.

Notes:
Titanosaur is a group of long-necked plant-eating dinosaurs that walked on four legs. Scientists have recently discovered the fossils of a dinosaur species named ‘Ninjatitan zapatai’ which lived 140 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period.
The fossils which have been unearthed, is said to be the oldest-known member of the dinosaur group known as titanosaurs.

Notes:
Karnataka government recently unveiled Engineering Research and Development Policy 2021 to strengthen research and development in the field of engineering.
This policy seeks to sustain and augment the state’s leading role in engineering research and development and attract investments for the same.

Notes:
Maritime India Vision 2030 is a 10-year strategy with the objective of revamping the Indian maritime sector. It seeks to attract Rs.3 lakh crore investment and generate employment for 20 lakh individuals.
The plan also seeks to augment the annual revenue potential worth Rs.20,000 crore from major ports.