These current affairs are written in a easy to remember format and are useful for competitive exams like - UPSC Civil Services, UPPSC, BPSC, MPPPSC, State PSCs and other competitive examinations.
Lunar Science Workshop 2021
Lunar Science Workshop 2021 is inaugurated to commemorate the completion of two years of operation of Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft around the lunar orbit.
The eight payloads onboard Chandrayaan-2 are conducting scientific observations of the Moon by remote sensing and in-situ techniques.
Chandrayaan-2, a completely indigenous mission was launched on 22 July 2019 aboard a GSLV Mk III-M1 rocket. It includes three basic components - Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan).
Read More: Indian Lunar Exploration Mission
Science & Tech
New Ministry to address climate change
Greece has created a new Ministry to address the impact of climate change and named former European Union commissioner Christos Stylianides as Minister.
Mr. Stylianides will head firefighting, disaster relief and policies to adapt to rising temperatures resulting from climate change.
Environment
Ayush prophylactic medicines
The kit of ayurvedic prophylactic medicines for COVID-19 contains Sanshamani Vati, which is also known as Guduchi or Giloy Ghan Vati, and Ashwagandha Ghan Vati.
The kit and the guidelines have been prepared by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Medicines (CCRAS).
A prophylactic is a medication or a treatment designed and used to prevent a disease from occurring.
Social Issues
What is an "Account Aggregator" ?
Eight of India's major banks joined the Account Aggregator (AA) network that will enable customers to easily access and share their financial data.
An Account Aggregator is a non-banking financial company engaged in the business of providing, under a contract, the service of retrieving or collecting financial information pertaining to its customer.
It is also engaged in consolidating, organising and presenting such information to the customer or any other financial information user as may be specified by the bank.
The AA framework was created through an inter-regulatory decision by RBI and other regulators including SEBI, IRDA and PFRDA through and initiative of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC).
The licence for AAs is issued by the RBI, and the financial sector will have many AAs.
The AA framework allows customers to choose what financial data to share and with which entity.
Data transmitted through the AA is encrypted.
AAs are not allowed to store, process and sell the customer's data.
It has a three-tier structure: Account Aggregator, FIP (Financial Information Provider) and FIU (Financial Information User).
An FIP is the data fiduciary, which holds customers' data. It can be a bank, NBFC, mutual fund, insurance repository etc.
An FIU is a consumer that wants access to the borrower's data to determine if the borrower's data to determine if the borrower qualifies for a loan.
Banks play a dual role - as an FIP and as an FIU.
Economy
India's first dugong conservation reserve
The Tamil Nadu State government announced that a 500-sqkm dugong conservation reserve will soon be set up in the Palk Bay.
The dugong (sea cow), is a herbivorous mammal.
They can grow upto three meters long, weigh about 300 kilograms, and live for about 65 to 70 years, grazing on seagrass and coming to the surface to breathe.
They are found in over 30 countries and in India are seen in the Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutch, Palk Bay, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
IUCN: Vulnerable
CITES: Appendix I
Environment