Important Current Affairs-2nd March 2021-ORSP

Russia Launched First Arctic-monitoring Satellite

The Russian Space agency, Roscosmos, has successfully launched its first ever Arctic-monitoring satellite that will monitor the Arctic’s climate and environment.

• The space agency blasted off the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket which is also carrying the Arktika-M satellite on board.
• The rocket was blasted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on February 28, 2021. The Arktika-M spacecraft was launched to orbit later.
• The development of this satellite system in the highly elliptical orbits is required to collect the information in order to solve the operational meteorology problems as well as the hydrology problems.
• The satellite will also monitor the climate and environment of the Arctic region.
• Arktika-M satellite will also transmit the overview images of Earth’s northern polar region and the adjoining areas every 15-30 minutes.

Bihar’s traditional toys like ‘Kaniya-Putri’ on display in India Toy Fair

Participants from Bihar are also showcasing their toys in the ongoing virtual event – India Toy Fair.

• Some participants have come up with traditional doll making art like Kaniya-Putri which is an important part of folk-culture in the state.
• Kaniya-Putri is an old doll making tradition which signifies the importance and prestigious place of women in the societies of Champaran area of the state.
• The event is also an opportunity to revive the old tradition of Bihar, once very popular in the society.

In Kerala, devotees take part in Attukal pongala festival from their homes

In Kerala, amid the Covid-19 pandemic the devotees will take part in the Attukal pongala from their homes.

• Pongala is the annual ritual of the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram and holds the Guinness world record as the largest gathering of women.
• Every year nearly 20  lakh devotees take part in the festival.
• However, this time the authorities have decided to scale down the festival rituals by confining the ritual to the temple premises.
• The devotees have been asked to offer the ritual at their homes to avoid crowding.

HP makes first ever PCs with Plastic Waste in Ocean

The Computer maker HP has developed its first ever consumer PC using the plastic waste in the ocean.

• This move was built on the basis of sustainability commitment of the company.
• The company has manufactured the Pavilion 13, Pavilion 14, and Pavilion 15 Laptops using the ocean-bound plastics.
• Company estimates that using the plastics in such electronic devices will result into moving around 92,000 plastic bottles from the oceans and landfills.
• Outer boxes and fibre cushions that were used to pack the laptops are also made with the 100% recyclable material.

GDP growth for Q3 at 0.4%

The Finance Ministry has said, Real GDP growth of 0.4 percent in the third quarter of 2020-21 has returned the economy to the pre-pandemic times of positive growth rates.

• It is also a reflection of a further strengthening of V-shaped recovery that began in Second quarter of 2020-21.
• The sharp V-shaped recovery has been driven by rebounds in both Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) and Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF).
• GFCF has improved from a contraction of 46.4 per cent in quarter one to a positive growth of 2.6 per cent in third quarter.

Jaideep Bhatnagar takes over as Principal DG, PIB

Mr. Jaideep Bhatnagar has taken over as Principal Director General, Press Information Bureau.

• Mr. Bhatnagar is an Officer of the Indian Information Service belonging to the 1986 Batch.
• He has earlier served in Doordarshan as Head of the Commercial, Sales and Marketing Division.
• He also served as Prasar Bharati Special Correspondent in West Asia.

Russian supermodel Vodianova is new UN goodwill ambassador

Russian supermodel and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova has become a United Nations goodwill ambassador, to promote the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls and tackle stigmas surrounding their bodies.

• She will be a campaigner for the UN Population Fund, which now calls itself the UN”s sexual and reproductive health agency, known as UNFPA.
• UNFPA Headquarters: New York, United States.
• UNFPA Head: Natalia Kanem.
• UNFPA Founded: 1969.

Vinesh Phogat bags Gold in Ukraine wrestling event

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has won the gold medal in the women’s 53-kg category at XXIV Outstanding Ukrainian Wrestlers and Coaches Memorial in Kyiv, Ukraine.

• Vinesh Phogat defeated world number seven Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus in the finals to win the gold medal and make a winning return to her first competitive outing since the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
• Vinesh has already booked a place in the Tokyo Olympics for the 53kg category.
• It was the first competition for Vinesh, who is the only Indian woman wrestler to have qualified for the Tokyo Games.

Indian Women’s League 2020-21 to be hosted in Odisha

The All India Football Federation confirms Odisha as the venue for the forthcoming Hero Indian Women’s League 2020-21 edition.

• This is the fifth edition of IWL, the top division women’s league in India.
• The Odisha government is a strategic partner of the AIFF (All India Football Federation) as it provides the necessary infrastructure to various men and women age-group teams.

A book titled “Advantage India: The Story of Indian Tennis” by Anindya Dutta

Anindya Dutta penned a new book titled “Advantage India: The Story of Indian Tennis”, a chronicle of Indian Tennis.

• Advantage India is a well-researched account of the journey of Indian tennis, with a special section on the Doubles game and on women’s tennis in India.
• The book is published by Westland publications.
• The book provides an extensive history of Indian tennis on both men’s and women’s side.
• The book is the result of the detailed research of Anindya Dutta on the data from the archives of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and British newspapers from the past 200 years.