UPSC QUIZ 28.08.2023

Explanation:

• Murmansk, popularly called the capital of the Arctic Region and the beginning point of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), is witnessing the rising trend of Indian involvement in Cargo traffic.
• In the first seven months of 2023, India is expected to receive a whopping 35% of the eight million tonnes of cargo handled by the Murmansk port, about 2,000 km northwest of Moscow.India is showing more interest regarding NSR for several reasons.

North Sea Route (NSR)

• The NSR, the shortest shipping route for freight transportation between Europe and countries of the Asia-Pacific region, straddles the Four Seas (Barents, Kara, Laptev and East Siberian Sea) of the Arctic Ocean.
• Running to 5,600 km, the Route begins at the boundary between the Barents and the Kara seas (Kara Strait) and ends in the Bering Strait (Provideniya Bay).
• It offers potential distance savings of up to 50% compared to traditional routes through the Suez or Panama Canals.

Explanation:

• Pune's College of Military Engineering has become India's first carbon negative garrison with a 7 MW solar power plant.
• With the commissioning of a 5 MW solar power plant at the College of Military Engineering, Pune, its solar power generation capacity has gone up to 7 MW.

With this effort-

• There will be annual financial savings of Rs 6.5 crore to the national exchequer.
• The 5-MW plant connected to the Maharashtra state electricity grid makes it possible for the electricity generated at the CME to be consumed nationally.

Explanation:

• An Indian Prime Minister has visited Greece after a long gap of 40 years.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was awarded The Grand Cross of the Order of Honor by the PM of Greece.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the press after holding bilateral talks with PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece. During this, PM Modi said that Greece and India are a natural match between two ancient civilizations of the world, two ancient democratic ideologies and two ancient trade and cultural relations.
• The foundation of our relationship is ancient and strong.

Explanation:

• A rare black eagle has been sighted for the first time in the Chail Wildlife Sanctuary located in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. This specific type of black eagle has been seen in Chamba region earlier also.
• This hawk belongs to the family Accipitridae and is the only member of the genus Ictinatus.
• They are noted for their substantial size and unique features, often seen in wooded hilly and mountainous areas.
• They are found in the forests of the Eastern and Western Ghats in the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in peninsular India.
• According to the IUCN, its conservation status is classified as "least concern".
• A variety of animals are found in the Chail Wildlife Sanctuary, including rhesus macaques, leopards, Indian muntjacs, gorals, porcupines, wild boars, langurs and Himalayan black bears. This has contributed to the conservation of many endangered species of reptiles and birds.

Explanation:

• India's leading hydropower company NHPC Limited has signed an MoU with RITES for construction of railway siding at Pasighat Arunachal Pradesh for NHPC's 2880 MW Dibang Multipurpose Project.
• RITES is a Miniratna Schedule 'A' Central Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways.
• Leveraging its core strength, RITES will provide comprehensive and efficient solutions for the development of rail infrastructure facilities for NHPC Dibang and other upcoming projects in Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Dibang Multipurpose Project is a flood control and hydroelectric project planned to be developed on the Dibang River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is being developed by India's state-run National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).