UPSC QUIZ 12.06.2024

Explanation:

National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is developing 900 rainwater harvesting (RWH) pits along the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor in a move to ensure environmental sustainability.

Rainwater Harvesting

• Rainwater Harvesting & Conservation is the activity of direct collection of rainwater. The rainwater collected can be stored for direct use or can be recharged into the Groundwater.

There are two main techniques of rainwater harvesting

• Storage of rainwater on surface for future use.
• Recharge to groundwater.

RRTS Pits Capture and Store Rainwater

• The pits are strategically placed for maximum water collection and over 75% of these systems are already operational.
• The pits are expected to recharge millions of cubic meters of groundwater, contributing significantly to water table levels.
• The design consists of two small water chambers constructed face-to-face underground, connected by a central rainwater harvesting pit.

Explanation:

• UNESCO has released the State of Ocean Report. According to it, the ongoing efforts to solve ocean crises at the global level and to validate new technologies aimed at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are still insufficient. Oceans play an important role in regulating the climate.
• The purpose of the Ocean State Report is to inform policymakers about the state of the ocean and encourage research and policy actions towards 'the ocean we need for our desired future', thereby contributing to the 2030 Agenda and especially SDG 14 as well as other global processes (such as UNFCCC, Biodiversity Convention and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction).

Explanation:

• The Netherlands is set to become India's third largest export destination in the world after the US and the UAE in 2023-24.
• It is also one of India's top trading partners in Europe after Germany, Switzerland, the UK and Belgium.
• India's exports to the Netherlands are set to grow by nearly 3.5% to reach US$ 22.36 billion in 2023-24 from US$ 21.61 billion in 2022-23.The Netherlands contributes 2.36% to India's total trade in 2022-23.
• The Netherlands is also a major investor in India.India received foreign direct investment (FDI) of about US$ 5 billion from the Netherlands, up from US$ 2.6 billion in 2022-23.

Explanation:

• According to a new research published in the journal Nature Geoscience, groundwater is expected to rise by 2-3.5 °C before the end of this century, which can threaten water quality and safety. Also, ecosystems dependent on water resources can also be at risk.

Key facts related to the research study

• Researchers led by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, have designed the world's first 'global groundwater temperature model' for research work.
• Its purpose is to display the increasing temperature of groundwater around the world.
• Groundwater is present in pore spaces in rocks and soil below the Earth's surface.
• This model focuses on studying the effects of climate change and weather events on groundwater.
• Researchers have modeled the current groundwater temperature based on the expansion of heat in water and estimated the changes that will occur around the world between the years 2000-2100.

Explanation:

• A National Stakeholder Workshop organised by UNESCO and MeitY on Ethics of AI.
• In collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia organized a National Stakeholder Workshop on Safe, Trusted and Ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) in New Delhi.
• The event is taking place at a crucial time as the Indian Government has recently approved the India AI Mission.
• More than Rs 10,000 crore has been allocated for this mission, which is a significant step towards strengthening India's Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem.
• The workshop provided a platform for important discussions aimed at integrating safe, trusted, and ethical AI considerations into national and state-level AI strategies and programs.
• The workshop was attended by senior level officials from various Central Ministries, State Governments, NITI Aayog and industry partners like NASSCOM.
• In November 2021, the ‘Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence’ was unanimously adopted by all 193 UNESCO Member States.
• It is primarily based on fundamental principles such as transparency and fairness while ensuring the important role of human oversight in maintaining oversight of artificial intelligence systems.