UPSC Prelims Facts – 13 February 2024

UPSC Prelims Facts

Weimer Triangle has announced a new initiative to strengthen cooperation and address common challenges.

  • Weimer Triangle – Cooperation between Poland, France, and Germany
  • Established in – 1991
  • Established to – Support Poland’s transition from communism to democracy
  • Aim – To promote cooperation between 3 countries on cross-border and European issues, such as security, energy, climate, migration, and human rights.

Recently, the Prime Minister of India hailed the initiative of the National Creators Award.

  • National Creators Award – First-of-its-kind award that will be targeted at “Gen Z” generation
  • Gen Z – A reference to the young generation hooked to the internet and social media.
  • Aim – It wants to elevate the influence of digital media on social impact, creating a buzz that can’t be ignored.
  • Eligibility Criteria – Participants must be 18 years of age or above at the time of nomination.

National Aerospace Laboratories in Bengaluru successfully completed first test of a solar-powered “pseudo satellite”.

  • Pseudo satellites or HAPS – Unmanned air vehicles
  • Features – Can fly at altitudes of 18-20 km from the ground and can hold fixed positions.
  • 2 types of HAPS –
    • Lighter-than-air (LTA) HAPS that rely on buoyancy to lift off and stay afloat.
    • Heavier than air (HTA) HAPS with a more conventional take-off method
  • Applications – Search and rescue missions, disaster relief, surveillance of border areas, etc.

Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India launched SWATI Portal.

  • Science for Women-A Technology & Innovation (SWATI) Portal – Aims to create a single online portal representing Indian Women and Girls in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine)
  • Objectives – To include every Indian woman in science and enable reliable long-term research on equality, diversity, and inclusivity.
  • Developed by – National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi.

Government of India announces 5 Bharat Ratna awards in 2024

  • This year’s 5 recipients surpass the 4 awarded in 1999, marking the highest number of Bharat Ratnas awarded in a single year. 
  • Usually, it is restricted to 3 in a particular year.

To read more about Bharat Ratna


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