UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 26-02-2021

City Innovation Exchange

• City Innovation Exchange (CiX) platform was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• CiX, through an ‘open innovation’ process, engages with innovators to design-test-deliver on solutions to pressing urban challenges.
• Designed on philosophy of ‘everyone is an innovator’, it brings together Citizen Organisations-Academia-Businesses-Government to co-create for the future of Urban India in a transparent and sustainable manner.
• CiX platform will ease the discovery, design & validation of solutions through a user centric process that will reduce barriers for innovators and cities to discover fitting solutions.
• It will help in the flow of ideas ‘outside in and inside out’, enhancing the skills and capacity required to deliver smart urban governance.
• Smart Cities Mission will partner with Startup India, Atal Innovation Mission, AGNIi and other initiatives in the Indian Innovation ecosystem.

Information Technology Rules 2021

• Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 has been framed under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and it supersedes the IT Rules, 2011.
• It will ensure a harmonious, soft-touch oversight mechanism in relation to social media platform, digital media and OTT platforms etc.
• Part- II of these Rules to Social Media shall be administered by Ministry of Electronics and IT.
  1. These Rules empower the users of digital platforms to seek redressal for their grievances on infringement of their rights.
  2. If due diligence is not followed by the intermediaries, including social media, safe harbour provisions will not apply to them.
  3. Grievance Officer, appointed by intermediaries, shall acknowledge the complaint within 24 hours and resolve it within 15 days.
  4. Ensures online safety and dignity of users, especially women, by removing or disabling the contents within 24 hours of receipt of complaints of contents.
  5. A distinction between social media intermediaries and significant social media intermediaries is made, based on the number of users.
  6. Chief Compliance Officer shall be appointed for ensuring compliance with the Act and Rules.
  7. Nodal Contact Person shall be appointed for 24x7 coordination with law enforcement agencies.
• Part-III on Ethics Code in relation to digital media shall be administered by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
  1. This Code of Ethics prescribes the guidelines to be followed by OTT platforms and online news and digital media entities.
  2. OTT platforms would self-classify the content into 5 age based categories - U (Universal), U/A 7+, U/A 13+, U/A 16+, A (Adult).
  3. Publishers of digital news would observe Norms of Journalistic Conduct of the Press Council of India and the Programme Code under the Cable Television Networks Regulation Act.
  4. A three-level grievance redressal mechanism has been established under the rules with 3 levels of self-regulation.

BRICS India 2021

• India hosts BRICS Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting, which is the first meeting on the BRICS under India Chairship in 2021.
• [BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa]
• Under the theme “BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation”, India’s approach is focused on strengthening collaboration through Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus. To know more about BRICS, click here.

Production Linked Incentive Scheme

• The Union Cabinet approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for the pharmaceuticals and IT hardware sectors.
• PLI scheme for pharmaceuticals will be for 9 years (2020-21 to 2028-29)
• PLI scheme for IT hardware such as laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs and servers will be for 4 years.
• To know more about Production Linked Incentive Scheme, click here.

Swachh Iconic Places

• Ministry of Jal Shakti has selected 12 iconic sites to be transformed into ‘Swachh Tourist Destinations’ under Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) of Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G).
• Sites - Ajanta Caves, Sanchi Stupa, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Jaisalmer Fort, Sun Temple, Ramdevra, Golconda Fort, Chandigarh Rock Garden, Dal Lake, Mathura Banke Bihari Temple, Agra Fort, Bengal Kalighat Temple.
• SIP initiative aims at enhancing the experience of visitors by improving the sanitation and cleanliness standards at and around the sites.
• It is coordinated by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Tourism Ministry, Ministry of Culture and the concerned State/UT governments.

Cadmium doped Silver Antimony Telluride

• Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) has found a new material called Cadmium doped Silver Antimony Telluride (AgSbTe2), which is lead-free.
• [Bengaluru-based JNCASR is an autonomous institution of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India]
• This new material can efficiently convert waste heat to electricity to power our small home equipment and automobile.
• This single material has three seemingly different properties - high electrical conductivity of metals, high thermoelectric sensitivity of semiconductors, and low thermal conductivity of glasses.
• [Thermoelectric energy conversion allows generation of electrical voltage when one end of a material is heated while keeping the other side cold.]
• As there is no lead in this new material, it can be used for mass-market applications.

Source: PIB, The Hindu