UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 30-01-2021

Nanofibers

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have constructed small molecules which when added with water form nanofibers.
These hard and rigid molecules become so tough that they it can hold about 200 times their own weight.
Nanofibers are fibers with diameters in the nanometer range.
They can be generated from different polymers and hence have different physical properties and application potentials.
The diameters of nanofibers depend on the type of polymer used and the method of production.

Saturn’s Obliquity

Obliquity of a planet is the angle between its equatorial plane and the orbital plane, i.e the tilt of a planet.
During Saturn’s formation, its obliquity was 26.7°. But recent observations have shown that it has increased to 27°.
This tilt may have been caused due to its satellites, which are moving away much faster than what was estimated before.

EDISON Alliance

The World Economic Forum (WEF) launched the Essential Digital Infrastructure and Services Network (EDISON) Alliance.
This alliance will work towards ensuring global and equitable access to the digital economy.
It will work with governments and industries to accelerate digital inclusion.
Its goal is to ensure a cross-sectoral collaboration between the technology industry and other critical sectors of the economy.
It will be steered by a multi-sector board.
WEF will serve as the secretariat and platform for the Alliance.
A group of 'Champions Leaders' will advise and support the Alliance.

Corruption Perception Index 2020

Transparency International (TI) has released the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2020.
India's rank has slipped six places to 86^th among 180 countries.
The CPI score for India is 40, which is almost constant this year as well as the previous year score.
The index ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people.
It uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. A country with a higher score has a higher rank.

Patharughat Uprising

Before the Jallianwallah Bagh massacre, in 1894, more than a hundred peasants fell to the bullets of the British in Patharughat village of Assam.
The unarmed peasants were protesting against the increase in land revenue levied by the colonial administration.
Reason - After the British annexation of Assam in 1826, surveys of the lands of the state began.
On the basis of such surveys, the British began to impose land taxes.
In 1893, the British decided to increase agricultural land tax by 70 - 80%.
Up until then the peasants would pay taxes in kind or provide a service in lieu of cash.
Across Assam, peasants began protesting the move by organising Raij Mels, or peaceful peoples’ conventions.
Despite these gatherings being democratic, the British perceived them as breeding grounds for sedition and came down on them heavily.

World Economic Outlook

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released its World Economic Outlook report for January 2021.
It had projected a growth rate of 11.5% for India’s economy in 2021.
This report suggests that India will be the only major economy to register a double-digit growth this year, followed by China.

Earlier, a separate report released by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, estimated India’s economy contract by 9.6% in 2020, while it is projected to grow at 7.3% in 2021.

M-sand Policy

Rajasthan government has brought the policy on M-sand (manufactured sand), which would be a “game changer” for the construction industry.
[M-sand is produced after crushing hard granite stones and rocks extracted from quarries.]
This policy would give industry status to the units producing it for construction work.
It would reduce the dependence on natural bajri (riverbed sand).
The policy will enable the investors to set up M-sand units by utilising the incentives and facilities offered by the State government.

Source: The Hindu, The Indian Express, Outlook India, Scroll, Economic Times