CONTENTS
- INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC DAY 2021
- BRICS GREEN HYDROGEN SUMMIT
INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC DAY 2021
Focus: Facts for Prelims
Why in News ?
The Prime Minister lauds all Indian Olympians on Olympic Day.
Key Facts
- The day was chosen by the International Olympic Committee in 1948.
- It aims to promote the Olympic idea and the importance of organising mass sports competitions all around the world.
- As a result of the effort many nations adopted it to empower youth and represent nations in the global sports competition.
- Besides a number of school from various countries adopted Olympics/Sports as a part of their curriculum.
- Summer Olympics in Tokyo, scheduled to be held between July 23 and August 8.
- The event will be referred to as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
- A total of 339 events across 33 sports are lined up at the Games from different countries.
- India has never hosted an Olympic Games.
International Olympic Committee
- Non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, authority responsible for organising the Summer and Winter Olympic Games
- It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss Civil Code (articles 60-79).
- IOC is the governing body of the National Olympic Committees (NOCs)
- NOC is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement.
IOC aims to :
- Encourage and support the organisation, development and coordination of sport and sports competitions.
- Regular celebration of the Olympic Games.
- Act against any form of discrimination affecting the Olympic Movement.
- Encourage and support the promotion of women in sport.
2020 Summer Olympics
- Upcoming international multi-sport event scheduled to be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
- Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020 was postponed in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- This is the first time that the Olympic Games have been postponed and rescheduled.
- Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 125th IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2013.
- Hosting Olympics in Tokyo in 1964 making this the first city in Asia to host the Summer Games twice.
BRICS GREEN HYDROGEN SUMMIT
Focus: GS II- International groupings
Why in News ?
NTPC Ltd India’s largest energy integrated company under Ministry of Power anchored a two day workshop on Green Hydrogen.
Key Facts: BRICS Green Hydrogen Summit
- BRICS shared their insights and professional views on the subject as well as the latest developments going on in their countries in the area of green hydrogen.
- India has launched an ambitious National Hydrogen Mission to introduce hydrogen purchase obligations for fertilizers, refineries involving private sector in transparent and competitive manner to produce green hydrogen.
- Five BRICS countries share a common vision of sustainable development and inclusive economic growth.
- Strengthening energy cooperation and ensuring affordable, reliable, accessible and secure energy for all, has always been a strategic area of importance in the agenda of BRICS countries.
- The transition to a hydrogen economy will not only reduce India’s import dependency on hydrocarbon fuels but also provide clean air to its citizens, reduce GHG emissions in absolute terms.
About Green Hydrogen
- The technology for green hydrogen is based on the generation of hydrogen through electrolysis.
- It is a universal, light and highly reactive fuel. Using this method, electrical current is used to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in the water. In case the electricity is produced through renewable sources of energy, the hydrogen would be green hydrogen.
- Hydrogen is the most abundant element on earth. Also, the global demand for hydrogen as a fuel has become thrice of what it was in 1975. It is also the only source of energy that only emits water vapour and leaves no residue in the air.
- Hydrogen has been used to fuel cars, airships and spaceships since the beginning of the 19th century.
Green hydrogen has specific advantages:
- One, it is a clean-burning molecule, which can decarbonize a range of sectors including iron and steel, chemicals, and transportation.
- Two, renewable energy that cannot be stored or used by the grid can be channelled to produce hydrogen.
National Hydrogen Energy Mission
- Announced in the Union Budget 2021 by the Finance Minister.
- It will be launched in 2021-22.
- For the generation of hydrogen from green power resources in order to link India’s growing renewable capacity with the hydrogen economy.
- It has near zero carbon footprint.
About BRICS
- BRICS is an informal group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (joined in 2010).
- The BRICS leaders’ summit is convened annually.
- BRICS does not exist in form of organization, but it is an annual summit between the supreme leaders of five nations.
- The Chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S.
- Together, BRICS accounts for about 42% of the world’s population and about 23% of the global GDP (Gross Domestic Product), and 17% of the world trade, making it a critical economic engine.
- The five nations account for 50 per cent of the world economic growth, 27% of the world area and 13.24% of World Bank voting power.
- Pitted as a counterweight to G7, the combine of developed economies, BRICS represents the world’s top emerging economies and claims to serve as a bridge between the developed and developing world.
