Current Affairs in Short: 8 September 2021

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal appointed as India’s Sherpa for G20

•Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles has been appointed as India’s Sherpa for the G20. Piyush Goyal has replaced Suresh Prabhu as India’s Sherpa.

•The Ministry of External Affairs on September 7, 2021, said that India will hold the G20 presidency from December 1, 2022, and convene the G20 Leaders’ Summit in 2023 for the first time.

•India will be a part of the G20 Troika (preceding, current, and incoming G20 presidencies) from December 1, 2021, till November 30, 2024, the MEA added.

•The next G20 Summit will be held from October 30 to 31 under the Italian presidency. G20 grouping that brings together the leaders of 19 major economies and the European Union in the world.

•The G20 member nations are India, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, China, Canada, Germany, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

1200-year-old sculpture of Goddess Durga found in J&K

•Approximately 1200-year-old sculpture of Goddess Durga was recovered from river Jhelum at Pandrethan in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. The sculpture was found by a laborer who was extracting sand from the river in August 2021.

•The laborer was attempting to sell the sculpture however, the Budgam police intervened and recovered the sculpture. They handed over the sculpture to the Department of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, Jammu and Kashmir Government.

•The sculpture measures 6 inches by 8 inches and is carved in black. The sculpture depicts the Hindu deity Goddess Durga on a throne with four attendants. Upon examination of the sculpture, it was revealed that it dates back approximately to 7^th to 8^th AD (which is roughly 1200 years old).

•The sculpture will be placed at the SPS Museum after the completion of legal formalities.

Cabinet approves MoU on cooperation in Geosciences between GSI, ROSGEO

•Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the field of Geosciences between Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines, Government of India, and the Joint Stock Company Rosgeologia, referred to as ROSGEO.

•The MoU aims at extending mutual cooperation for technological collaboration on exploration for deep-seated and/or concealed mineral deposit, analysis and interpretation of the aero-geophysical data, joint development of the Indian Geoscience Data repository, PGE and REE exploration and research, exchange of technology and knowledge in fields of drilling, laboratory analysis, and sampling, etc between both GSI and ROSGEO in the field of Geosciences.

•A delegation of ROSGEO during a visit to India in 2020 had met with the Ministry of Mines and Geological Survey of India (GSI) to deliberate on prospects of cooperation in exploration works in New Delhi. It was during this meeting, signing of an MoU was proposed in the field of Geosciences.

Electronics, IT Ministry constitutes task Force to enhance internet connectivity in Karnataka

•A task force of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) comprising officers of the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) and Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) have started visiting each district in Karnataka to aid in improving the speed and access to internet connectivity.

•The task force will also visit state government officials and then submit a report to the Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

•Several requests to improve speed and access of internet connectivity were raised during the six district Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Karnataka by Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Therefore, Chandrasekhar had promised to constitute a MeitY task force to examine each district for the same.

Cabinet approves agreement between India, Portugal on recruitment of Indian citizens in Portuguese Republic

•The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has approved the signing of an agreement between the Government of India and the Government of the Republic of Portugal on the recruitment of Indian citizens to work in the Portuguese Republic.

•The agreement will set up an institutional mechanism for cooperation and partnership between India and Portugal on sending and accepting Indian workers. A Joint Committee will aid in the implementation of the mechanism.

•The agreement will open doors for Indian migrant workers in a European Union member nation Portugal. This agreement will offer new enhanced job opportunities to skilled Indian workers in Portugal.