Consider the following statements regarding Transformation of Aspirational Districts Programme
- This programme focuses on transforming 115 districts across 28 states that are affected by poor socio-economic indicators.
- This programme is anchored by NITI Aayog.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation:
In NEWS: Gadkari emphasises upon improving MSME footprint in 115 aspirational districts
- Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari today addressed India@75 Summit : Mission 2022 organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries. He said, there is urgent need to look towards improving presence of MSME industry in the 115 identified aspirational districts of the country. Hence statement 1 is correct
About Transformation of Aspirational Districts Programme
- Launched in January 2018, the ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ initiative aims to remove this heterogeneity through a mass movement to quickly and effectively transform these districts.
- The broad contours of the programme are Convergence (of Central & State Schemes), Collaboration (of Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers & District Collectors), and Competition among districts driven by a spirit of mass Movement.
- This programme is a policy priority of Government of India. NITI Aayog anchors the programme with support from Central Ministries and the State Governments. Hence statement 2 is correct
- The objective of the program is to monitor the real-time progress of aspirational districts.
- Programme’s core areas of focus: Health & Nutrition Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion, Skill Development and Basic Infrastructure
Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1644354
Which of the following category is not included under ‘Priority Sector Lending’?
- Export credit
- Healthcare
- Renewable energy
- Social infrastructure
Answer: (b) Healthcare
Explanation:
In NEWS: Priority lending tag to provide new credit lifeline for young startups
- Banks will now be able to lend to start-ups under their priority sector portfolios, and a larger chunk of their exposures to renewable energy will be eligible for classification as priority sector lending (PSL).
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the PSL guidelines are being reviewed with a view to be more inclusive and the new framework will be more mindful of the district-wise distribution of credit.
- The changes include broadening the scope of PSL to include start-ups, increasing the limits for renewable energy, including solar power and compressed biogas plants and increasing the targets for lending to small and marginal farmers and weaker sections.
About Priority Sector Lending
- Priority Sector Lending is an important role given by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to the Commercial Banks for providing a specified portion of the bank lending to few specific sectors.
- The banks are mandated to encourage the growth of such sectors with adequate and timely credit.
Priority Sector includes the following categories:
- Agriculture
- Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME)
- Export Credit
- Education
- Housing
- Social Infrastructure
- Renewable Energy
- Hence option (b) is correct
This is essentially meant for an all-round development of the economy as opposed to focusing only on the financial sector.
Consider the following statements
- Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber.
- Optical fibers are affected by electromagnetic interference
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a) 1 only
Explanation:
In NEWS:
- The submarine cable, which will also connect Port Blair to Swaraj Dweep (Havelock), Little Andaman, Car Nicobar, Kamorta, Great Nicobar, Long Island, and Rangat of the Island group, is expected to transform life in the remote Island including defence, business and tourism sectors.
- It is expected to deliver faster and more reliable mobile and landline telecom services at par with other parts of the country. PM Modi had laid the foundation stone for this project on December 30, 2018 at Port Blair.
- The internet services in the island have not been reliable and 4G mobile services were disrupted due to limited bandwidth provided via satellite.
- An estimated 2,300 km of submarine optical fibre cable (OFC) has been laid at an expenditure of about Rs 1,224 crore and the project has been completed well within deadline.
- Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber. The light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that is modulated to carry information. Hence statement 1 is correct
- Optical fibers are also unaffected by electromagnetic interference. The fiber optical cable uses the application of total internal reflection of light. Hence statement 2 is incorrect
- The project is funded by the Government of India through the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
- Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) executed this project while Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) is the Technical Consultant.
Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
Table Top Airport. State
- Sikkim
- Pakyong Mizoram
- Kozhikode Kerala
Select the correct options from the given below codes
- 1 and 2 only
- 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
Answer: (b) 3 only
Explanation:
In NEWS: The Hindu Explains | What is a ‘tabletop airport’ and how many are there in India?
Recently, an Air India Express flight on a special ‘Vande Bharat’ repatriation flight from Dubai to Kozhikode overshot the runway and fell into a valley resulting in fatalities.
- Tabletop airport is an airport located and built on top of a plateau or hilly surface, with one or both ends of the runway overlooking a drop.
- Tabletop airports in India:
- Lengpui (Mizoram)
- Shimla and Kullu (Himachal Pradesh)
- Pakyong (Sikkim)
- Mangaluru (Karnataka)
- Kozhikode and Kannur (Kerala). Hence option (b) is correct
The following steps are essential to improve safety of tabletop airports
- The runways should meet required Navigation Performance approach
- Safety features such as RESA (Runway End Safety Area) should be made mandatory
- The aircraft over run is mainly caused due to lack of friction. The table top airports are located at higher altitudes where rainfall and humid weather is common. This reduces the friction between the wheels of the aircrafts and the runway leading to insufficient braking. In order to overcome such problems, ground arresting systems for aircrafts can be used.
- Technical upgrades such making the runways of table top airports enabled with Instrument Landing System.
- Appropriate Crew Source Management Training should be strictly enforced.
Recently, the Envistats India 2020 report is released by which of the following organisation in india?
- National Statistical Office
- TRAFFIC India
- Wildlife Trust of India
- Wildlife Conservation Society
Answer: (a) National Statistical Office
Explanation:
In NEWS: Over 80% rise in heat wave days in 2019, Rajasthan worst-hit
- The National Statistical Office recently released the Envistats India 2020 report. The report says that the number of heat wave days in 2019 increased over 80%. The report was prepared by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The National Statistical Office (NSO) operates under this ministry. Hence option (a) is correct
Key Data:
- The data shows that acute respiratory infection led to 3,740 deaths in 2018 — the highest in six years (according to these provisional estimates). The highest number of deaths due to acute respiratory infection were reported in West Bengal (732), followed by Uttar Pradesh (699), Andhra Pradesh (587), Delhi (492).
- After declining for two years, the average number of heat wave days increased 82.6 per cent year-on-year to 157 in 2019, with the highest number recorded in Rajasthan (20 days) followed by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand (13 days each)
- The number of average cold wave days also reported an increase, though the latest data is for 2018 in the case: 45 in 2018, a rise of 55.2 per cent from 29 in 2017.
- The highest number of deaths due to acute respiratory infection were reported in West Bengal (732), followed by Uttar Pradesh (699), Andhra Pradesh (587), Delhi (492).
- Among the seven metropolitan cities — Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai — in 2018, particulate matter size less than or equal to 10 µm was the highest in Delhi (243), followed by Ahmedabad (236) and Mumbai (166).
- Tube well/hand pump remained the primary source of drinking water in rural India in 2018 with 53.8 % share, while piped water/ tap/ public tap/ standpipe was the primary source in urban areas with 65 % share.
- In rural areas, among states having bottled water as the principal source of drinking water in 2018, Delhi ranked at the top with 33.4 % households relying on it.
- In urban areas, Daman & Diu has the highest share of households (40.4 %) choosing bottled water as principal drinking water source.
- Andhra Pradesh has the highest percentage of slum population to urban population (36.10 %).
- Out of total 7.3 crore registered motor vehicles in the country in 2017 in ‘million plus cities’ in India, Delhi has the highest number of registered motor vehicles (1.02 crore), followed by Bengaluru (68.3 lakh).
Consider the following statements regarding Silk production in India
- India is the only country producing all the five known commercial silks namely mulberry, tropical tasar, oak tasar, eri and muga.
- India is the second largest producer of silk in the world
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation:
In NEWS: KVIC’s Big Push to Khadi and Tourism in Arunachal Pradesh with the First Silk Training cum Production Center
- The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is to set up the first of its kind training cum production centre of silk in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The centre is to be launched in the first week of September, 2020.
- The KVIC has refurbished and converted a dilapidated school building into the training cum production center
- The KVIC will provide machinery such as handlooms, warping drums and silk reeling machines. The centre is to provide training to 25 local artisans and will boost weaving activities in the region.
About Silk production in India
- India has the unique distinction of being the only country producing all the five known commercial silks, namely, mulberry, tropical tasar, oak tasar, eri and muga, of which muga with its golden yellow glitter is unique and prerogative of India. Hence statement 1 is correct
- Mulberry sericulture is mainly practised in five states namely, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Bodoland, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu are major silk producing states in the country.
- North East has the unique distinction of being the only region producing four varieties of silk viz., Mulberry, Oak Tasar, Muga and Eri. Overall NE region contributes 18% of India’s total silk production.
- India is the second largest producer of silk in the world. Total raw silk production of 28,472 MT. Hence statement 2 is correct
Source: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1644603
Consider the following statements regarding Bombay Natural History Society
- It is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.
- It is the partner of BirdLife International in India.
- It has been designated as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation by the Department of Science and Technology
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 3 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 1,2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1,2 and 3
Explanation:
In NEWS: Scientists find 77 new butterfly species in Matheran
- After a long gap of 125 years, scientists have found 140 rare species of butterflies, including 77 new ones, in Matheran.
- The last time butterflies were codified in this ecosensitive zone was in 1894, when a researcher identified 78 species.
- Finding the forgotten gems: Revisiting the butterflies of Matheran after 125 years’, a research paper by scientists from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Somaiya Vidya Vihar University published in the Biodiversity Data Journal, provides a glimpse of the rare butterflies in the hill station
- The paper said, “We observed a strong seasonal variation in butterfly diversity. The maximum diversity (125) of butterflies was recorded during winter, while the least (80) during monsoon. A high similarity of butterfly species composition was observed between the pairs of sites studied, tending towards perfect nestedness
About Bombay Natural History Society
- The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research. Hence statement 1 is correct
- The society is commonly known by its initials, BNHS.
- The BNHS logo is the great hornbill, inspired by a great hornbill named William, who lived on the premises of the Society.
- BNHS is the partner of BirdLife International in India. Hence statement 2 is correct
- It organizes and conducts nature trails and camps for the general public.
- It has been designated as a ‘Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation’ by the Department of Science and Technology. Hence statement 3 is correct
- BNHS is headquartered in the specially constructed ‘Hornbill House’ in southern Mumbai.
- It sponsors studies in Indian wildlife and conservation, and publishes a four-monthly journal, Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (JBNHS), as well as a quarterly magazine, Hornbill.
- The BNHS logo is the great hornbill, inspired by a great hornbill named William, who lived on the premises of the Society.
Consider the following statements regarding National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping
- It has launched by the Geological Survey of India and to cover the 0.42 million sq. km landslide prone areas of the country.
- It aims to create a dynamic National Landslide Susceptibility Geodatabase for India and prepare a nation-wide repository on GIS-based Landslide Inventory
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation:
In NEWS: Balancing priorities
- Following the 2018 floods, data from the Geological Survey of India showed that Kerala had experienced 67 major landslide events and several minor ones from 19612013. As part of a National Land slide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM) programme, the agency mapped several States in the Western Ghats, North eastern States, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand to assess how vulnerable their districts were.
- Nearly 13,000 square kilometres were mapped until 2018 and 6,000 were to be covered in 201920 in Kerala, according to the programme website.
- Nearly 13 of the State’s 14 districts were prone to landslides and what made Kerala particularly vulnerable was the high population density — over 800 per square kilometre — com pared to other States that also faced high landslide risk.
About National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM)
- Geological Survey of India has launched and undertook a national programme on landslide susceptibility mapping- National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM)
- Aim: to cover the 0.42 million sq. km landslide prone areas of the country. Hence statement 1 is correct
- This national programme was launched in 2014 at the 53 Central Geological Programming Board Meeting.
Aims and Objectives:
- To create a dynamic National Landslide Susceptibility Geodatabase for India
- To prepare GIS – based seamless Landslide Susceptibility Maps of India on 1:50,000 scale
- To prepare a nation-wide repository on GIS-based Landslide Inventory. Hence statement 2 is correct
Consider the following statements regarding Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
- It aims to provide a medium – long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management Infrastructure through interest subvention and financial support
- It will be managed and monitored through an online Management Information System (MIS) platform.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation:
In NEWS: PM launches farm infra scheme
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a new financing scheme under the ₹1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund meant for setting up storage and processing facilities, which will help farmers get higher prices for their crops
About Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
- AIF aims to provide a medium – long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management Infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support. Hence statement 1 is correct
- Under the scheme, Rs. One Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans.
- The beneficiaries will include Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Marketing Cooperative Societies, Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs), SHGs, Farmers etc among others.
- The moratorium for repayment under this financing facility may vary subject to a minimum of 6 months and maximum of 2 years.
- Agri Infra fund will be managed and monitored through an online Management Information System (MIS) platform. Hence statement 2 is correct
- The National, State and District level Monitoring Committees will be set up to ensure real-time monitoring and effective feedback.
- The duration of the Scheme shall be from FY2020 to FY2029 (10 years).
Source: TH
Which of the following National Parks is unique in being a swamp with floating
vegetation that supports a rich biodiversity?
- Bhitarkanika National Park
- Keibul Lamjao National Park
- Keoladeo Ghana National Park
- Sultanpur National Park
Answer: (b) Keibul Lamjao National Park
Explanation:
Keibul Lamjao National is world’s only floating national park and last natural habitat of Manipur Brow antlered deer – Sangai (Cervus eldi eldi). The national park is characterized by many floating decomposed plant materials locally called phumdis. Hence option (b) is correct
