Daily Current Affairs MCQ- April 22, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

Innovations for Defence Excellence, Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO), under the aegis of Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence has organised DefConnect 2.0 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on April 22, 2022.

• The event was inaugurated by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh. The event will attract a large number of innovators and investors from India’s leading industries in the defence sector.
• The DefConnect will provide a unique opportunity for innovators associated with iDEX-DIO to showcase their capabilities, products and state-of-the-art-technologies to the target audience of the industry leaders.
• The iDEX, launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2018, essentially provides a unified platform for various stakeholders in the defence and aerospace sectors.
• It acts like an umbrella organisation to oversee technology development and potential collaborations in this specific field.
• Platforms like the iDEX enable the military to find disruptive solutions to complex challenges through its flagship programmes like Defence India Startup Challenges (DISC) and Open Challenges (OC) which shall be the key components for the future of military technology.
• Till date, iDEX has launched five rounds of DISC and three rounds of OC, receiving more than 2,000 applications from individual innovators and start-ups.
• Furthermore, iDEX has been able to fund projects in numerous technological areas through its Grant-in-Aid framework, Support for Prototype and Research Kickstart (SPARK), which entail provisioning of grant up to Rs 1.50 crore to budding entrepreneurs.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment and Chairman of Dr. Ambedkar Foundation (DAF) Dr. Virendra Kumar will launch the Dr. Ambedkar Centres of Excellence (DACE) Scheme Pan India from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi on 22.04.2022.

• Dr. Ambedkar Foundation (DAF), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India, is starting Dr. Ambedkar Centres of Excellence (DACE) in 31 Central Universities across the country.
• The DACEs are being set up to provide high quality free coaching facilities to the Scheduled Caste students forthe Civil Services examinations, conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
• Under the DACE Scheme, a total of 100 seats will be sanctioned for coaching per centre.
• Of the total sanctioned seats for coaching, 33% seats will preferably be given to the eligible female candidates of Scheduled Castes.
• If eligible female candidates are not available in sufficient numbers for the coaching, the concerned University will allocate the vacant seats to the male/transgender candidates (SC Candidates only).
• The coaching benefits, under the scheme,will only be utilized by a student ONCE regardless of the number of chances he/she is entitled for a particular competitive examination.
• Dr. Ambedkar Foundation (DAF) shall fund the entire expenditure incurred on the establishment of Dr. Ambedkar Centre for Excellence.
• Rs. 75,000/- per annum / per student will be provided to the University for 100 students. Total amount of Rs. 75.00 lakh per year would be provided to the University for running the Scheme.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Government think-tank Niti Aayog has prepared a draft battery swapping policy.

• Under this, it has proposed offering incentives to electric vehicles (EVs) with swappable batteries, subsidies to companies manufacturing swappable batteries, a new battery-as-a-service business model, and standards for interoperable batteries, among other measures.
• The draft policy has suggested that the GST Council consider reducing the differential across the tax rates on Lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicle supply equipment. Currently, the tax rate on the former is 18 per cent, and 5 per cent on the latter.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced during this year’s Union Budget that the government was set to roll out a battery swapping policy, in a bid to reduce upfront costs of purchasing EVs and drive adoption among buyers.
• The policy is targeted at supporting the adoption of battery-swapping, primarily for battery swapping systems used in electric scooters and three-wheeler electric rickshaws.
• Niti Aayog said battery swapping will fall under the battery-as-a-service (BaaS) business model, and such models would have to ensure interoperability between EVs and batteries for a successful mainstreaming of battery swapping as an alternative.

What is battery swapping?

• Battery swapping is a mechanism that involves exchanging discharged batteries for charged ones. This provides the flexibility to charge these batteries separately by de-linking charging and battery usage, and keeps the vehicle in operational mode with negligible downtime.
• Battery swapping is generally used for smaller vehicles such as two-wheelers and three-wheelers with smaller batteries that are easier to swap, compared to four-wheelers and e-buses, although solutions are emerging for these larger segments as well.

Hence both statements are correct.

South-West Monsoon

• The climate of India is described as the ‘monsoon’ type. In Asia, this type of climate is found mainly in the south and the southeast.
• Out of a total of 4 seasonal divisions of India, monsoon occupies 2 divisions, namely:
  • The southwest monsoon season - Rainfall received from the southwest monsoons is seasonal in character, which occurs between June and September. Hence statement 1 is correct.
  • The retreating monsoon season - The months of October and November are known for retreating monsoons.
• The Factors Influencing South-West Monsoon Formation are:
  • The differential heating and cooling of land and water creates a low pressure on the landmass of India while the seas around experience comparatively high pressure.
  • The shift of the position of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in summer, over the Ganga plain (this is the equatorial trough normally positioned about 5°N of the equator. It is also known as the monsoon-trough during the monsoon season). Hence statement 2 is correct.
  • The presence of the high-pressure area, east of Madagascar, approximately at 20°S over the Indian Ocean. The intensity and position of this high-pressure area affect the Indian Monsoon.
  • The Tibetan plateau gets intensely heated during summer, which results in strong vertical air currents and the formation of low pressure over the plateau at about 9 km above sea level.
  • The movement of the westerly jet stream to the north of the Himalayas and the presence of the tropical easterly jet stream over the Indian peninsula during summer.
  • Tropical Easterly Jet (African Easterly Jet) and the Southern Oscillation (SO).

National Human Rights Commission

• Statutory Body: NHRC was established on 12th October, 1993. The statute under which it is established is the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993 as amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006.
  • The PHRA Act also provides for the creation of a State Human Rights Commission at the state level.
• In Line with Paris Principles: Paris Principles were adopted for the promotion and protection of human rights in October 1991, and were endorsed by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1993.
• Watchdog of Human Rights in the country: The NHRC is an embodiment of India’s concern for the promotion and protection of human rights.
  • Section 2(1)(d) of the PHRA defines Human Rights as the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the International Covenants and enforceable by courts in India.
• Composition: The commission is a multi-member body consisting of a chairman and four members.
  • A person who has been the Chief Justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court is a chairman. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• Appointment: The chairman and members are appointed by the President on the recommendations of a six-member committee consisting of the Prime Minister as its head, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, leaders of the Opposition in both the Houses of Parliament and the Union Home Minister. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

• The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) was constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 which came into force on 9^th November, 1995 to establish a nationwide uniform network for providing free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The Chief Justice of India is the Patron-in-Chief and the second senior most Judge of the Supreme Court of India is the Executive Chairman of the Authority. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• Article 39 A of the Constitution provides for free legal aid to the poor and weaker sections of the society, to promote justice on the basis of equal opportunity. Article 14 and Article 22 (1), obligates the State to ensure equality before law.
• It can be noted that the role played by NALSA and its networks is very much relevant to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal-16 , which seeks to "Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels".

• Anganwadi Services (Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services Scheme) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by States/UTs with the following objectives:-
  • To improve the nutritional and health status of children in the age-group of 0-6 years. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
  • To lay the foundation for proper psychological, physical and social development of the child. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • To reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropouts. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • To achieve effective coordination of policy and implementation amongst the various departments to promote child development.
  • To enhance the capability of the mother to look after the normal health and nutritional needs of the child through proper nutrition and health education.
• Under Anganwadi Services, a package of six services, namely, (i) Supplementary Nutrition; (ii) Pre-school Non-formal Education; (iii) Nutrition & Health Education; (iv) Immunization; (v) Health Check-up; and (vi) Referral Services has been provided to all eligible beneficiaries, namely, children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers through the platform of Anganwadi Centres across the country.
• Three of the services viz. Immunization, Health Check-up and Referral Services are related to health and are provided through NRHM & Public Health Infrastructure.

UDAN Scheme

• It was launched as a RCS under the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2016.
• Its objectives are:
  • To develop the regional aviation market. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
  • To provide affordable, economically viable and profitable air travel on regional routes to the common man even in small towns.
• The scheme envisages providing connectivity to un-served and underserved airports of the country through the revival of existing air-strips and airports. The scheme is operational for a period of 10 years.
• Under-served airports are those which do not have more than one flight a day, while unserved airports are those where there are no operations.
• Financial incentives from the Centre, state governments and airport operators are extended to selected airlines to encourage operations from unserved and under-served airports, and keep airfares affordable. Hence statement 2 is correct.

Hunar Haat

About:

• Hunar Haat has been conceptualised to protect and promote the country’s ancestral legacy of arts and crafts in the current global competition and to support the traditional artisans and craftsmen. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The artisans selected in the Hunar Haat exhibition are those whose forefathers were involved in such traditional handmade work and are still continuing the profession.

Theme:

• Vocal for Local and Best from Waste. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

Aim:

• To provide market exposure and employment opportunities to artisans, craftsmen and traditional culinary experts.
• Boosting the skills of craftsmen, weavers and artisans who are already engaged in the traditional ancestral work.

• A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO for its special cultural or physical significance.
  • The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the international 'World Heritage Programme', administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.
  • This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• India is home to a total of 3691 monuments and sites. Of these 40 are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Including places like the Taj Mahal, Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves. World Heritage Sites also include natural sites like the Kaziranga National Park in Assam.
  • Harappan city of Dholavira in Gujarat as India’s 40^th world heritage site.
  • Ramappa Temple (Telangana) was India's 39th World Heritage Site.
  • Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim has been inscribed as India's first and the only “Mixed World Heritage Site”. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.