Daily Current Affairs MCQ- April 7, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the successful test of a hypersonic missile and urged North Korea to press ahead with building more “strategic military muscle” despite international sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme.

• Hypersonic missiles are listed among the “top priority” tasks for strategic weapons development in North Korea’s five-year plan.
• It was the third reported North Korean test of a hypersonic gliding missile. The missile flew 700 kilometres (435 miles) at an altitude of about 60 kilometres (37 miles) at Mach 10 speed.
• The most recent test demonstrated “the superior manoeuverability of the hypersonic glide vehicle”. It also claimed it accurately hit a target some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away.
• South Korea’s military, which had cast doubt on Pyongyang’s initial claims, said the missile launched recently had reached hypersonic speeds and showed clear signs of “progress” from last week’s test.
• Hypersonic missiles travel at speeds of at least Mach 5 — five times the speed of sound — and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them harder to track and intercept.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Senior Officers Meeting of the India-US Homeland Security Dialogue was held in virtual mode.

• The meeting was co-chaired by Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy and Plans, Department of Homeland Security, Government of USA, Robert Silvers.
• During the meeting, both sides identified further steps that can be taken to explore opportunities and synergies in advancing cooperation in counter-terrorism, cyber security, securing critical infrastructure, maritime security and aviation security among other issues.
• During the meeting, both sides agreed that the existing sub-groups under the Homeland Security Dialogue on law enforcement engagement, securing global supply chains, investigative cooperation, and capacity building would meet separately in the coming months.
• The two sides look forward to holding the Ministerial-level Homeland Security Dialogue later this year.

Hence both statements are incorrect.

I&B Ministry asks BARC to release news ratings with immediate effect.

• The Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India is a joint industry body founded by organisations that represent Indian broadcasters (IBF), advertisers (ISA), and advertising and media agencies (AAAI).
• The company was incorporated in 2010. It is based in Mumbai.

Reforms

• Broadcast Audience Research Council, BARC, has undertaken revision in its processes, protocols, oversight mechanism and governance structure.
• The reconstitution of the Board and the Technical Committee to allow the induction of Independent Members has also been initiated by BARC.
• A permanent Oversight Committee has also been formed. The access protocols for data have been revamped and tightened.

New ratings

• Taking note of the above, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has asked BARC to release the News ratings with immediate effect and also to release the last three months data, for the genre in a monthly format, for fair and equitable representation of true trends.
• As per the revised system, the reporting of News and Niche Genres will be on a ‘four week rolling average concept’.
• The Ministry has also set up a ‘Working Group’ under the chairmanship of Prasar Bharti CEO for the consideration of leveraging the Return Path Data capabilities for the use of TRP services, as also recommended by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the TRP Committee Report.
• The Committee will submit its report in four months time.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) has signed a MoU with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for promoting Investor Education and Financial literacy among youth by utilizing the tele-lecturing facility of Gyan Darshan Channel.

• This association with IGNOU/Gyan Darshan channel will help in propagating the message of Investor Education and Awareness among a large group of present and prospective stakeholders.
• The panel of resource persons for the lecture series would include experts from professional institutions such as ICAI, ICSI & Senior officials from IEPFA, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and other regulators.
• The proposed lecture series of 75 episodes will be live tele-lecturing series on 24x7 Gyan Darshan TV channel.

Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA)

• Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) has been established under Section 125 of the Companies Act 2013 for administration of the IEPF fund as per section 125 (3) of Companies Act 2013.
• The main objective of the authority includes to promote Investor Education, Awareness & Protection, refund unclaimed shares, dividends and other amounts transferred to it under sections 124 and 125 of the Companies Act 2013 to the rightful claimants.
• IEPFA works under the administrative control of Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Shri Subhas Sarkar, Minister of State for Education virtually launched Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar (SVP) 2021 – 2022. The schools have been given sufficient time till March 2022 to apply for the awards so that they can do so at an appropriate and safe time.

• The Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar recognise, inspire and award the schools who have undertaken exemplary work in the field of water, sanitation and hygiene and also provides a benchmark and roadmap for schools to make further improvements in future.
• In order to create self-motivation and awareness about sanitation the Swachh Vidyalaya Puraskar (SVP) was first instituted by the Department of School Education and Literacy, in 2016-17.
• The SVP 2021-22 is open to all categories of schools. i.e. Government, Government aided and Private schools in both rural and urban areas.

Criteria

• The schools will be assessed through an online portal & mobile app in 6 sub-categories.
• These are: Water, Sanitation, Hand Washing with soap, Operation and Maintenance, Behaviour Change and Capacity Building and the newly added category on COVID-19 Preparedness and Response and the system will generate the overall score and rating automatically.

Awards

• Schools shall be awarded at the District, State and National level based on an internationally recognized five-star rating system.
• Also, every school will get a certificate of participation showing the category-wise scores and overall rating of the school.
• At the National level, 40 schools will be selected for awards this year under the overall category.
• The award money for the schools has been enhanced this year from Rs. 50,000/- to Rs. 60,000/- per school, under Samagra Shiksha scheme. Also, 6 sub-category wise awards have been introduced for the first time, with award money of Rs. 20,000/- per school.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) has signed a Joint Development Agreement with Africa50, the pan-African infrastructure investment platform to continue to develop the Kenya Transmission Project on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis, Africa’s first transmission PPP project.

• The project entails the development, financing, construction, and operation of the 400kV Lessos – Loosuk and 220kV Kisumu – Musaga transmission lines under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework.
• Once completed, the project will be the first Independent Power Transmission (IPT) in Kenya and will set a reference point in Africa as the first financing of transmission lines on a PPP basis.
• This Project will also improve both the supply and reliability of power transmission in Western Kenya and further create a demonstration effect to help increase private sector investments into the expansion of Africa’s power transmission networks.

About Africa50:

• Africa50 is an infrastructure investment platform that contributes to Africa’s economic growth by developing and investing in bankable infrastructure projects, catalyzing public sector capital, and mobilizing private sector funding, with differentiated financial returns and impact.
• Africa50 currently has 31 shareholders, comprised of 28 African countries, the African Development Bank, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), and Bank Al-Maghrib.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog declared the results of the ‘ATL Space Challenge 2021’.

• The Challenge was launched in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
• The ATL Space Challenge witnessed over 2500 submissions from both ATL and Non-ATL students across the country from which 75 top innovators were selected. It was the first time that an ATL challenge open to both ATL and non-ATL students.
• The ATL Space Challenge 2021 was launched on 6th September 2021 with an objective to enable innovation among young school students to create something in space sector that will not only help them learn about the space but create something that space programme can use itself.
• The Challenge also aligned with the World Space Week 2021, which is observed from 4 to 10 October each year at the global level in order to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology.

Hence both statements are correct.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lauded India's food subsidy program which prevented the increased prevalence of extreme poverty in the country during Covid-19.

• In a report the IMF has said, the expansion of food transfers and subsidies make it an important instrument for poverty alleviation.
• Appreciating the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, the report demonstrated that the program provided insurance to the poor and prevented an increase in the prevalence of extreme poverty in the country.
• It stated that doubling of entitlements in 2020 during pandemic helped maintain extreme poverty at the low 0.8 percent level. It also said, without any food subsidies, extreme poverty in the pandemic years would have increased by 1.05 per cent.
• The report said that poverty in the country declined the fastest during the period 2014 to 2019.
• The report also stated that social safety net provided by the expansion of country's food subsidy program absorbed a major part of the pandemic shock. This illustrates the robustness of India's social safety architecture as it withstood one of the world’s biggest income shocks.

Key facts

• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) is a food security welfare scheme announced by the Government of India on March 26 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
• The program is operated by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
• PMGKAY provides 5 kg of rice or wheat per person and 1 kg of dal to each family holding a ration card.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh has said that the Government has accorded In-Principle approval for five new sites for locating nuclear power plants in future.

• He informed Lok Sabha that the Government has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for construction of 10 indigenous 700 Mega Watt Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors PHWRs to be set up in fleet mode.
• On progressive completion of the projects under construction and accorded sanction, the nuclear capacity is expected to reach 22,480 Mega Watt by 2031.
• There are presently 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6,780 Mega Watt in operation and one reactor, KAPP-3 (700 Mega Watt) has been connected to the grid in January last year.
• In addition, there are 10 reactors which are various stages of construction, which will add a total capacity of 8,000 Mega Watt.
• In order to produce fuel for all indigenous PHWRs, Fuel fabrication capacity is augmented in the facilities available at Nuclear Fuel Complex, Hyderabad and the upcoming facilities at Nuclear Fuel Complex, Kota, Rajasthan in order to match with the requirement of existing PHWRs and upcoming PHWRs.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

On the occasion of World Health Day, the Union Health Ministry has said that India has registered a significant decline in the maternal and infant mortality rate and it will achieve the target of Sustainable Development Goals before the deadline of 2030.

• The World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on 7 April, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Since 1950, the World Health Day is held annually on April 7.
• The date of April 7 marks the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948.
• The Theme for 2022 is 'Our planet, our health’.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.