Daily Current Affairs MCQ - July 20, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas informed Lok Sabha about Ethanol Blending.

• The Notified National Policy on Biofuels – 2018, provided an indicative target of blending 20% ethanol in petrol by 2030.
• Ethanol Blending has Improved from 1.53% during Ethanol Supply Year 2013-14 to 7.93% ongoing ESY 2020-21
• Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has published a Notification dated June 02, 2021, wherein, it has been stated that OMCs shall sell ethanol blended petrol with percentage of ethanol upto 20% as per BIS Specifications in the whole of India and Union Territories and shall come into effect from April 01, 2023.
• E-100 pilot projects has been launched at Pune city by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) on June 05, 2021.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

NASA announced that its new spacecraft, named NEA Scout, has completed all required tests and has been safely tucked inside the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

Artemis I

• NEA Scout is one of several payloads that will hitch a ride on Artemis I, which is expected to be launched in November.
• Artemis I will be an uncrewed testflight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket.
• Under the Artemis programme, NASA has aimed to land the first woman on the Moon in 2024 and also establish sustainable lunar exploration programs by 2030.
• Near-Earth Asteroid Scout, or NEA Scout, is a small spacecraft, about the size of a big shoebox. Its main mission is to fly by and collect data from a near-Earth asteroid. It will also be America’s first interplanetary mission using a special solar sail propulsion.
• Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways informed Rajya Sabha about the steps taken to reduce Road Accidents in the country.

Education

• Observance of National Road Safety Month/Week every year for spreading awareness and strengthening road safety.
• A Certification Course for Road Safety Auditors has been commenced in Indian Academy of Highway Engineers (IAHE).

Road engineering

• High priority to identification and rectification of black spots (accident prone spots) on national highways.

Vehicle engineering

• Safety standards for automobiles have been improved.
• Ministry has notified fitment of Speed Limiting devices on all transport vehicles.
• Scheme for setting up one model Inspection & Certification Centre in each State/UT with Central assistance for testing the fitness of vehicles through an automated system.

Enforcement

• The recently passed motor vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 provides for strict enforcement through use of technology and further provides for strict penalties for ensuring strict compliance and enhancing deterrence for violation of traffic rules.
• Issue of Guidelines for protection of Good Samaritans and draft rules as per MV (Amendment) Act, 2019 has been published.

Emergency care

• The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 provides for a scheme for the cashless treatment of victims of the accident during the golden hour.
• The National Highways Authority of India has made provisions for ambulances at all toll plazas on the completed corridor of National Highways.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Raksha Mantri informed Rajya Sabha about the status of Implementation of CoE Recommendations Related to Defence Reforms.

• The Committee of Experts (CoE) constituted by the Ministry of Defence under the chairmanship of Lt Gen (Retd) DB Shekatkar to recommend measures to enhance combat compatibility and rebalance defence expenditure of the armed forces, submitted its report in December 2016.
• The Report was taken up by the Ministry of Defence to frame key action points and roadmap for implementation.

Measures recommended by the Committee and taken up for the implementation include:

• Optimisation of Signals Establishments to include Radio Monitoring Companies, Corps Air Support Signal Regiments, Air Formation Signal Regiments, Composite Signal Regiments and merger for Corps Operating and Engineering Signal Regiments.
• Restructuring of repair echelons in the Army to include Base Workshops, Advance Base Workshops and Static/Station Workshops in the field Army.
• Redeployment of Ordnance echelons to include Vehicle Depots, Ordnance Depots and Central Ordnance Depots apart from streamlining inventory control mechanisms.
• Better utilisation of Supply and Transportation echelons and Animal Transport Units.
• Closure of Military Farms and Army Postal Establishments in peace locations.
• Enhancement in standards for recruitment of clerical staff and drivers in the Army.
• Improving the efficiency of the National Cadet Corps.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

With a view to turn the spotlight on the logistics sector, the Government today announced the launch of National Logistics Excellence Awards.

• The awards are in two categories, the first group includes logistics infrastructure/service providers and second one is for various user industries.
• The awards will highlight best practices including consolidation, process standardisation, technological upgrade, digital transformations, and sustainable practices.
• While the Indian logistics sector has been growing at a CAGR of 10.5%, reaching approximately USD 215 billion in value in 2020, there are systemic, interconnected problems that must be addressed to enhance its efficiency.
• Comprehensive logistics costs amount to almost 14% of India’s GDP.
• Closing India’s competitiveness gap vis-à-vis the global average of 8 percent, would make the Indian logistics sector advanced, organised and efficient, on par with global peers with the ambition of being amongst the top 25 countries in the global Logistics Performance Index (LPI).
• Hence both statements are correct.

The Balukhand-Konark Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in the state of Odisha. The sanctuary is home to a herd of Blackbuck and Spotted Deer. Olive ridley sea turtles nest on the beaches.

How does a Doppler radar work?

• In radars, a beam of energy– called radio waves– is emitted from an antenna. When this beam strikes an object in the atmosphere, the energy scatters in all directions, with some reflecting directly back to the radar.
• The larger the object deflecting the beam, the greater is the amount of energy that the radar receives in return. Observing the time required for the beam to be transmitted and returned to the radar allows weather forecasting departments to “see” raindrops in the atmosphere, and measure their distance from the radar.
• What makes a Doppler radar special is that it can provide information on both the position of targets as well as their movement.

In India, Doppler radars of varying frequencies — S-band, C-band and X-band — are commonly used by the IMD to track the movement of weather systems and cloud bands, and gauge rainfall over its coverage area of about 500 km.

An X-band radar is used to detect thunderstorms and lightning whereas C-band guides in cyclone tracking.

As per the US National Weather Service, in an hour, a Doppler radar transmits a signal for only over seven seconds, and spends the remaining 59 minutes and 53 seconds listening to returned signals.

India accounted for 88% of malaria cases and 86% of all malaria deaths in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2019 and is the only country outside Africa among the world’s 11 `high burden to high impact’ countries.

India is a signatory to National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) 2016-2030 aiming for malaria elimination by 2030. This framework has been outlined with a vision to eliminate the disease from the country which would contribute to improved health with quality of life and poverty alleviation.

The results of each malaria case can be registered in a central dashboard at the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, as it is done for COVID-19 cases by Indian Council of Medical Research.

• In 1798, Subsidiary Alliance was introduced by Lord Wellesley in India, the ruler of the allying Indian state was compelled to pay a subsidy for the maintenance of British army in return for getting protection from the British against their enemies. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Those native princes or rulers who would enter into the Subsidiary Alliance were not free to declare war against any other power or enter into negotiations without the con­sent of the British.
• The Subsidiary Alliance was a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of the allied state, but this was a promise seldom kept by the British.
• The payment of the arbitrarily-fixed and artificially-bloated subsidy invariably disrupted the economy of the state and impoverished its people.
  • On the other hand, the British could now maintain a large army at the cost of the Indian states.
• They controlled the defence and foreign relations of the protected ally, and had a powerful force stationed at the very heart of his lands. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• Lord Wellesley signed his first Subsidiary Treaty with the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1798.
  • The Nawab of Avadh was forced to sign a Subsidiary Treaty in 1801. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  • Peshwa Baji Rao II (Maratha) signed the Subsidiary Treaty at Bassein in 1802.

• International Labour Organisation (ILO) is the only tripartite United Nation (UN) agency. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • It brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States (India is a member), to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.
  • ILO received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1969.
• ILO was established in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles as an affiliated agency of the League of Nations. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  • It became the first affiliated specialized agency of the UN in 1946.
  • It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• The Indian Labour Conference (ILC) also known as the ‘labour parliament’ of the country formed on the lines of International Labour Conference is the apex level tripartite (Government, Employers and Workers) consultative committee in the Ministry of Labour & Employment.
  • International Labour Conference also known as International Parliament of Labour is a conference organized by ILO every year. Hence, statement 3 is correct.