Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 1, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

CBSE has collaborated with Microsoft to introduce Coding for classes 6-8 and Data Science curriculum for classes 8-12 as new skilling subjects in the 2021-2022 academic session.

• Coding and data science Curriculum are focused on building critical thinking, computational skills, problem solving skills, creativity and hands-on exposure to new technologies.
• In keeping with the New Education Policy 2020, the introduction of these courses is aimed at building next generation skills in students to succeed in this digital world.

Microsoft MakeCode

• Microsoft has designed supplementary handbooks in both coding and data science, aligned with NCERT patterns and structures and covered real-life examples aimed at building exposure to the ethical dimensions exposure to Microsoft MakeCode.
• Microsoft MakeCode is an open-source platform that will enable students to learn better in a gamified manner across all disciplines including mathematics, languages, and social sciences while it builds the foundation for AI based applications of data science.

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Minister of Panchayati Raj released A Model Panchayat Citizens Charter.

• It has been prepared by Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) in collaboration with National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR)
• It is a framework for delivery of the services across the 29 sectors, aligning actions with localised Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• The Aim of Establishing a Citizen Charter Is to Provide Services to the People in a Time Bound Manner, Redressing Their Grievances and Improving Their Lives.
• It is expected that the Panchayats will utilise this framework to draw up a Citizens Charter and adopt it through a resolution of the Gram Sabha by 15th August, 2021.
• Panchayats are responsible for delivery of basic services as enshrined under article 243G of the Constitution of India, specifically in the areas of Health & Sanitation, Education, Nutrition, Drinking Water.

National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR)

• It is an autonomous organisation under the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
• It is a premier national centre of excellence in rural development and Panchayati Raj. It builds capacities of rural development functionaries, elected representatives of PRIs, bankers, NGOs and other stakeholders
• It is recognized internationally as one of the UN-ESCAP Centres of Excellence.
• The NIRD&PR celebrated its Golden Jubilee Year of establishment in 2008.
• The Institute is located in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• In addition to the main campus at Hyderabad, this Institute has North-Eastern Regional Centre (NERC) at Guwahati, Assam to meet the NE-regional needs.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at its meeting (June 4, 2021) decided to:

• Keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 4.0 per cent.
• Keep the reverse repo rate under the LAF unchanged at 3.35 per cent
• Keep the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate unchanged at 4.25 per cent.

Additional Measures announced by RBI to revive the economy

• On-Tap Liquidity Window for Contact-Intensive sectors:
  • A separate liquidity window of Rs. 15,000 Crore is being opened till March 31, 2022 with tenures up to three years, at the repo rate.
  • Under this scheme, Banks can give fresh lending support to Contact-Intensive sectors like hotels, restaurants, travel, rent-a-car service providers and saloons.
• Special Liquidity Facility of Rs. 16,000 Crore to SIDBI, for on-lending / refinancing through novel models and structures at Repo Rate, for a period of up to one year. This is to further support credit requirements of MSMEs, including those in credit-deficient and aspirational districts.
• Expansion of coverage of borrowers under Stress Resolution Framework 2.0, by enhancing maximum aggregate exposure threshold from Rs. 25 Crore to Rs. 50 Crore for MSMEs, non-MSME small businesses and loans to individuals for business purposes.
• Regional Rural Banks can now issue Certificates of Deposit (CDs). Further, all issuers of CDs will be permitted to buy back their CDs before maturity, subject to certain conditions. This will facilitate greater flexibility in liquidity management.
• National Automated Clearing House (NACH) to be available on all days of the week (currently available only on bank working days), effective from August 1, 2021. NACH is a popular and prominent mode of direct benefit transfer to large number of beneficiaries.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) under the Chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on June 04, 2021, has approved the issuance of a Request For Proposal (RFP) for construction of six Conventional Submarines under Project P 75 (I) under the Strategic Partnership (SP) Model.

• This project envisages indigenous construction of six conventional submarines equipped with the state-of-the-art Air Independent Propulsion system at an estimated cost of Rs 43,000 crore.
• This is the first case processed under the Strategic Partnership model. The SP model of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) aims to promote the role of Indian industry in manufacturing and build a domestic defence industrial ecosystem.
• This would be one of the largest ‘Make in India’ projects.
• With this approval, India would be enabled to achieve its 30-year submarine construction programme envisioned by the government to acquire national competence in their building and for Indian industry to independently design and construct them.
• Strategic Partnership (SP) policy was approved by the Defence ministry in May 2017 as a part of the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP). In July 2018, Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved Implementation guidelines for the SP Model.

Hence both statements are correct.

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade(DPIIT) notified the guidelines for Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for White Goods (Air Conditioners and LED Lights) manufacturers in India.

• The Scheme is expected to be instrumental in achieving growth rates that are much higher than existing ones for AC and LED industries, develop complete component eco-systems in India and create global champions manufacturing in India.
• The PLI Scheme will be implemented within the overall financial limits of Rs. 6,238 Crores over a period of 5 years during FY 2021-22 to FY 2028-29.
• An entity availing benefits under any other PLI Scheme of Govt. India will not be eligible under this scheme for the same products but the entity may take benefits under other applicable schemes of Govt. of India or schemes of State governments.
• The Scheme will be implemented as a pan India scheme and is not specific to any location, area or segment of population. A number of global and domestic companies, including a number of MSMEs are likely to benefit from the Scheme.

Hence both statements are correct.

The World Environment Day was observed on 5th June, 2021

• World Environment Day is the United Nations day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.
• Date of observance: Every year on 5th of June.
• Why June 5? To mark the first day of The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment which was held in Stockholm, Sweden from June 5–16 in 1972.
• First year of observance of WED: In 1974 the first WED was held with the theme "Only One Earth".
• Theme for 2021 is “REIMAGINE. RECREATE. RESTORE” with focus on ecosystem restoration (i.e. to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean).
• The host: Every World Environment Day has a different host country, where the official celebrations take place. Host for 2021 is Pakistan.

PM Modi addresses the World Environment Day event

• The Prime Minister released the "Report of the Expert Committee on Road Map for ethanol blending in India 2020-2025". Government has resolved to meet the target of 20 percent ethanol blending in petrol by 2025. Earlier the resolve was to achieve the target by 2030 which is now preponed by 5 years.
• He also launched the ambitious E-100 pilot project in Pune for the production and distribution of ethanol across the country.

Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

PM Modi condoled the demise of Noted economist-turned-environmentalist Prof Radhamohan.

• He had made a distinguished contribution to sustainable organic farming in the state of Odisha.
• He alongwith his daughter had transformed 36 acres of a degraded land in Nayagarh district of Odisha into a ‘food forest’, as was called by Prof Radhamohan, through soil and water conservation techniques. The ‘food forest’ now has over 1,000 species of plants, 500 varieties of rice and supports a seed bank with 700 indigenous varieties of seeds.
• Besides, he had started Sambhav, a resource centre for farmers across the country, to exchange seeds and train them in organic farming.
• Prof Radhamohan and his daughter Sabarmatee were awarded Padma Shri, last year along for their contribution to the field of agriculture.
• For his work on environment, the United Nations Environment Programme had conferred ‘The Global Roll of Honour’ on him.
• The Odisha government awarded him the highest civilian award ‘Utkal Seva Samman’ for dedicated public service.

Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

The four Indian women lodged in an Afghanistan prison, who accompanied their husbands to join the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), are unlikely to be allowed to return to the country.

• The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP) is a branch of the militant Islamist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), active in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• Some media sources also use the terms ISK, ISISK, IS-KP, or ISIS-K in referring to the group.
• Its main activity is in the border region of eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. However, its area of operations also includes other parts of South Asia, such as India where individuals have pledged allegiance to it.
• Khorasan (also transcribed as Khurasan and Khorassan) was a province in north eastern Iran, but historically referred to a much larger area comprising the east and north-east of the Persian Empire.
• Formation: Mainly comprising defectors from Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP), the Wilayat Khorasan of Islamic State in Afghanistan came into existence in 2015. Senior government officials however maintain that ISKP is run by Pakistan’s Inter State Intelligence.

Hence both statements are correct.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought replies from the Forest Department and a district administration in Tripura on a complaint that Bru refugees from adjoining Mizoram were being resettled in a forest.

• The Brus, also referred to as the Reangs, are spread across the north-eastern states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur, and Mizoram. In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
• Culture: They speak the Reang dialect of Kokborok language which is locally referred to as Kau Bru. Their Hojagiri folk dance is well known all over the world. 'Buisu', not 'bihu' is the most popular festival of Reang tribes.

Conflict in Mizoram:

• In 1995, Mizos, the majority tribe of the Mizoram, demanded that Brus be left out of the state’s electoral rolls as they contended that they are not indigenous to Mizoram.
• In 1997, ethnic violence forced the Brus to flee the state in large numbers to neighbouring Tripura. Currently, around 40,000 Bru refugees are living in Tripura camps.
• In June 2018, community leaders from the Bru camps signed an agreement in Delhi with the Centre and the two state governments, providing for repatriation in Mizoram. But most camp residents rejected the agreement as the package does not guarantee their safety in Mizoram.
• About 7,000 refugees returned to Mizoram after nine phases of repatriation till November 30, 2019. The rest stayed put citing security reasons.
• The repatriation stalemate ended with the signing of the quadripartite agreement on in January 16, 2020, among representatives of Brus, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Tripura and Mizoram governments.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Assam unit of the Congress has slammed Chief Minister for asking a minority community to adopt population control measures to prevent encroachment and pressure on land resources. It cited the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) released in December 2020, which said the total fertility rate (TFR) declined across most Indian States in the last five years.

• The total fertility rate is defined as the average number of children that would be born to a woman by the time she ends childbearing.
• According to the UN Population Division, a total fertility rate (TFR) of about 2.1 children per woman is called replacement-level fertility.
• The fertility rate of less than 2.1 implies that the total population will be less than the existing population which is also called the negative growth rate.
• The same survey said the fertility rate of women in Assam declined from 2.2 in 2015-16 to 1.9 in 2020-21, which means the future population of Assam will only be less than the current population. Hence there is no question of an increase in population.

Indicators of fertility

• High fertility: Total fertility levels above 5 children per woman.
• Replacement-level fertility: Total fertility levels of about 2.1 children per woman.
• Below-replacement fertility: Total fertility levels below 2.1 children per woman.
• Very low fertility: Total fertility levels below 1.3 children per woman.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.