Daily Current Affairs MCQ - September 11, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

World Suicide Prevention Day is observed on September 10th every year to highlight various ways by which suicide can be prevented.

• This day was marked on September 10, 2003, for the first time as an initiative by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) who teamed up to create a day dedicated to a very important message: suicides are preventable.
• The first year of the day was a success, so in 2004, the WHO formally agreed to co-sponsor the event again, making it an annually recognized day.
• Suicide is an act of intentionally taking one’s life and it is a major public health issue, especially during the testing times of pandemic and periods of lockdowns.
• Suicide is a global phenomenon and according to the World Health Organization, it was the 17th leading cause of death in 2019.
• sEvery 40 seconds someone in the world take their life, with 75% cases from the low and middle-income countries. Approximately 1.3% of deaths in 2019 were due to suicide.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

The MSME Tool Room, Hyderabad, Central Institute of Tool Design (CITD) has obtained a patent for the invention entitled "AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CONICAL SHAPED FIREWORKS" for 20 years from the 10th November,2015.

• The aim of project is to automate the entire above process for relieving human fatigue and to save human from hazardous environment. The entire process is minimal human intervention. Hence, it is safe for humans to handle the machine in Fireworks Industry.
• This is the first of its kind with fully indigenous technology. CITD and SFPL had filed a joint patent application for this innovation.
• The uniqueness of machine is that it completely works on pneumatic system for entire process of manufacturing. There is no electrical or electronics system used in process. Therefore, this can avoid most of the fire accidents in field of fireworks industries.
• CITD is a Govt. of India organisation working under the administrative control of Ministry of MSME. It was established in the year 1968 and is a pioneering institution in training technical personnel in the field of Tool Design, CAD/CAM, Low Cost Automation etc.
• Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Frequency of Champaran Satyagraha Express has been increased to bi-weekly by Ministry of Railways.

• The Champaran Satyagrah Express is an Express train belonging to Northern Railway zone that runs between Bapudham Motihari and Anand Vihar Terminal in India.
• Bapudham Motihari Railway Station is a major railway station in Motihari, East Champaran district of Bihar.
• Anand Vihar Terminal is a railway station in the Anand Vihar locality of Delhi.
• The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 was the Satyagraha movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in India and is considered a historically important rebellion in the Indian freedom struggle. The farmers were protesting against having to grow indigo with barely any payment for it.
• Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Over 50 per cent of agricultural households in the country were in debt with average outstanding loan per household at Rs 74,121 in 2019, says a survey conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO).

• The survey further points out that only 69.6 per cent of the outstanding loans were taken from institutional sources like banks, cooperative societies and government agencies, while 20.5 per cent of loans were from professional moneylenders.
• Of the total loan, only 57.5 per cent was taken for agricultural purposes, it added.
• The NSO carried out the survey on land and livestock holdings of households and situation assessment of agricultural households in rural areas of the country during January-December 2019.
• The survey further said the average monthly income per agricultural household during agricultural year 2018-19 was at Rs 10,218. Of this, the average income per household from wages was Rs 4,063, crop production Rs 3,798, animal husbandry Rs 1,582, non-farm business Rs 641 and leasing of land Rs 134.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) successfully launched the ATL Space Challenge 2021 for all school students across the country.

• The challenge has been designed for all the school students, mentors and teachers across the country who not only are associated with schools having ATL labs but for all the non ATL schools as well.
• This is to ensure that students of classes 6 to 12 are given an open platform where they can innovate and enable themselves to solve digital age space technology problems.
• The ATL Space Challenge 2021 aligns with the World Space Week 2021 which is being observed from 4 to 10 October each year at the global level in order to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology.
• Students can create a solution that can be implemented and adopted leveraging technologies such as:
  • Explore Space
  • Reach Space
  • Inhabit Space
  • Leverage Space

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Centre has revised "Transport and Marketing Assistance" (TMA) scheme for Specified Agriculture Products’.

• In February 2019, the Department of Commerce had introduced ‘Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products Scheme’ to provide assistance for the international component of freight, to mitigate disadvantage of higher freight costs faced by the Indian exporters of agriculture products.
• The scheme was initially applicable for exports effected during the period from 01.03.2019 to 31.03.2020 and was later extended for exports effected up to 31.03.2021.
• Now the Department has notified ‘Revised Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products Scheme’ for exports effected on or after 01.04.2021 up to 31.03.2022.
• The existing scheme will remain in operation for exports effected up to 31.03.2021.
• Enhanced assistance under the revised scheme is expected to help Indian exporters of agricultural products to meet rising freight and logistics costs.

Following major changes have been made in the revised scheme:

• Dairy products, which were not covered under the earlier scheme, will be eligible for assistance under the revised scheme.
• Rates of assistance have been increased, by 50% for exports by sea and by 100% for exports by air.
• Hence both statements are correct.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the people on the occasion of Samvatsari.

• Saṃvatsarī is the last day of Paryushana Shwetambar sect of Jainism.
• It falls on Shukla Panchami each year in the Jain calendar month of Bhadrapada, somewhere between the middle of August and September in the Gregorian calendar.
• On this day, Jains forgive and seek forgiveness for their mistakes committed knowingly or unknowingly from all the living beings.
• A yearly, elaborate penitential retreat called "samvatsari pratikramana" is performed on this day.
• After the pratikramana, Jains seek forgiveness from all the creatures of the world, including friends and relatives by uttering the phrase — Micchami Dukkadam or its variants like "Khamau Sa", "Uttam Kshama" or "Khamat Khamna".
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

'Himalaya Diwas' or 'Himalaya Day' is celebrated on September 9 in Uttarakhand to raise awareness about the conservation of the rich flora and fauna of the state. In 2014, the then CM Harish Rawat declared September 9 as 'Himalaya Diwas' to propagate the message of conservation of the Himalayan ecosystems. About the Himalayas: The Himalayas or Himalaya are a mountain range in Asia. It separates the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest.

The first-ever, indigenously designed High Ash Coal Gasification Based Methanol Production Plant, in India has been inaugurated at the BHEL Research and Development centre at Hyderabad. About the Project: The project was given a Rs 10 crore grant by the Department of Science and Technology at the initiative of NITI Aayog, PMO-India and the Ministry of Coal. It can create 0.25 tons per day (TPD) Methanol from high ash Indian coal using a 1.2 TPD Fluidized bed gasifier. The purity of the crude methanol produced is between 98 and 99.5%.

A 12-year-old Mumbai activist, Ayaan Shankta has been named as the 2021 International Young Eco-Hero for his project Conservation and Rehabilitation of Powai Lake. Ayaan Shankta won 3rd place in the 8-14 age category for his project Conservation and Rehabilitation of Powai Lake. He is one of the 25 young environmental activists from across the globe honoured by the Action For Nature (AFN) as a 2021 International Young Eco-Hero. International Young Eco-Hero: It is an award that recognizes eco-conscious youth aged 8 to 16 who are taking crucial steps to solve tough environmental problems.