Daily Current Affairs MCQ - Feb 5, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of ‘Per Drop More Crop’ component of ‘Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC)’ from 2015-16 in all the States of the country.

• It focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at the farm level through Micro Irrigation viz. Drip and Sprinkler irrigation systems.
• Besides promoting Micro Irrigation, this component also supports micro-level water storage or water conservation/management activities to supplement source creation for Micro Irrigation.
• Efforts are being made to converge ‘Per Drop More Crop’ Scheme with Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY), Namami Gange Districts, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Surakshaevem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), Water Harvesting Structures through Watershed Development component of PMKSY to propagate micro-irrigation intensively
• With a view to providing impetus to the Micro Irrigation in the country, The Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) with a corpus of Rs. 5000 Crore was created with NABARD during 2018-19. The GoI provides 3% interest subvention on loans extended to State Govt. under MIF.

India Post, Mumbai Region, in collaboration with the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai releases a Special Cover on World Cancer Day (February 4).

• Objective: To save millions of preventable deaths each year through raising awareness and by pressing governments to take action against Cancer.
• Organized by: Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO) that exists to help the global health community accelerate the fight against cancer. It was founded in 1933 and based in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Origin: World Cancer Day was established by the Paris Charter adopted at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millenium in Paris in 2000.
• Theme: In 2019, Union for International Cancer Control, launched a new 3-year campaign with the theme: “I Am and I Will.” The campaign is an empowering call-to-action urging for personal commitment and represents the power of individual action taken now to impact the future.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for development and production of composite raw materials during the Aero India 2021 in Bengaluru on February 04, 2021.

• This is the first time that such an MoU has been signed for composite raw materials.
• Composites raw materials, mainly in the form of prepregs (carbon, aramid, glass types, etc) used in platforms like Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) are currently imported.
• The use of composites in the aerospace will exist and increase, particularly for fighter aircraft/helicopter because of its inherent advantages over metallic raw materials.

Both the Governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have mutually complained against each other about new projects on Krishna and Godavari rivers without submitting their Detailed Project Reports (DPR) to Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) and Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) respectively for appraisal and clearance.

• An Apex Council was constituted under the AP Reorganization Act, 2014 for deciding on water related inter-state matters. The Apex Council's second meeting was held on 06.10.2020 under the Chairmanship of Minister (Jal Shakti) with CMs of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• In the meeting, it was decided that both the States shall submit the DPRs of new projects to KRMB/ GRMB for appraisal and subsequent sanction by the Apex Council.
• Taking up of new projects by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in Krishna or Godavari rivers is in violation of section 84(3)(ii), 85(8)(d) and para 7 of the Eleventh Schedule of Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014.
• Hence, both the States have been asked to not go ahead with new projects in Krishna or Godavari rivers till the projects are appraised by KRMB/GRMB and thereafter a sanction of Apex Council is obtained.

The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Ministers’ Conclave began with a keynote address from Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on 4th February on the sidelines of Aero India 2021 in Bengaluru.

• As the largest nation in the IOR region with a vast coastline of 7500 Kms, India has an active role to play for peaceful and prosperous coexistence of all countries.
• SAGAR - Security and Growth for All in the Region is the Indian Ocean Policy's theme as outlined by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2015.
• India’s approach and vision to tackle global challenges were highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dynamic five ‘S’ vision - Samman (Respect), Samvaad (Dialogue), Sahyog (cooperation), Shanti (Peace) and Samriddhi (Prosperity).

The Government has launched a campaign namely Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness Campaign (KAPILA) for Intellectual Property Literacy and creating patent awareness on 15th October 2020.

• The objectives of the scheme include
  • creating awareness regarding Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in Higher Education Institutions(HEIs),
  • enabling of IP protection of inventions originating from faculty and students of HEIs,
  • development of Credit Course on IPR,
  • training program on IPR for faculty and students of HEIs and
  • sensitization and development of a vibrant IP filing system.
• So far, total of 46,556 users have been registered for KAPILA.

Andhra Pradesh has become the second State to undertake the power sector reforms stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.

• As part of the reforms, the State has started Direct Benefit transfer (DBT) of electricity subsisdy to farmers with effect from September 2020.
• Thus, the State has successfully implemented one of the three stipulated reforms in the power sector.
• Besides Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh has also undertaken reforms in the power sector.
• As per the guidelines issued by the Department of Expenditure, the States undertaking reforms in power sector are granted permission to raise additional financial resources of up to 0.25 percent of the GSDP.
• This is linked to a set of 3 reforms in the sector:
  • 0.05 % of GSDP for a reduction in Aggregate Technical & Commercial losses in the State as per prescribed targets.
  • Another, 0.05 % of GSDP is allowed for a reduction in the gap between the Average Cost of Supply and Average Revenue Realisation (ACS-ARR gap) in the State as per prescribed targets.
  • Finally, 0.15 % of GSDP of the State's introduction of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to all farmers in the State in lieu of free/ subsidised electricity is finally considered. For this, the State government has to frame a scheme for transfer of cash and implement the scheme in at least one district by 31st December 2020.

The Ministry of Labour & Employment has appointed Shri S.N. Subrahmanyan, CEO and Managing Director, L&T Ltd, as the Chairman of the National Safety Council for a period of three years.

• National Safety Council is a non-profit, self-financing apex body at the national level in India.
• Its objective is to generate, develop and sustain a voluntary movement on Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) at the national level.
• It is an autonomous body, which the Government of India set up, Ministry of Labour and Employment in 1965.
• It was registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and subsequently, as a Public Trust under the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will, from now on, also look after the development of Ropeways and Alternate Mobility Solutions.

• The Ministry will also look after the construction, research, and policy in this area. Formulation of the institutional, financial, and regulatory framework for the technology will also fall under this move's ambit.
• The move is expected to boost the sector by setting up a regulatory regime and facilitating research and new technology to come into this sector.
• An amendment to India's Government (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 has been notified, to enable this step.

The important benefits of these steps could be:

• Last-mile  connectivity for remote locations
• Reducing congestion on mainstream roads
• Chance to develop world-class ropeway infrastructure
• Setting up of an organised and dedicated rope-way and alternative mobility solutions industry
• New technology, like CPT – Cable Propelled Transit coming to the sector
• Setting safety norms for unregulated ropeways

Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports informed Lok Sabha about Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram.

• The Scheme Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram (RYSK) is an ongoing Central Sector Scheme.
• The budget allocation of the scheme RYSK for the year 2020-21 is Rs.486.48 Crores.
• It is an umbrella scheme. The 7 sub-schemes under scheme RYSK are:
  • Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan.
  • National Youth Corps.
  • National Programme for Youth and Adolescent Development.
  • International Cooperation.
  • Youth Hostels.
  • Assistance to Scouting and Guiding Organisations.
  • National Young Leaders Programme.