Daily Current Affairs MCQ - Feb 8, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Prime Minister Modi visited Haldia, West Bengal and dedicated to the nation the LPG import terminal, 348 km Dobhi – Durgapur Natural Gas Pipeline section Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project.

• He also laid the foundation stone of the second Catalytic-Isodewaxing unit of Haldia Refinery and dedicated to the nation the 4 Lane ROB-cum-Flyover at Ranichak, Haldia on NH 41.
• These projects will also help Haldia to grow into a major hub of export-import.
• 350 km Dobhi-Durgapur Pipeline will directly benefit West Bengal and 10 districts of Bihar and Jharkhand.
• This second Catalytic Dewaxing Unit will reduce our dependence on import with regard to lube-based oils.

To boost the safety of farmers' crops and ensure maximum benefit of crop insurance reaches to farmers, the Government of India has allocated Rs 16000 crores for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for the fiscal year 2021-22.

• This is a budgetary increase of around Rs 305 crore as against the previous fiscal year 2020-21.
• The Scheme extends coverage for the entire cropping cycle from pre-sowing to post-harvest including coverage for losses arising out of prevented sowing and mid-season adversities.
• 5 years ago, on 13th January 2016, India's Government approved this flagship crop insurance scheme.
• Today, PMFBY is globally the largest crop insurance scheme in terms of farmer participation and 3rd largest in terms of premium. Over 5.5 crore farmer applications are received on a year-on-year basis.
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare implements this Scheme which was made voluntary for farmers post its revamp in 2020.
• As of now. out of total farmers enrolled under PMFBY, 84% are small and marginal farmers. Thus, financial assistance is provided to most vulnerable farmers.

Glacier breaks off at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on 7 February 2021, causing flash flood in Dhauliganga River, devastating the Dhauliganga Dam and endangering people.

• Joshimath is also known as Jyotirmath.
• It is a city and a municipal board in Chamoli District in Uttarakhand.
• Located at a height of 6150 feet, it is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions, trekking trails and pilgrim centres like Badrinath.
• Jyotirmath is the uttarāmnāya matha, or northern monastery, one of the four cardinal institutions established by Adi Shankara, the others being those at Shringeri, Puri and Dwarka.

Ministry of AYUSH informed Parliament about Medicinal plants.
Ministry of AYUSH is presently implementing the following schemes:

1. Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM): Under 'Medicinal Plants' component of the NAM scheme supporting market-driven cultivation of 140 prioritized medicinal plants in identified cluster/ zones within the selected districts of States and implemented in a mission mode.
2. Central Sector Scheme on "Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants" wherein following activities are supported:
   • In-situ conservation/ Ex-situ conservation
   • Livelihood linkages with Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs)/Panchayats/ Van Panchayats/ Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs)/ Self Help Groups (SHGs).
   • IEC activities like Training/ Workshops/ Seminars/ Conference etc.
   • Research & Development.
   • Promotion, marketing and trade of medicinal plants produce.

The Union Minister of Agriculture informed Rajya Sabha about the setting up a Central Research Institute in Kalahandi for Soyabean.

• The Kalahandi district of Odisha produces Soybean on a very limited scale.
• The ICAR has established a national-level research Institute on Soybean in 1987 namely, ICAR-Indian Institute of Soybean Research, Indore (Madhya Pradesh) to conduct basic and strategic research on the crop.
• Besides this, ICAR is also implementing an All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Soybean since 1967 in association with the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) to develop location-specific high yielding varieties and production technologies required to increase Soybean production in the country.
• The ICAR-AICRP on Soybean has one voluntary centre at Regional Research & Technology Transfer Station, Bhawanipatna (Kalahandi) under the Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar.
• This station is undertaking need-based and location-specific research on Soybean for the hot & moist sub-humid climate of Odisha comprising Kalahandi, Bolangir and Koraput.
   

Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) has been approved for the period of next four years starting from 2021-22.

• It will be implemented with effect from 1st April 2021.
• The Scheme aims to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization.
• Rs. 945 Crore corpus will be divided over the next 4 years for providing seed funding to eligible startups through eligible incubators across India.
• The Scheme is expected to support about 3600 startups.

Ministry of Commerce and Industry informed Rajya Sabha about Industrial parks and industries in the country.

• Industrial Park Scheme-2002, applicable for any undertaking which develops and operates, or, maintains and operates, an Industrial Park for the period beginning 1st day of April, 1997 and ending 31st day of March, 2006, was notified by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade on 1st April, 2002.
• Data on Industrial Parks that have been established and functional in different States of the country during the last three years is not centrally maintained.
• During the last three years, Department for Promotion of Industry & InternalTrade has accorded final approval for setting up one National Investment & Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ), namely Hyderabad Pharma City NIMZ Rangareddy district of Telangana.
• Setting up of Industrial Park and Industries in different States comes under the purview of the concerned State Government itself.
• However, Central Government provides support to the States through its scheme/programmes, once the proposal to develop the parks/clusters/industries in a particular region is received from the concerned State Government.

The Ministry of Education has decided to name residential schools/ hostels funded under Samagra Shiksha of MoE, as "Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose residential schools/hostels".

• The association of these schools with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose will inspire the children and motivate the teachers, staff, and administration to enable them to achieve high standards of excellence.
• This will also help create awareness about these Residential Schools and Hostels' facility in difficult areas and inspire these schools to achieve high standards of quality education.
• The Ministry of Education under Samagra Shiksha provides financial assistance to states and UTs for opening and running Residential Schools and Hostels in hilly terrain, small and sparsely populated areas for children in need of shelter and care.
• The residential facilities are also provided to child labour rescued, migrant children who belong to poor landless families, children without adult protection, separated from their families, internally displaced persons
• Preference is given to EBBs, LWE affected districts, SFDs and the Aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog.
• A total of 1063 residential facilities (383 residential Schools and 680 Hostels) have been sanctioned to States and UTs so far.

The Government has been implementing the National Family Planning Program which provides voluntary and informed choices to the beneficiaries through a target free approach with the objective of checking population increase in the country.

• A National Population Policy has been formulated in the year 2000 with the long-term objective of attaining population stabilisation by 2045.
• New Contraceptive Choices: The current contraceptive basket has been expanded with the inclusion of two new contraceptives- Injectable contraceptive (Antara programme) and Centchroman (Chhaya)
• Post-partum Intrauterine contraceptive device(PPIUCD) incentive scheme under which PPIUCD services are provided post-delivery.
• Compensation scheme for sterilization acceptors provides compensation for loss of wages to the beneficiary and the service provider and team for conducting sterilisation.
• National Family Planning Indemnity Scheme (NFPIS) under which clients are compensated in the eventualities of death, complication and failure following sterilization operations.
• Family Planning Logistics Management Information System (FP-LMIS): dedicated software has been launched to ensure smooth forecasting, procurement and distribution of family planning commodities across all the levels of health facilities.
• Mission Parivar Vikas has been introduced for substantially increasing access to contraceptives and family planning services in seven high focus states having TFR of more than 3 namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Assam.
• Scheme for Home Delivery of contraceptives by ASHAs at the doorstep of beneficiaries has been taken up.
• Scheme for provision of Pregnancy Testing Kits in the drug kits of ASHA for use in communities.

"Nai Roshni", a scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women by Ministry of Minority affairs is being implemented across India.

• Its aims are to empower and instil confidence in women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks and other institutions at all levels.
• This includes empowerment of the trainee women so that they become independent and confident members of the society.
• The Scheme provides for six days training programme followed by handholding for a period of one year.
• The training covers issues relating to women viz. The leadership of Women through participation in decision making, Educational Programmes for women, Health and Hygiene, Legal rights of women, Financial Literacy, Digital Literacy, Swachh Bharat, Life Skills, and Advocacy for Social and Behavioural change.
• The Scheme is being implemented through Non-Governmental Organisations empanelled under the NaiRoshni Scheme as per scheme guidelines in force.

Other schemes

• While NaiRoshni scheme targets women beneficiaries specifically, other schemes of the Ministry also lay a lot of emphasis on minority women.
• In Seekho Aur Kamao (Learn & Earn) Scheme, 33% of the total beneficiaries are women.
• Similarly in Nai Manzil scheme, 30% of the total beneficiaries are women.
• These schemes help in economic empowerment of the Minority women.