Daily Current Affairs MCQ - June 10, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) has signed a MoU with the Administration of Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh, to make it a clean, green and Carbon Neutral UT.

• Under the MoU, various clean energy and energy efficiency programmes will be implemented such as solar mini and micro grid solutions, energy efficient lighting, energy storage-based solutions, efficient cooking stoves and electric mobility solutions in the UT.
• PM Modi, in his Independence Day speech of 2020, said that the Ladakh, Leh and Kargil region will be developed and declared to be a carbon neutral region, a first in the contry.
• While the concept of carbon neutral villages have been considered in India in the past and some villages in Kerala and Manipur have adopted it, this will be the first large region to be carbon neutral.
• Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) is a 100% owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) under Ministry of Power.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

The National Scheme Sanctioning Committee (NSSC) of SBM-G approved the Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) of States and UTs. It allocated Rs. 40,700 crores under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) towards solid and liquid waste management (SLWM) arrangements support for over 2 Lakh Villages in 2021-22.

• The National Scheme Sanctioning Committee (NSSC) of SBM-G works under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• It comprises representatives of Ministry of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, representative from State Governments apart sector experts.
• The NSSC reviewed the plans of all States and UTs and provided them guidance to intensify implementation as sanitation and hygiene are of paramount importance in the pandemic times.
• Hence both statements are correct.

The Supreme Court has directed the States/UTs to take stringent action against private individuals and NGOs who invite people to illegally adopt children orphaned by the COVID-19 pandemic. It said that it was illegal to invite strangers to adopt children without the involvement of the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA).

Statement 1 is correct:

• Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is the nodal body for adoption of Indian children. CARA primarily deals with adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children through its associated /recognised adoption agencies.
• It regulates in-country and inter-country adoptions (in accordance with the provisions of The Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption, 1993, ratified by Government of India in 2003).
• Status:  It is an autonomous and a statutory body of the Union Women and Child Development Ministry.

Statement 2 is correct:

• The mandatory registration of CCIs and linking to CARA has been provided in Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
• It was set up in 1990.
• In 2018, CARA has allowed individuals in a live-in relationship to adopt children from and within India.
• HQ: New Delhi.

The Rengma Nagas in Assam have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an autonomous district council amid a decision by the Central and the State governments to upgrade the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) into a territorial council by the name of Karbi-Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council (KAATC).

• Rengma is a Naga tribe found in Nagaland and Assam states of India.
• According to the 2011 Population Census of India, Rengma population stands at 62,951.
• Ngada festival: The harvest festival of the Rengmas is called Ngada. It is an eight-day Ngada festival that marks the end of the agricultural season. Ngadah is celebrated just after the harvest, towards the end of November.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Wetlands are regulated under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017. The 2010 version of the Rules provided for a Central Wetland Regulatory Authority; the 2017 Rules replace it with state-level bodies and created a National Wetland Committee, which functions in an advisory role.

Wetlands International is a global organisation that works to sustain and restore wetlands and their resources for people and biodiversity. It is an independent, not-for-profit, global organisation, supported by government and NGO membership from around the world.

NGO-DARPAN is a platform that provides space for interface between Non-Government organizations (NGOs)/ Voluntary Organizations (VOs) in the country and key Government Ministries / Departments / Government Bodies.

It started out as an initiative of the Prime Minister’s Office, to create and promote a healthy partnership between NGOs/VOs and the Government of India. Now it is an e-governance application offered by NITI Aayog to electronically maintain data and transparency regarding NGOs/VOs in the country.

India and the United States signed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA).

This agreement would facilitate exchange of geospatial information between India and United States for both military and civilian use.

BECA will allow India to use US expertise on geospatial intelligence and to enhance military accuracy of automated hardware systems and weapons like cruise, ballistic missiles and drones.

It may be noted that urea forms 82 per cent of the total nitrogenous fertilisers consumed in India and it has recorded exponential increase in consumption over the years.

Around 30-50 per cent of nitrogen from urea is utilised by plants and the rest gets wasted due to quick chemical transformation as a result of leaching, volatilization and run off, thereby low use efficiency.

• The Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Regulations were first notified in 2017 by the Union Ministry of Power (MoP) under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The regulation is in accordance with the fuel consumption standards of 2015 that aim to increase fuel efficiency of vehicles on the road by 35% by 2030. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• Army Aviation Corps was raised in November 1986.
• It operates the Dhruv advanced light helicopter, Chetaks, Cheetahs and Cheetal helicopters. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• It carries out an important role in supporting the army’s deployment in high altitude areas, including the Siachen Glacier. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• Two women officers have been selected to undergo helicopter pilot training for the first time in the Army Aviation Corps. They will join front-line flying duties on completion of their training in July 2022.
  • Till now, women officers were assigned only ground duties (not the front line flying duties) in the Army Aviation Corps. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.