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

Multiple efforts have been made to demonstrate the new low cost capsule i.e. Pusa Decomposer Technology developed by ICAR - Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi for crop residue management across the country as given below:

• IARI has licensed this technology to 12 companies for mass multiplication and marketing of the Pusa Decomposer. In addition, ICAR – IARI, New Delhi has produced about 20000 packets of Pusa decomposer at its own facility for use by the farmers.
• A weekly You Tube channel of IARI named Pusa Samachar also regularly ran the programme on “Pusa Decomposer Technology” for the benefit of farmers.

Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

The Lok Sabha passed the 127th Constitution Amendment Bill, 2021, which seeks to restore the states’ power to make their own OBC lists.

• The Bill seeks to restore the power of State governments to identify OBCs that are socially and educationally backward after a Supreme Court order in May 2021 empowered only the Centre to do so.
• The amendment was thought necessary because the SC, in its order on Maratha reservation, upheld the 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act.
• It inserted Articles 338B and 342 A (with two clauses) after Article 342, which said the President of India, in consultation with the Governors, would specify socially and educationally backward classes, taking away the powers of State governments to do so.
• The bill should be considered as the 105th Constitution Amendment bill after being renumbered.

Hence both statements are correct.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India (GOI) launched the Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded loan interest subvention scheme that provides financial assistance to innovative waste to energy biomethanation projects and business models.

• The industrial organic waste-to-energy bio-methanation projects are generally capital intensive and financially sensitive to both operating costs, including waste availability, and revenue, particularly biogas yield and its utilization scenario.
• The loan scheme provides financial assistance to beneficiaries to reduce the financial burden on account of interest on the loan component faced by such demonstration projects.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Union Minister for Power informed Rajya Sabha about the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).

NMEEE consists of four initiatives to enhance energy efficiency in energy intensive industries which are as follows:

1. Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme aims at reducing Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) i.e. energy use per unit of production for Designated Consumers (DCs) in energy intensive sectors, with an associated market mechanism to enhance the cost effectiveness through certification of excess energy saving which can be traded.
2. Market Transformation for Energy Efficiency (MTEE) aims for accelerating the shift to energy efficient appliances in designated sectors through incentives and innovative business models.
   • Bachat Lamp Yojna (BLY): The programme was developed for replacement of inefficient bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs).
   • Super-Efficient Equipment Program (SEEP): This programme was designed for market transformation of super-efficient appliances by providing financial stimulus innovatively at critical point/s of interventions.
3. Energy Efficiency Financing Platform (EEFP) was launched to provide a platform to interact with Financial Institutions (FIs) and project developers for implementation of energy efficiency projects.
4. Framework for Energy Efficient Economic Development (FEEED) was designed for development of fiscal instruments to promote energy efficiency.

Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

The present draft Indian Ports Bill, 2021 was circulated on 10th June, 2021 for stakeholders’ comments, prior to the 18th meeting of Maritime States Development Council (MSDC) scheduled on 24th June 2021.

• The draft Indian Ports Bill, 2021 proposes to leave the management and administration of the major ports to the Board of Major Port Authority for each port, constituted by the Major Ports Authorities Act, 2021 and to State Maritime Boards for the management and administration of all non-major ports in each State/UT.
• It require every coastal State and Union Territory to constitute a State Maritime Board, if it does not already exist through State statutes and, which empower the said State Maritime Boards with uniform powers and functions including planning, development, supervisory, administrative and adjudicatory powers and functions.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Common ailments like cold, influenza (flu) and most coughs are caused by viruses. SARS, polio and chicken pox are also caused by viruses.

Diseases like dysentery and malaria are caused by protozoans whereas typhoid and tuberculosis (TB) are bacterial diseases.

• The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation carried out an all-India survey on household consumption expenditure in the 75^thround during the period July 2017 to June 2018.
• The Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES) is usually conducted at quinquennial intervals and the last survey on consumer expenditure was conducted in the 68^thround (July 2011 to June 2012).
• The NSS Consumer Expenditure Survey generates estimates of household Monthly Per Capita Consumer Expenditure (MPCE) and the distribution of households and persons over the MPCE classes.
• It is designed to collect information regarding expenditure on consumption of goods and services (food and non-food) consumed by households. The results, after release, are also used for rebasing of the GDP and other macro-economic indicators.

The International Monetary and Finance Committee is a body under the IMF (International Monetary Fund).

The IMFC has 24 members, drawn from the pool of 187 governors. Its structure mirrors that of the Executive Board and its 24 constituencies. As such, the IMFC represents all the member countries of the Fund.

The IMFC meets twice a year, during the Spring and Annual Meetings. The Committee discusses matters of common concern affecting the global economy and also advises the IMF on the direction its work.

Every peacekeeping mission is authorized by the Security Council.

Composition:

• UN peacekeepers (often referred to as Blue Berets or Blue Helmets because of their light blue berets or helmets) can include soldiers, police officers, and civilian personnel.
• Peacekeeping forces are contributed by member states on a voluntary basis.
• Civilian staff of peace operations are international civil servants, recruited and deployed by the UN Secretariat.

India and the UN Peacekeeping:

• India has consistently been among the top troop contributing nations to the UN and is the fifth largest with around 5,424 personnel in eight countries.
• India’s contribution to the regular budget is 0.83% and 0.16% of the peacekeeping budget.
• India has so far participated in 51 of the 71 missions and contributed over 2 lakh personnel.
• It has troop deployment in Lebanon, Golan Heights, Congo and South Sudan in addition to staff officers in other missions.
• India has also set up two field hospitals in South Sudan and one in Congo.
• Since 2018, India has co-opted a contingent from Kazakhstan at the mission in Lebanon.

The U.S. on the other hand has never contributed ground troops but contributes 27% of the U.N. peacekeeping budget.

• Under Ujjwala 1.0, the target was to provide LPG connections to 50 million women from below poverty line (BPL) households, by March 2020. Under Ujjwala 2.0, an additional 10 million LPG connections will be provided to the beneficiaries.
  • Along with a deposit-free LPG connection, Ujjwala 2.0 will provide the first refill and a hotplate free of cost to the beneficiaries. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) is the nodal agency to implement the Ujjwala scheme. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.