Current Affairs - MCQ Online Test (6) - UPSC MCQ

Karang, a small lake island in Manipur has become India’s first cashless island recently. The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology have declared the island as the country’s first cashless island under its Digital India programme. M Harekrishna, Deputy Commissioner of Bishnupur district, confirmed that the island fulfilled the Union Government’s necessary criteria to be declared as cashless island. The campaign to make the island cashless was held from 9 January to 12 January 2017. Karang Island Boat Association and Panthoibi Khoyol Standard Association extended help in holding campaigns on cashless transactions. At present, most of the families residing in Karang go for cashless transactions. As of now, 400 beneficiaries, 16 merchants, including six motor boat service providers, have registered themselves. Earlier in 2015, Akodara, a village in Gujarat, had attained the unique status to be India’s first digital village.

As India looks to grab a larger segment of the lucrative commercial space market, 100 of the 103 satellites set for launch by ISRO’s workhorse rocket PSLV-C37 in February from from its Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh belong to foreign nations, including the US and Germany.
India’s space agency ISRO will launch a record 103 satellites — all but three of them foreign — at one go on a single rocket in the first week of February in what will be a major feat not attempted by any country. These will be 100 micro-small satellites, which will be launched using a PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle)-C37. The weight of the payload will be 1350 kgs, of which 500-600 kgs will be the satellite’s weight. The launch will be a major feat in country’s space history as no exercise on this scale has been attempted before. Last year ISRO launched record 20 satellites at one go.

A team led by C.N.Sunil, Associate Professor, SNM College, Maliankara in Kerala, has published their findings in three international journals. One of the new species, named Phyllanthus balakrishnanii, was discovered from the rocky mountains of Shoolamudi hills, the highest peak in the Edamalayar forest range, Ernakulam. Belonging to the gooseberry family, the shrub is distinguished by its red warted fruits. The plant was named after N.P.Balakrishnan, former scientist, Botanical Survey of India, who conducted the detailed survey of the gooseberry group of plants in India.
The second new species, Isachne edamalayarensis, was discovered from the marshy areas in the Variyam tribal colony in the Edamalayar forests and named after its habitat. The creeping perennial belongs to the grass family Poacaea. The finding has been reported in the Nordic Journal of Botany published from Sweden.
The third new species, Fimbristylis pokkudaniana, belonging to the sedge family Cyperaceae was reported from Madayipara, a biodiversity- rich laterite area in Kannur. Growing upto 16 cm high and marked by dark brown inflorescence, the species was named after Pokkudan, an environmental activist known for his efforts to protect and propagate mangroves in North Kerala.

The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the United Arab Emirates on the Mutual Recognition of Certificates of Competency

Some features of this MoU are as follows:
It will pave way for recognition of maritime education and training, certificates of competency, endorsements, training documentary evidence and medical fitness certificates for seafarers.
It will be recognised as issued by the Government of the other country in accordance with the provisions of the Convention, and cooperation between the two countries in training and management of seafarers.
It will ensure that the education, training and assessment of seafarers, as required by the STCW Convention, are administered and monitored in accordance with of the STCW Code.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development had launched a dedicated web portal ‘ShaGun’ for the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. ShaGun has been coined from the words ‘Shala’ meaning Schools and ‘Gunvatta’ meaning Quality, has been developed with a twin track approach.
‘ShaGun’ aims to capture and showcase innovations and progress in Elementary Education sector of India by continuous monitoring of the flagship scheme - Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
It is the Repository with an engaging interface that focuses on positive stories and developments in the field of School Education.
Secondly, it has an online monitoring module to measure state-level performance and progress against key educational indicators.

In 2014, Greenpeace India set up 100 kW solar-based microgrid in Dharnai, Bihar costing, that provides 24×7 electricity to 450 homes and 50 commercial operations. Dharnai is India's first fully solar-powered village.
Greenpeace India is the Indian branch of the global environmental group Greenpeace, a non-profit NGO, with a presence in 40 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.
The Indian operations run four broad campaigns namely, stop climate change, sustainable agriculture, preserving the oceans and preventing another nuclear catastrophe.
According to the organization, they do not accept money from governments, intergovernmental organizations, political parties or corporations in order to avoid their influence.

The Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) is an annual benchmarking report that measures the ability of countries to compete for talent. The report ranks 118 countries according to their ability to grow, attract and retain talent.
The GTCI combines the academic research and expertise of INSEAD and Singapore’s Human Capital Leadership Institute (HCLI) with the business experience and perspective of The Adecco Group.
The 2017 GTCI study focuses on how technology is affecting talent competitiveness and the nature of work, exploring both significant challenges and opportunities, and important shifts away from traditional working approaches.
In addition, 2017 has also seen the launch of the first index focused on cities: the Global Cities Talent Competitiveness Index (GCTCI). GTCI has continually shown that successful talent competitiveness is higher where there are strong ecosystems, like cities and regions. This first edition features 46 cities and explores the factors that contribute to turning cities into talent magnets.

Microbeads are manufactured solid plastic particles of less than five millimetres in their largest dimension. Their low melting temperature and fast phase transitions make them especially suitable for creating porous structures in ceramics and other materials.
They are most frequently made of polyethylene or other petrochemical plastics such as polypropylene and polystyrene. Microbeads are washed down the drain, can pass unfiltered through the sewage treatment plants and make their way into rivers and canals, resulting in plastic particle water pollution.
Microbeads are added as an exfoliating agent to cosmetics and personal care products, such as soap, facial scrub and toothpastes. They may be added to over-the-counter drugs. In biomedical and health science research microbeads are used in microscopy techniques, fluid visualization, fluid flow analysis, and process troubleshooting.

Saksham 2017 programme is being organized by PCRA (Petroleum Conservation Research Association) and other Oil & Gas PSUs under the aegis of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
The Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav 2017 is aimed to create awareness amongst masses towards judicious utilization and conservation of petroleum products along with use of energy efficient appliances and switching to cleaner fuels.
Saksham 2017 is aimed to educate on various steps for fuel conservation through activities like Quiz Show, Saksham Asian Cycling Championship, Walkathons, concerts and other activities across the country.

Strike-slip faults are vertical fractures where the blocks have mostly moved horizontally. If the block opposite an observer looking across the fault moves to the right, the slip style is termed right lateral; if the block moves to the left, the motion is termed left lateral.
Scientists have found a new plate boundary may be forming on the floor of the Indian Ocean as a result of the largest earthquake that shook the Andaman-Sumatra region in 2012. They have also warned that the new fault system could trigger more quakes in the future.
A slip-strike quake occurs when two plates slide horizontally against one another. Such quakes can be caused by deformations that occur in plates distant from fault lines as pressure builds up across a plate. They can lead to inter-plate earthquakes and cause a plate to break; resulting in a new boundary and this in turn can lead to even more quakes.
It is this scenario that the researchers believe happened in 2012 when two earthquakes struck the Andaman-Sumatran region of the Indian Ocean (the largest inter-plate earthquakes ever recorded).

Scientists have discovered a new species of gibbon living in south-west China’s rainforests. It has been named the Skywalker hoolock gibbon by its discoverers. Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae. The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four genera and 18 species.
Gibbons occur in tropical and subtropical rainforests from eastern Bangladesh and northeast India to southern China and Indonesia (including the islands of Sumatra, Borneo, and Java). The hoolock gibbons are three primate species of genus Hoolock in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae, native to eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India and Southwest China.

The 69th Constitutional Amendment Act of 19915 provided a special status to the Union Territory of Delhi, and redesignated it the National Capital Territory of Delhi and designated the administrator of Delhi as the lieutenant (lt.) governor. It created a legislative assembly and a council of ministers for Delhi.
The strength of the council of ministers is fixed at ten per cent of the total strength of the assembly, that is, seven—one chief minister and six other ministers. The chief minister is appointed by the President (not by the lt. governor). The other ministers are appointed by the president on the advice of the chief minister. The ministers hold office during the pleasure of the president. The council of ministers is collectively responsible to the assembly.
The Lt. Governor is empowered to promulgate ordinances during recess of the assembly. An ordinance has the same force as an act of the assembly. Every such ordinance must be approved by the assembly within six weeks from its reassembly. He can also withdraw an ordinance at any time. But, he cannot promulgate an ordinance when the assembly is dissolved or suspended.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways will be launching two mobile apps  namely, e-Challan and m-Parivahan.  E-Challan is a comprehensive digital solution for transport enforcement and traffic police.
E-Challan will provide a number of user friendly features covering major functionalities of the traffic enforcement system. It will provide improved transparency by connecting all stakeholders through a common system and ensuring data integrity.
It will also provide ease of operations, efficient monitoring through digitization of records that will enhance the visibility of offenders; and overall better traffic management.
M-Parivahan is a citizen centric app that will facilitate access to various transport related services. The app provides for virtual driving license and registration certificate through back end connection to Transport National Register.  
If a vehicle number is entered into the app, it will give full details of the car and the owner including his DL and RC. This will provide a way to check genuineness of a vehicle and driver, help in passenger safety when hiring a driver or when buying a second hand vehicle

A bill to curb the use of H-1B visas, on which the Indian IT sector is particularly dependent, is reintroduced in USA. It is the first salvo in the battle against outsourcing. The new bill would require workers on the H-1B visa pay a minimum of $100,000, up from $60,000 currently. The bill also removes the Master's degree exemption to the cap on the number of visas available.
The bill has been introduced by Republican Congressman who thinks that curbing abuse of the H1-B system will protect American jobs and help ensure that visas are available for innovators who need them to maintain a competitive work. The bill comes after companies such as Disney and Southern California Edison have come under fire for outsourcing their IT operations to Indian companies.

The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) was established to adjudicate disputes and dispose of appeals with a view to protect the interests of service providers and consumers of the telecom sector and to promote and ensure orderly growth of the telecom sector. Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) was established in 2000 through an amendment of the TRAI 1997 act.
The main purpose of TDSAT’s establishment was to release TRAI from adjudicatory and dispute settlement functions in order to strengthen the regulatory framework. Any dispute involving parties like licensor, licensee, service provider and consumers are resolved by TDSAT. Moreover, any direction, order or decision of TRAI can be challenged by appealing in TDSAT.

NASA has selected two missions that have the potential to open new windows on one of the earliest eras in the history of our solar system – a time less than 10 million years after the birth of our sun. The missions, known as Lucy and Psyche, were chosen from five finalists and will proceed to mission formulation, with the goal of launching in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
Lucy will visit a target-rich environment of Jupiter’s mysterious Trojan asteroids, while Psyche will study a unique metal asteroid that’s never been visited before. The mission will help scientists understand how planets and other bodies separated into their layers – including cores, mantles and crusts – early in their histories.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the pan-India expansion of Maternity Benefits Programme (MBP) for the benefit of pregnant and lactating mothers across the country. The announcement was made by Narendra Modi while addressing the nation on 31 December 2016.
The expanded programme will be effective from 1st January 2017.
About Maternity Benefits Programme:
• The programme was formulated by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development as per the provisions of Section 4 (b) of the National Food Security Act, 2013.
• The cash incentive of Rs 6000 is payable in three instalments for the first two live births.
• The conditional cash transfer scheme provides cash incentives to pregnant and lactating women
• For the wage loss so that the woman can take adequate rest before and after delivery
• To breastfeed the child during the first six months of the birth
• To improve her health and nutrition during the period of pregnancy and lactation
• It is applicable to all pregnant women and lactating mothers (PW&LM), excluding the Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers who are in regular employment with the Central Government or State Governments or Public Sector Undertakings or those who are in receipt of similar benefits from the government.

The Swachh Swasth Sarvatra initiative has been launched to commemorate Good Governance Day. It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to achieve better health outcomes through improved sanitation and increased awareness and healthy lifestyles.
The initiative includes following three components:
• Community Health Centres (CHCs) in Open Defecation Free (ODF) blocks supported to achieve Kayakalp certification
• Gram Panchayat of Kayakalp Primary Health Centres (PHCs) prioritised to become ODF
• Training in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) of CHC/PHC nominees
Under the programme, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will provide a grant of Rs. 10 lakh to the Community Health Centre to ensure that the facility achieves the quality benchmarks for sanitation, hygiene and infection control with a minimum score of 70 under the Kayakalp assessment.

The Union Ministry of Water Resources recently has announced a roadmap for early completion of Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) and Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP).
Highlights of Roadmap
• The roadmap is aimed at early completion of 99 identified projects under PMKSY and AIBP.
• Out of these 99 projects, 23 projects were categorised as Priority-I projects which will be completed by April 2017.
• Another 31 projects were identified as Priority-II projects which will be completed by April 2018.
• The remaining 45 projects were classified as Priority-III projects which will be completed by December 2019.

• Out of the 99 AIBP projects, Maharashtra has 26 projects. While Andhra Pradesh has eight projects, Gujarat has only one project. In Andhra Pradesh, all the eight projects are in priority –II category. The projects are Gundlakamma, Tadipudi LIS, Thotapally, Tarakaram Teerta Sagaram, Musurumilli, Pushkara LIS, Yerracalva and Maddigedda.

• The lone project in Gujarat is Sardar Sarovar which is in priority-III category. The project is likely to be completed by 2018.

• Total funds required for completion of all the 99 identified projects have been estimated at Rs.77595 crore.
• Seven projects of Maharashtra are - Waghur, Bawanthadi (IS), Lower Dudhna, Tillari, Lower Wardha, Lower Panzara and Nandur Madhmeshwar. They are in the priority-I category. The remaining 19 projects of the State are under the priority-II category.
• Likely potential utilisation through these projects is estimated to be 76.03 lakh hectares.

The Union Health Ministry in collaboration with All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) will set up a National Death Registry encompassing data about deaths and their causes in all the hospitals across the country. The announcement was made on 27 December 2016.
Highlights of the National Death Registry
• The aim behind setting up of this registry is to have a nationwide database about the causes of deaths occurring in hospitals in various regions of India. 

• It will help the policy makers in having a better understanding of disease outbreaks so as to optimise the resources and health care facilities in respective regions.

• AIIMS already implemented the pilot version of the death registry with the unique feature of having a coding system called the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED).

• AIIMS will be the technical as well as the implementing partner of this programme.

Japan has decided to assist India to develop three Smart Cities i.e. Chennai, Ahmadabad and Varanasi. A memorandum of the union has been signed between these two nations. Till date, leading countries have shown their interest to be associated with the development of 15 Indian smart cities.
These include United States Trade Development Agency (USTDA) for Visakhapatnam, Ajmer and Allahabad, the UK for Pune, Amaravati and Indore, France for Chandigarh, Puducherry and Nagpur and Germany for Bhubaneswar, Coimbattore and Kochi.

Kerala has set up India’s first transgender residential school called Sahaj International in Kochi which will serve as a skill development centre to transsexual school dropouts. Students within the transgender community will be trained under the National Open School system. The country’s first transgender school will also guide students with examinations equivalent to class 10 and 12.
The transgender community has been long subjected to social exclusion under the umbrella of the Indian Constitution. And the Indian Constitution provides equal rights and prohibits discrimination under Articles 14, 15 and 16.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has issued the notification of setting up of Indian Skill Development Services (ISDS). This service has been created for the Training Directorate of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
With this service, the skill ecosystem is expected to get strengthened and modernised in line with the current scientific and industrial development in the country. ISDS will be a Group ‘A’ service where induction will take place through Indian Engineering Service Examination conducted by UPSC. 
The Training Directorate is involved in the implementation of various schemes. The Indian Skill Development Service (ISDS) will have 263 all India posts. The Academy for the training of the cadre will be National Institute of Skill Development.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is an ambitious social welfare scheme of Government of India launched in 2016 and it aims to provide LPG connections to BPL households in the country. The scheme is aimed at replacing the unclean cooking fuels, mostly used in the rural India with cleaner and more efficient LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas).
The main mantra of this scheme is Swacch Indhan, Better Jeevan – Mahilaon ko mila samman. On the national level, 5 crore LPG connections will be provided in the next 3 years to eligible BPL households. The scheme provides a financial support of Rs. 1600 for each LPG connection to the eligible BPL households. 
The connections under the scheme will be given in the name of women head of the households. The OMCs will provide an EMI facility for meeting the cost of the stove and the first refill.
The main Objectives of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana are as follows:
• Empowering women and protecting their health.
• Reducing the serious health hazards associated with cooking based on fossil fuel.
• Reducing the number of deaths in India due to unclean cooking fuel.
• Preventing young children from a significant number of acute respiratory illnesses caused due to indoor air pollution by burning the fossil fuel.

Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment launched the ‘Mobile App and Facebook Page’ of the National Trust to mark the ‘National Trust Foundation Day’ on the theme “Celebrating Inclusion”. The objective of this launch was to create awareness amongst various professionals and stakeholders and also the creation of support network for these persons with disabilities by sensitising unreached section of society.
The National Trust is a Statutory Body under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. The National Trust Act for the welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities was passed in the
Parliament on 30th December 1999. Thus-30th December- the Foundation Day of National Trust- is a day on which National Trust re-commits itself to the objectives set before it for the welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities.
The National Trust has been set up to discharge two basic duties – legal and welfare.
• Legal duties are discharged through Local Level Committee (LLC) set up at district level under the chairmanship of the District Collector / District Magistrate and providing legal guardianship.
• The schemes and activities of the National Trust inter-alia include training, awareness and capacity building programmes and shelter, Caregiving and empowerment.

• The National Trust is implementing 10 schemes for the overall development of persons with disabilities which have been revised and launched last year.