Plutus IAS ‘Weekly Current Affairs: Quizzes, 06 to 11 March, 2023

EXPLANATION:

• St. Valentine, (died 3rd century, Rome; feast day February 14), name of one or two legendary Christian martyrs whose lives seem to be historically based. Although the Roman Catholic Church continues to recognize St. Valentine as a saint of the church, he was removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969 because of the lack of reliable information about him. He is the patron saint of lovers, epileptics, and beekeepers.
• By some accounts, St. Valentine was a Roman priest and physician who suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Christians by the emperor Claudius II Gothicus about 270. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• He was buried on the Via Flaminia, and Pope Julius I reportedly built a basilica over his grave. Other narratives identify him as the bishop of Terni, Italy, who was martyred, apparently also in Rome, and whose relics were later taken to Terni.
• According to legend, St. Valentine signed a letter “from your Valentine” to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended and healed from blindness. Another common legend states that he defied the emperor’s orders and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• On his name Valentine's Day is celebrated. Hence statement 3 is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• The Kara Sea and Laptev Sea are both located in the Arctic Ocean and are part of the larger Arctic Ocean basin.
• The Kara Sea is located in the northwest region of the Arctic Ocean, and it is bordered by the Novaya Zemlya archipelago and the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago to the west and east, respectively. The Kara Sea drains into the Barents Sea through the Kara Strait.
• The Laptev Sea is located in the northeastern region of the Arctic Ocean, and it is bordered by the Taymyr Peninsula and the New Siberian Islands to the west and the Dmitry Laptev Strait to the east. The Lena River, one of the longest rivers in Russia, flows into the Laptev Sea, making it the primary source of freshwater for the sea.Thus, option (d) is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• To counter India’s reliance on China for imports of critical rare earth minerals, industry has urged the government to encourage private sector mining in the sector and diversify sources of supply for these strategic raw materials.
• The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has suggested setting up of ‘India Rare Earths Mission’, like the India Semiconductor Mission and Deep Ocean Mission plan of the government.
• Though India has 6% of the world’s rare earth reserves, it only produces 1% of global output, and meets most of its requirements of such minerals from China, the industry grouping pointed out in a memorandum of suggestions for the Union Budget recently submitted to the Finance Ministry.
• Rare earth materials, also known as rare earth elements or rare earth metals, are a group of chemical elements that have unique properties and are used in a variety of technological applications. The rare earth elements consist of the 15 lanthanide elements on the periodic table, as well as scandium and yttrium.
• Rare earth elements are essential in the production of high-tech devices such as smartphones, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and military equipment. They are also used in catalysts for the petroleum industry, in lighting and imaging technologies, and in many other applications.
• Thus, option (d) is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• Russia suspends START, Russia-Ukraine war tension is one of the main reasons. The START is a bilateral treaty signed between the US and the Soviet Union in 1991. It came into force in 1994. Under the treaty, the countries agreed to bar 6,000 nuclear warheads. More than 80% of the nuclear warheads were removed in 2001 with this treaty. The treaty expired in 2009. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The NEW START Treaty was signed in 2010. This new treaty applies till 2026. Russia has now withdrawn from the treaty. Russia-Ukraine war tension is one of the main reasons. The US is supporting Ukraine by funding the country for its war ammunition. The US has funded more than 3 billion USD so far. During his recent visit to Ukraine, Joe Biden announced 500 million USD more. Countering US actions, Russia is suspending the START Treaty. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• It is a bilateral treaty signed between the US and the Soviet Union in 1991. The US and Russia have been at constant war due to the differences in their ideologies. Russia follows socialism and the US follows capitalism. The differences affect their trade interests. They fight the cold war, the trade war, the space war, the proxy war, and every other war sadly. Now, they are fighting against each other, placing Ukraine at the center. The UNSC is dominated by the USA, UK, France, China and Russia. They are permanent members. Most of the UN decisions have the influence of these countries. Now, the countries are fighting amongst themselves. And the UN says no peace negotiations are possible. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• The National Education Policy 2020 envisaged play-based learning teaching material. In accordance with the policy, Union Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan recently launched the “JADUI PITARA”. It's A set of playbooks, puzzles, flashcards, posters, worksheets, and storybooks. The material intrigues the curiosity of the children. The material focuses on five major developmental activities namely literacy development, positive learning habits, cultural development, cognitive development, socio-emotional development, and ethical development. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• It is a play-based learning material for children between the age of 3 to 8 years. It is available in 13 different Indian languages. It was developed under the National Curriculum Framework. The material is easy to use and can be downloaded and printed on paper. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The main objective is “LEARN THROUGH PLAY”.  The Government of India is in the footsteps of creating AMRIT GENERATION. The teaching material will help India achieve this. The Amrit Generation is the future generation of India. They are patriotic, responsible, and dutiful. They take part in government activities and contribute largely to the welfare of the country. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023 Winners List: The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is given out every year at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organization established by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.  The honoree is recognized for making an "outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema." And these winners are chosen by a  committee made up of prominent figures from the Indian film industry. Hence, statement 1 is correct. 
• Alia Bhatt bagged the Best Actress award for her powerful performance in Gangubai Kathiyawadi along with her husband winning the Best Actor for Brahmastra. The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹1,000,000 (US$13,000).
• Dadasaheb Phalke's real name was Dhundiraj Govind Phalke. He was born on April 30, 1870, in Trimbak, Maharashtra. He traveled to Germany to study filmmaking. Upon his return to India, he produced Raja Harishchandra, the country's first feature-length silent film. He received the honorary title of "Father of Indian Cinema" for his sincere commitment to and conviction in cinema. Hence, statement 2 is correct. 
• Later, the DadaSaheb Phalke Award was established by the Indian government in 1969 to recognize and appreciate the best performances of the year across a variety of categories as a way to honor his exemplary contributions. Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2023 for Outstanding Contribution In The Film Industry was given to Rekha. Hence, statement 3 is not correct. 
• Film of the year: RRR
• Best Film: The Kashmir Files
• Best Actress: Alia Bhatt
• Best Actor: Ranbir Kapoor
• Best Director: R Balki
• Best Playback singer-Male: Sachet Tandon
• Best Playback Singer-Female: Neeti Mohan
• Best Web Series: RUDRA
• Most versatile Actor: Anupam Kher

EXPLANATION:

• The International Monetary Fund recently said that India and China will contribute more than 50% of the global growth in 2023. Another 25% will be contributed by other Asian countries. This is happening because the supply chains faded during the pandemic and the service sectors boomed during the same period. The supply chains will take time to recover. Things may change when they recover. Hence, statement 1 is correct. 
• The Asian countries are back to their pre-pandemic growth. Especially countries like Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia are in full operation. Hence, statement 2 is correct.  
• The inflation will reach the targets set by the central banks of respective countries by the end of 2023. In the recent MPC, RBI increased the interest rate and repo rate. RBI has increased the repo rate by 250 points in 2022 alone. Still, the inflation is 6.25%, which is higher than the target inflation of 6% set by RBI. Central banks need to stay alert.  As the Chinese are reopening their economy, inflation may increase. Hence, statement 3 is correct. 
• Food and oil processes are coming to stable conditions.
• Asia is expected to grow by 4.7% in 2023 and by 4.5% in 2024. In 2022, the growth rate of Asian countries was 3.8%.

EXPLANATION:

• The Vedanta group and the Foxconn of Taiwan have come together to build the first semiconductor manufacturing unit in Dholera of Gujarat. The companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gujarat Government. According to the agreement, they will invest Rs 1,54,000 crores in this project. Hence, statement 1 is correct. 
• The semiconductor plant will be built in the Dholera Special Investment Region in Ahmedabad. It is a greenfield industrial city. The Dholera Special Investment Region Development Authority handles the land and the projects. The project was started by PM Modi when he was the CM of Gujarat.
• Ultra Mega Solar Park: generating 4400 MW of electricity.
• An international airport.
• Freight transport railway line.
• Expressway to connect Ahmedabad. Dholera is 100 km from Ahmedabad.
• The MoU to build the semiconductor plant was signed in 2022. The project is being implemented under the Gujarat Semiconductor Policy 2022-27. The project aims to generate at least 2 lakh new employment opportunities. Hence, statement 2 is  not correct. 
• It manufactures ICs and semiconductor materials. The semiconductor materials are made usable for electronic applications through a process called Doping. For instance, to create an N-type semiconductor material, you need to add Phosphorus to Germanium. Such doping processes are done in semiconductor plants. Currently, India is importing most of the semiconductor materials from China. With the new plant, India will become self-reliant and can manufacture high-quality electronic products rather than depending on inexpensive low-quality Chinese goods! Hence, statement 3 is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• The Employee Provident Fund Organization recently issued new instructions on how employees should apply for pensions. Earlier the amount contributed towards the scheme was capped at Rs 15,000. Now EPFO says the employees can contribute more than this. That is, the capping has been removed and there is no limit to the contribution. Both employer and employees contribute a certain amount (from their salary) to the EPF scheme on a monthly basis. Hence, statement 1 is correct. 
• The interest rate of this contributed amount (a part of the contributed amount) is 8.33%. When the person retires he gets an accumulative sum.  Earlier, a sealing was fixed to the contributed amount. Now, this limit has been removed.
  The issue was, should the amount being contributed be sealed at Rs 15,000 or not. GoI wanted to seal it at Rs 15000. But SC ruled to remove the capping. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. 
• The Employment Provident Funds Act 1952 did not include any pension scheme. The pension was added to this in 1995 through an amendment to the act. In the 1990s, the maximum pensionable salary was Rs 5000. This was increased to Rs 6500 later. Now the pensions scheme works like this. The Employee puts 12% of his basic salary and dearness allowance, the employer puts 12%, and the Government outs 1.16%. Now from the 12% contributed by the employer, 3.67% is to the EPF and 8.33% is to the EPS. What is the difference between EPF and EPS? In EPF, both the employer and employee contribute. And in EPS only the employer contributes. EPS means Employer Pension Scheme and EPF means Employees Provident Fund. Hence, statement 3 is correct. 

EXPLANATION:

• The Cross Dependency Initiative is a business consultant that specializes in climate risk. It released a report on “Gross Domestic Climate Risk”. According to the report, the top 50 provinces facing climate risks are China, the US, and India. It says nine Indian states are most vulnerable to climate risks. They are Punjab, UP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, TN, Gujarat, Kerala, and Assam. Mumbai has the highest risk of all. 26 provinces in China, 9 in India, and 5 in the US are the most vulnerable of all. Hence, statement 1 is correct. 
• China is on top with 26 provinces. The most vulnerable states of China are in the eastern and southern parts of the country. Delta regions of the Yangtze river and Pearl rivers are also highly vulnerable. Other than the US, China, and India, other countries that are highly vulnerable are Pakistan, Brazil, and Indonesia. Hence, statement 2 is correct.  
• The report ranks the states based on eight climate change hazards. They are coastal inundation, riverine and surface flooding, soil movement, forest fire, extreme heat, freeze-thaw, and extreme wind. The Cross Dependency Initiative created a high-emission scenario based on the data provided by the IPCCC. It fixed the global increase in temperature to 3 degrees Celsius as compared to the pre-industrial temperature. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• The Teja Chilli of Telangana is the most popular chili in many countries. SHU means Scoville Heat Units. It gives the amount of Capsaicin present in a food product. Capsaicin is a chemical compound that gives a pungent flavor. Higher the SHU, the hotter the food product. SHU in chillies and pepper are very high. Chillies with higher SHU have high demand in the international market. Hence, statement 1 is correct. 
• Despite high international demand, the farmers of Teja Chilli are facing heavy losses. They are struggling to recover their investment. Khammam Agriculture market is one of the biggest chili markets in Telangana. It is the largest producer of Teja Chilli. The Teja chili is thin and very light in weight. A small quantity is enough to make the food hot and spicy. For this reason, the demand for the chill is high. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The Teja Chilli is the major ingredient of Oleoresin. Oleoresin is a chili extract used in food processing units in Asia. Demand for Oleoresin increases the demand for Teja chili in Asia. The chili is a sub-variety of Guntur Chillies. Of all the Guntur Chilli varieties, the Teja Chilli is the finest. Other Guntur Chilli varieties are Madhubala, Bedki, Roshni, Ankur, etc. The SHU of Teja Chilli is 60,000 to 1,10,000. VERY HOT and HIGHLY PUNGENT. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• INS Sumedha participated in the Naval Defence Exhibition called the NAVDEX and International Defence Exhibition called the IDEX conducted in Abu Dhabi recently. The Naval Ship showcased the indigenous ship-building skills of India at the exhibitions. Hence, statement 1 is correct. 
• She is a SARAYU class NOPV. NOPV means Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels. The first INS SUMEDHA was built in Goa and joined the Navy in 2011. The one that participated in the exhibition was recently commissioned, in 2014. It was the third indigenously built INS SUMEDHA. She can carry helicopters. The first IDEX was held in 1993. The exhibition is biennial and focuses mainly on defense technologies rather than defense products. The exhibition is held in Abu Dhabi, UAE and is one of the largest defense exhibitions in the Middle east. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. 
• More than 4 to 5 billion USD of business happens during the exhibition. In the recent AERO INDIA 2023 defense exhibition, the total business was around 90,000 USD. India is trying to increase its defense exports. By 2025, India aims to achieve Rs 35,000 crores of defense exports. To reach the target, India is increasing its investment in the defense sector. In the 2023-24 budget, the defense sector received the highest fund allocation. Hence, statement 3 is correct.