Plutus IAS ‘Weekly Current Affairs: Quizzes, 19 to 24 December, 2022

EXPLANATION:

• Fit for 55 refers to the EU’s target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030​. The proposed package aims to bring EU legislation aligned with the 2030 goal. Hence, option (b) is correct.
• The Fit for 55 packages is a set of proposals to revise and update EU legislation and to put in place new initiatives to ensure that EU policies are in line with the climate goals agreed by the Council and the European Parliament.
• The package of proposals aims at providing a coherent and balanced framework for reaching the EU's climate objectives, which:
  ensures a just and socially fair transition
• maintains and strengthens innovation and competitiveness of EU industry while ensuring a level playing field vis-à-vis third country economic operators
• underpins the EU's position as leading the way in the global fight against climate change

EXPLANATION:

• It is the price cap set by the Group of Seven (G7) as well as an outright ban by the European Union on Russian seaborne oil came into effect on Monday as the two blocs try to reduce the Kremlin’s ability to continue financing the war in Ukraine. Hence statement (1) is incorrect.
• The Group of Seven, the European Union and Australia agreed to a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil.
• The Deputy Prime Minister of Russia welcomed India's decision not to support the price cap on Russian oil, which was imposed on 5 December by the G7 countries and their allies. Hence statement (2) is incorrect.

EXPLANATION:

• SARAS 3, a radio telescope designed and built at the Raman Research Institute (RRI) here has provided clues to the nature of the Universe’s first stars and galaxies. Hence statement (d) is correct.
• Using data from the telescope which has been deployed over the Dandiganahalli Lake and Sharavati backwaters since 2020, astronomers and researchers have been able to determine properties of radio luminous galaxies formed just 200 million years post the Big Bang, a period known as the Cosmic Dawn.
• The results from the SARAS 3 telescope are the first time that radio observations of the averaged 21-centimetre line have been able to provide an insight into the properties of the earliest radio-loud galaxies that are usually powered by supermassive black holes

EXPLANATION:

• The Government of India has extended the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme beyond March, 2022 with the following provisions:
  Extension of lending period till December 2024;
  Introduction of 3rd loan of upto ₹50,000 in addition to 1st & 2nd loans of ₹10,000 and ₹20,000 respectively. Hence statement (3) is incorrect and statement (1) and (2) are correct.
• To extend ‘SVANidhi Se Samriddhi’ component for all beneficiaries of PM SVANidhi scheme across the country
  As on November 30, 2022, 31.73 lakh Street Vendors have availed benefit of 1st loan of ₹ 10,000 loan ; Out of these 5.81 lakh have availed benefit of second loan of ₹ 20,000 loan; Out of those who availed 2nd loan, 6,926 street vendors have availed benefit of third loan of ₹50,000.
  The subject matter relating to creation of vending zone falls under the ambit of Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which is being implemented through respective State/UT. As reported by the States/UTs, a total of 13,403 vending zones have been identified so far.42 lakh street vendors are to be provided benefits under PM SVANidhi Scheme by December, 2024.

EXPLANATION:

• A new gene editing technology called base editing was used to modify immune cells and successfully treat a teen with treatment-resistant leukemia. Hence, option (b) is correct.
• The treatment is a modification of chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR, T-cell therapy. But instead of using the CRISPR gene editing technique to modify the patient’s immune cells, the clinicians used the more precise base editing technique to alter donor immune cells.
• Those edited cells are given to the patient to “rapidly find and destroy T-cells in the body, including leukemic T-cells.

EXPLANATION:

• Indian Railways have prepared a National Rail Plan (NRP) for India – 2030. The Plan is to create a ‘future ready’ Railway system by 2030. The NRP is aimed to formulate strategies based on both operational capacities and commercial policy initiatives to increase modal share of the Railways in freight to 45%. The objective of the Plan is to create capacity ahead of demand, which in turn would also cater to future growth in demand right up to 2050 and also increase the modal share of Railways to 45% in freight traffic and to continue to sustain it.
• The key objectives of the National Rail Plan are:-
  Reduce transit time of freight substantially by increasing average speed of freight trains to 50Kmph. Hence statement (1) is incorrect.
• Assess Locomotive requirement to meet twin objectives of 100% electrificationm (Green Energy) and increasing freight modal share. Hence statement (2) is correct.
• Formulate strategies based on both operational capacities and commercial policy initiatives to increase modal share of the Railways in freight to 45%. Hence statement (3) is correct.
• As part of the National Rail Plan, Vision 2024 has been launched for accelerated implementation of certain critical projects by 2024 such as 100% electrification, multi-tracking of congested routes, upgradation of speed to 160 kmph on Delhi-Howrah and Delhi-Mumbai routes, upgradation of speed to 130kmph on all other Golden Quadrilateral-Golden Diagonal (GQ/GD) routes and elimination of all Level Crossings on all GQ/GD route.
  Identify new Dedicated Freight Corridors.
  Identify new High Speed Rail Corridors. Hence statement (4) is correct.
• Assess rolling stock requirement for passenger traffic as well as wagon requirement for freight.
  Assess the total investment in capital that would be required along with a periodical break up.
  Sustained involvement of the Private Sector in areas like operations and ownership of rolling stock, development of freight and passenger terminals, development/operations of track infrastructure etc.58 Super critical Projects of a total length of 3750 kms costing ₹39,663 Crore and 68 Critical Projects of a total length of 6913 kms costing ₹75,736 Crore, have been identified for completion by 2024.

EXPLANATION:

• The word Collegium is nowhere mentioned in the Constitution, it has come in force as per Judicial Pronouncement. The origin of the concept for establishment of the system may be traced by the recommendations of the Bar Council of India made on 17 October 1981, during a national seminar of the lawyers at Ahmedabad. Hence statement (1) is incorrect.
• It was recommended that there should be a collegium system for the appointment of the Supreme Court Judges by the following authorities:
  The Chief Justice of India
  Five senior Judges of the Supreme Court
  Two representatives who would be representing the Bar Council of India and the Supreme Court Bar Association. Hence statement (2) is correct.
• To make the judiciary more transparent, the Govt. brought the 99th Amendment in 2014 and the National Judicial Appointment Commission Act, 2014.This would have replaced the collegium system however, both the Amendment and the Act were challenged in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declared both unconstitutional as well as void. Hence statement (3) is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• From the above map the places of the nuclear power plant can be mentioned as:
• Kakrapar-Gujarat. Hence (1) is correctly matched.
• Kaiga - Karnataka.Hence (2) is correctly matched.
• Gorakhpur-Haryana. Hence (3) is incorrectly matched.
• Kudankulam-Tamil Nadu. Hence (4) is correctly matched.

EXPLANATION:

The Dual System of Control and the Commissionerate System differ from one another.

EXPLANATION:

• Coined in 2013, it is a global business strategy. China-Plus-One, or just Plus One refers to a strategy in which companies avoid investing only in China and diversify their businesses to alternative destinations. Hence option (b) is correct.
• A grouping of 18 economies, including India, the US, and the European Union, are planning a roadmap for establishing collective supply chains that would be resilient in the long term.
  The roadmap will also include steps to counter supply chain dependencies and vulnerabilities. This can be seen as a part of the overall China-plus-one strategy.
  Beijing’s Zero-Covid policy, the resultant supply chain disruptions, and high lead times from China ended up giving a fillip to the China-Plus-One strategy for many global firms.

EXPLANATION:

• Fortification is the process of adding Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK), containing FSSAI prescribed micronutrients (Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12) to normal Rice (Custom Milled Rice) in the ratio of 1:100 (Mixing 1 Kg of FRK with 100 Kg custom milled rice). Fortified rice is nearly identical to traditional rice in aroma, taste, and texture. This process is done in the rice mills at the time of milling of rice. Hence option (a) is correct.
• Rice fortification ecosystem has been enhanced significantly on boarding rice millers, FRK manufacturers, industries and other stakeholders for production and supply of fortified rice to meet the target requirement.
• Fortification of rice is found to be a cost-effective and complementary strategy to increase vitamin and mineral content in diets with low turnaround time (TAT) and a step towards nutritional security and helps in fighting anaemia and malnutrition in the country. This strategy is implemented in many geographies in the world.

EXPLANATION:

• The World Bank report, “Climate Investment Opportunities in India’s Cooling Sector" finds that shifting to a more energy efficient pathway could lead to a substantial reduction in expected CO2 levels over the next two decades. Hence option (c) is correct.
• “The report suggests a sustainable roadmap for cooling that has the potential to reduce 300 million tons of carbon dioxide annually by 2040."
• According to the Report, “India is experiencing higher temperatures every year. By 2030, over 160-200 million people across the country could be exposed to lethal heat waves annually. Around 34 million people in India will face job losses due to heat stress related productivity decline."
• By 2037, the demand for cooling is likely to be eight times more than current levels. This means there will be a demand for a new air-conditioner every 15 seconds, leading to an expected rise of 435 percent in annual greenhouse gas emissions over the next two decades.