Weekly Current Affairs: Quizzes 19/09/2022 to 24/09/2022

EXPLANATION:

• Government is promoting adoption of smart farming methods through the use of technology and innovation in the agriculture sector in the country. Government is implementing a Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM) which includes India Digital Ecosystem of Agriculture (IDEA), Farmers Database, Unified Farmers Service Interface (UFSI), Funding to the States on the new Technology (NeGPA), Revamping Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Center (MNCFC), Soil Health, Fertility, and profile mapping. To promote smart farming, the Government promotes Startups in the Agriculture sector and nurtures agri-entrepreneurs. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Under the NeGPA programme funding is given to State Governments for Digital Agriculture projects using emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Internet of Things (IOT), Block chain, etc. The adoption of drone technologies is being done. The Per Drop More Crop component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sichai Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC) aims to increase water use efficiency at the farm level through micro irrigation technologies, i.e., drip and sprinkler irrigation systems. Hence, statement 2 is correct. 
• The GoI started eNAM (National Agriculture Market), an electronic trading portal which creates networks between the existing Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis for the farmers. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) promotes innovation, extension and education in agriculture. These ICAR apps are now integrated on one common platform called KISAAN. The Farmer FIRST (Farm, Innovations, Resources, Science and Technology) initiative was launched during this period by ICAR with an enhanced farmers-scientist interface to move beyond production and productivity. Hence, statement 3 is correct. 

EXPLANATION:

• The Central Government has ordered the implementation of the ‘One Nation, One Fertilizer’ scheme. The new scheme is aimed at bringing about uniformity in fertilizer brands across the country under the single brand name of ‘Bharat’. Hence, statement 1 is correct. 
• Along with this, the fertilizer subsidy scheme has also been officially renamed the Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Janurvarak Pariyojna (PMBJP)  will be spearheaded by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. The scheme mandates all manufacturers and businesses to sell fertilizer products under a single brand name of ‘Bharat’. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. 
• Fertilizer is one of the most highly subsidized commodities in the Indian market. MRP for all urea-based fertilizers is decided by the government with the manufacturers receiving subsidies for higher production costs or costs of import. The government is expected to foot a bill of Rs 200,000 crore in 2022-23 on fertilizer production. Being one of the most heavily subsidized products for which price is also decided by the government, the brand being promoted through it must be centralized and government-owned. Hence, statement 3 is correct. 

EXPLANATION:

• National Statistical Office (NSO) was an agency that was formed on the recommendation of the Rangarajan Commission. The Rangarajan Commission had also recommended setting up the National Statistical Commission (NSC). NSC is headed by a person having a “Minister of State-Level designation”. NSC will serve as a nodal body for all core statistical activities in India. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. 

• NSO was formed after merging the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and Central Statistics Office (CSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). Hence, statement 2 is correct. 
• The office was set up to implement and maintain the statistical standards and coordinate the statistical activities of Central and State agencies in accordance with the National Statistical Commission (NSC). Recently, the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation released the estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at constant (2022-23) and current prices for the first quarter (April-June) of 2022-23. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

EXPLANATION:

• Recently an MoU has been signed between the Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine and Homeopathy (Ministry of AYUSH) and Pharmacopoeia Commission of India (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) to achieve “One Herb, One Standard”. The Pharmacopoeia commission is re-establish for Indian Medicine and Homeopathy under the Ministry of AYUSH. The primary objective of this MoU is to develop collaborative efforts between PCIM&H and IPC to promote public health while facilitating the development of herbal medicine standards. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The commission will help to optimize technical manpower, infrastructural facilities, and financial resources. This MoU will facilitate wider cooperation to promote the exchange of information in the field of standardization of traditional medicine. This will be done through sharing of scientific knowledge and information about pharmaceutical raw materials/extracts, seminars, workshops, training and brainstorming programmes. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• This commission is an autonomous body that operates under the Ministry of AYUSH. It has been in operation since 2010. The commission has been set up by merging Pharmacopoeia Laboratory for Indian Medicine and Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory. The two central laboratories were established at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh in 1975. This merger will also optimize the use of resources and also enhance outcomes of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy drugs towards effective quality control. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and IT, in collaboration with the Cyber ​​Security Agency of Singapore, successfully designed and conducted a cyber security exercise “Synergy” for 13 countries. This exercise scenario was derived from real-life cyber incidents, in which a single incident of domestic (with limited impact) ransomware turns into a global cybersecurity crisis. It succeeded in meeting the objectives and provided insights on better coordination and cooperation among CRI member states to strengthen the network and deal effectively with ransomware attacks. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The theme of the exercise was “Building a Strong Network to Combat Ransomware Attacks”. It was conducted on its own simulation platform related to the exercise in which each state participated as a National Crisis Management Team consisting of various government agencies. The specific objective of the exercise was to assess and exchange various strategies and methodologies among member-states to build a strong network against ransomware and extortion-intensive cyber attacks. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is nodal agency for information technology (cyber) security under the aegis of Department of Information Technology, Ministry of Electronics and IT. It was established in 2004. Its mandate is to protect Indian cyberspace and software infrastructure against destructive and hacking activities. It also responds to computer security incidents, reports on vulnerabilities and promotes effective IT security practices throughout the country. It also issues guidelines, vulnerability notes, advisories and whitepapers regarding information security practices, prevention. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System is essential to predict the likely increase in water level in rivers. The five day advance forecast is generated using various available rainfall data products like forecast rainfall data GFS (Global Forecast System) and WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) provided by IMD (Indian Meteorological Department), rainfall estimates namely GsMaP (Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation) & GPM (Global Precipitation Measurement), as a major input into the model system. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Central Water Commission (CWC) provides statistical methodology (gauge to gauge correlation) based short range flood forecast. Presently, flood forecasts are issued by CWC at 332 stations (133 Inflow Forecast Stations and 199 Level Forecast Stations). Annually, about 10,000 flood forecasts are issued by CWC. CWC is currently providing a near real time five-day advisory flood forecast on its web portal for 20 major river basins of the country. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The system is developed in-house using modeling software for flood forecasting which is updated every three hours for all the stations simultaneously in automatic mode during monsoon season. CWC has also taken up the work of development of near real time Inundation Forecast for Ganga Basin through consultancy under National Hydrology Project (NHP) using High Resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) received from NRSC/ Survey of India / State Govt. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• Recently, India has overtaken the UK to become the fifth largest economy in the world. India is now behind the US, China, Japan and Germany in terms of economy. A decade ago, India was ranked 11th among the world’s largest economies, while the UK was firmly at number 5. In the midst of the economic crisis, India has faced the challenges better. On the other hand, Britain is bearing the brunt of its slowness. These figures are given in dollars, and it is worth noting that the Indian rupee has outperformed the UK pound against the dollar. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• According to the report, the size of the Indian economy with respect to ‘nominal’ cash stood at USD 854.7 billion during the March quarter. In contrast, the same was USD 814 billion for the UK. India’s currency was in a strong position against the pound in the quarter during the time period during which this calculation was done. On the other hand, the Indian economy is registering a growth of 7 per cent, while the UK economy is growing at less than 1 per cent. Due to these reasons, India grew rapidly but Britain could not perform like India and fell behind India in sixth place. Hence, statement 2 is correct. 
• Significantly, India has also performed well in the agriculture and services sector. In the first quarter (April-June) of the current financial year, the country’s GDP has been 13.5 percent. At the same time, comparing it with the April-June quarter of the last financial year (2021-22), the GDP growth rate at that time was 20.1 percent. Hence, statement 3 is correct. 

EXPLANATION:

• The scheme of “Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks”. This is a major initiative to support bulk drug manufacturing in the country. Under this scheme, proposals for construction of bulk drug parks were received from 13 states. The bulk drug parks to be developed under this scheme will provide common infrastructure facilities at one place, thereby creating a strong ecosystem for bulk drug manufacturing in the country and will also bring down the manufacturing cost significantly. Hence, statement 1 is correct. 
• The Department of Pharmaceuticals has recently given ‘in-principle’ approval to the proposals to set up bulk drug parks in three states- Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. These parks will be set up on 1402.44 acres in Haroli tehsil of Una district of Himachal Pradesh, 2015.02 acres in Jambusar tehsil of Bharuch district of Gujarat and 2000.45 acres at KP Puram and Kodhaha in Thondangi mandal of East Godavari district. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. 
• The scheme is expected to gain a foothold in the global market by encouraging domestic manufacturing of bulk drugs and providing easy access to standard testing and infrastructure to reduce import dependence. The scheme will help the industry to meet environmental standards at low cost through innovative methods of the common waste management system and to reap the benefits arising out of the optimization of resources and economies of scale. Hence, statement 3 is correct. 

EXPLANATION:

• The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launches the 11th Agriculture Census in the country. The Prime Minister's focus is on increasing farmers' income and empowering them by organizing small farmers. For the first time, data collection for agricultural computations will be done on smartphones and tablets. Recognizing the importance of the agriculture sector in the economy, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare has been implementing the Agriculture Census Scheme since 1970-71. Hence, statement 1 is correct. 
• Agriculture Census in India has been Conducting following broad guidelines of decennial World Census of Agriculture (WCA) evolved by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations conducted at an interval of five years. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. 
• Periodic Agriculture Censuses are the main source of information on basic characteristics of operational holdings such as land-use, cropping pattern, irrigation status, tenancy and dispersal of holdings etc. This information is tabulated by different size classes and social groups and serves as an input for development planning, socio-economic policy formulation and establishment of national priorities. The Census also provides the basis for the development of a comprehensive integrated national system of agricultural statistics. So far, ten Agriculture Censuses since 1970-71 have been conducted in the country. The last  Agriculture Census was held in 2015-16. Hence, statement 3 is correct. 

EXPLANATION:

• Law on Internet Shutdowns:
• Internet shutdowns are governed under the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017.
• Temporary suspensions can be “due to public emergency or public safety”, and gives senior bureaucrats from the Home Ministry at the central and state levels the power to order shutdowns.
• About Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services Rules, 2017:
• They are issued under the Telegraph Act, 1885.
• According to these rules, only the Home Secretary of the country and a secretary of a state’s home department can pass such an order.
• These also state that any such order should be taken up by a review committee within 5 days. Thus, option (a) is correct.
• Status of India:
• India tops the list of Internet shutdowns globally, according to Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC)’s tracker.
• Anuradha Bhasin vs Union of India 2020:
• The internet is a major means of information, therefore a part of Article 19(1)(a) and so Internet cannot be suspended indefinitely.
• Clear reasons for such orders need to be forwarded to a Review Committee by the next working day.
• Current Events: The Center government has asserted that it is the “governing authority” in issuing internet shutdown orders and state governments should only issue such orders based on guidelines laid out by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

EXPLANATION:

• Land monetization in Railways:
• The government has simplified and reduced the cost for different organisations to construct a variety of facilities on Railway land under a long-term lease.
• Now, the use of railway land is permitted for the construction of solar power plants, sewage and water treatment facilities, hospitals through PPP, and schools with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan for Re 1 per square metre per annum for up to 60 years.
• National Monetisation Pipeline:
• Asset Monetisation through “National Monetization Pipeline” of potential Brownfield infrastructure assets will be launched.
• The private sector will get revenue rights and not ownership in the projects.
• New disinvestment Policy:
• New policy for Strategic Disinvestment approved; CPSEs except in 4 strategic areas to be privatized.
• NITI Aayog to work out on the next list of CPSEs to be taken up for strategic disinvestment.
• Incentivizing States for disinvestment of their Public Sector Companies, using central funds Special Purpose Vehicle in the form of a company to monetize idle land.
• Introducing a revised mechanism for ensuring timely closure of sick or loss-making CPSEs.
• PM Gati Shakti - National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity
• The programme is structured to prioritize all–mega infrastructure and connectivity targets by 2024-2025.
• It is a digital platform to bring 16 Ministries including Railways and Roadways together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.
• The data exchange among all mode operators will be brought on the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP), designed for application programming interface (API).

• Thus, option (c) is correct.

EXPLANATION:

• Domestic Drudgery
• News: According to NFHS 5, 75% of women across India undertake time-consuming efforts every day to ensure their families have water.
• About Domestic drudgery:

1. It refers to menial, distasteful hard work.
2. Drudgery affects women from an early age.

• Examples:
• • A report by National Commission for Women has highlighted that longer queues and worse quality of water affects women and make them lose four-five hours to collect water.
  • Council on Energy, Environment and Water Report highlights that 52% of women in rural India go for firewood.

• Thus, option (a) is correct.
• Government Efforts - Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY):
• It aims to provide Free LPG connections to Women from BPL Households. Implemented by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• 8 crore people up to 2020 (target achieved).
• Applicant must a woman above the age of 18 and a citizen of India belonging to BPL. All poor households around the country are aimed to be covered.
• The Union government bears the connection cost of ₹1,600 per connection, and about ₹1,500 for the stove and the first LPG cylinder.
• PMUY anthem – Ujjwala Bharat Ujjwala.