QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 30 September 2017

Solution: c.
In an attempt to address illegal wildlife trade across 19 countries of Asia and Africa, India is hosting the Global Wildlife Programme (GWP) jointly with World Bank and United Nations Development Programme.
• The Global Environment Facility (GEF) in June 2015 launched the “Global Partnership on Wildlife Conservation and Crime Prevention for Sustainable Development” program also known as the Global Wildlife Program (GWP).
• The GWP is a World-Bank led global partnership that promotes wildlife conservation and sustainable development by combatting illicit trafficking in wildlife. By approaching the poaching crisis holistically through various country projects and a larger global project, it seeks to reduce both the supply and demand that drives the illegal wildlife trade, and protect species and habitats through integrated landscape planning.
• The program also focuses on improving wildlife management, providing livelihood opportunities through tourism, and improving governance throughout the supply chain for illegal wildlife products. In addition, the program will support integrated landscape management, land use zoning and natural resource management best practices.

http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/environment/brief/global-wildlife-program;
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=171254;
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Solution: a.
In addition to the explanation provided for the first question, some additional points:
• Currently, the GWP has programmes in 19 countries across Africa and Asia.
• The implementing agencies channeling the funds to the governments or other partners for the national projects are the World Bank Group, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• GWP also collaborates with the International Consortium to Combat Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) and other donors and conservation partners such as: Wildlife Conservation Society, CITES, WWF, IUCN, TRAFFIC etc.

http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/environment/brief/global-wildlife-program;
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=171254;
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Solution: d.
There are Eight Empowered Action Group States: Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Rajasthan; often, the mention of “EAG States” is followed by a mention of Assam. These nine States, which account for about 48 percent of the total population in the country, are the high focus States in view of their relatively higher fertility and mortality indicators.

Additional Information: India has registered a significant decline in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). According to the just released Sample Registration Survey bulletin, IMR of India has declined by three points, from 37 per 1000 live births in 2015 to 34 per 1000 live births in 2016, compared to two points decline last year. Further, the gender gap in India for child survival is reducing steadily. The gender difference between female and male IMR has now reduced to <10%, giving a major boost to the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ scheme of the Government.

Source for http://censusindia.gov.in/vital_statistics/AHSBulletins/files/AHSpr.pdf
Improvisation: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=171251;

Solution: b.
The same question was posted here earlier.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India is all set to launch ‘Deep Ocean Mission’ by January 2018. Making the announcement, M Rajeevan, Secretary of Ministry of Earth Sciences, confirmed the participation of seven premier science agencies including NIO, ISRO and DRDO in the venture. Deep Ocean Research will include, for instance, exploration and exploitation of polymetallic nodules in the Central Indian Ocean Basin, upto depths of around 5,000-6,000 metres.

From May 2017: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=163263;
Improvisation: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=171266;
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Solution: c.
• We have unique reasons for faster adoption of electric vehicles. Our vehicle ownership is still minuscule, particularly if you count cars. The 2011 Census found that roughly 10 per cent of urban Indians owned a car. All in all, a large section is yet to move to vehicle ownership, so it can motorise differently.
• Earlier this year, the Centre for Science and Environment had put out a detailed analysis of the first phase of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicle (FAME) programme. They found that the incentive scheme had willy-nilly pushed mild diesel hybrid cars in the name of notching up numbers in electro-mobility. Since then much has changed. The revised FAME programme will not incentivise mild hybrids (this technology only assists normal engines by using recovered energy, for instance, during braking). It also puts the thrust on electric buses, which have the big potential to change not just vehicles, but mobility.
• E-vehicles, if they use fossil energy—that is, coal or even natural gas used in power plants—will displace carbon dioxide generation but not replace it. In other words, there will still be pollution, but it will no longer come from the tail-pipe of a car, but the smokestack of a power plant. But e-vehicles provide solutions to local air pollution, which we desperately need. They will also reduce the fuel import bill.

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/e-vehicles-or-e-mobility–58751;
https://www.insightsonindia.com/2017/09/30/6-india-plan-e-mobility-not-e-vehicles-comment/;
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