QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 02 January 2019

            Solution: d)

As part of its initiatives to empower women, the Odisha government, last year, launched this scheme to provide free sanitary napkins to school girls across the state.

Solution: c)

French finance minister Bruno Le Maire announced the introduction of a GAFA tax—named after Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon—on large technology and internet companies in France from 1 January 2019. The French proposal is set to target only those profitable companies that have heavy annual global revenue.

The rationale behind devising a separate framework to tax online service providers is this: existing tax norms that are framed envisaging brick and mortar business models are not suitable to regulate online services. This is because the digital economy is characterized by a unique system of value creation resulting from a combination of factors such as sales functions, algorithms and personal information of users. What distinguishes technology companies from traditional businesses is user participation in creating value, which, in turn, translates into revenue. Although using consumer data to improve businesses is not exclusive to the digital economy, the unique ability of digital businesses lies in their power to analyse big data collected via constant user interaction and data mining.

Solution: c)

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has inventorized 1,72,517 bridges/structures under Indian Bridge Management System (IBMS). IBMS is the largest platform in the world owned by a single owner, with database that could exceed 1,50,000 bridge structures.

In addition to the structural rating, the bridges are also being assigned Socio-Economic Bridge Rating Number which will decide the importance of the structure in relation to its contribution to daily socio-economic activity of the area in its vicinity.

Solution: a)

What did the Gadgil Committee say?

It defined the boundaries of the Western Ghats for the purposes of ecological management. It proposed that this entire area be designated as ecologically sensitive area (ESA).

Within this area, smaller regions were to be identified as ecologically sensitive zones (ESZ) I, II or III based on their existing condition and nature of threat.

• It proposed to divide the area into about 2,200 grids, of which 75 per cent would fall under ESZ I or II or under already existing protected areas such as wildlife sanctuaries or natural parks.
• The committee proposed a Western Ghats Ecology Authority to regulate these activities in the area.

Recommendations of Kasturirangan Committee:

• A ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining.
• No new thermal power projects, but hydro power projects allowed with restrictions.
• A ban on new polluting industries.
• Building and construction projects up to 20,000 sq m was to be allowed but townships were to be banned.
• Forest diversion could be allowed with extra safeguards.

Solution: d)

The government of Pakistan has decided to launch Panda Bonds to raise loans from Chinese capital markets.

A Panda bond is a Chinese renminbi-denominated bond from a non-Chinese issuer, sold in the People’s Republic of China. These bonds were first issued in 2005 by the International Finance Corporation and the Asian Development Bank.