QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 20 November 2019

Solution: b)

India, ranked third in fisheries, is yet to ratify a global regulatory regime adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for safety of fishing vessels.

Cape Town Agreement seeks to introduce mandatory safety measures for fishing vessels of 24 metres and over in length.

The Cape Town Agreement was adopted by the IMO in 2012 to help combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing.

The treaty will enter into force 12 months after at least 22 nations, with an aggregate 3,600 fishing vessels of 24 metres and over in length operating on the high seas, have expressed their consent to be bound by it.

The Cape Town Agreement includes mandatory international requirements for stability and associated seaworthiness, machinery and electrical installations, life-saving appliances, communications equipment and fire protection, as well as fishing vessel construction. It is aimed at facilitating better control of fishing vessel safety by flag, port and coastal states.

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Solution: c)

Jal Jeevan Mission:

The Mission was announced in August 2019.

The chief objective of the Mission is to provide piped water supply (Har Ghar Jal) to all rural and urban households by 2024.

It also aims to create local infrastructure for rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household waste water for reuse in agriculture.

• The Jal Jeevan Mission is set to be based on various water conservation efforts like point recharge, desilting of minor irrigation tanks, use of greywater for agriculture and source sustainability.
• The Jal Jeevan Mission will converge with other Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply management across the country.

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                Solution: c)

• DMFs were instituted under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Act 2015.
• District Mineral Foundation (DMF) is a trust set up as a non-profit body, in those districts affected by the mining works, to work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining related operations. It is funded through the contributions from miners.
• Jurisdiction: Its manner of operation comes under the jurisdiction of the relevant State Government.

The various state DMF rules and the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Khestra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) guidelines stipulate some “high priority” issues for DMFs, including:

1. Drinking water.
2. Health
3. Women and child welfare.
4. Education
5. Livelihood and skill development.
6. Welfare of aged and disabled.
7. Sanitation

Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY):

The programme is meant to provide for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining related operations, using the funds generated by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).

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Solution: a)

The idea of an object in space so massive and dense that light could not escape it has been around for centuries. Most famously, black holes were predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which showed that when a massive star dies, it leaves behind a small, dense remnant core.

Scientists can’t directly observe black holes with telescopes that detect x-rays, light, or other forms of electromagnetic radiation. We can, however, infer the presence of black holes and study them by detecting their effect on other matter nearby. If a black hole passes through a cloud of interstellar matter, for example, it will draw matter inward in a process known as accretion. A similar process can occur if a normal star passes close to a black hole. In this case, the black hole can tear the star apart as it pulls it toward itself. As the attracted matter accelerates and heats up, it emits x-rays that radiate into space. Recent discoveries offer some tantalizing evidence that black holes have a dramatic influence on the neighborhoods around them – emitting powerful gamma ray bursts, devouring nearby stars, and spurring the growth of new stars in some areas while stalling it in others.

Most black holes form from the remnants of a large star that dies in a supernova explosion.

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Solution: c)

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has recently issued a clarification stating that solar PV cells manufactured using diffused silicon wafers or blue wafers shall not be considered domestically manufactured solar PV cells, and hence, would not qualify for MNRE’s schemes/programmes. This decision can be expected to significantly reduce the country’s dependence on foreign imports and establish India as a prominent manufacturing hub of solar products. The move can also help in reducing initial costs associated with solar PV systems and improve its adoption in the country.

MNRE’s flagship programmes such as the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme mandate the use of domestically manufactured solar PV cells. Despite the mandate, it was noticed that some manufacturers were using imported semi-processed PV cells or blue wafers as raw materials to manufacture solar PV cells.

MNRE stated that “A solar PV cell shall be considered to be domestically manufactured only if the same has been manufactured in India using un-diffused silicon wafers (generally called ‘black wafers’).”

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