QUIZ – 2020: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 15 April 2020

Solution: d)

The cane price announced by the Central Government is decided on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) in consultation with the State Governments and after taking feedback from associations of sugar industry. The amended provisions of the Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966 provides for fixation of FRP of sugarcane having regard to the following factors:-

1. a) cost of production of sugarcane;
2. b) return to the growers from alternative crops and the general trend of prices of agricultural commodities;
3. c) availability of sugar to consumers at a fair price;
4. d) price at which sugar produced from sugarcane is sold by sugar producers;
5. e) recovery of sugar from sugarcane;
6. f) the realization made from sale of by-products viz. molasses, bagasse and press mud or their imputed value (inserted vide notification dated 29.12. 2008);
7. g) reasonable margins for the growers of sugarcane on account of risk and profits (inserted vide notification dated 22.10.2009).

Source

Solution: d)

The 1995 Basel Ban Amendment, a global waste dumping prohibition, has become an international law after Croatia ratified it on September 6, 2019.

Croatia became the 97th country to ratify the ban, which was adopted by the parties to the Basel Convention in 1995, to protect human health and the environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes, according to Basel Action Network (BAN).

BAN is a Unites States-based charity organisation and is one among the organisations and countries, which created the Basel Ban Amendment — hailed as a landmark agreement for global environmental justice.

The Ban Amendment prohibits all export of hazardous wastes, including electronic wastes and obsolete ships from 29 wealthiest countries of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to non-OECD countries.

Source

Solution: d)

The Department of School Education and Literacy has launched a National Mission to improve learning outcomes at the elementary level through an Integrated Teacher Training Programme called NISHTHA under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha in 2019-20.

NISHTHA is a capacity building programme for “Improving Quality of School Education through Integrated Teacher Training“. It aims to build competencies among all the teachers and school principals at the elementary stage. NISHTHA is the world’s largest teachers’ training programme of its kind. The basic objective of this massive training programme is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students. The initiative is first of its kind wherein standardized training modules are developed at national level for all States and UTs.

Highlights:

• Capacity building of 4.2 million teachers
• Integrated training of principals/heads as key academic support
• Focus on competency and higher order thinking skills based teaching learning
• Training of all heads and teachers as first level counselors
• Promoting experiential and joyful learning
• Awareness of centrally sponsored schemes/initiatives
• Online monitoring and support system
• Convergence of multi-departmental efforts
• Activity based training modules

Source

Solution: a)

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus: the virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a bloodborne virus and the most common modes of infection are through exposure to small quantities of blood. This may happen through injection drug use, unsafe injection practices, unsafe health care, and the transfusion of unscreened blood and blood products.

There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C; however research in this area is ongoing.

HCV can also be transmitted sexually and can be passed from an infected mother to her baby; however these modes of transmission are much less common.

Hepatitis C is not spread through breast milk, food, water or by casual contact such as hugging, kissing and sharing food or drinks with an infected person.

Populations at increased risk of HCV infection include:

• people who inject drugs;
• people who use intranasal drugs;
• recipients of infected blood products or invasive procedures in health-care facilities with inadequate infection control practices;
• children born to mothers infected with HCV;
• people with sexual partners who are HCV-infected;
• people with HIV infection;
• prisoners or previously incarcerated persons; and
• people who have had tattoos or piercings.

Source

Solution: d)

Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) was established by a decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, in 2015, with the aim of supporting the economic development of Russia’s Far East, and to expand international cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Speaking at the Plenary Session of the 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India would extend a $1 billion line of credit towards the development of the Russian Far East.

Engaging closely with East Asia was in line with India’s policy goal of “Act East”.

Source