DAY – 9 ( INSTA REVISION TEST)INSTA REVISION PLAN 2.0, 2020

Solution: D

Nagaland is a mountainous state in northeast India, bordering Myanmar. It’s home to diverse indigenous tribes, with festivals and markets celebrating the different tribes’ culture.

About ‘Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)’:

PVTGs are more vulnerable among the tribal groups.

1. They have declining or stagnant population, low level of literacy, pre-agricultural level of technology and are economically backward.
2. They generally inhabit remote localities having poor infrastructure and administrative support.

Among the 75 listed PVTG’s the highest number are found in Odisha (13), followed by Andhra Pradesh (12), Bihar including Jharkhand (9) Madhya Pradesh including Chhattisgarh (7) Tamil Nadu (6) Kerala and Gujarat having five groups each. The remaining PVTGs live in West Bengal (3) Maharashtra (3), two each in Karnataka and Uttarakhand and one each in Rajasthan, Tripura and Manipur. All the four tribal groups in Andamans, and one in Nicobar Islands, are recognized as PVTGs.

Ntangki National Park is a national park located in Peren district of Nagaland, India. Among the species that inhabit the park are the rare hoolock gibbon, golden langur, hornbill, Asian palm civet, black stork, tiger, white-breasted kingfisher, monitor lizard, python and sloth bear.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nagaland-set-to-begin-its-variant-of-nrc-from-july-10/article28233853.ece

Solution: B

The WHO has launched its first guidelines on self-care interventions for health.

Need for self- care interventions:

As per an estimate by 2035 the world will face a shortage of nearly 13 million healthcare workers. Currently at least 400 million people worldwide lack access to the most essential health services.

Key guidelines:

1. The guidelines focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
2. Some of the interventions includeself-sampling for human papillomavirus (HPV) and sexually transmitted infections, self-injectable contraceptives, home-based ovulation predictor kits, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) self-testing and self-management of medical abortion.
3. These guidelines look at the scientific evidencefor health benefits of certain interventions that can be done outside the conventional sector, although sometimes with the support of a health-care provider.
4. They do not replace high-quality health services nor are they a shortcut to achieving universal health coverage.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/who-launches-its-first-guidelines-on-self-care-interventions-for-health/article28234153.ece

Solution: C

Blue Flag Certification for beaches

The Ministry has embarked upon a programme for ‘Blue Flag’ Certification for select beaches in the country.   This Certification is accorded by an international agency “Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark” based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads i.e. (i) Environmental Education and Information, (ii) Bathing Water Quality, (iii) Environment Management and Conservation and (iv) Safety and Services in the beaches.  The ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an Eco-tourism model endeavouring to provide to the tourists/beach goers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area.

13 pilot beaches that have been identified for the certification, in consultation with concerned coastal States/UTs, are Ghoghala Beach (Diu), Shivrajpur beach (Gujarat), Bhogave (Maharashtra), Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad beach (Kerala), Kovalam beach (Tamil Nadu), Eden beach (Puducherry), Rushikonda beach (Andhra Pradesh), Miramar beach (Goa), Golden beach (Odisha), Radhanagar beach (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) and Bangaram beach (Lakshadweep).

Rushikonda beach in Andhra Pradesh also features in the list of 13 pilot beaches, for development of facilities and infrastructure accordingly.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/state-scouts-locations-for-blue-flag-beach-programme/article28255412.ece

https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1594507

Solution: B

The monthly Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) is a production volume index. ICI measures collective and individual performance of production in selected eight core industries viz. Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement and Electricity. It is compiled and released by Office of the Economic Adviser (OEA), Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), and Ministry of Commerce & Industry. The inter-se weights of these eight industries are largely in alignment with the respective weight of these industries in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

The base year of the ICI has been revised to 2011-12 from 2004-05 in alignment with the new series of IIP. Combined weight of these eight core industries is 40.27 percent of IIP with base 2011-12. The ICI with base 2004-05 had a weight of 37.90 percent in the IIP (2004-05). The comparison of industry-wise weights of different base years is given at Annexure. ICI for a reference month is released with a time lag of one month on last day of the next month, which is about twelve days prior to the release of IIP for the reference month. It is an important lead indicator for overall industrial performance and general economic activities in the economy.

The ICI series was initially compiled with base 1980-81 and subsequent revisions were done with base 1993-94 and 2004-05. Prior to the 2004-05 series six core industries namely Coal, Cement, Finished Steel, Electricity, Crude petroleum and Refinery products constituted the index basket. Two more industries i.e. Fertilizer and Natural Gas were added to the index basket in 2004-05 series. The ICI series with base 2011-12 will continue to have eight core industries.

https://www.eaindustry.nic.in/eight_core_infra/ICI_Compilation_Methodology.pdf

Solution: B

The Karnataka Government has submitted a detailed project report (DPR) of the Mekedatu project to the Central Water Commission (CWC).

About Mekedatu dam project:

Being set up by the Karnataka government, the project is near Mekedatu, in Ramanagaram district, across the river Cauvery from Tamil Nadu. Its primary objective is to supply drinking water to Bengaluru and recharge the groundwater table in the region.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/mekedatu-project-to-claim-525-sq-km-of-core-forest-area/article28265460.ece

Solution: B

Kharif crops, monsoon crops or autumn crops are domesticated plants like rice that are cultivated and harvested during monsoon season, which lasts from June to November depending on the area.

Rice, maize, bajra, ragi, soybean, groundnut, cotton are all Kharif crops.

Rabi crops or rabi harvest are agricultural crops that are sown in winter and harvested in the spring.

Wheat, barley, mustard and green peas are some of the major rabi crops that grow in India.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/marginal-hike-in-msp-for-14-kharif-crops/article28276252.ece

Solution: D

The Mithi River is a river on Salsette Island, the island of the city of Mumbai, India. It is a confluence of tail-water discharges of the Powai and Vihar lakes. The river is seasonal and rises during the monsoons.

The Mula-Mutha is a river in India, formed by the confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers in the city of Pune, which later meets the Bhima River, which itself later meets the Krishna River and finally emptying to the Bay of Bengal.

Musi River or Musinuru is a tributary of the Krishna River in the Deccan Plateau flowing through Telangana state in India. Hyderabad stands on the banks of Musi river, which divides the historic old city and the new city.

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/mumbai-marooned/article28275516.ece

Solution: B

The 2019 “State of the Education Report for India: Children with Disabilities” has been released by the UNESCO.

It was jointly developed by CEIAR (TISS) & UNESCO.

The report highlights accomplishments and challenges with regards to the right to education of children with disabilities (CWDs).

Key highlights of the report:

1. There are 78,64,636 children with disability in India constituting 1.7% of the total child population.
2. Three-fourths of the children with disabilities at the age of five years and one-fourth between 5-19 years do not go to any educational institution.
3. The number of children enrolled in school drops significantly with each successive level of schooling.
4. There are fewer girls with disabilities in schools than boys with disabilitiesin schools.
5. A large number of children with disabilities do not go to regular schools but are enrolled at the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
6. The percentage of children attending schools is the lowest among those with multiple disabilities, mental illnesses and mental retardation.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/27-of-children-with-disabilities-have-never-been-to-school-unesco/article28276203.ece

https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/07/06/2019-state-of-the-education-report-for-india-children-with-disabilities/

Solution: D

The Karakoram Pass is a 5,540 m or 18,176 ft mountain pass between India and China in the Karakoram Range. The Karakoram pass falls on the boundary between Indian territory of Ladakh and China’s Xinjiang autonomous region.

Kashmir Stag species doesn’t dominates the area of Karakoram pass region.

It is located around 400 km from Kargil

Solution: D

APPOINTMENTS COMMITTEE OF THE CABINET (ACC)

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) decides appointments to several top posts under the Government of India. The committee is composed of the Prime Minister of India (who is the Chairman), the Minister of Home Affairs. Originally the Minister in-charge of the concerned Ministry was also the part of the committee but as per the new notification (as on 14 July 2016) the minister of concerned ministry has been excluded from the committee

The committee makes appointments to posts of:

• Chiefs of three services
• Director General of Military Operations
• Chiefs of all Air and Army Commands
• Director General of Defence Intelligence Agency
• Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister
• Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services

Whether the Minutes of these are accessible to Public and location of the Minutes, if available.

No

Solution: C

Due to changing climate, Arctic regions of North America are getting greener, with almost a third of the land cover looking more like landscapes found in warmer ecosystems, according to a new NASA study.

With 87,000 images taken from Landsat satellites, converted into data that reflects the amount of healthy vegetation on the ground, the researchers found that western Alaska, Quebec and other regions became greener between 1984 and 2012.

The new Landsat study further supports previous work that has shown changing vegetation in Arctic and boreal North America. Landsat is a programme that provides the longest continuous space-based record of Earth’s land vegetation in existence.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/Arctic-regions-getting-greener-due-to-climate-change-NASA/article14388221.ece

Solution: C

Core Investment Companies (CICs) are a specialized Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).A Core Investment Company registered with the RBI has an asset size of above Rs 100 crore.

Their main business is acquisition of shares and securities with certain conditions.

Solution: D
Human Rights Courts in India

One of the objects of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 as stated in the preamble of the Act, is the establishment of human rights courts at district level. The creation of Human Rights Courts at the district level has a great potential to protect and realize human rights at the grassroots.

Section 30 of the Act envisages that a State government, with the concurrence of the Chief Justice of High Court, by notification, specify for each district a court of session as a court of human rights for the speedy trial of violation of rights.

Whereas Section 31 of the Act provides the State government to specify and appoint a special public prosecutor in that court

Solution: B

MONUMENTS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE

Over 300 Centrally-protected monuments and sites, including World Heritage Sites, across the country are “under encroachment”.

Monument of National Importance Monument of National Importance” is designated by the Archaeological Survey of India.

It includes the following

o The remains of an ancient monument

o The site of an ancient monument

o The land on which there are fences or protective covering structures for preserving the monument

o Land by means of which people can freely access the monument

Definition of ancient monument

By Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 – “Ancient Monument means any structure, erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock- sculpture, inscription or monolith which is of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and which

has been in existence for not less than 100 years.”

Criteria for protection

The monument or archaeological site is not less than 100 years old.It has special historical, archaeological or artistic interest, making it worthy of declaration as of national importance.

Solution: B

MSTrIPES (monitoring system for Tigers-Intensive protection and Ecologicalstatus) is a new app used to estimate tiger population.

M-STrIPES is an application used by forest guards, is GPS-enabled and helps to capture data relating to tiger sightings, deaths, wildlife crime and ecological observations while patrolling