INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 21 August 2020) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context:
  • Science and Technology Indicators (STI), 2018 is a periodic compendium of the state of scientific research in India. It was released recently.
• Who prepares the report?
  • The STI is prepared by National Science and Technology Management Information System (NSTMIS), a division of Department of Science and Technology (DST).
  • It is based on data provided by a range of scientific establishments across the country.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/21/science-and-technology-indicators-sti-2018/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Swachh Survekshan 2020 report was recently released by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry.
• Swachh Survekshan 2020 covered 4,242 cities, 62 cantonment boards and 92 Ganga towns. This survey was carried out in 28 days.
• This year the Ministry has released rankings based on the categorisation of cities on population, instead of releasing overall rankings.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/21/swachh-survekshan-2020-report/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:  here the directive word is not correct!!

Performance of various cities:

• Indore was ranked the cleanest city in the overall category this year followed by Surat and Navi Mumbai.
• Chhattisgarh is the cleanest state in the category of states with more than 100 urban local bodies (ULBs).
• Ahmedabad is India’s the cleanest Mega city.
• New Delhi is the cleanest capital city.
• Chhattisgarh’s Ambikapur is the cleanest smallest city.
• Bengaluru wins the Best Self Sustainability award in the Mega city category.
• Jharkhand is the cleanest state in the category of state with less than 100 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
• Cleanest Cantonment: Jalandhar Cantt, Punjab.
• Cleanest Town along the banks of river Ganga:
• In cities with population less than one lakh, Karad in Mahrashtra is cleanest city.
• Maximum citizen participation in keeping city areas clean – Shahjahanpur.
• Cleanest megacity with more than 40 lac population – Ahmedabad (Gujarat).
• Fastest-moving city in terms of cleanliness – Jodhpur (Rajasthan).
• Self-sustainable city in terms of cleanliness (more than 10 lakh population) – Rajkot (Gujarat).
• Mysuru (Karnataka) is ranked cleanest among the medium-sized cities with a population ranging between 3 lakh and 10 lakh.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/21/swachh-survekshan-2020-report/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Stat1: Quality Council of India is an autonomous body setup under Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Stat2: The Quality Council of India (QCI) is in charge of evaluating the performance of the participating cities.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/21/swachh-survekshan-2020-report/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Cabinet Committee:
  • They are extra-constitutional in emergence. In other words, they are not mentioned in the Constitution. However, the Rules of Business provide for their establishment.
  • They are of two types—standing and ad hoc. The former are of a permanent nature while the latter are of a temporary nature. The ad hoc committees are constituted from time to time to deal with special problems. They are disbanded after their task is completed.
  • They are set up by the Prime Minister according to the exigencies of the time and requirements of the situation. Hence, their number, nomenclature, and composition varies from time to time.
  • Their membership varies from three to eight. They usually include only Cabinet Ministers. However, the non-cabinet Ministers are not debarred from their membership.
  • They not only include the Ministers in charge of subjects covered by them but also include other senior Ministers.
  • They are mostly headed by the Prime Minister. Sometimes other Cabinet Ministers, particularly the Home Minister or the Finance Minister, also acts as their Chairman. But, in case the Prime Minister is a member of a committee, he invariably presides over it.
  • Read here: Why Cabinet Committees are formed, what are the functions of each? https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/06/07/why-cabinet-committees-are-formed-what-are-the-functions-of-each/
• Parliamentary Committee:
  • The Constitution of India makes a mention of these committees at different places, but without making any specific provisions regarding their composition, tenure, functions, etc. All these matters are dealt by the rules of two Houses.
  • Accordingly, a parliamentary committee means a committee that:
    • Is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker
    • / Chairman1
    • Works under the direction of the Speaker / Chairman
    • Presents its report to the House or to the Speaker / Chairman
    • Has a secretariat provided by the Lok Sabha / Rajya Sabha

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/21/parliamentary-standing-committees-5/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• The first human cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus causing COVID-19, subsequently named SARS-CoV-2 were first reported by officials in Wuhan City (Hubei province) China, in December 2019.
• COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2.
• Hanau is a town in Germany. It was in news recently: https://indianexpress.com/article/world/germany-killed-shooting-hanau-police-6276906/

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/21/what-the-serosurvey-results-in-india-imply/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Stat1: The Reserve Bank of India has released a national strategy for financial education to be implemented in the next five years.
  • The multi-stakeholder led approach is aimed at creating a financially aware and empowered India.
  • It is the second NSFE , the first one being released in 2013.
• Stat2: National Centre for Financial Education (NCFE) is a Not for Profit Company promoted by Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/21/national-strategy-for-financial-education-2020-2025-nsfe/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: Namath Basai:

• It is Kerala government’s unique programme of teaching tribal children in their mother tongue.
• Implemented by the Samagra Siksha Kerala (SSK).
• The SSK has distributed some 50 laptops exclusively for Namath Basai. Pre-recorded classes are offered through a YouTube channel.
• It has succeeded in retaining hundreds of tribal children in their online classes by making them feel at home with the language of instruction.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/21/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-21-august-2020/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: Trifood Project of TRIFED launched in Raigad, Maharashtra and Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh.
• Details of the project:
• Being implemented by TRIFED, Ministry of Tribal Affairs in association with Ministry of Food Processing (MoFPI).
• Aims to enhance the income of tribals through better utilization of and value addition to the MFPs collected by the tribal forest gatherers.
• How? To achieve this, as a start, two Minor Forest Produce (MFP) processing units will be set up.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/21/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-21-august-2020/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:’

• Option A and D are examples of human capital and option B is physical capital.
• Straight from Wikipedia: “Social capital broadly refers to those factors of effectively functioning social groups that include such things as interpersonal relationships, a shared sense of identity, a shared understanding, shared norms, shared values, trust, cooperation, and reciprocity.” Option D is the correct answer.

Source: UPSC CSE 2019