[Mission 2023] QUED ( Questions from Editorials ) 8 September 2022

Solution: a)

Solution: d)

Any public policy intervention that doesn’t support medium-term to long-term production and productivity may be termed as a freebie.

Free electricity, free water, free public transportation, waiver of pending utility bills and farm loan waivers are often regarded as freebies

They potentially undermine credit culture, distort prices through cross-subsidisation eroding incentives for private investment, and disincentive work at the current wage rate leading to a drop in labour force participation

Solution: a)

The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) was approved by the Ministry of Education (Erstwhile Ministry of Human Resource Development) in September 2015.

It is the first-ever effort by the government to rank Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country. Participation in NIRF was made compulsory for all government-run educational institutions in 2018.

It ranks State-run higher education institutions (HEIs) together with centrally funded institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the Indian Institute of Science, the National Institutes of Technology, central universities, etc.

Solution: a)

LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form

of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.

These light pulses – combined with other data recorded by the airborne system – generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.

A LIDAR instrument principally consists of a laser, a scanner, and a specialised GPS receiver. Airplanes and helicopters are the most commonly used platforms for acquiring LIDAR data over broad areas.

Two types of LIDAR are topographic and bathymetric. Topographic LIDAR typically uses a near-infrared laser to map the land, while bathymetric LIDAR uses water penetrating green light to also measure seafloor and riverbed elevations.

LIDAR systems allow scientists and mapping professionals to examine both natural and manmade environments with accuracy, precision, and flexibility.

Some scientists are using LIDAR to produce more accurate shoreline maps, make digital elevation models for use in geographic information systems, to assist in emergency response operations, and in many other applications.

Solution: c)

Survival International is a human rights organisation formed in 1969 that campaigns for the rights of indigenous and/or tribal peoples and uncontacted peoples. The organisation’s campaigns generally focus on tribal peoples’ desires to keep their ancestral lands. Survival International states that it aims to help foster tribal people’s self-determination.