[Mission 2024] QUED ( Questions from Editorials ) 19 August 2023

Solution: c)

Curbing imports of non-essential goods and promoting exports would help control imports and thus the depreciation of the rupee by increasing the growth with promoting exports.

Encouraging Indian borrowers to issue rupee-denominated Masala Bonds is a measure of the RBI/government to stop the slide of Indian rupee as it does not put pressure on our currency through borrowing dollars as the bond issue would be rupee denominated.

Following an expansionary monetary policy may lead to lower interest rates thereby increasing the inflation with higher imports through higher spending of the government and therefore the slide of rupee takes place.

Easing conditions relating to external commercial borrowing will lead to higher borrowing abroad and would temporarily reduce the deficit of forex in India preventing the slide of rupee.

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

A recent study has found that termites decompose wood at a much higher rate in warmer conditions. For every 10 degrees Celsius increase in temperature, their decomposition activity goes up by almost seven times, it added.

The study also revealed that as the Earth gets warmer, termites will rapidly spread across the world. This could, in turn, lead to a further rise in global temperatures, because these small insects while consuming deadwood release carbon into the atmosphere.

The researcher also observed that these wood-eating termites were able to survive in warm and dry conditions, unlike microbes that need water to grow. Therefore, with “tropicalization (i.e., warming shifts to tropical climates), termite wood decay will likely increase as termites access more of Earth’s surface.”

Although these insects are already found in colder areas, they play a limited role in the decaying of wood in comparison to fungi and bacteria.

As a tree grows older, certain parts of it die and become dead wood, which is eventually decomposed by microbes and insects like termites. The decaying of dead wood results in the release of not only a variety of nutrients but also carbon.

According to the study, termites release carbon from dead wood in the form of carbon dioxide and methane, two of the most important greenhouse gases. So, an increase in termite population and their faster decomposing activity can cause more greenhouse emissions, resulting in a hotter planet.

Solution: c)

The Centre launched the Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP), an initiative on the lines of the Aspirational District Programme.

The Aspirational District Programme is aimed at improving performance of districts lagging on various development parameters.

Under the ABP, 500 blocks across states have been identified. NITI Aayog, in partnership with the states, will release quarterly ranking of these blocks based on their performance on development indicators covering sectors such as health, education and nutrition, among others.

While the Centre has put in place basic indicators for the rankings, states have been asked to include additional indicators based on their requirements. “The states and NITI Aayog will work together.

Like the aspirational district programme, the private sector can also contribute to the development of these blocks.

Solution: b)

Statement 2 is incorrect.

The BCG vaccine for TB is 100 years old.

National TB prevalence survey – conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research and WHO 

Considering the country’s goal of achieving TB elimination by 2025, the prevalence was 300 per 100,000, bacteriologically confirmed TB cases.

In India, the main risk factor for TB is undernutrition. This is why we find TB incidence is higher in lower economic groups, especially in tribal and remote rural areas and in the urban poor.

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• Countries considered as safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put in the FATF grey list.
• While the words ‘grey’ and ‘black’ list do not exist in the official FATF lexicon, they designate countries that need to work on complying with FATF directives and those who are non-compliant, respectively.
• At the end of every plenary meeting, FATF comes out with two lists of countries.
• The grey countries are designated as “jurisdictions under increased monitoring”, working with the FATF to counter criminal financial activities. For such countries, the watchdog does not tell other members to carry out due-diligence measures vis-a-vis the listed country but does tell them to consider the risks such countries possess.