[Mission 2024] Current Affairs Quiz , 9 November 2023

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

The GOBARdhan initiative, a multi-ministerial effort, aims to transform organic waste, including cattle dung, agricultural residues, and biomass, into valuable resources like biogas, CBG, and organic manure. This initiative supports high-value Biogas/CBG production and promotes the use of bio-slurry to improve soil health, carbon content, and water retention.

The Market Development Assistance (MDA) scheme, launched by the Department of Fertilizers aims to promote the production and adoption of organic fertilizers generated from GOBARdhan plants. It seeks to encourage sustainable/organic agricultural practices, reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers, and boost the use of bio-slurry in agriculture.

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Solution: b)

Statement 2 is incorrect.

Under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), NGOs and associations registered to receive foreign contributions must now annually declare details of movable and immovable assets created using those contributions.

FCRA was enacted during the Emergency in 1976 amid apprehensions that foreign powers were interfering in India’s affairs by pumping money into the country through independent organisations.

The law sought to regulate foreign donations to individuals and associations so that they functioned in a manner consistent with the values of a sovereign democratic republic.

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Solution: a)

Only Statement 3 is correct.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has announced that Indian standards on biofuels will significantly support the objectives of the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA).

BIS has developed nine Indian standards on biofuels, including specifications for anhydrous ethanol, biodiesel, biogas, biodiesel-diesel fuel blends, hydrous ethanol, E85 fuel, E20 fuel, aviation turbine fuel containing synthesized hydrocarbons, and ethanol as a fuel for spark-ignition engine-powered vehicles.

Additionally, BIS is working on a standard for paraffinic (green) diesel derived from 2G feedstock.

The G20 leaders launched the GBA during the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi, and it aims to facilitate the adoption of biofuels worldwide. India, the USA, and Brazil are major producers and consumers of biofuels, contributing significantly to the global ethanol market.

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Solution: b)

Statement 2 is incorrect.

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has introduced India’s first green hydrogen-powered bus, which emits only water vapour as its by-product.

Green hydrogen is an environmentally friendly option as it only emits water vapour when burned and has three times the energy density of other fuels. It requires 50 units of renewable electricity and 9 kg of deionized water to produce one kilogram of green hydrogen.

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Solution: c)

The Kole wetlands in Kerala, an internationally important Ramsar site known for its high biodiversity, are facing a new threat from an invasive alien plant species called Cabomba furcuta, also known as Pink Bloom.

This species, originating from Central and South America, has been introduced to Kerala as an aquarium plant and has now become a menace to the Kole fields, alongside existing threats like water hyacinth and Salvinia molesta.

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