[MISSION 2024] RTM(Revision through MCQs)- 13 February 2024

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• What is India’s Neighborhood First Policy?
  • It emphasizes peaceful relations and collaborative development with South Asian neighbors. It covers diverse areas like economics, technology, connectivity, defense, and environment. The policy complements India’s Look East and Look West Policies, focusing on Southeast Asia and the Middle East respectively. It was initiated by Narendra Modi and furthered by key figures like Sushma Swaraj and S. Jaishankar, with support from NSA Ajit Doval and successive Foreign Secretaries.
• Various aspects of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy:
  • Priority to neighboring countries: Emphasis on strong ties with immediate neighbors.
  • Mutual respect and understanding: Based on shared interests and Panchsheel principles.
  • Connectivity and infrastructure: Focus on physical and digital connectivity for trade and integration.
  • Economic cooperation: Deepening economic ties through trade facilitation and investment.
  • Security cooperation: Joint efforts to address security challenges like terrorism
  • Cultural exchanges: Promoting friendship and understanding through cultural diplomacy.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/02/13/action-taken-report-on-indias-neighbourhood-first-policy/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Statements A and C have nothing/negligible influence on the concentration of jute industry.
• Jute cultivation is mainly concentrated in the eastern and north eastern India while that of mesta cultivation is spread almost throughout the country. The crop can be grown in low, medium and high land situations, both moisture stress and water stagnating condition. White Jute can be grown comparatively in low land situations while that of Tossa Jute prefers medium and high land situations. Mesta is grown in almost all over the country. It is a hardy crop and can tolerate moisture stress; its cultivation is spread in different agro-climatic situations unlike jute which is concentrated only in eastern and north eastern States. In a major part of the Jute area, particularly in North Bengal, Bihar and North-Eastern States, the soil is acidic in nature.
• The Ganga delta region is suitable for Jute cultivation due to the rich fertile alluvium soil and favorable temperature and rainfall. Hence almost 85% of the world’s jute cultivation is concentrated in the Ganges Delta.
• read more>>

Refer:https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/02/13/report-on-the-development-and-promotion-of-jute-industry/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The National Jute Board (NJB) is the apex body for promotion of Indian Jute.
• National Jute Board (NJB) has been constituted, as per National Jute Board Act, 2008 (12 of 2009), effective on and from 1st April, 2010 and erstwhile Jute Manufactures Development Council and National Centre for Jute Diversification got subsumed into National Jute Board (NJB).
• The Board is chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/02/13/report-on-the-development-and-promotion-of-jute-industry/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• About Dhokra Shilpkala:
  • It is an ancient metal casting tradition believed to have originated from the Dhokra Damar tribes of Central India. It has deep roots in the tribal communities of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha, where it evolved as a cultural and religious practice. The technique involves using the lost wax casting method, known as cire perdue, which results in intricate designs inspired by nature, mythology, and everyday life.
  • Despite its rich heritage, Dhokra Shilpkala faces challenges due to urbanization and mechanized production.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/02/13/ocher-studio-preserving-dhokra-shilpkala/

Ans: (b )

Explanation:

• S1 is incorrect.
• Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883) was one of the most influential figures of 19th-century India. A believer in the supreme authority of the vedas, he established the Arya Samaj in 1875, leading a reform movement within orthodox Hinduism. Among his various beliefs included a rejection of idolatry and the overly ritualistic traditions of Hinduism, support for women’s education, denunciation of child marriage and an opposition to untouchability.
• His magnum opus, Satyarth Prakash (1875), emphasised the “return to Vedic principles” that Dayanand Saraswati believed “had been lost” over time.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/02/13/swami-dayanand-saraswati/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: On the International Day for Girls and Women in Science, a new initiative named SWATI (Science For Women: A Technology & Innovation) was launched by a panel representing India’s science academies.
• Developed, hosted and maintained by the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), New Delhi.
• This portal aims to create a comprehensive database of women in science across the country, acknowledging that gender equity in science is not solely a women’s issue.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/02/13/swati/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• Context: The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has released the CRISIL study report named “Prabhaav,” assessing the impact of the Fund of Funds for Start-ups (FFS), a key initiative under the Start-up India Action Plan.
• Managed by SIDBI on behalf of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the FFS has been instrumental in catalysing investments.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/02/13/prabhaav/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) is the apex regulatory body for overall licensing and regulation of micro, small and medium enterprise finance companies in India. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance , Government of India headquartered at Lucknow and having its offices all over the country.
• SIDBI is one of the five All India Financial Institutions regulated and supervised by the Reserve Bank of India; the other four are Exim Bank Of India, NABARD,NABFID and NHB.But recently NHB came under government control by taking more than 51% stake.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/02/13/prabhaav/

Ans: (d)

Explanation;

• Aerogels are unique materials known for their extremely low density and high porosity, with up to 99.98% of their volume consisting of air or gas. They are solid foams made from a gel in which the liquid component has been replaced with gas, resulting in a nanoporous solid structure. This porous network gives aerogels remarkable properties such as low thermal conductivity, high surface area, and lightweight. Option D accurately describes the fundamental characteristic of aerogels, making it the correct answer. Options A, B, and C are incorrect as they do not accurately represent the nature or properties of aerogels.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/02/13/frozen-smoke/

Ans: (d )

Explanation:

• Context: Climate change exacerbates the ongoing decline of the Aral Sea, now reduced to less than a quarter of its former size. Human engineering and agricultural projects have significantly contributed to its demise.
• About Aral Sea:
  • It was once the world’s fourth-largest lake, has dramatically shrunk since the 1960s due to Soviet irrigation projects diverting its feeder rivers. The Aral Sea drainage basin encompasses Uzbekistan and parts of Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The shrinking of the Aral Sea has been deemed one of the worst environmental disasters, devastating the region’s fishing industry and causing unemployment and economic hardship. UNESCO has recognized the environmental tragedy of the Aral Sea by adding historical documents to its Memory of the World Register.
• The two rivers that feed it are the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, respectively reaching the Sea through the South and the North.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/02/13/aral-sea/