UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 9 November 2024

Solution: c)

Python with PIM is effective in reducing data transfer bottlenecks, particularly in computational tasks, and offers energy savings in high-performance applications. Statement 1 is incorrect as it is not limited to graphical applications but can benefit various computational fields.

About Python Programming Language with Digital Processing-In-Memory (PIM) Technology:

• What it is: Combines Python with processing-in-memory (PIM) technology, enabling computations to take place directly in memory, bypassing the CPU.
• Need: Tackles the “memory wall” problem, where data transfer rates fall behind advancements in processor speeds and memory capacity.
• How it works:
  • PyPIM platform introduces new instructions for in-memory operations.
  • Allows developers to use Python to create software for PIM systems.
  • Includes a simulation tool to estimate performance gains from in-memory processing.
• Significance:
  • Reduces data transfer bottlenecks.
  • Accelerates processing for mathematical and algorithmic tasks.
  • Saves energy, making it efficient for high-performance computing needs.

Solution: d)

Statement 1 is incorrect because personnel discharged voluntarily are not eligible for OROP benefits. Statements 2 and 3 are correct, as arrears are paid in installments, with family pensioners and Gallantry awardees receiving them in a single installment.

About One Rank One Pension (OROP) Scheme:

• Definition: OROP ensures that uniform pensions are paid to personnel retiring in the same rank with identical service lengths, regardless of when they retired.
• Implementation year: The government approved OROP in 2015, with benefits retroactively effective from July 1, 2014.
• Pension Re-fixation: Pensions are re-fixed based on the average of the minimum and maximum pensions of 2013 retirees of the same rank and service length.
• Arrears: Arrears are paid in four half-yearly instalments, except for family pensioners and Gallantry awardees, who receive it in one instalment.
• Future revisions: Pensions will be re-fixed every five years.
• Nodal agency: Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence.
• Payment: Integrated within the standard pension, not a separate component.
• Exclusions: Personnel discharged voluntarily under specific military rules post-OROP implementation are not eligible.

Solution: b)

Statement 1 is incorrect as Urad is grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons in India. Statements 2 and 3 are correct because India imports Urad from countries like Brazil due to their complementary cropping seasons, and Urad cultivation has indeed expanded to tropical regions beyond South Asia.

About Urad:

• Scientific name: Vigna mungo, commonly known as black gram.
• Origins: Native to South Asia; widely cultivated and highly valued in India.
• Culinary use: Essential in Indian cuisine, often used as a dal and paired with rice or curry.
• Season: Grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons in India.
• Global cultivation: Also grown in tropical regions like the Caribbean, Fiji, Myanmar, and Africa, introduced by Indian immigrants.

Solution: c)

The CAQM was established to replace the EPCA in 2021, with an expanded mandate to coordinate air quality management in NCR and surrounding states.

About Commission for Air Quality Management:

• Origin:Established under the CAQM Act, 2021 for NCR and adjoining areas, replacing the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA).
• Aim:Coordinate and oversee efforts to improve air quality, prevent and control air pollution in Delhi-NCR and surrounding states (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh).
• Jurisdiction:Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

Powers:

• Restrict activities impacting air quality.
• Conduct research on pollution.
• Issue binding directions to authorities and individuals.
• Enforce compliance and take preventive actions.

Composition:

• Chairperson: Secretary/Chief Secretary rank official.
• Five ex officio members from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and UP.
• Three full-time technical members.
• Members from NGOs and technical bodies like CPCB, ISRO, and NITI Aayog.

Solution: d)

• The Gujarat government has introduced India’s first ‘Gujarat Semiconductor Policy 2022-2027.
• In Dholera’s emerging ‘Semicon City,’ Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) and Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) are establishing India’s first AI-enabled semiconductor fabrication facility with an investment exceeding Rs 91,000 crore.

Dholera, is being developed as India’s first Greenfield Smart City.

Solution: b)

Statement 1 is incorrect because ISM was launched under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), not the Ministry of Commerce. Statements 2 and 3 are correct, as ISM includes support for fabs, incentives, and IP creation.

About India Semiconductor Mission (ISM):

• Launch: Initiated in 2021 under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) with a budget of Rs. 76,000 crores.
• Objective: Develop a robust semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in India.
• Financial support: Provides incentives for companies investing in semiconductor and display manufacturing, and design capabilities.
• Focus on IP and Technology Transfer: Encourages the creation of indigenous Intellectual Property (IP) and supports the Transfer of Technologies (ToT).
• Key schemes:
  • Semiconductor fabs: Scheme to establish semiconductor fabrication units in India.
  • Display fabs: Scheme to support display manufacturing facilities.
  • Compound semiconductors & ATMP: Scheme for setting up facilities for compound semiconductors, silicon photonics, and ATMP/OSAT units.
  • Design linked incentive (DLI): Incentives to boost the design ecosystem in semiconductors.

Solution: a)

Shanan was India’s first 100 MW-capacity hydropower project. Statement 2 is incorrect because the project is built on the Uhl River, a tributary of the Beas, not directly on the Beas.

About Shanan Hydropower Project:

• Established: Commissioned in 1932, it is India’s first megawatt-capacity hydroelectric project.
• Location: Joginder Nagar in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh.
• River: Built on the Uhl River, a tributary of the Beas.
• Issue: Leased to Punjab for 99 years in 1925, the agreement ended in March 2024; Himachal Pradesh seeks ownership now, arguing that the land originally belonged to it.

Present Status: Under Punjab’s control, Himachal is seeking support from the Centre to secure the project’s transfer.

Solution: a)

Airships operate on the lighter-than-air principle, where gases such as helium or hydrogen, which are less dense than atmospheric air, provide lift. Unlike jet engines or Maglev trains (options b and c), airships use buoyancy instead of thrust or magnetism.

About Airships:

• Origin and History:
  • Developed as the first aircraft capable of powered, controlled flight in the early 20th century.
  • Initially seen as the future of travel until airplanes took precedence; notable incidents like the Hindenburg disaster (1937) further diminished public trust in airships.
• How they work:
  • Operate on the “lighter-than-air” principle, utilizing gases like helium (non-combustible) or, earlier, hydrogen (flammable) for lift.
  • Lift occurs as the gas inside the airship is less dense than atmospheric air.
• Buoyancy challenge:
  • Variations in buoyancy needed for cargo handling complicate airship operations; previously, releasing and refilling helium was unfeasible due to cost.

Innovative solutions involve water ballast or compressed gas systems to adjust buoyancy without excessive helium usage.

Solution: a)

Statement 1 is incorrect; Namibia’s northeastern neighbor is Zambia, not Zimbabwe. Statement 2 is correct; the Kunene and Okavango rivers are prominent rivers along Namibia’s borders. Statement 3 is incorrect as the Atlantic Ocean lies to Namibia’s west, not east.

About Namibia:

• Location: Situated on the southwestern coast of Africa in the Southern and Eastern Hemispheres.
• Borders: Neighboring countries include South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Angola; bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
• Topography:
  • Namib Desert: Stretches along the western coast.
  • Central Plateau: Located inland, transitioning from the coastal desert.
  • Kalahari Desert: Positioned further east.
• Rivers: Permanent rivers include the Kunene, Okavango, Mashi, Zambezi (north), and Orange River (south).
• Mountain: Brandberg, Namibia’s highest peak, lies on the plateau’s western edge.

Solution: c)

Statements 1 and 3 are correct. CAQM has the authority to issue binding directions and restrict harmful activities. Statement 2 is incorrect because CAQM’s jurisdiction is limited to Delhi-NCR and adjoining states, not the entire country.