10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: January 1, 2021

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Virtual Agri-India Hackathon 2020 is being organised by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare in association with IARI, Pusa, New Delhi.
Statement 2 is correct. The hackathon will accept innovations & ideas on farm mechanization, precision agriculture, supply chain & food technology, waste to wealth, green energy, etc.
The 24 best innovations from different focus areas will be awarded a cash prize of INR 1,00,000 each.

Both statements are correct.
Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav is the national innovative initiative of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The objective of this scheme are:
–To provide farmers with required information, knowledge and advisories on regular basis by adopting villages.
–To promote the direct interface of scientists with the farmers to hasten the lab to land process.
–To ensure that farmers benefit from best farm practices by providing required information, knowledge and advisories on regular basis by adopting villages
–To create awareness among farmers about the organisations and their programmes and schemes as well as government policies related to the farming sector.

To provide a major boost to manufacturing, the government has launched Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for 13 sectors, 3 sectors in March 2020 and 10 sectors in November 2020 with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore over the next five years.
The sectors are (i) Automobiles and Auto Components, (ii) Pharmaceuticals Drugs, (iii) Specialty Steel, (iv) Telecom & Networking Products, (v) Electronic/Technology Products, (vi) White Goods (ACs and LEDs), (vii) Food Products, (viii) Textile Products: MMF segment and technical textiles, (ix) High efficiency solar PV modules, and (x) Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery (xi) Medical devices (xii) Large scale electronics manufacturing including mobile phones (xiii) Critical Key Starting materials /Drug intermediaries and APIs.
The PLI schemes will be implemented by the concerned ministries/departments and will be within the overall financial limits prescribed.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) is an initiative by National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
Statement 2 is correct. DST has nominated Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT B to implement Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) to source and support startups having solutions to fight pandemic COVID-19 by way of funding. SINE will be supported by Indian STEPs and Business Incubator Association (ISBA) in the implementation of the program.
CAWACH supports innovations in the areas of diagnostics, devices, informatics including bio-informatics & information management systems, any intervention for the control of COVID-19 and/or startup ideas to address/mitigate various challenges faced by country/society due to the severe impact of COVID-19.
# India has emerged globally as the second-largest Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacturer [PIB].

Statement 1 is incorrect. National Solar Mission have driven the grid connected solar power installed capacity from 25 MW in the year 2010-11 to about 36.32 GW as on 31st October 2020. An additional 58.31 GW solar power capacity is currently under installation/ tendering process.
The wind power installed capacity has grown by 1.8 times during past 6.5 years to about 38.26 GW (as on 31st October 2020) and India now has the 4th largest wind power capacity in the world.
Statement 2 is correct. As on 31st October 2020, India’s total renewable energy installed capacity (excluding hydropower above 25 MW) had reached over 89.63 GW. During the last 6 years, India has witnessed the fastest rate of growth in renewable energy capacity addition among all large economies, with renewable energy capacity growing by 2.5 times and solar energy expanding by over 13 times. Renewable energy now constitutes over 24 per cent of the country’s installed power capacity and around 11.62 percent of the electrical energy generation.
If large hydro is included, the share of renewable energy in electric installed capacity would be over 36 percent and over 26 percent of the electric energy generation.

Both statements are correct.
The Laser Dazzler is used as a non-lethal method for warning and stopping suspicious vehicles/boats/aircrafts/UAVs/pirates etc. from approaching secured areas during both day and night.
It is capable of dazzle and thereby suppress the person’s/optical sensor’s action with disability glare in case of non-compliance to orders. It disorient/ confuse/blind a person temporarily. It also dazzles and distract aircraft/UAVs.
# Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has signed a contract with Indian Navy for supply 20 Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation Dazlers (Laser Dazzlers).

The Shoolpaneshwar Wild Life Sanctuary in Gujarat, bordering Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, derives its name “Shoolpaneshwar” from a historic temple of Lord Shiva, which once existed in this region on the banks of river Narmada.
The area is predominantly tribal with ‘Vasavas’ as the main tribal community. The local population heavily depends on the forest produce for socio-economic sustenance.
# The local tribals in the region are demanding a withdrawal of Centre’s notification classifying 121 villages around the Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Moringa (botanical name Moringa oleifera) is not an exotic plant in India rather is native to areas of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
Statement 2 is correct. It has seen a rising demand among the global consumers for its nutritional, medicinal, culinary uses. Globally, the demand for Moringa products, such as Moringa Leaf Powder and Moringa Oil, has been witnessing healthy growth. Moreover, international organizations and institutions are exploring the best ways on how to use Moringa as a nutritional supplement and in food fortification.
# In a bid to promote Moringa (botanical name Moringa oleifera) products exports from India, APEDA has been supporting private entities in creating necessary infrastructure.

Statement 1 is incorrect. China is the largest Coal producer in the world. India is currently producing about 729 million tonnes of coal.
Statement 2 is correct. Despite India being world’s second largest coal producer and being the 5th largest country in terms of coal deposits, with coal reserves which may last at least 100 years more, domestic production is not able to meet the demand of coal in the country. India has imported 247 million tonnes of coal last year and had spent 1.58 lakh crore as foreign exchange.
Statement 3 is correct. The auction of coal blocks for commercial mining was launched in June 2020 with 38 blocks in the first tranche. Out of 38 blocks, the auction process successfully completed for 19 blocks in November 2020.
# Commercial mining allows the private sector to mine coal commercially without placing any end-use restrictions. The private firms have the option of either gasification of the coal or exporting it. They can also use it in their own end-use plants or sell them in the markets.

Statement 1 is incorrect. It is compiled and released by Office of the Economic Adviser (OEA), Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), and Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
Statement 2 is correct. The monthly Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) is a production volume index. ICI measures collective and individual performance of production in selected eight core industries viz. Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement and Electricity.
Statement 3 is correct. The choice of the base year of ICI is according to the choice of base year for the IIP. The base year in the current series of ICI is 2011-12.
# The combined Index of Eight Core Industries stood at 125.9 in November,2020, which declined by 2.6 (provisional) per cent as compared to the Index of November, 2019.Its cumulative growth during April to November 2020-21 has been (-) 11.4%.