10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: October 21st,2020

Statement 1 is incorrect. NITI Aayog recently announced the establishment of a Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Center (CIC) with Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Statement 2 is correct. This CIC is part of the AWS CIC Global Program, which provides an opportunity for government agencies, non-profits, and educational institutions, to come together on pressing challenges, apply design thinking, test new ideas, and access the technology expertise of AWS.
The NITI Aayog Frontier Technologies Cloud Innovation Center will enable government stakeholders, start-ups, and local organizations in India to innovate and create new approaches to solving problems.
This CIC joins a global network of AWS public sector cloud innovation centers across Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Germany, South Korea, and United States.

The Ministry of Tourism brings out an Annual Publication called “India Tourism Statistics” every year giving details of international and domestic tourism, including details about the classified hotels etc. In addition, “Tourism Statistics at a Glance” is also brought out, giving updated and latest key statistical data.
Statement 1 is correct. Uttar Pradesh has drawn the highest number of domestic tourists in 2019, leaving Tamil Nadu behind. Last year UP was at number two.
Statement 2 is incorrect. In the purpose-wise Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in India in 2019, Leisure Holiday and recreation topped followed by Business and Professionals visitors

Jal Jeevan Mission is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
The components supported under JJM include:
–Development of in-village piped water supply infrastructure to provide tap water connection to every rural household
–Wherever necessary, bulk water transfer, treatment plants and distribution network to cater to every rural household
–Technological interventions for removal of contaminants where water quality is an issue
–Greywater management

Statement 1 is correct. Bharatmala Pariyojana is an umbrella program for the highways sector that focuses on optimizing efficiency of freight and passenger movement across the country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps through effective interventions like development of Economic Corridors, Inter Corridors and Feeder Routes, National Corridor Efficiency Improvement, Border and International connectivity roads, Coastal and Port connectivity roads and Green-field expressways.
# A multi-modal logistic park is being developed in Assam under the Bharatmala Pariyojna.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The Sagarmala programme aims to promote port-led development in the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is the investment of funds by an organisation from one country into another, with the intent of establishing ‘lasting interest’.
# FPI (Foreign Portfolio Investments) means only equity infusion, and does not imply the establishment of a lasting interest.
FDI allows the transfer of technology—particularly in the form of new varieties of capital inputs—that cannot be achieved through financial investments or trade in goods and services.
Human Capital refers to the knowledge and competence of the workforce. New technological investments lead to new skills gained and enhanced through training and experience boost the education and human capital quotient of the country. Once developed, human capital is mobile and has multiplier effect on the economy.
Many of these products developed by FDI led industries have global markets and can further assist FDI investors in boosting their exports from other countries..
# Total FDI inflow grew by 55%, i.e. from US$ 231.37 billion in 2008-14 to US$ 358.29 billion in 2014-20.
#FDI equity inflow also increased by 57% from US$ 160.46 billion during 2008-14 to US$ 252.42 billion (2014-20).

The CuRED or CSIR Ushered Repurposed Drugs online platform has been launched recently; it gives comprehensive information about the numerous COVID-19 clinical trials that CSIR is engaged in partnership with Industry, other government departments and ministries.
It provides information about the drugs, diagnostics and devices including the current stage of the trials, partnering institutions and their role in the trials and other details.
CSIR is exploring multiple combination clinical trials of anti-virals with host-directed therapies for the potential treatment of COVID-19.
Five clinical trials involving Withaniasomnifera, Tinosporacordifolia + Piper longum (in combination), Glycyrrhizaglabra, Tinosporacordifolia & Adhatodavasica (individually and in combination) and AYUSH-64 formulation are undergoing safety and efficacy trials. A key clinical trial of CSIR is the Sepsivac (Mw) against COVID -19 in partnership with Cadila.

Both statements are correct.
LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth. These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system — generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.
When an airborne laser is pointed at a targeted area on the ground, the beam of light is reflected by the surface it encounters. A sensor records this reflected light to measure a range.

The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project is a multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in Kaleshwaram, Bhupalpally, Telangana.
Its farthest upstream influence is at the confluence of the Pranhita and Godavari rivers. The Pranahita River is itself a confluence of various smaller tributaries including the Wardha, Painganga, and Wainganga rivers.
# The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has held that environmental clearance (EC) to Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) was granted ex post facto, after completion of substantial work, by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) “in violation of law”.

Mizoram is a mountainous region which became the 23rd state of the Indian Union in February 1987. It was one of the districts of Assam till 1972 when it became a Union Territory.
Mizoram has international borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, and shares domestic borders with Manipur, Assam and Tripura.

# Assam has had a boundary dispute with Mizoram for decades and several rounds of talks have been held since 1994-95 to solve the issue.

The Future of Jobs report by World Economic Forum maps the jobs and skills of the future, tracking the pace of change.
The report’s key findings include:
–The pace of technology adoption is expected to remain unabated and may accelerate in some areas.
–Automation, in tandem with the COVID-19 recession, is creating a ‘double-disruption’ scenario for workers. In addition to the current disruption from the pandemic-induced lockdowns and economic contraction, technological adoption by companies will transform tasks, jobs and skills by 2025.
–Although the number of jobs destroyed will be surpassed by the number of ‘jobs of tomorrow’ created, in contrast to previous years, job creation is slowing while job destruction accelerates.
–In the absence of proactive efforts, inequality is likely to be exacerbated by the dual impact of technology and the pandemic recession.