10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: September 12, 2020

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Streets for People Challenge is an initiative of the Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

Statement 2 is correct. The challenge aims to inspire cities to create walking-friendly streets through quick measures, in response to COVID-19.

As the lockdowns lift, cities face many challenges in providing safe, affordable, and equitable modes of transport that enable social distancing. Limited public transport options, narrow, crowded sidewalks particularly in market places and deterioration of mental health, are key issues that must be addressed on priority.

All cities participating in the challenge shall be encouraged to use the ‘test-learn-scale’ approach to initiate both, flagship and neighbourhood walking interventions.

The interventions can include inter alia creating pedestrian-friendly streets in high footfall areas, re-imagining under-flyover spaces, re-vitalizing dead neighbourhood spaces, and creating walking links through parks and institutional areas.

Fit India Mission, under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, along with the India program of the Institute for Transport Development and Policy (ITDP) have partnered with the Smart Cities Mission to support the challenge.

Option 1 is correctly matched. The Kunlun Mountains in China constitute one of the longest mountain chains in Asia. The chain forms the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau south of the Tarim Basin.

Option 2 is incorrectly matched. The Tarim River is an endorheic river in Xinjiang, China. It is the principal river of the Tarim Basin, a desert region of Central Asia between the Tian Shan and Kunlun Mountains.

Option 3 is incorrectly matched. Lop Nur, former saline lake in northwestern China that is now a salt-encrusted lake bed. It lies within the Tarim Basin of the eastern Takla Makan Desert.

The Indo-China War occurred in 1962. Before that, there had been a series of violent border skirmishes between the two countries after the 1959 Tibetan uprising, when India granted asylum to the Dalai Lama.

The war ended when China declared a ceasefire on 20 November 1962, and simultaneously announced its withdrawal to its claimed Line of Actual Control.

The Tashkent Declaration was a peace agreement between India and Pakistan signed on 10 January 1966 that resolved the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

In 2003, Indian sovereignty over Sikkim was recognized by China.

Statement 1 is correct. Recently the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) conducted the second edition of the States’ Startup Ranking Exercise, with the key objective to foster competitiveness and propel States and Union Territories to work proactively towards uplifting the startup ecosystem.

A National Report which highlights the vision, trajectory, methodology and the future roadmap of the States Ranking Exercise has been released. A State Specific Report for each of the 25 participating entities has also been released, containing a comprehensive analysis of respective ecosystem, which highlights strengths and priority areas for future.

Statement 2 is correct. Gujarat is the ‘Best Performer’ state, while Karnataka and Kerala are the ‘Top Performers’.

Statement 1 is correct. The ClimateSmart Cities Assessment Framework is a first-of-its-kind assessment framework on climate relevant parameters. Launched in 2019 by MoHUA, the objective is to provide a clear roadmap for Indian cities towards combating climate change while planning their actions within the city including investments.

The framework has 28 indicators across five categories namely; (i) Energy and Green Buildings, (ii) Urban Planning, Green Cover & Biodiversity, (iii) Mobility and Air Quality, (iv) Water Management and (v) Waste Management.

Statement 2 is incorrect. National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) with support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has established the Climate Centre for Cities. The Centre is implementing the ClimateSmart Cities Assessment Framework 2.0 and aims to support cities in driving climate actions.

The Economic Freedom of the World: 2020 report has been recently released by the Fraser Institute in Canada.

The index of global economic freedom ranks countries based on five areas—size of government, legal structure and property rights, access to sound money, freedom to trade internationally, regulation of credit, labour and business.

Hong Kong is ranked number one and the rankings of some major countries are Japan (20th), Germany (21st), Italy (51st), France (58th), Mexico (68th), Russia (89th), India (105th), Brazil (105th), and China (124th).

Both statements are correct.

JIGYASA is a student-scientist connect programme of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathans (KVS). Its objective is to extend the classroom leaning and focusing on a well-planned research laboratory-based learning.

Student Residential Programmes, scientists as teachers and teachers as scientists, lab specific activities/Onsite Experiments, visits of scientists to Schools/Outreach Programmes, science and maths Clubs, projects of National Children’s Science Congress and tinkering laboratories are some of the activities included under the programme.

Statement 1 is correct. Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) aims for development and conservation of indigenous breeds through selective breeding in the breeding tract and genetic upgradation of nondescript bovine population.

The scheme comprises of two components namely National Programme for Bovine Breeding (NPBB) and National Mission on Bovine Productivity (NMBP).

Statement 2 is correct. Rashtriya Gokul Mission components:

-Integrated cattle development centres ‘Gokul Grams’ to develop indigenous breeds including upto 40% nondescript breeds.

-Establishment of Field Performance Recording (FPR) in the breeding tract.

-Implementation of Pedigree Selection Programme for the Indigenous Breeds with large population.

-Establishment of Breeder’s Societies: Gopalan Sangh.

-Distribution of disease free high genetic merit bulls for natural service.

-Incentive to farmers maintaining elite animals of indigenous breeds.

-Award to Farmers (Gopal Ratna) and Breeders Societies (Kamadhenu)

Statement 3 is correct. Rashtriya Gokul Mission is implemented through the State Implementing Agency (SIA viz. Livestock Development Boards).

The 2020 Ecological Threat Register (ETR) is the inaugural edition which covers 157 independent states and territories. It has been released by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).

The ETR measures ecological threats that countries are currently facing and provides projections to 2050. The Ecological Threat Register analyses risk from population growth, water stress, food insecurity, droughts, floods, cyclones, rising temperatures and sea levels.

Report highlights:

-Over the next 30 years, 141 countries are exposed to at least one ecological threat by 2050.

-Country with the largest number of people at risk of mass displacements in Pakistan, followed by Ethiopia and Iran. In these countries, even small ecological threats and natural disasters could result in mass population displacement, affecting regional and global security.

-Today, 2.6 billion people experience high or extreme water stress – by 2040, this will increase to 5.4 billion people.

-So far, India received the largest amount of climate-related aid in 2018, amounting to the US $6.5 billion dollars.

Rogan painting is a centuries old art of cloth printing practiced in the Kutch District of Gujarat. A word of Persian origin, Rogan means oil.

Rogan paint cloth printing process: Castor oil is heated and cast into cold water and the thick residue is then mixed with natural colours. Then, using a stylus or blocks, this resultant paint is meticulously transferred on to a cloth to make floral, animal (peacock) and geometric patterns. The weather and density of the mix play an important role.