10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: September 19, 2020

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCOC), established in January 2009, is aimed at repression of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Western Indian Ocean Region, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

Statement 2 is correct. India has recently joined the Djibouti Code of Conduct/ Jeddah Amendment (DCOC/JA) as Observer.

DCOC/JA is a grouping on maritime matters comprising 18 member states adjoining the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, the East coast of Africa and Island countries in the IOR. India joins Japan, Norway, the UK and the US as Observers to the DCOC/JA.

Statement 1 is correct. The Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) between Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and India’s armed forces was signed recently.

The agreement will cover the reciprocal provision of supplies and services during joint exercises and training missions, UN peacekeeping operations, humanitarian relief operations, operations to cope with disasters in the territory of both parties or a third country, and evacuation of nationals of India and Japan from overseas in exigencies.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Exercise Malabar is a trilateral naval exercise involving the United States, Japan and India.

‘Dharma Guardian’ is the annual military training exercise between Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces.

Statement 1 is correct. The iconic Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognized voluntary eco-labels awarded to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism operators.

In order to qualify for this prestigious award, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria must be met and maintained.

It has 33 stringent criteria in four major heads–environmental education and information, bathing water quality, environment management and conservation and safety and services in the beaches.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Blue Flag programme is operated under the auspices of the Foundation for Environmental Education and is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark.

# Eight beaches of the country have been recommended for the coveted ‘Blue Flag’ international eco-label: Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Daman and Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden in Odisha and Radhanagar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Statement 1 is correct. Government e Marketplace (GeM), facilitates online procurement of common use Goods & Services required by various Government Departments / Organisations / PSUs. GeM aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement.

It provides the tools of e-bidding, reverse e-auction and demand aggregation to facilitate the government users, achieve the best value for their money.

Statement 2 is correct. Government has recently amended the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order, 2017 enabling nodal Ministries and Departments to notify higher minimum local content requirement for local suppliers.

Further, as per the Order, entities of countries which do not allow Indian companies to participate in their Government procurement for any item, shall not be allowed to participate in Government procurement in India for all items related to that nodal Ministry or Department, except for the list of items published by the Ministry or Department permitting their participation.

Statement 1 is correct. Pulmonary edema is a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs. This fluid collects in the numerous air sacs in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Pulmonary edema that develops suddenly (acute pulmonary edema) is a medical emergency requiring immediate care.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Pulmonary edema that isn’t caused by increased pressures in your heart is called non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema.

High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a life-threatening form of non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema (fluid accumulation in the lungs) that occurs in otherwise healthy people at high altitudes.

# There have been reports of risks of High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) to the soldiers deployed at Pangong Tso and other heights recently.

Statement 1 is correct. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims at providing Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household by 2024. The programme focuses on service delivery at the household level, i.e. water supply regularly in adequate quantity and of prescribed quality.

Statement 2 is correct. National Jal Jeevan Mission in partnership with Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITY) has launched an (Information and communications technology) ICT Grand Challenge to create innovative, modular, and cost-effective solution to develop a ‘Smart Water Supply Measurement and Monitoring System’ to be deployed at the village level.

The ICT grand challenge will be inviting proposal from Indian Tech start-ups, MSMEs, Indian Companies, Indian LLPs.

It will provide support at ideation Stage, prototype development stage, deployment stage. The pilot will be conducted at 100 villages. The successful developers will be given an opportunity to join the MEITY supported incubator/ CoEs for further nurturing of their solution.

Statement 1 is correct. “Transport Bubbles” or “Air Travel Arrangements” are temporary arrangements between two countries aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They are reciprocal in nature, meaning airlines from both countries enjoy similar benefits.

Statement 2 is incorrect. India has entered into Air Bubble agreements with 10 countries viz. USA, Canada, France, Germany, UK, Maldives, UAE, Qatar, Afghanistan and Bahrain, till 13.09.2020.

The Government of India has recently reviewed the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy in Defence sector.

Statement 1 is incorrect. 100 percent FDI is allowed: Automatic up to 74% and Government route beyond 74% wherever it is likely to result in access to modern technology or for other reasons to be recorded.

FDI up to 74% under automatic route shall be permitted for companies seeking new industrial licenses.

The existing licensees require mandatory submission of a declaration with the Ministry of Defence in case change in equity/shareholding pattern or transfer of stake by existing investor to new foreign investor for FDI up to 49%, within 30 days of such change. Proposals for raising FDI beyond 49% from such companies will require Government approval.

Statement 2 is correct. Foreign Investments in the Defence Sector shall be subject to scrutiny on grounds of National Security and Government reserves the right to review any foreign investment in the Defence Sector that affects or may affect national security.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Global Summit of NRI Researchers called Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (Vaibhav) Summit is a collaborative initiative by S&T and Academic Organisations of India to enable deliberations on thought process, practices and R&D culture with a problem-solving approach for well-defined objectives.

The virtual summit will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister on 2nd October’2020.

[The Hindu says it is being organized by Department of Science & Technology and Defence Research & Development Organistaion]

Statement 2 is correct. It is aimed at developing mechanisms for involving Indian Diaspora working in top universities and R&D organisations across the world, to further enhance the knowledge-base of Indian Research and Academic Institutions.

Summit aims to give an impetus to the objectives of Atal Innovation Mission by leveraging the collaborative experience and deep expertise of International and Indian subject experts.

Vaibhav summit seeks active support and ideation from Indian Diaspora for developing skills of Indian aspirants in alignment with the New Educational Policy.

The India-U.S. foundational agreement for mutual logistics support, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) was signed in 2016.

US-India concluded the third foundational agreement, Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), which is meant for secure encrypted communications, in 2018.

The Industrial Security Agreement (ISA) signed in 2019 is part of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).

The General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), which is for information safety, was signed in 2002.

The last one remaining is the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation (BECA).