10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: September 24, 2020

Both statements are correct.

Pusa Compost/Decomposer Technology is a microbial-based strategy (liquid formulation & capsules) which degrades the waste (pit or windrows) and converts into nutrient-enriched compost. This is an eco-friendly and environmentally useful technology.

It involves making a liquid formulation using fermented farm inputs, and then spraying it over the fields to ensure speedy bio-decomposition of crop stubble. At an estimated cost of Rs 20 per acre, the technology can effectively deal with 4-5 tonnes of raw straw.

Research over the last four years in the farm fields in Punjab and Haryana have shown positive results on the benefit of using this approach for reducing the need for crop stubble burning and at the same time reducing fertilizer consumption and increasing farm productivity.

Essential Commodities listed under the Schedule of the Essential Commodities Act are:

Drugs (meaning assigned to it in clause (b) of section 3 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940);

-fertilizer, whether inorganic, organic or mixed;

-foodstuffs, including edible oilseeds and oils;

-hank yarn made wholly from cotton;

-petroleum and petroleum products;

-raw jute HI jute textiles;

-seeds of food-crops and seeds of fruits and vegetables; seeds of cattle fodder; jute seeds and cotton seed.

# On March 13, the Union consumer affairs ministry had declared face masks and hand sanitisers as essential commodities till June 30 to boost supply and prevent hoarding of these items in its fight to check the spread of coronavirus.

Statement 1 is incorrect. “KRITAGYA” has been planned by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP).

Students, faculties and innovators/entrepreneurs from any university / technical institution across the country can apply and participate in the event in the form of a group.

Statement 2 is correct. The hackathon is aimed at promoting potential technology solutions for enhancing farm mechanization with special emphasis on women friendly equipments.

Statement 1 is correct. The objective of the National Agricultural Higher Education Project is to support participating agricultural universities and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in providing more relevant and higher quality education to Agricultural University students. There are three components to the project:

Component 1: Support to Agricultural Universities.

Component 2: Investments in ICAR for leadership in Agricultural Higher Education.

Component 3: Project Implementation Unit: The objective of this component is to administer, supervise, monitor and evaluate overall project implementation. Whole activities of the project would be managed by a central Project Implementation Unit (PIU) which is established at the Education Division of ICAR.

Statement 2 is incorrect. NAHEP has been formulated by ICAR for five years starting from 2017-18. The project is proposed on 50:50 cost sharing basis between the World Bank and the Government of India, implemented at the Education Division, ICAR.

Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 seeks to provide for regulation, operation and planning of major ports in India and provide greater autonomy to these ports.  It seeks to replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963.

Statement 1 is correct. The Bill will apply to the major ports of Chennai, Cochin, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Kandla, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Mangalore, Mormugao, Paradip, V.O. Chidambaranar, and Vishakhapatnam.

Statement 2 is correct. The Bill provides for the creation of a Board of Major Port Authority for each major port.  These Boards will replace the existing Port Trusts of 1963 Act.

The Board will comprise of a Chairperson and a deputy Chairperson, both appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a selection committee; one member each from (i) the respective state governments, (ii) the Railways Ministry, (iii) the Defence Ministry, and (iv) the Customs Department The Board will also include two to four independent members, and two members representing the interests of the employees of the Major Port Authority.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently successful flight test of ABHYAS – High-speed Expendable Aerial Target from the Interim Test Range, Balasore in Odisha.

Abhyas is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment of DRDO.

The air vehicle is launched using twin underslung booster. It is powered by a small gas turbine engine and has MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) based Inertial Navigation System for navigation along with the Flight Control Computer for guidance and control.

Statement 1 is correct. Carbon neutrality means having a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in carbon sinks. Removing carbon oxide from the atmosphere and then storing it is known as carbon sequestration. In order to achieve net zero emissions, all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions will have to be counterbalanced by carbon sequestration.

Carbon Neutral is also used to describe the state of an entity (such as a company, service, product or event), where the carbon emissions caused by them have been balanced out by funding an equivalent amount of carbon savings elsewhere in the world.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Carbon neutrality by 2060 is not one of India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) under the Paris Agreement. India has pledged following NDCs:

-To reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 33%–35% by 2030 below 2005 levels;

-To increase the share of non-fossil-based energy resources to 40% of installed electric power capacity by 2030, with help of transfer of technology and low-cost international finance including from Green Climate Fund (GCF);

-To create an additional (cumulative) carbon sink of 2.5–3 GtCO2e through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

# China has recently declared that it aims to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

Statement 1 is correct. The 1918 influenza (Spanish flu) pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin.

The conditions of World War I (overcrowding and global troop movement) helped the 1918 flu spread. The vulnerability of healthy young adults and the lack of vaccines and treatments created a major public health crisis, causing at least 50 million deaths worldwide

Statement 2 is incorrect. 1918 flu pandemic in India as a part of the worldwide Spanish flu pandemic severely affected Indian population. Also referred to as the Bombay Influenza or the Bombay Fever in India, the pandemic is believed to have killed up to 14 -17 million people in the country.

# The decade between 1911 and 1921 was the only census period in which India’s population fell.

Option 1 is correct. Fraudulently or dishonestly making use of the electronic signature, password or any other unique identification feature of any other person is a punishable offence under Section 66C of the IT Act.

Option 2 is correct. Cyber terrorism threatening the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India or to strike terror in the people or any section of the people is a punishable offence under Section 66F of IT Act.

Option 3 is incorrect. Section 66A of the erstwhile IT Act provide for punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc.

Section 66A has been struck down by Supreme Court’s Order dated 24th March, 2015 in the Shreya Singhal vs. Union of India, 2015.

Freedom in the World, Freedom House’s flagship publication, is the standard-setting comparative assessment of global political rights and civil liberties. Freedom House is a U.S.-based rights watchdog.

The Human Development Report (HDR) is an annual report published by the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and have a decent standard of living.

The World Happiness Report is a publication of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, powered by data from the Gallup World Poll. India is ranked 144 out of the 153 countries evaluated in 2020 report.

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) was set up in 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.