10 PM Daily Current Affairs Quiz | March 9 2021

Statement 1 is incorrect. Diesel-Electric submarines run on diesel and electricity. They have a large network of batteries which are charged by the diesel generator. They snorkel, which means, travelling just below the surface of the water with the periscope and the diesel generator exhaust pipe above the water surface. Once they charge their batteries, they dive into the ocean and run silently on battery power with the diesel generators shut down.

Statement 2 is correct. Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) allows a submarine to be submerged for longer periods under water. The AIP or marine propulsion technology allows non-nuclear submarines to operate without access to atmospheric oxygen (through snorkel or surfacing) and augments the diesel-electric propulsion system of attack submarines.

This means that the AIP fitted submarine does not have to surface for charging its batteries and remains underwater for long periods. The AIP is retrofitted into existing submarine hulls by adding an additional hull section.

#The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) recently conducted the final development test of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP).

In 1990, when the V P Singh led-government set out to implement the Mandal report, it was challenged in court amidst widespread protests against the move. The case came up before a nine-judge Bench and a 6:3 verdict was delivered in 1992.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Constitution bench verdict put a limit of maximum fifty percent on the vertical reservation.

# Reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes is referred to as vertical reservation. It applies separately for each of the groups specified under the law.

# Horizontal reservation refers to the equal opportunity provided to other categories of beneficiaries such as women, veterans, the transgender community, and individuals with disabilities, cutting through the vertical categories.

Statement 2 is correct. The court upheld the office memorandums that essentially implemented the Mandal report recommendation of 27% reservation to backward castes but it ruled that the creamy layer must be excluded from the backward classes.

Statement 1 is correct. The objective of the Stand-Up India scheme is to facilitate bank loans between 10 lakh and 1 Crore to at least one Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) borrower and at least one-woman borrower per bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise.

This enterprise may be in manufacturing, services, agri-allied activities or the trading sector In case of non-individual enterprises at least 51% of the shareholding and controlling stake should be held by either an SC/ST or Woman entrepreneur.

# As on 26.02.2021, more than 81% i.e., 91,109 accounts with an amount of Rs. 20,749 crore have been sanctioned to women entrepreneurs under Stand Up India Scheme.

Statement 2 is correct. Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) is a scheme for providing loans upto 10 lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises. These loans are classified as MUDRA loans under PMMY. These loans are given by Commercial Banks, RRBs, Small Finance Banks, Cooperative Banks, MFIs and NBFCs.

# As on 26.02.2021, about 68% i.e., 19.04 crore accounts with an amount of Rs. 6.36 lakh crore have been sanctioned to women entrepreneurs under MUDRA scheme since inception.

India played a prominent role in the formulation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 and much of the country’s National Development Agenda is mirrored in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

NITI Aayog has constructed the SDG India Index that tracks the progress of all the States and Union Territories (UTs) on a set of National Indicators, measuring their progress on the outcomes of the interventions and schemes of the Government of India. The SDG India Index is intended to provide a holistic view on the social, economic and environmental status of the country and its States and UTs.

# The third rendition of India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index will be launched by NITI Aayog on 10 March 2021.

The following components are supported under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM):

–Development of in-village piped water supply infrastructure to provide tap water connection to every rural household

–Development of reliable drinking water sources and/ or augmentation of existing sources to provide long-term sustainability of water supply system

–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

–Retrofitting of completed and ongoing schemes to provide FHTCs at minimum service level of 55 lpcd;

–Greywater management

# Ministry of Jal Shakti is also running a 100 day campaign to provide tap water connections in schools, anganwadi centres (AWCs) and Ashramshalas under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Both statements are correct.

The Central Government launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy to tackle the air pollution problem with targets to achieve 20% to 30% reduction in Particulate Matter concentrations by 2024 keeping 2017 as the base year for the comparison of concentration.

Under NCAP, 122 non-attainment cities have been identified across the country based on the Air Quality data from 2014-2018. The city specific action plans have been prepared which, inter-alia, include measures for strengthening the monitoring network, reducing vehicular/industrial emissions, increasing public awareness etc.

# The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment, Forests and Climate Change and Science and Technology, in its report on the demand for grants of the ministry said that the government reduced its 2020-21 budgetary allocation for the ministry by 35 per cent in its revised estimates due to “adverse effects’’ of the Covid 19 pandemic, which resulted in non-release of funds in “all proposed activities mentioned in the Annual Plan of Operations’’ of various schemes.

Afghanistan, a mountainous landlocked republic in Central Asia is bordered by Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to the north, Iran in west, Pakistan in east and south and it has a small stretch of border in north east with both China and India (disputed because in Pakistan occupied Kashmir).

Toda Tribe is an ancient tribe of Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu. The todas have their own language. They have their own secretive customs and regulations. Todas worship nature like hill gods, Lord Amodr (the realm of the dead) & Goddess Teikirzi.

Toda way of life The Toda culture revolves around their cattle herds and the dairy temples. Each of the six grades of temple dairies has its cattle herd of sacred buffaloes and an exclusive array of varied rituals.

Toda community is well known for its embroidery garments which were also highlighted recently by the Prime Minister on occasion of the International Women’s Day. This is made usually by women using red and black threads on a white background giving a rich effect.

The UNEP Food Waste Index Report aims at supporting the goals of SDG 12.3; it aims to halve global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses, including post-harvest losses, along supply chains by 2030. The food waste amounted to a whopping 931 million tonnes of food sold to households, retailers and restaurants.

The fact that substantial amounts of food are produced but not eaten by humans has substantial negative impacts: environmentally, socially and economically. Estimates suggest that 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with food that is not consumed.

Red Fort Complex, Delhi (2007) and Champaner-Pavagarh Archaeological Park (2004) are among the 38 UNESCO recognized World Heritage Sites in India.

At present, India has 42 sites listed under Tentative List which is a pre-requisite condition for inscription as World Heritage Site. ‘Dholavira: A Harappan City’ has been submitted for nomination of World Heritage Site in 2019-2020. Nomination dossiers of ‘Santiniketan, India’ and ‘Sacred Ensemble of Hoysalas’ have been submitted to UNESCO for the year 2021-22 cycle.