10 PM Current Affairs Quiz #44 December 21, 2019

Explanation: EChO Network, a national program to provide a template for cross-disciplinary leadership in India with the specific focus of increasing research, knowledge, and awareness of Indian ecology and the environment was launched yesterday in New Delhi by Prof. K VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. Speaking at the launch programme, Prof. VijayRaghavan said India has recently embarked on a number of national-level efforts to promote ecological and environmental research on the subcontinent; however, there remains a lacuna of trained scientists with interdisciplinary skills and collaborative mindset. We need to train a new generation of educators and students who can identify and solve problems in an interdisciplinary manner and who can listen to our natural world and tackle real-world problems in medicine, agriculture, ecology, and technology and I am convinced this network will inspire an entirely new approach to Indian education and exploration necessary for the post-technological world said Prof. VijayRaghavan.

Explanation: Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 programme was launched in 2005 by Assam Forest Department in partnership with WWF-India, the International Rhino Foundation, and US Fish & Wildlife Service. It aims to attain a wild population of at least 3,000 greater one-horned rhinos spread over seven protected areas in Assam by the year 2020.

Explanation: In 2017, pollution was responsible for 15% of all deaths globally, and 275 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years. India saw the most pollution deaths — about 2.3 million — a new report has found. The 2019 Pollution and Health Metrics: Global, Regional and Country Analysis report from the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) updates findings from The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, and provides a ranking of pollution deaths on global, regional and country levels. The report uses the most recent Global Burden of Disease data from the Institute of Health Metrics Evaluation. The top 10 countries with the most pollution deaths include both the world’s largest and wealthiest nations, and some of its poorer ones. India is followed by China in the number of pollution deaths, with about 1.8 million. The United States makes the top 10 list with 1,97,000 pollution-related deaths, while ranking 132nd in the number of deaths per 100,000 people.

Explanation: The Reserve Bank of India has announced that it will carry out US-style ‘Operation Twist’ to bring down interest rates. Operation Twist is when the central bank uses the proceeds from the sale of short-term securities to buy long-term government debt papers, leading to easing of interest rates on the long term papers. Operation Twist first appeared in 1961 as a way to strengthen the U.S. dollar and stimulate cash flow into the economy.

Explanation: Odisha Chief Minister has launched the ‘Jalsathi’ programme with the aim to ensure supply of safe drinking water to all households in the state. The JalSathi programme aims to ensure the supply of clean drinking water to consumers through piped water connections The Odisha government has roped in women volunteers to serve the people as ‘Jalasathis’. This will help boost the economic empowerment of women in the state. Under the programme, over 5,000 women will be engaged in Odisha to supply safe drinking water. The Jalasathis will be responsible for testing of water quality, facilitating new water connections and regularising connections, reassessing of demands, reading of meter, bill generation and delivery, collection of water charges and facilitating complaints redressal.