10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: May 15, 2020

Statement 1 is correct. To sustain the reforms of ‘End to End Computerization of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) Operations’ the Department of Food & Public Distribution launched the “Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)”.  It aims to introduce nation-wide portability of ration card holders under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA), through ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ system.

Statement 2 is incorrect.Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) portal (http://www.impds.nic.in/) provides the technological platform for the inter-state portability of ration cards. The Annavitaran portal (annavitran.nic.in) hosts the data of distribution of food grains through E-PoS devices within a state.

Statement 1 is correct. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Also known as the Pacific trash vortex, the garbage patch is actually two distinct collections of debris bounded by the massive North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.

Statement 2 is correct. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes. It was adopted on 2 November 1973 at International Maritime Organization. India is signatory to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

As per National Ocean & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA most ocean pollution begins on land, as much as eighty percent of pollution to the marine environment comes from the land.

Statement 1 is incorrect. SreeChitraTirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, an Institute of National Importance, of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), has developed a diagnostic test kit ChitraGeneLAMP-N that can confirm COVID19 in 2 hours at low cost.

Statement 2 is incorrect. It is not based on antibodydetection; it rather detects the N Gene of SARS- COV2 using reverse transcriptase loop-mediated amplification of viral nucleic acid (RT-LAMP). It is highly specific for SARS-CoV-2 N-gene and can detect two regions of the gene, which will ensure that the test does not fail even if one region of the viral gene undergoes mutation during its current spread.

Statement 1 is correct. Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology in which transactions are stored in ‘blocks’ and cryptographically linked to the previous block by a ‘chain’.

Statement 2 is correct.National Informatics Centre (NIC) has set up the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Blockchain Technology in Bengaluru, Karnataka, aiming to provide Blockchain as a service and allowing all stakeholders to benefit from shared learning, experiences and resources.

Statement 1 is correct. The Royal Commission on Labour under chairmanship of John Henry Whitley was set up in 1929 to inquire into the existing conditions of labour in industrial undertakings and plantations in India.

Statement 2 is correct. The Royal Commission on Labourreport in 1931 stated the need for systematic collection of labour statistics. The Commission recommended the adoption of a suitable legislation enabling the Competent Authority to collect and collate information regarding the living, working and socio-economic conditions of industrial labour in India.

Caveat:Today’s [15-05-20] The Hindu article mentions “… the Royal Commission on Labour, which gave a report in 1935” while the labour bureau website mentions “…The Royal Commission on Labour in 1931”, the Wikipedia source of the document and Oxford University Press website (https://academic.oup.com/ia/article-abstract/10/4/571/2711703)also cite 1931 as year of the report publication.

Laissez-faire (a French term that translates as “leave alone” or “let you do”) is an economic theory from the 18th century that opposed any government intervention in business affairs. It proposes that the less the government is involved in the economy, the better off business will be and by extension, society as a whole. Laissez-faire economics are a key part of free market capitalism.

Article 293 of the Constitution deals with the borrowing powers of states in India.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Article 293(1) states that the executive power of a State extends to borrowing within the territory of India upon the security of the Consolidated Fund of the State.

Statement 2 is correct.Article 293(2) states that the Government of India may make loans to any State or give guarantees in respect of loans raised by any State, and any sums required for the purpose of making such loans shall be charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.

Statement 1 is incorrect. MUDRA is a refinance agency and not a direct lending institution. MUDRA provides refinance support to its intermediaries viz. Banks, Micro Finance Institutions and NBFCs, who are in the business of lending for income generating activities in the non-farm sector in manufacturing, processing, trading or service sector and who in turn will finance the beneficiaries.

Statement 2 is incorrect. MUDRA loans are available in three categories. For small business, loan uptoRs 50000 is available under the ‘Shishu’ category and beyond Rs 50,000 and up to Rs 5 lakh under the ‘Kishor’ category. It also offers loans beyond Rs 5 lakh and up to Rs 10 lakh under the Tarun category.

Statement 1 is incorrect. COBAS-6800 is a molecular testing kit developed by Roche Diagnostics (a diagnostic division of Hoffmann-La Roche, Switzerland). It is being used as diagnostic test kit for COVID-19. It has been procured by the Government of India for testing of COVID-19 cases and is installed at the National Centre for Disease Control.

Statement 2 is correct. It isenabled with robotics that minimizes the chances of contamination as well as the risk of infection to the health care workers since it can be operated remotely with limited human intervention.

All are components of SagarmalaProgramme.

The Sagarmalaprogramme is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Shipping to promote port-led development in the country through harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes.

Components of SagarmalaProgramme are:

-Port Modernization & New Port Development

-Port Connectivity Enhancement

-Port-linked Industrialization

-Coastal Community Development

-Coastal Shipping & Inland Waterways Transport