10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: June 30, 2020

Statement 1 is correct. “Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)” objective is to introduce nation-wide portability of ration card holders under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA), to lift their entitlement food grains from any fair price shop (FPS) in the country without the need to obtain a new ration card, by integrating the existing PDS systems/portals of States/UTs with the Central systems/portals, etc.

Statement 2 is correct. “One Nation One Ration Card” plan is implemented to enable the NFSA ration card holders to lift their entitled quota of subsidized food grains from any ePoS enabled FPS of their choice anywhere in the country, by using the existing/same ration card after Aadhaar authentication on ePoS device.

20 states have joined the ‘Integrated Management of Public Distribution System’ (IM-PDS) till date.

The Middle East Quartet, set up in 2002, consists of the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia.

Its mandate is to help mediate Middle East peace negotiations and to support Palestinian economic development and institution-building in preparation for eventual statehood. It meets at the level of the Quartet Principals (United Nations Secretary General, United States Secretary of State, Foreign Minister of Russia, and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) and the Quartet Special Envoys.

Statement 1 is correct. The World Bank Board of Executive Directors recently approved a $500 million Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program (STARS) to improve the quality and governance of school education in six Indian states (Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan). The initiative includes:

-Focusing more directly on the delivery of education services at the state, district and sub district levels.

-Addressing demands from stakeholders, especially parents, for greater accountability and inclusion.

-Equipping teachers to manage this transformation.

-Investing more in developing India’s human capital needs.

Statement 2 is correct. At the national level, through the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, and in partnership with the states of Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan, STARS will also help improve learning assessment systems; strengthen classroom instruction and remediation; facilitate school-to-work transition; and strengthen governance and decentralized management.

Statement 1 is correct. Open data is digital data that is made available with the technical and legal characteristics necessary for it to be freely used, reused, and redistributed by anyone, anytime, anywhere. The International Open Data Charter is a set of principles and best practices for the release of governmental open data. It was adopted in 2015, Mexico.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The charter has been adopted by Australia, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, France, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Republic of North Macedonia, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Sierra Leone, South Korea, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay and New Zealand.

India has not adopted the charter, but has Open Government Data (OGD) Platform that facilitates Government Organizations to publish their datasets in open formats for free public use.

Statement 1 is correct. Bharat Biotech has successfully developed COVAXIN, a vaccine candidate for COVID-19, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute of Virology (NIV). The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The COVAXIN is an inactivated vaccine and does not use live attenuated form of the SARS-Cov-2 virus.

The Drug Controller General of India – CDSCO, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare granted permission to initiate Phase I & II Human clinical trials after the company submitted results generated from preclinical studies, demonstrating safety and immune response. Human clinical trials are scheduled to start across India in July 2020.

Statement 1 is correct. Section 4 of the act provides legal recognition to electronic records and section 5 provides legal recognition to the electronic signature.

Statement 2 is correct. Section 43 of the act provides penalty and compensation for damage to computer, computer system, etc. It includes unauthorized access, copying, downloading, introducing viruses etc. and provides penal provision for the same.

Statement 3 is correct.  Section 69A of the Act states that where the Central Government is satisfied that it is necessary to do, in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above, it may block access by the public or cause to be blocked for access by the public any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource.

The ongoing cooperation between India and Bhutan in the hydro-power sector is covered under the 2006 bilateral agreement for cooperation and its Protocol signed in 2009. Four hydro-electric projects (HEPs) totaling 2136 MW are already operational in Bhutan and are supplying electricity to India.

The 720 MW Mangdechhu was commissioned in August 2019. Two HEPs namely, 1200 MW Punatsangchhu-I, 1020 MW Punatsangchhu-II in Inter-Governmental mode and Kholongchhu HEP (600 MWs) under the joint venture mode are under various stages of implementation.

India and Bhutan have recently signed a concession agreement on the 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydroelectric Project (KHEL). The joint venture partners of the project are India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) and Bhutan’s Druk Green Power Corporation Limited (DGPC).

Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project is proposed on river Mahakali known as Sarda which forms international boundary between India and Nepal.

Operation Twist involves simultaneous sales and purchases of government securities under open market operations of RBI with an aim to boost the economy by bringing down long-term interest rates.

Operation Twist normally leads to lower longer-term yields as the central bank purchases the long term securities, on the other hand, sale of short-term securities will push up the short-term rate.

The RBI will buy Rs 10,000 crore in longer-dated government bonds, while selling an equivalent amount in shorter-dated treasury bills. The auction will be conducted on July 2, 2020.

All of the above options are correctly matched.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched a Special Micro-Credit Facility Scheme – PM SVANidhi (Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbharNidhi) for providing affordable loans to street vendors. SVANidhi Portal will start accepting loan applications from Street Vendors from July 2nd, who can apply directly or with the help of CSCs/ ULBs/ SHGs.

A CSIR National Healthcare Supply Chain Portal Aarogyapath, which aims to provide real-time availability of critical healthcare supplies, has been launched recently.

SATYABHAMA (Science and Technology Yojana for Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Mining Advancement) Portal has been launched for Science and Technology Program Scheme of Ministry of Mines. Portal allows online submission of project proposals along with monitoring of the projects and utilization of funds / grants. The researchers can also submit progress reports and Final Technical Reports of the projects in the electronic format in the portal.

Both statements are correct.

Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) is a nation-wide Campaign launched by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment to provide universal accessibility to persons with disabilities.

Components of Accessible India Campaign:

-provide an accessible physical environment to everyone.

-providing persons with disabilities an equal right to travel and use public and private transportation infrastructure.

-measures to curb all societal barriers of infrastructure, and inaccessible formats that stand in the way of obtaining and utilizing information in daily life.