[Practice] Monthly 10 PM Current Affairs MCQs – Subject-Wise -April 2021

SAMADHAN doctrine is the one-stop solution for the LWE problem. It encompasses the entire strategy of government from short-term policy to long-term policy formulated at different levels. SAMADHAN stands for-  

• S- Smart Leadership,  
• A- Aggressive Strategy,  
• M- Motivation and Training,  
• A- Actionable Intelligence,  
• D- Dashboard Based KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and KRAs (Key Result Areas),  

• H- Harnessing Technology,  
• A- Action plan for each Theatre,  
• N- No access to Financing.  

Read more about Left wing extremism in India  

AIM-PRIME Program aims at promoting science-based, deep technology. For that, it will provide training and guidance over a period of 12 months.

NITI Aayog launches “AIM-PRIME” to support science based startups -ForumIAS Blog

• National Knowledge Network (NKN) was established in 2010. Its objective is to interconnect all institutions of higher learning and research with a high-speed data communication network. It will be helpful to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaborative research.
• Implementation: National Informatics Centre (NIC), under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, is the implementing agency.

• Launched by: Ministry of Rural Development in 2016 launched it.
• Aim: The aim is to provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all rural families by the end of March 2022. People who are homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated houses are eligible for benefits
• Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries are identified as per the housing deprivation parameters and exclusion criteria prescribed under Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 2011. Gram Sabha verifies the eligible beneficiaries.  (Statement 2 is Incorrect)
• Target: The scheme had a target of construction of 2.95 crore pucca houses for eligible rural households by March 2022.
• However, the number of beneficiaries has been reduced from 2.95 crores to 2.14 crore after 81 lakhs were found ineligible as per Socio-Economic Caste Census(SECC)-2011.

• Monitoring: The programme implementation is being monitored not only electronically but also through community participation (Social Audit), Member of Parliament (DISHA Committee), Central and State Government officials, National Level Monitors, etc.

Read more:

National Policy on Electronics 2019 envisions positioning India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing. The policy aims to  address the shortcomings of 2012 National policy on electronics. The policy aims to produce of one billion  mobile handsets in India by 2025

Key objectives of National Electronic Policy 2019

• Enable flow of investment and technology leading to higher value addition in the domestically manufactured electronic products,
• Increased electronics hardware manufacturing in the country and their export.
• Generating substantial employment opportunities. Provide support for significantly enhancing availability of skilled manpower in the ESDM sector.
• Develop core competencies in all the sub-sectors of Electronics, including inter-alia Electronic components and Semiconductors, Telecommunication equipment, Medical electronics, Defence Electronics, Automotive electronics, Industrial Electronics, Strategic Electronics, etc., and Fabless Chip Design.

• Facilitate cost effective loans for setting up and expansion of electronics manufacturing units.
• Promote path-breaking research, grass root level innovations and early-stage Start-ups in emerging technology areas to solve real-life problems.
• Enhance understanding of cyber security issues/ concerns, risks and mitigation measures thereof pertaining to electronic products.
• Promote research, innovation and support to industry for green processes and sustainable e-Waste management, including safe disposal of e-Waste in an environment friendly manner, development of e-Waste recycling industry and adoption of best practices in e-Waste management.
• Proactive role of states in promotion of electronics manufacturing by providing conducive environment to promote investments.

Read more: National Policy on Electronics

Read more : PLI Scheme(Today’s 7 PM)

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Union Minister of Tribal Affairs launched the Anamaya Initiative — a Tribal Health Collaborative.

About Anamaya Initiative:

• Anamaya is a multi-stakeholder initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Piramal Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) are supporting it.
• Objectives:

• Anamaya Initiative aims to converge efforts of various Government organizations to improve the health and nutrition status of the tribal communities of India.
• It also aims to build a sustainable health ecosystem that will address the key health challenges of the tribal population.

Read More: Anamaya Initiative

Chief of Defence Staff operationalises the third Joint Logistics Node (JLN) in Mumbai.

About Joint Logistics Node(JLN):

• The JLN has been established with an aim of integrating the military’s logistics. Further, it aims to set up and improving the military’s war-fighting ability.
• This is the third Node to be set up. The two other logistics hub were operationalised in Guwahati and Port Blair in January 2021.
• Purpose: The JLN will provide integrated logistics cover to all three armed forces. Especially for their small arms ammunition, rations, fuel, general stores, civil hired transport, aviation clothing, spares, and also engineering support.
• Advantages: The JLN will also provide advantages like saving manpower, economic utilization of resources apart from financial savings.

Read more: Joint Logistics Node

 MGNREG Scheme:  

• MGNREGS is one of the largest work guarantee programmes in the world.  
• Launched in: The scheme was initially launched in the 200 most backward rural districts of the country in 2006-07. The scheme was later extended to the entire country from 2008-09 onward.  

• Under the scheme, every rural household whose adult member volunteers to do unskilled manual work is entitled to get at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year.  
• Implementation: Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Government of India in association with state governments monitors the implementation of the scheme.  

Key Features of the scheme:  

• Demand-driven scheme: Worker to be hired when he demands and not when the Government wants it.  
• Gram Panchayat is mandated to provide employment within 15 days of work application failing which worker is entitled to unemployment allowance  

Read More: MGREGS  

The Lilavati Award is an initiative of the technical education regulator, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and it aims to recognise efforts by AICTE-approved institutions to treat women with ‘equality and fairness’. 

Based on the theme ‘Women Empowerment’, AICTE finalized the winners from a total of 456 entries who competed across 6 sub themes, which include, Women’s Health, Self-Defense, Sanitation and Hygiene, Literacy, Women Entrepreneurship, and Legal Awareness. 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has the unique distinction of being the only grant-giving agency in the country which has been vested with two responsibilities: that of providing funds and that of coordination, determination and maintenance of standards in institutions of higher education. 

 The UGC`s mandate includes: 

–Promoting and coordinating university education. 

–Determining and maintaining standards of teaching, examination and research in universities. 

–Framing regulations on minimum standards of education. 

–Monitoring developments in the field of collegiate and university education; disbursing grants to the universities and colleges. 

–Serving as a vital link between the Union and state governments and institutions of higher learning. 

–Advising the Central and State governments on the measures necessary for improvement of university education. 

DIKSHA is a unique initiative which leverages existing highly scalable and flexible digital infrastructures, while keeping teachers at the center. It is built considering the whole teacher’s life cycle – from the time student teachers enroll in Teacher Education Institutes (TEIs) to after they retire as teachers. 

It can be accessed after scanning the QR code provided in their NCERT books. Students having access to DIKSHA app will be able to understand concepts in easy and interactive manner.  

There are features through which lessons can be revised Parents having access to DIKSHA app in their mobiles can follow classroom activities and clear doubts outside school hours. It is a comprehensive platform for hassle free interaction of all the stakeholders involved. 

States, government bodies and even private organisations, can integrate DIKSHA into their respective teacher initiatives based on their goals, needs and capabilities. 

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) was set up by an act of Parliament during 1972. 

MPEDA is given the mandate to promote the marine products industry with special reference to exports from the country. It is envisaged that this organization would take all actions to develop and augment the resources required for promoting the exports of “all varieties of fishery products known commercially as shrimp, prawn, lobster, crab, fish, shell-fish, other aquatic animals or plants or part thereof. 

Statement 2 is correct. The Act empowers MPEDA to regulate exports of marine products and take all measures required for ensuring sustained, quality seafood exports from the country. 

In 2017, the Government of India appointed a 10-member Committee of Experts headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India “to identify key data protection issues in India and recommend methods of addressing them”.

The terms of reference of the Committee were to “to study various issues relating to data protection in India”, and “to make specific suggestions for consideration of the Central Government on principles to be considered for data protection in India and suggest a draft data protection bill”.

The Committee submitted its report, along with a Draft Personal Data Protection Bill to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in July 2018.

In order to deal with the concerns of persons hailing from the northeastern states and residing in different parts of the country, particularly in the metropolitan cities, the Union Government (MHA) constituted the Bezbaruah Committee on 05 February, 2014. The Committee submitted its report on 11 July, 2014.  

It 4 recommended amendments to the IPC by creating new offences under Section 153C and 509A to deal with comments, gestures and acts intended to insult a member of a particular racial group. “It also suggested to make such offences as ‘gender-neutral’, ‘cognizable’ and ‘non-bailable’ with imprisonment extendable up to three years or five years with fine, respectively. 

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority was set up as an attached office of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (now Department of Pharmaceuticals since July, 2008) on 1997. It has been entrusted inter-alia, with the following functions:

–To implement and enforce the provisions of the Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO), 1995/2013 in accordance with the powers delegated to it.

–To undertake and/or sponsor relevant studies in respect of pricing of drugs/formulations.

–To monitor the availability of drugs, identify shortages, if any, and to take remedial steps.

–To collect/maintain data on production, exports and imports, market share of individual companies, profitability of companies etc. for bulk drugs and formulations.

The Union Government on 13th April 2021 had approved a significant streamlining and fast tracking of regulatory system for COVID-19 vaccines approved for restricted use by US FDA, EMA, UK MHRA, PMDA Japan or which are listed in WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL). DCGI will issue permission for Restricted Use in Emergency situation with, inter-alia, the following conditions:

–Vaccine shall be used as per the guidelines prescribed under National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme.

–First 100 beneficiaries of such vaccines shall be assessed for 7 days for safety outcomes before it is rolled out for further Vaccination program.

–Applicant shall initiate conduct of post approval bridging clinical trials within 30 days of such approval.

Statement 1 is incorrect. National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit organization (section 8 of the Companies Act 2013). 

Statement 2 is correct. It is working since 2003 for spreading the internet infrastructure to the citizens of India through the following activities: 

— Internet Exchanges through which the internet data is exchanged amongst ISP’s, Data Centers and CDNs. 

— .IN Registry, managing and operation of .IN country code domain and .भारत IDN domain for India. 

— IRINN, managing and operating Internet protocol (IPv4/IPv6). 

The Central Government had notified the structure of the National Startup Advisory Council to advise the Government on measures needed to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in the country to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities. 

It is chaired by Minster for Commerce & Industry. The Council consists of the non-official members, to be nominated by Central Government, from various categories. 

# Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri PiyushGoyal recently chaired the first meeting of National Startup Advisory Council (NSAC). 

Statement 1 is correct. The Eat Smart Cities Challenge aims to motivate Smart Cities to develop a plan that supports a healthy, safe and sustainable food environment supported by institutional, physical, social, and economic infrastructure along with the application of ‘smart’ solutions to combat food related issues. 

Statement 2 is incorrect. Shri Hardeep S Puri, MoS (I/C), Housing and Urban Affairs launched the EatSmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challengeat an online event recently.  

The ‘Eat Right India’ movement initiated by FSSAI under the aegis of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, has gone a long way in creating awareness amongst the people about eating safe, healthy and sustainably. The launch event of EatSmart Cities Challenge today was organized in association with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the aegis of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 

Option 1 is correct. SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) is an Indian Massive open online course platform. It a platform that facilitates hosting of all the courses, taught in classrooms from Class 9 till post-graduation to be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time. All the courses are interactive, prepared by the best teachers in the country and are available, free of cost to any learner. 

Option 2 is incorrect. The SWAYAM PRABHA is a group of 34 DTH channels devoted to telecasting of high-quality educational programmes on 24X7 basis using the GSAT-15 satellite. 

Option 3 is correct. The National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) was initiated by seven Indian Institutes of Technology (Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras, Guwahati and Roorkee) along with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 2003. It is one of the largest online repositories in the world of courses in engineering, basic sciences and selected humanities and social sciences subjects.

National Statistical Office produces the Women and Men in India Report annually. This is the 22nd issue in its series. The report consolidates the crucial socio-economic indicators that portray gender situations in the country. 

–India’s projected population in 2021 is 136.13 Crore with a 48.65% female population. 

–The projected average annual exponential growth rate of the population declined from 1.63 in 2011 to 1.27 in 2016. It is likely to further decline to 1.07 in 2021. 

–The projected sex ratio is likely to increase from 943 in 2011 to 948 in 2021. 

–A notable increase in the sex ratio recorded in Delhi (5.7%), Chandigarh (5.3%), and Arunachal Pradesh (5.0%). Contrary to this, Daman & Diu recorded a decline of 13% in the sex ratio. 

Statement 1 is correct. The Mission `AahaarKranti’ is aimed to spread the message of the need for a nutritionally balanced diet and to understand the importance of accessible to all local fruits and vegetables. 

It is designed to address the peculiar problem being faced by India and the world called `hunger and diseases in abundance’. Studies estimate that India produces as much as two times the amount of calories that it consumes. However, many in the country are still malnourished. The root cause of this strange phenomenon is a lack of nutritional awareness in all sections of our society. 

Statement 2 is incorrect.VijnanaBharati (Vibha) and Global Indian Scientists’ and Technocrats’ Forum (GIST) have come together to launch the mission with the motto of UttamAahaarUttamVichaar or `Good Diet-Good Cognition’. 

# The United Nations has also declared 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables. 

 Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India recently launched the “MANAS” App. MANAS stands for Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System. It is a comprehensive, scalable and national digital wellbeing platform developed to promote the mental well-being of Indian citizens. 

–The platform integrates the health and wellness efforts of various government ministries. 

–The application can be used for a person’s overall wellbeing and is supported by teleconsultation, especially for mental health-related problems. 

–There will also be health tracking and all data records will be maintained. It will help users during future consultations. 

Statement 1 is incorrect. National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an autonomous institution established by the University Grants Commission (UGC), under Section 12-ccc of the UGC Act of 1956, for assessing and accrediting higher education institutions (HEIs) of the country. It is registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act of 1960, Karnataka Societies Registration Rules of 1961 and is headquartered at Bangalore.  

Statement 2 is correct. The  University Grants Commission (UGC)  through a gazette notification dated 19th January 2013, has made it mandatory for Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to undergo accreditation.

 To enable our Armed Forces to conduct successful operations, it is essential that they be provided with sound logistics support during all stages of the war. Keeping these in mind, Chief of Defence Staff operationalised and dedicated to the Services 3rd Joint Logistics Node (JLN) in Mumbai through video conferencing from New Delhi on April 01, 2021.  

These JLNs will provide integrated logistics cover to the Armed Forces for their small arms ammunition, rations, fuel, general stores, civil hired transport, aviation clothing, spares and also engineering support in an effort to synergise their operational efforts.  

Government Sanction Letter for establishment of JLNs in Mumbai, Guwahati and Port Blair was signed on October 12, 2020. The JLNs in Guwahati and Tri-Services, Andaman and Nicobar Command, Port Blair were operationalised on January 01, 2021.  

Union Education Minister recently launched the “MyNEP2020” Platform of NCTE Web Portal. The platform seeks to invite suggestions/inputs/membership from the stakeholders for preparing draft for development of National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) and National Mission for Mentoring Program membership (NMM).  

The “MyNEP2020” platform will be operational from 1st April 2021 to 15th May 2021. This exercise of digital consultation envisages the participation of teachers, education professionals, academicians, & other stakeholders in preparing the documents on teacher policy for sustainable and positive change in the Teacher’s Education Sector.  

The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH&WC) Code, 2020 has been enacted after amalgamating of thirteen different labour legislations and to simplify the laws regulating the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions in establishments.   

Statement 1 is correct. The code empowers the state government to exempt any new factory from the provisions of the Code in order to create more economic activity and employment.  

Statement 2 is incorrect. The bill introduced in 2019 excluded mines from the definition of a factory. The bill passed in parliament in 2020 removed this provision.  

# The Central Government has constituted Expert Committees comprising of industry and subject experts from both public and private sector across the country to review the existing rules and regulations on safety, health and working conditions standards, pertaining to factories, docks and construction work. 

In a major push towards deep technology and driving the country to become a digitally transformed nation, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has launched AIM-PRIME (Program for Researchers on Innovations, Market-Readiness & Entrepreneurship), an initiative to promote and support science-based deep-tech startups & ventures across India.

In this regard, AIM has joined hands with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to launch this nationwide program which will be implemented by Venture Center – a non-profit technology business incubator.

The first cohort of the program is open to technology developers (early-stage deep tech start-ups, and scientists/ engineers/ clinicians) with strong science-based deep tech business ideas. The program is also open to CEOs and Senior incubation managers of AIM Funded Atal Incubation Centers that are supporting deep tech entrepreneurs.

The Government of India has announced the fourth phase of its New Covid-19 vaccine policy. This phase expands its vaccination coverage to everyone aged 18 and older from May 1.

• Under the new rules, the Centre will automatically receive only 50% of vaccines produced by manufacturers.
• The remaining 50% can be acquired by the states directly or by private hospitals and industrial establishments at a price.

Read More: India’s “New Covid-19 vaccine policy”

What is MGNREGA?

• The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is an employment guarantee act.
• It was introduced in 2005 through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005.

• In 2010, NREGA renamed as MGNREGA.

Objectives:

• To provide guaranteed 100 days of wage employment per year to each rural household
• Creation of durable rural assets
• Social inclusion of women, SCs and STs

• Strengthen the Panchayati Raj Institutions

Key Features:

• Demand driven scheme: Worker to be hired when he demands and not when the Government wants it.
• Gram Panchayat is mandated to provide employment with 15 days of work application, failing which worker is entitled to unemployment allowance
• Payment of wages within 15 days of competition of work, failing which worker is entitled to delay compensation of 0.05%/ day of wages earned

• Minimum one-third of the workers should be women.
• Wages to be paid according to the Minimum Wages Act 1948 for agricultural labourers in the State
• Social Audit to be done by Gram Sabha

NITI Aayog recently released a report on ‘Investment Opportunities in India’s Healthcare Sector’ outlining the range of investment opportunities in various segments of India’s healthcare sector, including hospitals, medical devices and equipment, health insurance, telemedicine, home healthcare and medical value travel.

— India’s healthcare industry has been growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of around 22% since 2016. At this rate, it is expected to reach USD 372 billion in 2022.

— The expansion of private players to tier-2 and tier-3 locations, beyond metropolitan cities, offers an attractive investment opportunity.

— India can boost domestic pharmaceuticals manufacturing, supported by recent Government schemes with performance-linked incentives.

— In the medical devices and equipment segment, expansion of diagnostic and pathology centres as well as miniaturized diagnostics have high potential for growth.

— The medical value travel, especially wellness tourism, has bright prospects, given India’s inherent strengths in alternative systems of medicine.

Statement 1 is correct. The PM Yoga Awards would be given in two categories – National and International. The awards would be given to entities with impeccable track record and outstanding contribution in the promoion and development of Yoga.

Statement 2 is incorrect. PM Yoga Awards were announced first in 2016. Due to pandemic of Covid-19, the applications for the award were not invited in 2020. However, this year like previous years, the Ministry of AYUSH (MoA) will be felicitating the achievers and unsung heroes and institutions of the domain of Yoga, from different parts of the country and across the world with the Prime Minister’s Yoga Awards (PMYA). The award will be hosted on the My Gov platform.

The JLN has been established with an aim of integrating the military’s logistics. Further, it aims to set up and improving the military’s war-fighting ability.  

Statement 1 is incorrect. National Policy for rare diseases, 2017 was not implemented. It was major concern that no policy is available for rare diseases in India.   

Statement 2 is correct. Definition of rare diseases is not uniform across nations. every country has its own definition for rare diseases.  

The US defines rare diseases as a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 patients in the country.  

Likewise, the EU defines rare diseases as life-threatening or chronically debilitating (weakening) condition. It should affect no more than 5 in 10,000 people.  

Statement 3 is incorrect. Policy is selective in providing financial assistance. It categorizes rare diseases into 3 categories.   

Read more -  Health Ministry Releases “National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021”-ForumIAS Blog  

Both statements are correct.

Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has initiated Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs), a sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri AWAS Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U). This will provide ease of living to urban migrants/ poor in Industrial Sector as well as in non-formal urban economy to get access to dignified affordable rental housing close to their workplace.

The ARHC scheme will be implemented through two models:

-Utilizing existing Government funded vacant houses to convert into ARHCs through Public Private Partnership or by Public Agencies

-Construction, Operation and Maintenance of ARHCs by Public/ Private Entities on their own vacant land

As per the Central Water Commission (CWC) report entitled “Reassessment of Water Availability in India using Space Inputs”, the average annual water resources potential in the country is assessed as 1999.20 BCM.

Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management including conservation and water harvesting in the Country is primarily States’ responsibility.

A number of States have done notable work in the field of water conservation/harvesting. Of these, mention can be made of ‘Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan’ in Rajasthan, ‘Jalyukt Shibar’ in Maharashtra, ‘Sujalam Sufalam Abhiyan’ in Gujarat, ‘Mission Kakatiya’ in Telangana, Neeru Chettu’ in Andhra Pradesh, Jal Jeevan Hariyali in Bihar, ‘Jal Hi Jeevan’ in Haryana among others.

Control of the interstate spread of infectious diseases falls under the Entry 29 of the Concurrent List under Schedule VII of the Constitution

CoWIN App and platform: This is a digitalised platform launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). It aims to help agencies to keep a track of the Covid-19 vaccination programme in real-time. Further, the app also allows Indian citizens to apply for a Covid-19 vaccine shot. Further, the app also provides a QR based Certificate once the person is vaccinated.

Read more: CoWIN App and CoWIN platform

Key features of MGNREGS:

• Demand-driven scheme: Worker will get the work whenever he demands and not when the Government has work available.
• Gram Panchayat has the mandate to provide employment within 15 days of a work application. If it fails, the worker will get an unemployment allowance.
• Payment of wages within 15 days of completion of work. In case of failure, the worker will get a delay compensation of 0.05% per day of wages earned.
• Minimum one-third of the workers should be women
• Wage payment should be according to the Minimum Wages Act 1948 for agricultural labourers in the State.

• Gram Sabhas conduct social audits to enable the community to monitor the implementation of the scheme.
• Both the Center and the States share the funding of the scheme.

• Statement 1 is correct: Project, launched by the Indian Army, aims to provide better training and educational facilities to disadvantaged Ladakhi students. Also, the projects aim to give them the opportunity to study in the best educational institutes.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The fire and Fury Corps of the Indian Army will implement the project. They will also have a partnership with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and National Integrity and Educational Development Organization (NIEDO), an NGO.

• World Earth Day is celebrated every year on 22nd April. It was celebrated for the first time in the year 1970. (Rio Declaration is signed on 1992)  
• World Earth day 2021 theme: ‘Restore Our Earth’. The theme focuses on natural processes, emerging green technologies and innovative thinking to restore the world’s ecosystems.  

Read More : World Earth day 

 The Madhukranti portal is an initiative of National Bee Board. It is operated under the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission.  

The main objectives of the Madhukranti portal are as follows:  

• The portal has been developed to achieve the traceability source of honey and bee hive products on the digital platform.  

• Also, the platform will help in checking the quality and source of adulteration of honey.  

Statement 1 is correct. The National Dairy Development Board — initially registered as a society under the Societies Act 1860 — was merged with the erstwhile Indian Dairy Corporation, a company formed and registered under the Companies Act 1956, by an Act of India’s Parliament – the NDDB Act 1987. The new body corporate was declared an institution of national importance by the Act. 

Statement 2 is correct. India is the world’s largest milk producer, with 22 percent of global production, followed by the United States of America, China, Pakistan and Brazil. 

According to the Petroleum and Natural Resources data the following states have the Coal Bed Methane resources.  

Oxygen is the third most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen and helium (by mass) and it’s the most abundant element (by mass) in the Earth’s crust, making up almost half of the crust’s mass. Oxygen is a gas at room temperature that glows a lovely pale blue colour when exposed to an electrical current. 

The greatest commercial use of oxygen gas is in the steel industry. Large quantities are also used in the manufacture of a wide range of chemicals including nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. It is also used to make epoxyethane (ethylene oxide), used as antifreeze and to make polyester, and chloroethene, the precursor to PVC. 

Oxygen gas is used for oxy-acetylene welding and cutting of metals. A growing use is in the treatment of sewage and of effluent from industry 

According to the 2017 data, almost 94 GW of coal-based power plants are planned (announced, pre-permitted or permitted) or already under construction in India.  Jharkhand has the largest coal reserves in India. This is followed by Orissa and Chattisgarh.  Together these three states has 68% of total coal reserves of India  

Scientists from MACS- Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) Pune in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR) have developed a variety of Soybean called MACS 1407 

The Great Bitter Lake in Egypt is one of several lakes located along the Suez Canal, which connects the eastern Mediterranean and Red Seas. As the canal is built only to allow ships to travel in a single lane, the Great Bitter Lake is a location where ships can change their position in line (like the passing lane on the highway) before proceeding to either Port Said to the north, or the port of Suez to the south. The lake also provides an intermediate harbor for ships traversing the Canal. 

Statement 1 is correct. Agriculture irrigation accounts for nearly 78% followed by domestic use 6%, industries 5% of water resources use in India. 

Statement 2 is incorrect. Only about half of India’s gross cropped area (198 million hectares) is irrigated. Groundwater contributes about 64 per cent, canals 23 per cent, tanks 2 per cent and other sources 11 per cent to irrigation. 

# As per the UN’s report on Sustainable Development Goal-6 (SDG-6) on “Clean water and sanitation for all by 2030”, India achieved only 56.6 per cent of the target by 2019.  

# As per the Niti Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index (2019), 75 per cent households in India do not have access to drinking water on their premises and India ranks 120th amongst 122 countries in the water quality index.

Four northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam share a 1,880-km border with Bangladesh, while Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh share a 1,640-km unfenced border with Myanmar. 

Generally, it is believed that Cape of Good Hope is the Southernmost point on African continent. However, Cape Agulhas is the southernmost point among all of the given points.  

Statement 1 and 2 are correct. The Suez Canal crosses the Suez isthmus in Egypt. It is about 193km (120 miles) long and incorporates three natural lakes. The Isthmus of Suez is the only land bridge between the African and Asian continents which used to form a single continental mass.

The canal connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas and divides Egypt from the Sinai Peninsula.

Statement 3 is incorrect. It was opened for navigation in 1869. Egypt nationalized the canal in July 1956. The Canal was closed few times; the last time was the most serious one when Egypt closed down the Suez Canal which trapped fifteen international ships in the canal for more or less eight years. The Canal was then reopened for navigation in June 1975.

# Egypt’s Suez Canal has been blocked by a large container ship. But it has been removed recently

With an area of 147,181 sq. km and a population of 29 million, Nepal shares a border of about 1850 km with five Indian States – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim. An estimated 6 million Nepalese live and work in India. As close neighbours, India and Nepal share a unique relationship of friendship and cooperation characterized by open borders and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture. 

Sadabahar is a dwarf variety of mango. It can be grown regularly round the year.

The dwarf is used to describe varieties or species of plants and animals which are much smaller than the usual size for their kind.

It is resistant to most major diseases and common mango disorders.

It is deep orange with sweet taste, and the pulp has very less fiber content which differentiates it from other varieties.

India shares 3488 Km of border with China that runs along the States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and UT of Ladakh.

Statement 1 is correct. The river Chenab (or Chandra Bhaga) is formed after the two streams the Chandra and the Bhaga merge with each other. The Chandra and the Bhaga originate from the south-west and north-west faces of Barelacha pass respectively in the Himalayan canton of Lahul and Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh. 

Statement 2 is incorrect. Chenab does not meet Sutlej in India. It meets with Jhelum and Ravi in Pakistan. 

The Bogibeel rail / road bridge is built across the River Brahmaputra in the Dibrugarh district, in the state of Assam in north-east India. The 4.94km bridge is one of the longest river bridges in the country. It will connect Dibrugarh in the south to Lakhimpur in the north. The River Brahmaputra runs to the north of Dibrugarh and spans 10km. 

The rail-road bridge was undertaken by the Northeast Frontier Railway, which is a part of Indian Railways. It was inaugurated in 2018. 

The Thwaites Glacier, sometimes referred to as the Doomsday Glacier, is an unusually broad and vast Antarctic glacier flowing into the Pine Island Bay.

Researchers at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg releases a new finding related to the melting of the Thwaites Glacier. They found that the melting was worse than previously thought.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a ‘normal’ monsoon for this year. In the agency’s parlance, normal implies that the country will get 96% to 104% of the 88 cm that it gets from June-September.

This quantity, called the Long Period Average (LPA), is a mean of monsoon rainfall from 1961-2010.

Both of these are close to the Chang Chenmo river in the Galwan sub-sector of the LAC in eastern Ladakh. While Hot Springs is just north of the Chang Chenmo river, Gogra Post is east of the point where the river takes a hairpin bend coming southeast from Galwan Valley and turning southwest.

The area lies close to Kongka Pass, one of the main passes, which, according to China marks the boundary between India and China. India’s claim of the international boundary lies significantly east, as it includes the entire Aksai Chin area as well.

The 5,600MW Barakah nuclear power plant (NPP) in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is the first nuclear power project in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is located in the Al Dhafra of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi on the Arabian Gulf.

The Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station is an out of commission nuclear plant located in the towns of Futaba and Ohkuma, 250km north of Tokyo city in Japan. Units 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the nuclear complexes were damaged in a series of events after the 11 March 2011 earthquake (Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake) and tsunami that struck the nation.

Odisha borders the states of West Bengal and Jharkhand to the north, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Andhra Pradesh to the south. It also has a coastline of 485 kilometres  along the Bay of Bengal. 

# Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) has accorded administrative approval for sanction of Rs 50.30 crore for developing all-weather ROPAX (Roll-on/Roll-off Passenger) Jetty and allied infrastructure connecting Kaninali in Bhadrak district &Talachua in Kendrapara district, Odisha under the Sagarmala initiative.

Statement 1 is correct. India’s first river interlinking project, connecting the Ken and Betwa rivers in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, is finally set to be implemented. After resolving their differences over sharing of water, the chief ministers of UP and MP on March 22 signed a tripartite agreement with the Centre.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The project aims to transfer “surplus” water from the Ken basin in M.P. to the “deficit” Betwa basin in U.P.

The Ken-Betwa project is part of the national river linking project which proposes to connect 14 Himalayan and 16 peninsular rivers with 30 canals and 3,000 reservoirs in order to irrigate 87 million hectares of land. It has the status of a national project, as the Centre will contribute 90% of the cost.

Statement 1 is correct. This zone is a seismically active area, so it falls into the highest Seismic Hazard Zone V.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The Kopili fault zone is a 300-km northwest-southeast trending fault. It is extending from the western part of Manipur to the tri-junction of Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Statement 3 is correct. The zone is associated with collisional tectonics because of the Indian Plate subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate.Subduction is a geological process in which one crustal plate is forced below the edge of another.

The Railways on Monday said it had completed the arch closure of the 1315m Chenab bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge. The Chenab bridge is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project (USBRL) and completion of the steel arch is an important construction milestone.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The largest freshwater lake in India is Wular Lake. Wular Lake is the largest lake in India. In fact, it is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia. It is situated in Jammu and Kashmir.

Statement 2 is correct. Chilika is one of India’s largest brackish water coastal lakes. Located south of the mouth of the Mahanadi River in unspoilt Orissa, this lake was once a bay of the ocean until it was silted up by monsoon tides.

The NDPS Act empowers the Central Government to permit and regulate cultivation of opium poppy for medical and scientific purposes. The Government of India notifies the tracts where opium cultivation can be licensed as well as the General Conditions for issuance of license every year. These notifications are commonly referred to as Opium Policies. Opium cultivation is permitted in the notified tracts in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Spices Board is one of the five Commodity Boards functioning under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

Purpose: It is an autonomous body responsible for the export promotion of the 52 scheduled spices and development of Cardamom (Small & Large).

Functions: The main functions of the Spices Board are,

• Research, Development and Regulation of domestic marketing of Small & Large Cardamom;
• Post-harvest improvement of all spices;
• Export promotion of all spices. Further, it will assist the exporters in technology up-gradation, quality management, brand promotion, research & product development;

• Development of spices in the North East;
• Regulation of quality of spices for exports through its quality evaluation services; etc.

Around 30 Countries from across the oceans have joined the GloLitter Partnerships Project to tackle marine plastic litter.  

• GloLitter Partnerships Project  was launched by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO). The Government of Norway provided initial funding for the project.  

• Aim: The project aims to help the maritime transport and fishing sectors to adapt to a low-plastic future. To achieve this goal, this initiative will assist developing countries to apply best practices for prevention, reduction, and control of marine plastic litter from those sectors.  
• Participating Countries: 30 Countries will be participating in the project. India is one of the participating countries.  

Read more: GloLitter Partnerships Project  

Statement 1 is correct. Ground Fires are more damaging than surface fires, as they can destroy vegetation completely. Ground fires burn underneath the surface by smoldering combustion and are more often ignited by surface fires.

Statement 2 is correct. On hill slopes, if the fire starts downhill, it spreads up fast as heated air adjacent to a slope tends to flow up the slope spreading flames along with it. If the fire starts uphill, there is less likelihood of it spreading downwards.

Pterosaurs are reptiles that are close cousins of dinosaurs, the first animals after insects to evolve powered flight. Pterosaurs disappeared 66 million years ago in the asteroid collision that also doomed the dinosaurs. While starting relatively small, pterosaurs eventually achieved huge dimensions, with wingspans reaching 35 feet (10.7 meters). 

Azhdarchid pterosaurs, the giant reptiles that flew in the skies nearly 65 million years ago, had necks longer than that of a giraffe (on average a giraffe’s neck is about 6 feet long). Now, researchers have reported a new finding about their long necks — that the thin neck vertebrae were supported by an intricate internal structure that is unlike anything seen before. 

# The results of their study were published in the journal iScience recently. 

Paleontologists have discovered the first-known fossil of a flying dinosaur with opposable thumbs. Nicknamed “Monkeydactyl”, the 160-million-year-old pterosaur likely used its dexterity to climb trees and hunt for insects and other prey. A team of international researchers unearthed the Jurassic remains in Liaoning, northeastern China.

The monkeydactyl is the earliest known animal with the ability to touch the inside of its thumbs to the inside of its index fingers, according to the paleontologists behind the discovery.

Statement 1 is correct. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. Genetic modification (GM) technology allows the transfer of genes for specific traits between species.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Bt Cotton is the only GM crop introduced in India in 2002. Bt brinjal was recommended for commercialisation in October 2009, after it completed regulatory evaluation in seven years, and is still under moratorium.

• Faulty Electrics: These are the biggest cause of workplace fires. Loose wires, overloaded plugs and machinery, old equipment etc. can all result in a fire accident.
• Flammable and Combustible Materials: Urban premises that hold any number of materials that are flammable or combustible represent a dangerous hazard.
• Human Error: When staff are not trained properly, they are at risk of making catastrophic mistakes. Accidents such as placing liquid near electrical equipment, burning food in the kitchen or spilling flammable liquids have occurred due to human error.

• Lack of awareness among people: In many accidents, it was observed that firefighting equipment was installed. But there is no knowledge training for the persons to handle the equipment.

The butterfly species Nacaduba sinhala ramaswamii Sadasivan discovered in the Agasthyamalais in the Western Ghats a decade ago has now found place in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.

Nacaduba is a genus of gossamer-winged butterflies. It contains many of the species commonly called “lineblues”. Line Blues are small butterflies belonging to the subfamily Lycaenidae and their distribution ranges from India and Sri Lanka to the whole of southeastern Asia, Australia and Samoa.

The Keoladeo National Park is in Bharatpur, Rakasthan is a former duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia.

The Ranthambore National Park is in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan is also a former royal hunting ground and home to tigers, leopards and marsh crocodiles.

Bandhavgarh National Park is spread at Vidhya hills in Madhya Pradesh.

Rajasthan Diwas is observed on March 30th every year to commemorate the formation of the state. It was formed on March 30th, 1949 when Rajputana was merged into the Dominion of India. Jaipur being the largest city was declared as the capital of the state.

 Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of around 70.13 sq km and lies on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River. It forms an integral part of the Laokhowa-Burachapori eco-system and is a notified buffer of the Kazairanga Tiger reserve. 

The sanctuary is home to the great Indian-one horned rhinoceros, elephants, royal Bengal tigers, Asiatic water buffaloes and more than 225 species of birds. 

Statement 1 is incorrect. Greater One-horned Rhino is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of threatened species. 

Statement 2 is correct. The goal of Indian Rhino Vision 2020 was to increase the rhino population in Assam to 3,000 by establishing populations in new areas. Rhinos are now found in four Protected Areas in Assam: Pabitora Wildlife Reserve, Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Kaziranga National Park, and Manas National Park. 

Wild-to-wild translocations were an essential part of IRV2020 – moving rhinos from densely populated parks like Kaziranga NP, to ones in need of more rhinos, like Manas NP. IRV2020 was established in 2005. 

The KatarniyaGhat Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Upper Gangetic plain falling in the Terai of Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. The KatarniyaGhat Forest provides strategic connectivity between tiger habitats of Dudhwa and Kishanpur in India and Nepal.

The sanctuary has a mosaic of Sal and Teak forests, lush grasslands, numerous swamps and wetlands. It is home to a number of endangered species including gharial, tiger, rhino, Gangetic dolphin, Swamp deer, Hispid hare, Bengal florican, the White-backed and Long-billed vultures.

1st statement is incorrect. India has not yet adopted the net- zero emission target.

2nd statement is incorrect. It involves balancing of emission by equivalent absorption. Whereas zero emission targets at no emission at all.

3rd statement is correct. There is no fix year to achieve the net-zero emissions target. Some countries aim to achieve it by 2050, others aim to achieve it by 2045.

Read more - What is Net Zero Target? |ForumIAS Blog

Pong Dam Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1983.

• In 1994, Government of India declared Pong Dam Lake as a “Wetland of National Importance”. In 2002, it became a Ramsar Site in November 2002 by government notification.
• Vegetation: The sanctuary area is covered with tropical and subtropical forests. Thus, it shelters a great number of Indian Wildlife animals.

Read More - “Pong Dam wildlife sanctuary”-27 Migratory Birds Found Dead (forumias.com)

Forest Survey of India (FSI) is a premier national organization under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. It is responsible for the assessment and monitoring of the forest resources of the country regularly.

FSI was established on June 1,1981. The Forest Survey of India succeeded the ”Pre Investment Survey of Forest Resources” (PISFR). PISER is a project initiated in 1965 by the Government of India with the sponsorship of FAO and UNDP.

FSI is headquartered at Dehradun in Uttarakhand.

It releases a biennial report called the State of Forest Report (SFR). The first ISFR released in 1987. So far, 16 biennial assessment of Forests has been done.

The last report was released in 2019. The 2019 report for the first time created a national forest inventory.

Forest fires occurs due to both man-made and natural causes

Man-Made causes include,

• Manmade fires are high particularly in places where people visit forests. People leave burning bidis, cigarette stubs or other inflammable materials inside the forest.

• Slash and Burn Cultivation: This is one of the major reasons for the fire in India’s Northeastern region.
• In some places, people deliberately cause a fire. For example, the recent fire in Simlipal National Park in Odisha is due to deliberation. Villagers set dry leaves to fire in order to collect mahua flowers. (The local people use these flowers in preparation for a local drink).
• Other reasons include, campfires, fireworks, mining works, etc can also cause forest fires.

Natural causes include,

• Volcanic eruption: Hot magma in the earth’s crust is usually expelled out as lava during a volcanic eruption. The hot lava then flows into nearby fields or lands to start wildfires.

• Heat waves: Increased temperatures due to global warming are making the forests more vulnerable.
• Climate Change: Massive fires in the Amazon forests in Brazil and in Australia are primarily due to Climate Change.
• Lack of soil moisture: It is also seen as a key factor. For example, the recent Uttarakhand forest fires are due to this.
• Lightning strikes, Increased heat waves can also cause forest fires.

Statement 1 is correct. Mahendragiri hill has many water streams and the origin of the Mahendratanaya River.  

Statement 2 is incorrect. Odisha government has moved a proposal to declare is as a biosphere reserve. Also, Similipal Biosphere Reserve was Odisha’s first such reserve and was notified in 1996.  

Read more  -  

Blue Nature Alliance has been launched with a goal to restore 7 million square miles of ocean in five years.

• Blue Nature Alliance is a global partnership. It was founded and led by Conservation International, Pew Charitable Trusts,  Global Environment  Facility  (GEF), Minderoo Foundation and Rob & Melani Walton Foundation.
• Aim: To safeguard global ocean biodiversity, build resilience to climate change, promote human well-being and enhance ecosystem connectivity.
• Target Oceans: The Alliance has started by targeting seven ocean locations. This includes Antarctica, Fiji, Canada, Seychelles, Palau, the Western Indian Ocean and Tristan da Cunha, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Read more: Blue Nature Alliance

• Statement 1 is incorrect: We will achieve net-zero emissions when any remaining human-caused GHG emissions (not just CO2) are balanced out by removing GHGs from the atmosphere in a process known as carbon removal.
• Statement 2 is correct: Climate Neutrality refers to the mitigation of all greenhouse gases (GHG), not just carbon dioxide. Note that carbon neutrality and climate neutrality are both different things. Climate neutrality is more inclusive while carbon neutrality only talks of carbon dioxide.

Statement 1 is incorrect. 2020 was one of the three warmest years on record, despite a cooling La Niña event. The global average temperature was about 1.2° Celsius above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) level.

Statement 2 is correct. Since record-taking started in 1993 using the satellite altimeter, sea-level has been rising. However, there was a blip in summer of 2020 that recorded a drop in sea level. The WMO report says it is due to the La Niña induced cooling.

Statement 3 is correct. Not with standing the economic slowdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, emission of major greenhouse gases increased in 2019 and 2020.  More to it, the level of greenhouse gas emission will be higher in 2021.

Net-zero emission is the method of balancing the greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere by the greenhouse gas absorption from the atmosphere.

In zero-carbon emission, the country will focus on limiting carbon emission. But in Net-zero carbon the country will focus on bringing the net carbon emission to zero.(Statement 2 is incorrect)

These are not part of the Paris Climate Agreement. In fact, the developing countries are arguing that the adoption of Net-zero emissions target will dilute the commitments of Paris Agreement.

Read More: Net-Zero Emissions target

• Statement 1 is correct: Many states have established Fire & Emergency Services through a statutory Act. These acts were based on the Model Fire Service Bill circulated by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

• Similarly, in some states, municipal corporations and local bodies are responsible for providing fire services.
• Currently, the National Building Code -2016 is the basis for fire safety norms in India. It covers the detailed guidelines for construction, maintenance and fire safety of the structures. National Building Code of India is published by Bureau of Indian Standards and it is recommendatory document. Guidelines were issued to the States to incorporate the recommendations of National Building Code into their local building bylaws making the recommendations of National Building Code of India as mandatory requirement.

• Statement 2 is incorrect: Fire service is a state subject and also has been included as a municipal function in the XII schedule of the Constitution.

Option d is correct. U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. would cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 50%-52% by 2030 relative to 2005 levels, in a clean break with the Trump administration policies on climate action. Mr. Biden also announced that the U.S. would double, by 2024, its annual financing commitments to developing countries, including a tripling of its adaptation finance by 2024.

• US president hosts the Leaders Summit on Climate on Earth Day.
• The summit coincides  with the fifth anniversary of the opening of the  Paris Agreement on climate change for signature.

Indian Patent Act 1970 is the only legislation that till date that governs patents in India. It first came into force in 1972. It was amended in 2005.    

The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks or CGPDTM is the body responsible for the Indian Patent Act.   

Section 3(d) of the Indian Patent Act 1970 does not allow patents to the inventions or minor changes to the known substance unless it differs significantly in properties with regard to efficacy. This means that the Indian Patent Act does not allow the evergreening of patents. (Statement 1 is incorrect).   

Compulsory Licensing (CL) is the method of granting permission by the government to entities to use, manufacture, import or sell a patented invention without the patent owner’s consent. The Patents Act in India deals with CL. (Statement 2 is correct)  

The Government of India has notified Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2021 . In India, the copyright regime is governed by the Copyright Act, 1957 and the Copyright Rules, 2013. The Copyright Rules, 2013 were last amended in the year 2016.  

It aims to ensure smooth and flawless compliance in the light of the technological advancement in digital era by adopting electronic means as primary mode of communication and working in the Copyright Office 

Statement 1 is correct. Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy (RECOVERY) trials aims to identify treatments that may be beneficial for people hospitalised with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. The RECOVERY Trial is currently testing some of these suggested treatments:  

–Regeneron’s antibody cocktail (a combination of monoclonal antibodies directed against coronavirus) 

–Baricitinib (an immunomodulatory drug used in rheumatoid arthritis) 

–Dimethyl fumarate (an immunomodulatory drug used in psoriasis and multiple sclerosis). 

Statement 2 is incorrect. It is a national trial being held in United Kingdom sponsored by the University of Oxford. 

• Statement 1 is correct: The TRIPS Agreement plays a critical role in facilitating trade in knowledge and creativity, in resolving trade disputes over intellectual property. The TRIPS Agreement has an additional important general objective: intellectual property protection should contribute to technical innovation and the transfer of technology. Both producers and users should benefit, and economic and social welfare should be enhanced, the TRIPS Agreement says.
• Statement 2 is correct: TRIPS agreement has expanded international copyright rules to cover rental rights. Authors of computer programs and producers of sound recordings must have the right to prohibit the commercial rental of their works to the public. A similar exclusive right applies to films where commercial rental has led to widespread copying, affecting copyright-owners’ potential earnings from their film

Statement 3 is incorrect: TRIPS is administered by WTO (World Trade Organization). WIPO is a UN agency

Statement 1 and 2 are correct.

Non-fungible tokens or NFTs are cryptographic assets on blockchain with unique identification codes and metadata that distinguish them from each other.

Unlike cryptocurrencies, they cannot be traded or exchanged at equivalency.

Statement 3 is incorrect. A bitcoin is fungible — by trading one for another bitcoin, and nothing in value changes hands. NFTs, on the other hand, are a class of cryptocurrency assets in which each item, or token, is entirely unique.

Most NFTs are part of the Ethereum blockchain. Ethereum is a cryptocurrency, like bitcoin or dogecoin, but its blockchain also supports these NFTs.

# NFTs can be anything digital (such as drawings, music, your brain downloaded and turned into an AI), but a lot of the recent trend is around using the tech to sell digital art.

The traditional vaccines consist of either killed or weakened forms of a virus or bacterium. These provoke an immune response that allows the body to fight off the actual pathogen later on.

RNA vaccines deliver genetic information that allows the body’s own cells to produce a viral protein. Synthetic mRNA that encodes a viral protein can borrow this machinery to produce many copies of the protein. These proteins stimulate the immune system to mount a response, without posing any risk of infection.

# COVID-19 mRNA vaccines give instructions for cells to make spike protein, that is found on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19.

# The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Bharat Biotech International are looking at bringing the messenger RNA platform to India after seeing its successful use in quick development of covid-19 vaccines by US-based Pfizer and Moderna.