Daily Current Affairs Quiz: August 08, 2022

ANSWER: D

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the seventh meeting of the Governing Council of Niti Aayog at Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre in the national capital on 7th August 2022.
• This was the first in-person meeting of the Governing Council since July 2019. The agenda of the meeting includes crop diversification and achieving self-sufficiency in oilseeds and pulses and agri-communities; implementation of the National Education Policy-school education; implementation of the National Education Policy-higher education; and urban governance.
• In the drive toward building a steady, sustainable and inclusive India, the seventh governing council meeting of the government think tank Niti Aayog is expected to pave the way for synergies towards a new era of collaboration and cooperation between Centre and states and union territories.
• As part of preparations for this meeting, the National Conference of Chief Secretaries was held in Dharamshala in June 2022 which was the culmination of the six-month-long rigorous exercise by the Centre and States.
• The conference was chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by the Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs, along with senior officials of the Central and State Governments.
• The statement said that the meeting is particularly important as the country enters Amrit Kaal against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and in light of India hosting the G20 Presidency and summit next year. The meeting would also lay emphasis on the importance of the Presidency for India for the federal system and the role that states can play in highlighting their progress at the G-20 Platform.
• The governing council comprises the Prime Minister of India; Chief Ministers of all the states and union territories with the legislature; Lt Governors of other UTs; Ex-Officio Members; Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog; Full-Time Members, NITI Aayog; and Union Ministers as Special Invitees.
• Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has boycotted the meeting.

ANSWER: C

• The Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman S Somanath has said that the maiden launch of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, SSLV failed to place the satellites in the intended orbit due to sensor anomaly.
• SSLV-D1-EOS 02 launched from Sriharikota launch pad had placed the satellites into 356kmX76 kms elliptical orbit instead of 356 km circular orbit. Due to which the two satellites remained unstable and are no longer usable.
• The ISRO Chairman has said the launch vehicle took off majestically at the intended time from the launch pad in Sriharikota. Its propulsion stages, overall hardware, aerodynamic design and new generation electronics, the separation system used for the first time performed very well.
• However, after reaching an altitude of 356 kms there was a failure of logic to identify sensor failure and go for the salvage motion. Hence the launch vehicle developed an anomaly.
• The ISRO Chairman has said that a team of experts will go deeper to find out the reason for this isolation. He emphasised that after a small correction and revalidation, SSLV-D2 will be launched very soon.
• The SSLV was carrying an Indian Earth Observation Satellite EOS-02 weighing 145 kg and AzaadiSat, made by 750 school girls to celebrate the 75 years of independence under SpaceKidz India, weighing 8kg.

ANSWER: A

• Lithium-powered battery expert N Kalaiselvi has been appointed first woman Director General of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• Kalaiselvi, who was heading council lab Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, is the first woman chief of the CSIR in the institution’s 80 years of history and will lead a network of 37 national laboratories, 39 outreach centres, three innovation complexes and five units with a pan-India presence.
• The CSIR has 3,460 active scientists supported by 4,350 scientific and technical personnel.
• Kalaiselvi’s area of research interest includes lithium-powered batteries, a key to the achievement of India’s pledge of net zero carbon emissions by 2070 the PM made at the COP26 in Glasgow recently.
• She is expected to lead the transition, with the government mulling changes to the Mines and Minerals Act to permit private players to mine a range of atomic minerals, including lithium.

ANSWER: C

• Adding a new dimension to the burgeoning Indo-US strategic partnership, US Navy Ship (USNS) Charles Drew arrived at L&T’s Shipyard at Kattupalli, Chennai for undertaking repairs and allied services.
• This is the first ever repair of a US Navy ship in India. This will give a huge boost to ‘Make in India’ & ‘Aatmanirbharta in Defence sector.
• Ministry of Defence in a statement said that the US Navy had awarded a contract to L&T’s Shipyard at Kattupalli for undertaking maintenance of the ship.
• The event signifies the capabilities of Indian shipyards in the global ship repairing market. Indian shipyards offer wide ranging and cost-effective ship repair and maintenance services, using advanced maritime technology platforms.
• Indian defence exports have seen a massive increase in the last four-five years.
• The exports, which were worth about 1,500 crore rupees in 2015-16, have now grown by 800 per cent to around 13 thousand crore rupees.

ANSWER: C

• Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya  Scindia and Minister of State for Civil Aviation Gen (Retd) V.K Singh inaugurated the First Flight of Akasa Air from Mumbai to Ahmedabad
• Mr Scindia added that over the last eight years India’s Civil Aviation industry has been completely transformed.  Under Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik- UDAN scheme, there are 425 routes and the government aims at increasing it to1000 routes and the number of airports will go up to 100 from 68 airports.
• Akasa Air is the 7th schedule airline with brand name of SNV Aviation having Corporate Headquarters at Mumbai with Boeing Max – 8 aircraft.
• Akasa Air plans to be a low-cost carrier with single fleet and all economy seats.
• Akasa Air is planning to expand its activities to 72 aircrafts in next five years which will significantly enhance the domestic aviation services in India.

ANSWER: B

• In Manipur, the Directorate of Handloom & Textile celebrated the 8th National Handloom Day on 7th August at the City Convention Centre,  Imphal. During the occasion, the State Textiles, Commerce & Industry Minister Nemcha Kipgen launched the Cluster Development Program in Manipur.
• The State Minister also distributed State Awards to outstanding handloom weavers and handicrafts artisans in recognition of their contribution to handloom and handicrafts in the State.
• The financial assistance of Rupees 2 lakh to Rupees four lakh forty thousand were handed over to State and National Awardees for producing their award-winning items on a commercial scale.
• The three Padma Shree Awardees were also felicitated and handed over with a cash award of Rupees one lakh and a shawl each.
• Minister Nemcha Kipgen said that under the National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP), twenty-one Cluster Development Programme (CDP), and one Mega Handloom Cluster have been sanctioned for Imphal East district of Manipur.
• It will create employment and a total of 46897 handloom weavers will be covered in these projects within the project period of 3 years.
• She said that the Yarn Scheme initiated by the State Government in 2018-19 will be continued further till 2026-27 and the State Government has registered some unique and indigenous handloom designs like WangkheiPhee, ShapheeLanphee, and MoirangPhee under Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 in 2014.

ANSWER: C

• The innovative Market Linkage scheme- PARVAZ possesses tremendous potential for uplifting the economic conditions of the farmers across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• The scheme was launched by the Government with an aim to create market linkage support for the shipment of Agriculture and Horticulture perishables being harvested in Jammu and Kashmir through Air Cargo.
• Under the scheme, 25 per cent subsidy on freight charges is given for carrying perishable fruits harvested in Jammu and Kashmir for shipment through Air Cargo. The subsidy is provided to farmers through DBT mode.
• Jammu & Kashmir Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (JKHPMC), the implementing agency of the scheme is regularly creating awareness among the farmers about the significance of this scheme so that ample number of them can take benefit from it.
• The documentation work related to the scheme has been made easy besides the subsidy for the farmers provided under the scheme is timely paid to the farmers.
• This scheme tends to benefit the farmers by doubling their income thereby ensuring their economic and social welfare the scheme the farmers will get the price of their produce directly in their bank account with no intermediary in between.

ANSWER: C

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted an expert group of Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to boost overseas flows into the country.
• The FPI Advisory Committee (FAC) will be chaired by former Chief Economic Adviser KV Subramanian and consists of 14 other members representing foreign banks, stock exchanges depositories and RBI.
• The FAC has been tasked with advising on issues related to investments and operations of FPIs in the financial markets, including measures to facilitate ease of doing business by FPIs in India.
• The committee will review investment avenues available for FPIs and to advise on the feasibility of new investment avenues.
• It will also suggest measures required to encourage FPI participation in the bond market.

ANSWER: C

• The Mukhyamantri Swavalamban Yojna (MMSY) launched by the state government is playing a significant role in fulfilling dreams of many aspiring women entrepreneurs. Till now, 1,969 units have been set up by women in the state.
• As many as 273 women of Kangra, 236 of Solan, 215 of Una, 209 of Mandi, 200 women of Sirmaur, 194 of Hamirpur, 184 of Shimla, 171 of Bilaspur, 152 of Kullu, 61 of Chamba, 48 of Kinnaur and 26 women of Lahaul and Spiti have benefited under the scheme.
• Suruchi Bhanu, a resident of Bhuntar in Kullu district, got a loan of about Rs 40 lakh for opening a gymnasium in 2021 and now, her monthly income has increased up to Rs 1.5 lakh.
• Sanjana Sharma, a resident of Ratti near Nerchowk of Mandi district, got a loan of Rs 11.50 lakh for her own restaurant and at present, she is earning an income of about Rs 80,000 per month.
• Under the MMSY scheme, a subsidy of 30-35 per cent is provided to women for setting up projects up to Rs 1 crore and interest subvention is provided at the rate of 5 per cent for three years.

ANSWER: A

• The regional hospital in Kullu has been presented with the first prize in the state under the Kayakalp Award Scheme for 2021-22. The Kayakalp Award is given for performing as per the national quality assurance standards (NQAS) in hospitals under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.
• The hospital Medical Superintendent (MS), Dr Naresh Chand, said a cash award of Rs 25 lakh was recently present to them at a function held in Shimla. The hospital had won the award earlier for the year 2017-18.
• The MS said the achievement could be made due to the efforts of the hospital staff. A committee had evaluated the hospital in various categories such as cleanliness, maintenance, security arrangements, disposal of biomedical waste and other facilities.