Daily Current Affairs Quiz: August 09, 2022

ANSWER: A

• The Center of Food Technology, Allahabad University, has received patent for its ‘potato flakes energy bar’ which can meet the immediate energy needs of runners, growing children and patients with severe energy deficit.
• The patent has been granted by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trademarks under the Union commerce and industry ministry.
• According to Professor Neelam Yadav, head of the Center of Food Technology, the project to make potato flakes energy bars had been going on since long and patent was applied for in April, 2017, which has now been received.
• A 100-gram flakes energy bar has 365 kilo calories, 11-12 per cent protein and 4-5 per cent mineral content. This energy bar has a mix of dry fruits and is prepared in a drum dryer.
• Yadav said that the main ingredient of this bar is potato flakes prepared from the Kufri Frysona variety of potato. This variety of potato is grown in Meerut and Saharanpur region and is stored in the cold storages there.
• Yadav said that after getting the patent, the Center of Food Technology is in talks with several companies to share the patent for the commercial production of the energy bar.

ANSWER: A

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the 2nd Generation (2G) Ethanol Plant in Panipat, Haryana to the nation through video conferencing.
• It is part of a long series of steps taken by the government over the years to boost the production and usage of biofuels in the country.
• It is in line with the Prime Minister’s constant endeavour to transform the energy sector into being more affordable, accessible, efficient and sustainable.
• The 2G Ethanol Plant has been built at an estimated cost of over nine hundred crore rupees by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited.
• The project will turn a new chapter in India’s waste-to-wealth endeavours by utilising about two lakh tonnes of rice straw (parali) annually to generate around three crore litres of Ethanol per annum.
• The project will also contribute to a reduction of Greenhouse Gases equivalent to about three lakh tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent emissions per annum.

ANSWER: C

• Parliament has passed the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill 2022 with the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote. The Lok Sabha had already passed the Bill. The Bill seeks to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009, which provides for establishing central universities in various states.
• It also seeks to convert the National Rail and Transportation Institute at Vadodara into the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya which will be a central university.
• The National Rail and Transportation Institute was declared a deemed university. The Bill provides that Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya will take measures to provide quality teaching, research and skill development in disciplines related to transportation, technology and management.
• Speaking on the Bill, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted its importance, saying that the transport sector is an important sector in the economy. He said, railways, highways and waterways infrastructure will be pushed through the Gati Shakti master plan. The Minister said, a talented, well- trained and focused cadre is required to promote the vision of PM Gati Shakti.
• He said, the jurisdiction of the University is not only confined to Gujarat as it will cover the entire country. Mr. Vaishnaw said, Railways has made provision of 166 crore rupees for this University along with additional funds for infrastructure development. He said, over three lakh 50 thousand recruitments have been done in the Railways in the last eight years.

ANSWER: D

• The Ministry of Defence announced that the 12th edition of the Defence Expo, India’s flagship exhibition on Land, Naval and Homeland Security systems, will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• The event will be held between October 18 and 22, 2022. The theme for this edition is ‘Path to Pride’ invoking nationalistic pride and encouraging citizens to partake in nation-building through establishing a capable indigenous Defence industry.
• The five-day event will witness three business days followed by two public days. Live demonstrations showcasing the equipment and skill set of the Armed Forces, DPSUs and Industry will be held on all five days at Sabarmati River Front through active participation and synchronized efforts at all levels.
• The DefExpo 2022 will be held in a three-venue format across an area of 01+ lakh square metres at Helipad Exhibition Centre; inaugural event and seminars at Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre and Live demo at Sabarmati River Front.
• The exhibition is being planned with events such as Bandhan for forging partnerships between companies; seminars and webinars showcasing start-ups/MSMEs, including cutting-edge technology solutions for future battlefield; Artificial Intelligence in defence; student visits and showcasing Gujarat as an investment destination for aerospace and defence sector, etc.
• The exhibition is in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve self-reliance in defence and achieve export of $5 billion by 2025. India has successfully established itself as an emerging defence manufacturing hub with numerous international orders being bagged by Indian companies in recent years.
• The Indian Defence industry has been keenly anticipating DefExpo-2022 which is Asia’s largest event in the defence sector. It was postponed in March 2022 due to logistical problems being faced by the participants.
• The reforms in defence manufacturing are attracting greater interest from Indian Defence manufacturers and it is therefore anticipated that DefExpo-2022 would attract active participation from Indian companies.
• At DefExpo-2022, the participants will get an opportunity to showcase their equipment and platforms and also be able to explore the strengths and capabilities of the expanse of the Indian Defence industry for forging Business partnerships. The event will help boost investment, expand manufacturing capacities and capabilities, and discover avenues for technology absorption.
• The DefExpo-2022 website (www.defexpo.gov.in) is available to provide online services to exhibitors, besides hosting informative content about the various indigenous defence products and promoting heritage and leisure at Gujarat.

ANSWER: D

• Singapore’s iconic green site Padang from where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose gave the slogan of ‘Delhi Chalo’ in July 1943, will be declared a National Monument of Singapore on the city state’s National Day.
• The iconic site will be the first green, open space to join a list of 74 other national monuments of Singapore.
• According to the National Heritage Board (NHB), the monument will be preserved and accorded the highest level of protection in Singapore under the Preservation of Monuments Act in view of its strong national, historical and social significance.
• The historic site is associated with key milestones in Singapore’s history, including the victory parade celebrating the formal surrender of the Japanese in Singapore on September 12, 1945; the victory rally of the first fully elected Legislative Assembly on June 3, 1959; the installation of Yusof Ishak as the first Malayan-born Yang di-Pertuan Negara (head of state) and the unveiling of National Symbols on December 3, 1959 as well as the inaugural National Day Parade on August 9, 1966.
• The Padang is also one of Singapore’s oldest spaces for public recreation and celebrations, and has been hosting sporting events from the early colonial period. Professor Rajesh Rai, Head, South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore, elaborated on the Padang’s link to Indian National Army (INA).

ANSWER: C

• Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said the Central and State Governments are working together all-around to upgrade Agriculture.
• Tomar was speaking after laying the foundation stone of the Indo-Israel Center of Excellence for Vegetables in Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh through video conferencing.
• The establishment of this center will play an important role in the development of the Chandauli district as well as the Purvanchal region.
• The climate of Chandauli district, which is known as the rice bowl of UP, is suitable for setting up the Center of Excellence for Vegetables.
• There are 9 agro-climatic zones in the State which are favourable for the cultivation of various horticultural crops throughout the year. Seedling production of tomato, pepper, brinjal, chilli, cucumber, tomato, pepper, brinjal, chilli and exotic vegetables is proposed to be done in the hi-tech climate-controlled greenhouse to be set up in the Center of Excellence for Vegetables, while cultivation of cucumber, cauliflowers, baby corn, sweet corn and exotic vegetables is proposed in the open field.
• Along with micro-irrigation in the open, a trial demonstration of farming with fertigation and chemigation systems will be done. There will also be a demonstration of installation of seepage, sprinkler irrigation and other plastic culture applications.
• The technology for the Center is provided by Israeli experts under the India-Israel Action Plan (IIAP) with funds for building infrastructure for demonstration purposes from MIDH.
• Centers of Excellence (CoEs) are being set up in the States based on Israeli technologies. These Centers of Excellence act as demonstration and training centers for the latest technologies in the field of Horticulture. They also serve as a source of planting material for fruits and vegetables in protected cultivation.

ANSWER: A

• With increasing role of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)in modern day warfare, the Army Design Bureau has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Drone Federation of India to collaboratively work towards promoting research, development, testing and manufacturing of drones, counter-drone and associated technologies.
• This MoU also signifies unwavering commitment of Indian Army in supporting Indian industry and complete eco system to develop indigenous equipment and weapon systems in line with Atmanirbharta in defence manufacturing.
• The Army Design Bureau is nodal agency of Indian Army to be facilitator for research and development efforts with industry, academia, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and defence public sector undertakings to enable them to understand and appreciate user requirements in depth.
• The Drone Federation of India promotes drone industry by bringing about policy change, creating business opportunities, developing a robust skilling infrastructure, facilitating tech and knowledge transfers, developing standards, and promoting research and development efforts with industry-academia collaboration.

ANSWER: C

• Australia leads table on final day while England and Canada placed at Second and Third positions respectively.
• India finishes fourth in standings with 22 golds and 61 medals

ANSWER: B

• Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar launched the ‘Ayush Pathshala Vatika’ campaign at Government Senior Secondary School, Baldeyan, near Shimla.
• Under the campaign, medicinal gardens will be set up in 200 schools and medicinal plants will be distributed to the students.

ANSWER: A

• The elite Special Forces of India and the US commenced their joint exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS) in Bakloh, Chamba Himachal Pradesh.
• It is the 13th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise and will last for 21 days.
• The US contingent is represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) and Special Tactics Squadron (STS) of US Special Forces and the Indian Army contingent is formed by drawing Special Forces personnel under the aegis of SFTS.
• The ‘Vajra Prahar’ series of joint exercise aims to share best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics as also to improve interoperability between the Special Forces of both the nations.
• This annual exercise is hosted alternatively between India and the United States. The 12th edition was conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mcchord, Washington (USA) in October 2021.
• During the course of next 21 days, teams of both armies will jointly train, plan and execute a series of special operations, counter terrorist operations, air borne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.
• This joint exercise is a significant step in strengthening the traditional bond of friendship between the special forces of both nations. It also improves bilateral defence cooperation between India and the USA.