Daily Current Affairs Quiz: August 3, 2021

ANSWER: A

WHY IN NEWS?

Vice Admiral S.N. Ghormade took over as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff from Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar on Saturday, who retired after 39 years of service.

About:

• Vice-Admiral Ghormade was appointed to the Navy on January 1, 1984 and is an expert in navigation and direction specialist.
• He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) by the President in 2017 and the Nausena Medal in 2007 by commendation of then chief of the Naval Staff.
• During Vice Admiral Kumar’s tenure, the Navy had seen an increase in budget allocations with 100% utilization of the allocated budget with a capital acquisition boost.

Other news

The Navy’s INS Airavat rescued a fishing boat floating near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. According to the Navy, as part of Ops Samudra Setu II, INS Airavat passed through the area on its way back from Jakarta when it received a distress signal from Saleth Matha II near the Carnicobar Islands, Andaman and Nicobar at 2300 on Friday. INS Airavat is towing the ship to the nearest port.

ANSWER: D

WHY IN NEWS?

In accordance with the second phase of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) programme, the government approved the establishment of two additional commercial and strategic underground storage facilities at Chandikhol (4 MMT) and Padur (2.5 MMT) with a total capacity storage of 6.5 MMT in PPP model.

About:

• In the first phase of the SPR programme, the government, through its special tool India Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL), established oil storage facilities with a total capacity of 5.33 million metric tons (MMT) in 3 locations. All the three storage facilities in Shakapatnam (1.33 MMT), Mangaluru (1.5 MMT) and Padur (2.5 MMT) are filled with crude oil.
• The petroleum reserves which were established in the first phase are of strategic importance, and the crude oil stored in these reserves will be used in the scenario of oil shortage.
• Second phase of the SPR programme, the government approved the establishment of two additional commercial and strategic underground storage facilities at Chandikhol (4 MMT) and Padur (2.5 MMT) with a total capacity storage of 6.5 MMT in PPP model.
• Proposals for the construction of these storage facilities are being finalized.
• Under Phase II for land acquisition an amount of Rs 210 crore was allocated in the budget, and ISPRL has received the amount.

Importance of the Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR) programme

The 1990 Gulf War caused oil prices to skyrocket and imports from India increased significantly. During the Indian economic crisis after 1991, foreign exchange reserves could hardly finance three weeks of imports, and the government could hardly meet its financial obligations. India responded to the crisis through economic liberalization policies. However, the country continued to be affected by fluctuations in oil prices.

In the year 1998, the government of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee proposed the creation of oil reserves as a solution to manage the oil market. Three storage facilities were built at underground sites in Padur, Visakhapatnam and Mangalore. In the first phase, a total storage capacity of 5.33 million tons was created.

The current government approved two additional commercial and strategic facilities in July 2021, with a total storage capacity of 6.5 MMT. This will increase India’s strategic reserve capacity to 11.83 MMT. In times of crisis, India can manage its oil demand period for a specific time.

ANSWER: C

WHY IN NEWS?

From August India will be the president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the month and then the nation will host various events in the three major areas of fight against terrorism, maritime security and peacekeeping.

About:

• Tirumurti India’s permanent representative to the UN will hold a press conference on the Security Council’s work plan for the month.
• He will also provide a briefing to UN member states which are currently not permanent members of the Council on its work for the month.
• On January 1, 2021 India’s two-year term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council began. The August presidential term will be India’s first chairmanship during its non-permanent membership of the Security Council in 2021-22.
• India will again chair the Council in December next year, which is the last month of its two-year term.
• During India’s presidency, the nation will be hosting various high-level events in the three main areas of counter-terrorism, maritime security and peacekeeping.
• Maritime security is India’s top priority, and it is important for the Security Council to take a holistic approach to this issue.
• India is particularly focused on using better technology to ensure the safety of peacekeepers and how to bring perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers to justice.
• As a leading country in the fight against terrorism, India will continue to focus on the fight against terrorism.

About UNSC

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six main organs of the United Nations (UN). It is responsible for ensuring international peace and security, approving any changes to the UN Charter and recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly. Its powers include establishing enacting international sanctions, peacekeeping operations and authorizing military operations. The UN Security Council is the only UN agency that has the authority to issue binding resolutions for member states. António Guterres is the current Secretary-general of UNSC

ANSWER: B

WHY IN NEWS?

Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities(DEPwD) has organized Samajik Adhikarita Shivir’. In this shivir, aids and assistive devices will be distributed among ‘Divyangjan’ under the ADIP Scheme and among Senior Citizens under the ‘Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana’.

About ADIP Scheme:

• Launched by: Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities(DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• Aim: To assist the needy disabled persons in procuring durable and scientifically manufactured appliances. It will promote their physical, social, and psychological rehabilitation by reducing the effects of disabilities and enhancing their economic potential.
• Implementated by: NGOs, National Institutes under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, and ALIMCO (a PSU that manufactures artificial limbs).

Eligibility:

• Indian citizen of any age
• Has 40% disability or more
• Monthly income not more than Rs.20,000.
• In the case of dependents, the income of parents/guardians should not exceed Rs. 20,000/- per month
• Must not have received assistance during the last 3 years, and for children, it’s the last 1 year.

About Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana:

• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana is the scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It was launched in 2017.
• Type: It is a central sector scheme funded by the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund.
• Aim: to provide aids and assistive living devices to senior citizens belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) category who suffer from age-related disabilities such as low vision, hearing impairment, loss of teeth, and locomotor disabilities.
  • The aids and assistive devices include walking sticks, elbow crutches, hearing aids, wheelchairs, and spectacles, etc.
• Implementated by: Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), which is a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

ANSWER: C

WHY IN NEWS?

The government of India has accorded sanction to Team CLAW to lead a team of people with disabilities to scale Siachen Glacier. It will be a new world record for the largest team of people with disabilities. This expedition is being undertaken as part of ‘Operation Blue Freedom’.

About Operation Blue Freedom:

• Operation Blue Freedom was launched in 2019 by CLAW Global, a team of former Special Forces Operatives of the Indian Army and the Indian Navy.
• The Operation is a social impact venture aimed at rehabilitating people with disabilities through adaptive adventure sports.
• It aims to shatter the common perception of pity, charity, and inability associated with people with disabilities and recreate it to one of dignity, freedom, and ability.
• Moreover, their focus is also to ‘design and implement sustainable large-scale employment solutions’ for people with disabilities, especially in the ‘Environment conservation and Sustainability’ space.

ANSWER: D

WHY IN NEWS?

Government has organized 108 training programmes for the awareness of the farmers across 24 states/UTs under the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Unnat Krishi Shiksha Yojana (PDDUUKSY).

About Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Unnat Krishi Shiksha Yojana (PDDUUKSY):

• The scheme was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Aim: To develop the human resource in organic farming, natural farming and cow based economy for environmental sustenance and soil health.

Objectives:

• To build skilled Human Resource at village level who are relevant for development organic farming and sustainable agriculture.
• Provide rural India with technical support in the field of Organic Farming or Natural Farming or Rural Economy or Sustainable Agriculture.
• To extend other activities of this Yojana at village level through their established centres.

• Implementation: Education wing of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR)

ANSWER: C

WHY IN NEWS?

The Union Ministry for Science & Technology has released “Biotech-PRIDE (Promotion of Research and Innovation through Data Exchange) Guidelines”.

About Biotech-PRIDE Guidelines:

• The Biotech-PRIDE Guidelines have been developed by the Department of Biotechnology(DBT).
• Aim: The guidelines are aimed at providing a well-defined framework and guiding principle to facilitate and enable sharing and exchange of biological knowledge, information and data.
• Implementation: The guidelines will be implemented through the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC).
• Significance: The exchange of information will help in promoting research and innovation in different research groups across the country.

About BioGrid:

• Bio-Grid will be a national repository for biological knowledge, information and data and will be responsible for enabling its exchange, developing measures for safety, standards and quality for datasets and establishing detailed modalities for accessing data.

About Indian Biological Data Center(IBDC):

• The Indian Biological Data Centre(IBDC) is the first national repository for life science data in India.
• Purpose: IBDC is mandated to archive all life science data generated from publicly funded research in India.
• Supported by: The data center is supported by the Government of India (GOI) through the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).
• Location: It is being established at Regional Centre of Biotechnology (RCB),Faridabad

ANSWER: B

WHY IN NEWS?

The 36th Edition of India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol(CORPAT) is being conducted. Indian Naval Ship(INS) Saryu, an indigenously built Offshore Patrol Vessel, is participating in the 36th Edition of the CORPAT.

About India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol(CORPAT):

• India and Indonesia have been carrying out Coordinated Patrols (CORPAT) exercise along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002.
• Aim: To keep the vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping, international trade, and the conduct of legitimate maritime activities.

ANSWER: D

WHY IN NEWS?

Output at India’s eight core sectors grew by 8.9% in June 2021 largely due to Base Effect but the pace remained below the production levels seen before the Covid-19 pandemic as well as its second wave.

About Eight Core Sectors:

• These comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• The eight core sector industries in decreasing order of their weightage: Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> Fertilizers.

Base Effect:

• The base effect refers to the effect that the choice of a basis of comparison or reference can have on the result of the comparison between data points.
• For example, the base effect can lead to an apparent under- or overstatement of figures such as inflation rates or economic growth rates if the point chosen for comparison has an unusually high or low value relative to the current period or the overall data.
• Production of coal, natural gas, refinery products, steel, cement and electricity jumped by 7.4%, 20.6%, 2.4%, 25%, 4.3% and 7.2%, respectively, in June 2021, as against (-) 15.5%, (-) 12%, (-) 8.9%, (-) 23.2%, (-) 6.8% and (-) 10% in the same month last year.

Index of Industrial Production:

• IIP is an indicator that measures the changes in the volume of production of industrial products during a given period.
• It is compiled and published monthly by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• It is a composite indicator that measures the growth rate of industry groups classified under:
  • Broad sectors, namely, Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity.
  • Use-based sectors, namely Basic Goods, Capital Goods, and Intermediate Goods.
• Base Year for IIP is 2011-2012.

Significance of IIP:

• It is used by government agencies including the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, etc, for policy-making purposes.
• IIP remains extremely relevant for the calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP (Gross Domestic Product) estimates.