ANSWER: A

• World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region (SEAR) has launched a ‘Quit Tobacco App’.
• This application helps people to give up the use of tobacco in all forms, including smokeless and other newer products.
• The App was launched by Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO-SEAR, during WHO’s year-long ‘Commit to quit’ campaign, which is the latest tobacco control initiative by the WHO South-East Asia Region.
• The app, the first such by WHO, and the first that targets all forms of tobacco, helps users to identify the triggers, set their targets, manage cravings, and stay focused to quit tobacco.
• Tobacco is the world’s leading cause of preventable death and kills nearly 8 million persons every year. It claims 1.6 million lives in the WHO South-East Asia Region which is amongst the largest producers and consumers of tobacco products.

ANSWER: C

• RailTel has bagged the ICAI award for excellence in financial reporting for the year 2020-21 in Public Sector Entities Category. The company was adjudged as the winner in the category “plaque”.
• Financial Reporting includes the preparation and presentation of financial information. Effective Financial Reporting plays a significant role in accelerating the economic growth of a country as the information provided through annual reports enables the management and other relevant stakeholders in taking various effective business, investment, regulatory decisions.
• The award was given by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI),the premier accounting body which has been holding the annual competition for these awards since 1958.
• This award has been instituted with a view to promote better standards in the preparation and presentation of information in the financial statements.

ANSWER: D

• The G20 Secretariat will be responsible for implementing overall policy decisions and arrangements needed to steer India’s forthcoming Presidency of the forum for international economic cooperation.
• It is being established for handling the work related to substantive/ content/knowledge media, technical, security and logistical aspects of India’s G20 Presidency.
• It will be manned by staff and officers from Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Finance, and other line Ministries or Departments and domain knowledge experts.
• The Secretariat will be functional till February 2024.
• The G20 Secretariat will be guided by an apex committee, headed by Prime Minister. It will also comprise of Finance Minister, External Affairs Minister, Home Minister, and G20 Sherpa (Commerce & Industry Minister). It will provide overall guidance to India’s G20 Presidency.
• India will hold G20 Presidency from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023. It will culminate with the G20 Summit in India in 2023.

About G20

• G20 is an intergovernmental forum, consisting of 19 countries and the European Union (EU). It works for addressing major issues related to global economy, like climate change mitigation, international financial stability, and sustainable development.
• It is composed of most of world’s largest economies, including industrialized and developing nations. It accounts for 90% of gross world product (GWP), 75–80% of international trade, half of world’s land area and two-thirds of the global population.
• The G20 was founded in 1999. Since 2008, it has convened at least once a year. The summits involve head of government or state, foreign minister, finance minister, and other high-ranking officials from each member state. EU is represented by European Commission and European Central Bank.
• Currently, Italy, Indonesia and India are the G20 troika countries.

ANSWER: C

• Guru Ravidas Jayanti was observed on February 16, 2022, in the honour of birthday of Guru Ravidas.

• This festival is celebrated with joviality in North India, specifically in Punjab.
• The day marks the birthday of Indian mystic poet-saint, Ravidas and is celebrated on Magh Purnima.

About Guru Ravidas

• Guru Ravidas or Bhagat Ravidas was a renowned saint, who is remembered for his contribution to Bhakti movement. He was contemporary to saint Kabir.
• Guru Ravidas was born in Seer Goverdhanpur village in Uttar Pradesh in an underprivileged family.
• He was an advocate of human rights and a progressive thinker who spread the message of equality by means of his poems and teachings based on spirituality.
• His written verses are included in Sikh scriptures “Guru Granth Sahib”.
• Meera Bai, who was an eminent personality in Hindu spiritualism, recognised Guru Ravidas as her spiritual guide.
• He is considered as the founder of 21^st-century Ravidassia religion.

ANSWER: C

• Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, launched the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED) for the welfare of De-notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Communities.
• DNTs, NTs, SNTs are the one of the most deprived and economically weaker communities in India.
• The misery of these communities began with the enactment of the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 during the British rule. These communities were subjugated, persecuted and neglected. The policies of the colonial government affected lives and livelihood adversely. They were branded as criminals under various colonial acts. This led to the forcible alienation from their traditional occupations and habitations. They remained hunter gatherers and pastoral/peripatetic.
• Even after the Independence; they have not benefitted much from the planned development of over seven decades. They were deprived of state support like the SCs/STs.
• Commissions set up for DNTs
  • Renke Commission was set up in 2008
  • National Commission was constituted in 2015 under the chairmanship of Shri Bhiku Ramji Idate.
• Based on the recommendation of Idate commission, the Government of India set up the Development and Welfare Board for DNTs, SNTs &NTs (DWBDNCs) in 2019.

About SEED scheme

• It is an an umbrella scheme for empowerment of these communities.
• The four component of the SEED scheme are:

1. Educational empowerment– Free coaching to students from these communities for Civil Services, entry to professional courses like medicine, engineering, MBA, etc.
2. Health Insurance through PMJAY of National Health Authority.
3. Livelihoods to support income generation, and
4. Housing (through PMAY/IAY)

• The scheme will ensure expenditure of Rs.200 crore to be spent over five years beginning 2021-22. The DWBDNCs has been tasked with the implementation of this scheme.

ANSWER: D

• The Ministry of Ayush HAS reiterated that Giloy/Gudduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) is safe and as per available data, Guduchi does not produce any toxic effect.
  • Certain sections of the media have earlier falsely linked again Giloy/Guduchi to liver damage.
• The medicinal herb has to be used in an appropriate dose as prescribed by a qualified physician to get medicinal effects.
• Giloy/Guduchi is used as anti-oxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular protective, neuroprotective, osteoprotective, radioprotective, anti-anxiety, adaptogenic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, anti-diarrheal, anti-ulcer, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer medicinal herb.
• It is used as a major component of therapeutics for ameliorating metabolic, endocrinal, and several other ailments, aiding in the betterment of human life expectancy.

ANSWER: B

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) World Sustainable Development Summit today via video message.
• The theme of the event is ‘Towards a Resilient Planet: Ensuring a Sustainable and Equitable Future’
• The Summit would also see participation of Ministers for Environment from about a dozen countries, representatives from the United Nations, heads of inter-governmental organizations, and delegates from 126 countries.

About The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)

• TERI is a non-profit research institution that conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.
• Established in 1974 as Tata Energy Research Institute and was renamed The Energy and Resources Institute in 2003.
• It aims to focus on formulating local and national level strategies for shaping global solutions to critical issues.
• It conducts research work in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.
• Its key focus lies in promoting clean energy, water management, pollution management, sustainable agriculture and climate resilience.

ANSWER: C

• Project proposals for the construction of over 60,000 houses were approved across the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) recently.
• The total number of sanctioned houses under PMAY(U) stands at 114.07 lakh, of which around 93.25 lakh have been grounded for construction and around 54.78 lakh have been delivered to the beneficiaries.
• The total investment under the PMAY(U) stands at ₹7.52 lakh crore, with ₹1.87 lakh crore central assistance out of which ₹1.21 lakh crore has already been released.

About Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban)

• It is a flagship Mission of Government of India being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• It was launched on 25th June 2015 and addresses urban housing shortage among the EWS/LIG and MIG categories including the slum dwellers by ensuring a pucca house to all eligible urban households by the year 2022, when Nation completes 75 years of its Independence.
• PMAY(U) adopts a demand driven approach wherein the Housing shortage is decided based on demand assessment by States/Union Territories.
• Coverage:  The Mission covers the entire urban area consisting of Statutory Towns, Notified Planning Areas, Development Authorities, Special Area Development Authorities, Industrial Development Authorities or any such authority under State legislation which is entrusted with the functions of urban planning & regulations.

ANSWER: B

• The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday extended the timeline by six months till September 30, 2022 for NBFCs to adhere the new Non Performing Assets recognition norms.
• Earlier the regulator had set March 31 deadline for non-bank lenders to upgrade NPAs only after all arrears and principal dues are paid.

About Non-Banking Financial Companies

• A Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares/ stocks/ bonds/ debentures/ securities issued by Government or local authority or other marketable securities of a like nature, leasing, hire-purchase, insurance business, chit business but does not include any institution whose principal business is that of agriculture activity, industrial activity, purchase or sale of any goods (other than securities) or providing any services and sale/purchase/construction of immovable property.
• A non-banking institution which is a company and has principal business of receiving deposits under any scheme or arrangement in one lump sum or in installments by way of contributions or in any other manner, is also a non-banking financial company.
• NBFCs lend and make investments and hence their activities are akin to that of banks; however there are a few differences as given below:
  • NBFC cannot accept demand deposits;
  • NBFCs do not form part of the payment and settlement system and cannot issue cheques drawn on itself;
  • deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike in case of banks.

About NPAs

• Non-Performing Assets is a loan or advance wherein interest or installments of principal remain overdue for a period of 90 days.

Classification of NPAs

• Substandard Assets-These are the assets which have remained NPA for a period of less than or equal to 12 months.
• Doubtful Assets– If the asset is in the substandard category for a period of 12 months
• Loss Assets– These assets are of little value, it can no longer continue as a bankable asset, there could be some recovery value.

ANSWER: A

• Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC) of Iran has reveled a long range ballistic Surface to surface missile.
• The missile, which uses solid fuel and has a range of 1,450 km is called the Kheiber Shekhan (Khaibar-buster), a reference to a Jewish castle overrun by Muslim warriors in the early days of Islam.
• The missile has high accuracy, is manufactured completely domestically, and can defeat missile shield systems.