Answer: B

• Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu called for increasing indigenous production of crude oil through strong R&D efforts to ensure energy security of the country. He was delivering the convocation address at the first convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), in Visakhapatnam.

Why it is Important

• Highlighting ‘Atma Nirbharta’ (self-reliance), Vice President said there should be more focus on increasing domestic exploration of petroleum, harnessing the full potential of renewable sources and aiming for excellence and innovation in the energy industry.
• India is the world’s third largest consumer of crude oil and yet import-dependent for more than 80 percent of its needs.
• He underlined the importance of increasing production, not only to save foreign exchange but also to ensure energy security.
• He noted various policy reforms of the government such as the Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy (HELP) aimed at increasing exploration in new sedimentary basins.
• IIPE is a dedicated university for petroleum research and was recognized as an Institution of National Importance in 2017 through an Act of Parliament.

Answer: C

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has announced that a grand statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be installed at India Gate.

Why it is Important

• Ahead of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s 125th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his statue will be installed at India Gate.
• Until the installation is completed, a hologram of Netaji will be projected at the site of the statue.
• The statue will be installed under the grand canopy near which the Amar Jawan Jyothi flickers in remembrance of India’s martyrs.
• The eternal flame, which has not been extinguished for 50 years,  as it will be merged with the flame at the National War Memorial.

Answer: C

• In order to share Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to the Coal Sector a portal “Koyla Darpan” has been launched by Dr. Anil Kumar Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Coal.

Feutures of the Portal

• The portal has the following KPIs –

1. Coal/Lignite Production
2. Coal/Lignite Offtake
3. Exploration Data
4. Central Sector Schemes
5. Status of Coal Stock in Thermal Power Plants
6. Infrastructure Projects
7. Allocation of Blocks (CMSP/MMDR)
8. Monitoring of Major Coal Mines (CIL)
9. Coal Price

Answer: A

• Boaz Levy, the president and CEO of the Israel Aerospace Industries, which manufactures the Arrow 3, said the breakthroughs were principally in the area of “algorithms,” the ways in which the systems detect incoming threats and calculate launch trajectories for interceptors.

About Arrow 3

• The test was performed at a test site in central Israel, and led by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
• It was developed in a joint project between the Defense Ministry’s Missile Defense Organization and the American Missile Defense Agency.
• The Arrow 3 was first tested successfully in February 2018.

Answer: A

• The impact of climate change disproportionately affects the livelihoods and food security of small and marginal farmers. WFP and the Department of Agriculture will collaborate on strengthening adaptation to climate variability and management of food systems.

Why is it Important?

• Climate advisories will be tailored to enable smallholder farmers to adapt to the impact of climate change.
• Smallholder farmers, who constitute 90 percent of farming communities in Odisha, will be able to select the right farming and livelihood options to improve their food security and incomes.

Answer: B

• The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has released its World Employment and Social Outlook – Trends 2022 (WESO Trends) report. This report warns of a slow and uncertain recovery, as the pandemic continues to have a significant impact on global labour markets

About the Report

• In the WESO 2022, ILO has downgraded its forecast for labour market recovery in 2022.
• The global unemployment level in 2022 is estimated at 207 million, compared to 186 million in 2019.
• Total working hours globally in 2022 is projected to be 2% below the pre-pandemic level, and that is equivalent to the loss of 52 million full-time jobs.
• The global labour force participation rate in 2022 is projected to remain 1.2 percentage points below that of 2019 before the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic began.
• In 2022 around 40 million people will no longer be participating in the global labour force.
• ILO states that there can be no real recovery from this pandemic without a broad-based labour market recovery.

Answer: A 

• Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar is given as recognition to children residing in India, above the age of 5 years and not exceeding 18 years with exceptional abilities and outstanding achievement in 6 fields of Innovation, Scholastic achievements, Sports, Arts & Culture, Social Service and Bravery, which deserve recognition.
• Each awardee is given a medal, a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000/- and a certificate.
• These Awards are conferred by Hon’ble President in a ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan.