Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 19, 2022

ANSWER: C

• The Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Civil Aviation recently met in New Delhi. The subject of conversation was “DIGI YATRA”. Members of the committee who are also members of parliament (MPs) attended the meeting and offered some insightful ideas regarding the project.

What is ‘DIGI YATRA’?

• ‘DIGI YATRA’ is an initiative designed to ensure contactless, seamless processing of passengers at airports and is based on facial recognition technology (FRT).
• In essence, the idea envisions any traveller being able to pass through numerous checkpoints at the airport utilising a paperless and contactless procedure, establishing their identification through facial recognition and linking it to their boarding card.
• Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, claims that the system has addressed privacy issues.

How is ‘DIGI YATRA’ beneficial?

• It offers a decentralised, cost-effective, mobile wallet-based identity management technology that addresses privacy and data protection concerns while implementing Digi Yatra. After the amended Digi Yatra rules were approved, the DGCA published an AIC (Aeronautical Information Circular) on April 18, 2022.

How did the “DIGI YATRA” come into being?

• Under Section 8 of the Companies Act of 2013, the Digi Yatra Foundation (DYF) was established as a joint venture (JV) firm in 2019. AAI (26 percent of the shares) and BIAL, DIAL, GHIAL, MIAL, and CIAL are its shareholders. The remaining 74 percent of the shares are held equally by these 5 shareholders.
• To create the Digi Yatra Central Ecosystem, the Foundation was established (DYCE). The curator of the Passenger ID validation procedure would be the pan-Indian Digi Yatra Foundation. Additionally, it will foster agreement among Indian aviation stakeholders. Additionally, it would outline the local airport systems’ policies and requirements for compliance.
• The JV will regularly audit the different compliances and guidelines for the regional airport biometric boarding systems, including those related to security, picture quality, and data privacy (BBS).
• In first phase, Digi Yatra is proposed to be rolled out at two Airports namely Varanasi and Bengaluru in August 2022 and at five Airports namely Pune, Vijayawada, Kolkata, Delhi and Hyderabad by March next year. AAI will identify their airports where Digi Yatra would be implemented in phased manner.

ANSWER: D

Biodiversity Sensor Project

• A unique biodiversity sensor project is launched by Syngenta, a global agri-business major. It claimed to be the first such project in India. Syngenta has launched this project in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar, Punjab (IIT-R). This project will help in studying the behaviour of insects around farms, particularly bees and butterflies.
• Along with this, the firm flagged off the Drone Yatra which will cover 10,000 Km across the country. This project will monitor to identify and quantify insect life around farms to get real-time data on biodiversity through a sensor.

KEY POINTS

• This project includes a centralized biodiversity data repository that can be shared and tracked.
• The biodiversity monitoring will be done by a modem-like sensor that has cameras to capture real-time images of the bees and butterflies.
• The species will be identified through an artificial intelligence-based algorithm.
• It will help the researchers to identify the types of insects and record the data.
• The data will be open source and free for anyone to access across the world.
• The blueprint of the project will also be made accessible for everyone to share ideas for development.
• The sensor will run on solar power and machine learning will also be used in capturing data.
• The drone yatra will cover 13 states and spread awareness about drone spraying.

ANSWER: D

• Kerala is now the first and only state in the country to have its own internet service, according to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who made the announcement. The announcement followed the Department of Telecommunications’ granting of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) licence to the IT infrastructure project of the Kerala Fiber Optic Network Ltd (K-Fon), which aims to provide everyone in the state access to the internet.
• The principle behind the establishment of K-Fon is “non -discriminatory” treatment, which means that no service provider or business segment receives preferential treatment, as recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
• K-Fon or Kerala Fiber Optic Network Ltd is a state government initiative that aims to eliminate the digital gap. As per the government, the infrastructure created by this project is expected to complement the state’s current telecom ecosystem.

Objectives of K-Fon

• Create a core network infrastructure (information highway) with non-discriminatory access to all service providers so that they can augment their connectivity gap.
• Provide a reliable, secure and scalable intranet connecting all government offices, educational institutions, hospitals, etc.
• Partner with Multiple System Operators, Telecommunication Service Providers, and Internet Service Providers for providing free internet to economically backward households.

ANSWER: A

• Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center, New Delhi (RGCI) have installed the first-ever Made-in-India Surgical Robotic System, “SSI-Mantra”, devised by the new-age Indian med-tech start-up SS Innovations.
• The ingenious SSI Mantra, “a brainchild of robotic cardiac surgeon Dr Sudhir P Srivastava, will be signifying the beginning of a new era of surgical procedures in India, making robotic surgery accessible and affordable for the people.
• After two pilot projects where Dr Sudhir Rawal and his team from RGCI successfully performed a total of 26 surgeries with SSI Mantra, thereby validating safety, feasibility and effectiveness, the robot is now ready to provide an advanced method of surgery, which will be accessible to the general public at a much lower cost.

ANSWER: C

• The Indian delegation, led by DG, BSF Pankaj Singh, arrived in Dhaka early on the first day of the 52nd BGB-BSF Director General level Border conference in Bangladesh.
• On the first day, a variety of topics including border management, drug trafficking, smuggling of weapons and ammunition, trafficking in women and children, and other development initiatives within 150 yards of the international boundary were discussed.

KEY POINTS:

• During the conference, there was discussion about joint initiatives to implement the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) as well as information exchange on various armed groups, extremist groups, and terrorist organisations.
• The two nations talked about methods to increase confidence between the BGB and BSF and to further solidify the already existent bilateral ties.
• According to a press statement from the BGB, the Indian team will also travel to Padma Bridge and Cox’s Bazar during the conference in an effort to improve bilateral ties and boost goodwill between the two nations. The Joint Record of Discussions will be signed to conclude the meeting (JRD).
• Director General of the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), Major General Shakil Ahmed, is in charge of the 20-person Bangladesh delegation.
• On opening day of the conference, senior representatives from the BGB, Bangladesh Home Ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate of Narcotics, and Joint Rivers Commission participated in the proceedings.
• Along with Pankaj Kumar Singh, the DG of the Border Security Force (BSF), several senior representatives from the Ministries of Home Affairs and External Affairs attended the conference on behalf of India.

ANSWER: A

• The Haryana government will set up a ‘Footwear-Leather’ cluster on about 500 acres of land in Rohtak.
• According to the government, training will also be given to the students of ITI institutes around Rohtak city by connecting them with the footwear industry so that the industrialists of leather industry can get skilled youth at the local level and youth can get employment near their homes.
• According to government, as soon as about two dozen industries are commissioned, a Common Service Centre will be made in a year so that industrialists can get ease in their work.
• A centre of excellence related to leather will also be set up to help the industrialists of the leather industry in the state.
• There is also a plan to build a labour-hostel near the ‘Footwear-Leather’ cluster so that the labourers working there do not face any problem in commuting to the industry.
• In this field, where the state has got the third position at the national level, Haryana has been ranked in the top achievers’ category in the fifth edition of ‘State Ease of Doing Business’ released by the Union ministry of commerce and industry.
• In addition, the state has been ranked first in the Export Readiness Index (Land Closed Category)-2021 and second in the ‘Logistics Across Different Status Survey’-2021.

ANSWER: C

• According to the media reports ,a grand Jirga held in Bajaur in the Pakistan province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has decided against the liberty of women to visit the tourist spots with men in the area.
• The local elders in Tehseel Salarzai of Bajaur took this decision in a Jirga where representatives of all tribes were present.
• They announced that women will not be allowed to travel to any tourist place, even with men.
• The Jirga ruled that it was against their tribal values and traditions that women visit the recreational spots with men and requested the administration to respect their values.
• They said that they could not allow promotion of ‘vulgarity” in the name of recreation while warning the administration to implement their decision by Sunday or else they would be compelled to do so on their own.

ANSWER: A

• Aircraft engine maker Pratt & Whitney (PW) said it will set up an engineering centre in Bengaluru,that is slated to begin operations in January 2023.
• The centre, its first facility in Asia Pacific and fifth globally, will enable the firm to offer engineering services on contract to domestic and international customers.
• PW’s integrated global engineering operations currently has centres in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Poland.

ANSWER: C

• The Dharamsala Residential International Festival for Theatre (DRIFT) concluded at the Club House of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) in McLeod Ganj.
• According to, Quasar Thakore Padamsee, director of a theatre group—QTP—from Mumbai, the fest was one of the most unique events his group had ever been to. “It is a joy to be here and perform and be part of a larger theatre community. The audience has been fabulous, and diverse in Dharamsala”.
• The day started with a performance by Subhadra Kamath’s musical ensemble. Thereafter, a play, Agarbatti, was presented by Ashish Pathak.
• A play, Samay Kaise Guzra, was presented by Aagaaz Theatre from Delhi and then another play, Saag Meat, was presented by Pratibha Rai.
• Movement Therapy (play) was presented by Mitali Jangpangi.
• A workshop on making comics was conducted by Alia Sinha.

ANSWER: D

• As many as 57 Panchavati Parks have been set up in the state by the government.
• The project was launched in 2020 under which four to six parks would be set up in all 90 blocks.
• According to, Rural Development Minister Virender Kanwar, about 518 sites have been identified and work on setting up parks on 284 sites is in full swing.
• The park area is meant to provide an exclusive space for connecting senior citizens to nature.
• Around 200 parks would be set up during the financial year. A sum of Rs 9 lakh will be spent on each park.
• Each park, spreading over one or two bighas, will also be used for the promoting products made by self-help groups to generate additional economic and employment avenues, especially at the village level.
• Each park will have one-metre wide and 150-metre-long jogging track, walking tracks, benches, space for yoga and meditation, toilets, solar lights and flower beds, besides exercise and recreational equipment.
• Ayurvedic and medicinal plants such as amla, neem, tulsi and aloe vera and shade grass (lawn) will be grown in the parks.