Daily Current Affairs Quiz: June 05, 2023

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: A

ANSWER: C

• EIACP Programme Centre at Raipur has created a world record by taking a LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) pledge of over 12.38 lakh by people to conserve environment.

ABOUT EIACP

• It is a project funded by Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
• It is one of the Central Sector sub-scheme being implemented in alignment with Mission LiFE.
• The Environmental Information System (ENVIS) is renamed EIACP (Environmental Information, Awareness, Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme).
  • ENVIS came into existence as a planned programme in 1983.
• ENVIS EIACP serves as a one-stop platform for the dissemination of environmental information, informed policy formulation on various facets of the environment and facilitation of alternate livelihoods through green skilling.
• It is dedicated to raising awareness, building capacity, and promoting sustainable actions among individuals and communities across India.

ABOUT MISSION LIFE (LIFESTYLE FOR ENVIRONMENT)

• It was first proposed by the Indian PM at COP 26 (Glasgow).
• It is envisioned as an India-led global mass movement that will nudge individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment.
• It emboldens the spirit of the P3 model, i.e. Pro Planet People.
• It functions on the basic principles of ‘Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet’.

ANSWER: B

• The government recently permitted the import of Needle Pet Coke (NPC) for making graphite anode material for lithium-ion batteries as a feedstock and not for any other purposes.
• The DGFT, however, said that the sulphur content in the NPC should be less than 0.8 per cent, which would be monitored by state pollution control boards.

ABOUT PETROLEUM COKE

• Petroleum coke or petcoke is a spongy, solid residue from oil distillation.
• It is a coal substitute and can be burned for fuel in the same manner as coal.
• It notably has a higher energy content and is easier to transport and store.
• It is a byproduct created when bitumen is found in tar sands.
• There are two distinctive grades of Petroleum Coke Calcinable or Green Petcoke and Fuel Grade Petcoke.
  • Uses of High Grade pet coke is mainly as an additive or as a source of carbon
    • Electrodes for electrometallurgical industries, Synthetic Graphite, Aluminum Anodes
  • Uses of Fuel grade Petcoke– as fuel in the Cement manufacturing, Power Industry, Alumininium Refining, Steel Manufacturing, Lime Klins and Industrial Boilers.

ANSWER: A

• Iran and Afghanistan are locked in a long-standing dispute over water sharing from the Helmand River.

About Helmand River

• The Helmand is Afghanistan’s longest river.
• It originates near Kabul in the western Hindu Kush mountain range and flows in a southwesterly direction through desert areas for a total of about 1,150 kilometers before emptying into Lake Hamun, which straddles the Afghanistan-Iran border.
  • Lake Hamun is the largest freshwater lake in Iran.
  • It used to be one of the world’s largest wetlands fed by Helmand.
• It is separated from the watershed of the Kabul River by the Unai Pass.
• The Helmand River is a vital source of water for both sides, supporting agriculture, livelihoods and ecosystems in the region.

The dispute

• Afghanistan and Iran signed the Helmand River Treaty in 1973 to regulate the allocation of river water.
  • But the accord was neither ratified nor fully implemented, causing disagreements and tensions to persist.
• Iran has accused Afghanistan of violating its water rights for years, arguing that far less water than the amount agreed to in the 1973 treaty flows into Iran.

ANSWER: B

• The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) issued draft guidelines for Bima Vahaks.
• It seeks to establish a dedicated distribution channel at the level of Gram Panchayats.
• Bima Vahaks, a core component of IRDAI’s ‘Insurance for all by 2047’goal, aims to improve accessibility and availability of insurance in country.
• Three pillars of entire insurance ecosystem:
  • Insurance customers (policyholders),
  • Insurance providers (insurers) and
  • Insurance distributers (intermediaries).

Objectives of Bima Vahak guidelines

• Establish dedicated distribution channel focused on enhancing insurance inclusion and creating awareness in every Gram Panchayat.
• Identification and development of local resources within each Gram Panchayat, with a special focus on encouraging onboarding of women as Bima Vahaks to gain the trust of locals.
• The guidelines propose Corporate Bima Vahaks and Individual Bima Vahaks for the distribution channel.
  • Corporate Bima Vahak would be legal persons registered in accordance with the respective laws and engaged by an insurer.
  • Individual Bima Vahak could be any individual appointed by an insurer or appointed by a Corporate Bima Vahak.
• Activities assigned to Bima Vahaks include collecting proposal information, KYC compliance, coordination and support in policy, claims-related servicing, etc.

ANSWER: B

• As per reports, many finfluencers are now “renting out” research analyst (RA) licences for a fee.
  • A finfluencer — as a financial influencer is usually called — is one who gives the ordinary investor information and advice on an array of financial topics such as stock market trading, personal finance and mutual funds.
• Several finfluencers were quoted in the report as saying that their applications are being rejected as RA regulations are very strict in India.
• Currently, in India, to become a registered RA, a person must hold a post-graduate degree or a professional qualification and market experience of five years.
  • However, most finfluencers do not meet this criterion.

ANSWER: D

• World Environment Day is celebrated every year on June 5^th to raise awareness and encourage action for the protection of our planet.
• It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme during the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972.
• The inaugural World Environment Day, themed “Only One Earth”, took place in 1973.
• Over 150 countries participate in various activities to celebrate this day.
• The 50th anniversary of World Environment Day will be hosted by Côte D’Ivoire, with the theme of “solutions to plastic pollution”.

ANSWER: A

• Celeste Saulo of Argentina has been appointed as the first female Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
  • She has served as the director of Argentina’s National Meteorological Service since 2014.
• The leadership election of the World Meteorological Congress takes place every four years.