ANSWER: D

• Ministry of Labour and Employment has extended the public utility service status of three industries:
• Industries engaged in the manufacture or production of mineral oil (crude oil), motor and aviation spirit, diesel oil, kerosene oil, fuel oil, diverse hydrocarbon oils and their blends including synthetic fuels, lubricating oils;
• Industries engaged in food stuffs;
• And the iron and steel industry.
• These industries are covered under the first schedule of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (14 of 1947).

About public utility service

• Public Utility are those organizations, company or corporations which provide the essential services to the public.
• The undertakings which supply the basic necessary services such as electricity, water, gas, power, transport etc. comes under the purview of the public utility services.
• These public utility services are maintained and regulated by the government vis local, state and national government according to their respective level of authority.

ANSWER: B

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Science Conclave at Science City in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on the 10th September 2022.
• Science and Technology Ministers of all the States, Administrators of Union Territories, senior officials of various Ministries, Departments and CEO of over 100 Start-ups are expected to take part in the two-day conclave.
• Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said, this time the conclave will be held in a different format with focus on new technologies and their optimum application for ease of living.
• The conclave will strengthen the science, technology and innovation ecosystem through greater synergy across the country.
• The conclave will foster proactive engagements between the Centre and States in the area of science and technology.
• It will also create a mechanism to facilitate the flow of information, data sharing, and capacity building of scientists, technologists and professionals.
• He said, the Centre and States will work together to promote private sector participation in research and development. Dr. Singh informed that all States and UTs will be asked to bring individual Science, Technology and Innovation policies along the lines of national policy.
• The Minister said, the Centre will assist States in formulating their policies as a true spirit of cooperative federalism.
• The Centre will also work with States to address their specific science, technology, and innovation needs and challenges.
• He stressed that States must be able to explore solutions to their local problems through Science and Technology interventions.

ANSWER: D

• NDMA and C-DOT are conducting a workshop on the CAP-based Integrated Public Alert System for Disaster Management and Preparedness in New Delhi.
• CAP stands for Common Alerting Protocol.
• The one-day workshop aims to provide a platform to the concerned departments and various disaster management agencies across India to discuss their underlying issues and challenges and evolve technology-based solutions to address these.
• Various eminent dignitaries and speakers from various Government departments including NDMA, Indian Railways, Indian Metrological Department, Central Water Commission, and Disaster Management Authorities of 36 States and Union Territories are attending the workshop.
• They will deliberate on various contemporary themes related to Disaster Management and Preparedness.

About C-DOT

• The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) is the Telecom Technology development centre of the Government of India.
• It was established in August 1984 as an autonomous body.
• It was vested with full authority and total flexibility to develop state-of-the-art telecommunication technology to meet the needs of the Indian telecommunication network.

About NDMA

• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), headed by the Prime Minister of India, is the apex body for Disaster Management in India.
• Setting up of NDMA and the creation of an enabling environment for institutional mechanisms at the State and District levels is mandated by the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• NDMA is mandated to lay down the policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster Management.

ANSWER: C

• In Jammu and Kashmir, the 9.8 km railway tunnel connecting two stations on the 111 km under construction Banihal-Katra railway link of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) project has been completed.
• The Dugga railway station located on its Jammu end has been connected with Basindadar (Sawalkote) railway station towards Srinagar end by the completion of this tunnel.
• This is the third tunnel following the 12.6 km tunnel T-49B, the longest tunnel of Indian Railways, which was completed in January this year.
• On August 14, the world’s highest rail bridge over the Chenab River in Kouri area of Reasi district achieved a milestone when the overarch deck of the bridge was completed with a golden joint.

ANSWER: D

• India and France held consultations on the UN Security Council and other multilateral issues in Paris.
• Both sides had an in-depth exchange of views on various thematic and country-specific issues on the agenda of the UN Security Council in keeping with the India-France strategic partnership.
• Both sides agreed to strengthen their ongoing cooperation at the multilateral platform on issues of mutual interest, including Counter Terrorism, UN Peacekeeping, and Reformed Multilateralism.
• Both sides briefed each other about their priorities during France and India’s upcoming Presidencies of the UNSC.
• France will assume the Presidency of the UNSC in September while India will do so in December.
• They also held discussions on initiatives around the High-Level Week of the upcoming 77th Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2022.
• Meanwhile, the Ambassador of France to India, Emmanuel Lenain in a tweet reiterated France’s support for a permanent seat for India at the UNSC.

ANSWER: C

• India has approved an MoU with the Government of Nepal on biodiversity conservation, as proposed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• The MoU aims to strengthen and enhance coordination and cooperation in the field of forests, biodiversity conservation, and climate change.
• It also aims at including the restoration of corridors and interlinking areas and sharing of knowledge and best practices, between the two countries.
• The MoU is expected to help in promoting cooperation between the Parties in the field of forests, wildlife, environment, biodiversity conservation, and climate change, including restoration of corridors and interlinking areas and sharing knowledge and best practices.

ANSWER: C

About:

• Mikhail Gorbachev (1931 – 2022) was a Russian and Soviet politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union.
• As the country’s head of state from 1988 to 1991, he served as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 1989 to 1990 and President of the Soviet Union from 1990 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
• Ideologically, Gorbachev initially adhered to Marxism–Leninism, but he moved towards social democracy by the early 1990s.
• Gorbachev believed significant reform was necessary, particularly after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
• He withdrew from the Soviet–Afghan War and embarked on summits with United States president Ronald Reagan to limit nuclear weapons and end the Cold War.
• Domestically, his policy of glasnost (“openness”) allowed for enhanced freedom of speech and press, while his perestroika (“restructuring”) sought to decentralize economic decision-making to improve efficiency.
• The recipient of a wide range of awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize, he was widely praised for his pivotal role in ending the Cold War.

ANSWER: C

• The 10th National Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise SAREX-22 was carried out by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in Chennai.
• Along with other organisations and foreign participants, the chief of the Indian Coast Guard, VS Pathania, assessed the exercise “SAREX-2022.”
• In an emergency, ICG Dornier aircraft demonstrated to viewers how to rescue passengers from ships and aeroplanes.

Key Points:

• ICG Dornier aircraft showed viewers how to rescue people from ships and aeroplanes in an emergency.
• The Indian Coast Guard, the key maritime SAR coordinating agency for the Indian Search & Rescue Region (ISRR), is hosting the two-day SAREX-2022 exercise that is carried out under the auspices of the National Maritime Search and Rescue Board (NMSARB).

About:

• The subject of the biennial exercise this year is “Capacity Building Towards Marine Passenger Safety,” which represents the resolve and dedication of the NMSARB and other stakeholder organisations to offer assistance during major emergencies both within and outside of our ISSR.

ANSWER: C

• The Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers has finally granted in-principle approval for providing grant-in-aid for a bulk drug park proposed at Haroli in Una district.
• This will give a major boost to the state’s pharma sector which accounts for 40 per cent of nation’s drug formulations. Annual demand of bulk drugs in the state is about Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 crore.
• The setting up of the Bulk Drug Pharma Park at Una would help reduce India’s dependency on China for raw material for producing various drugs.
• According to CM, there is almost 100 per cent dependence on China for raw material required for producing erythromycin and norfloxin, 95 per cent for producing tetracycline and 68 per cent for making betadine B 12 drugs. So, setting up of a drug park will help reduce dependence on China.
• He said that the government had made serious efforts for the bulk drug pharma park, as Baddi was the biggest pharma hub in Asia.
• He said the pharma park would attract Rs 50,000 crore investment, besides creating employment for 20,000 people and 10,000 indirect jobs.
• “The approval was granted primarily due to the fact that we had spelt out several incentives like Rs 3 per unit rate of power for 10 years, zero maintenance charges for 10 years, exemption in stamp duty and 70 per cent exemption in the SGST for 10 years.
• Thakur said 1,405 acres would be required for the project, including 1,366 acres of the government and 39 acres belonging to private parties. The total projects cost would be Rs 1,190 crore.
• The Central government would provide grant-in-aid of Rs 1,000 crore while the state government would provide Rs 190 crore.

ANSWER: C

• Women farmers are set to become the ‘change makers’ in the agro-marketing field with the registration of the first all-women Farmer Producer Company (FPC) for collective marketing of certified chemical-free natural produce in the state.
• The FPC comprises farmers from three panchayats namely Jabal Jamrot, Haripur and Deothi in Solan district.
• These women first switched from chemical-based farming to non-chemical, low cost and climate resilient natural farming technique few years back after getting training under the Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana (PK3Y). They are now heading towards becoming entrepreneurs.
• The Solan Natural Farmer Producer Company has ten primary shareholders (five women farmers on the board of directors and five others as promoters). 60 more women farmers are ready to be part of this FPC for marketing of natural produce, including a range of vegetables, fruits and milk products.