Daily Current Affairs Quiz: September 26, 2022

ANSWER: D

• The health minister confirmed that Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) has crossed the landmark of 1 crore digitally linked health records with over 27 lakh records linked in a day.
• The Government of India launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to promote healthcare digitisation and to build an open, interoperable digital health ecosystem for the country.
• It intends to accomplish this by prescribing common health data standards and developing core modules such as the registry of health facilities, healthcare professionals, and other interoperability requirements, so that various digital health systems can interact with one another by enabling seamless data sharing across various healthcare providers who may use different digital health systems.
• The integration of various resources is the primary focus on digitisation of processes in healthcare institutions. As a result, the goal of ABDM is to bridge the gap between the various stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem.
• In the same vein, the National Health Authority (NHA) launched a public dashboard for near real-time information on its flagship scheme, ABDM, in May of this year. The ABDM public dashboard provides detailed information on the mission’s core registries, which include Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) numbers, Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR), and Health Facility Registry (HFR).
• On August 15, 2020, the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) pilot project was launched in the six union territories of Ladakh, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Andaman, and the Nicobar Islands. On September 27, 2021, Prime Minister announced the nationwide rollout of this pilot project under the name “Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.”

ANSWER: B

• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is going to launch Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan that promotes ranking of 131 cities in the country for implementing City Action Plans prepared as part of National Clean Air Programme for reducing air pollution upto 40 percent by 2025-26.
• For this survey, 131 cities are categorized into three groups based on population. 47 cities are in the first group having population more than 10 lakh.
• 44 cities are in the second group having population between 3 to 10 lakh. Third group consists of 40 cities having population less than 3 lakh.
• Cities are required to do the self-assessment as per the framework provided on the Ministry’s online portal.
• This assessment is carried out annually. Cities have to report implementation of activities and measures taken in respect of solid waste and road dust management, management of construction and demolition waste, control of vehicular emissions and industrial pollution.
• The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change declared this survey during the last leg of a two-day National Conference of Ministers of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at Ekta Nagar, in Gujarat.
• This conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually.

ANSWER: D

• Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry will launch Swachh Toycathon, a unique competition to make toys from waste.
• The competition will be open to individuals and groups to bring forth innovation in toy designs using dry waste.
• It will focus on efficient designs that can be replicated at a larger scale, and toys that comply with minimum safety standards.
• The competition will be hosted on MyGov’s innovate India portal. Center for Creative Learning, IIT Gandhinagar is the knowledge partner for the initiative.
• The demand for toys in the country is increasing due to strong economic growth, rising disposable incomes, and several innovations for the junior population.
• National Action Plan for Toys 2020 was introduced to promote the Indian toy industry including traditional handicrafts and handmade toys with the objective of establishing India as a global Toy hub.
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade along with 14 Ministries of Central Government is currently implementing various aspects of the National Action Plan for Toys.

ANSWER: D

• In Telangana, Bathukamma, the state floral festival has begun with women in large numbers participating in the festivities across the state.
• The dates of this festival clash with Navratri in North India with the first day of Bathukamma 2022 falling on September 25.
• This festival will deepen our connect with nature and interest in flowers.
• The main celebrations will be held on 3rd next month which will be celebrated as Saddula Bathukamma.
• During the nine-day annual festival, women and girls sing and dance around specially arranged flowers. At the end of the festival, the floral arrangements will be immersed in local ponds.

About Bathukamma:

• Bathukamma, a floral festival representing the culture and spirit of Telangana, is celebrated for nine days during Navratri.
• The word Bathukamma comes from the Telugu words “Bathuku” meaning life and “Amma” meaning mother.
• As such, it is a celebration of life and womanhood. During the festival, the women come together in groups to prepare ornate stacks using local flowers such as Celosia, Senna, Marigold, Lotus, Cucurbita and Cucumis among others.
• This stack is called a Bathukamma and represents Goddess Maha Gauri and is worshipped for nine days.
• On the final day of the festival, Bathukamma is immersed in water bodies. Bathukamma was declared a state festival after the formation of Telangana in 2014.

ANSWER: B

• The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is creating a significant positive impact on India-UAE trade.
• Indian exports to the UAE, excluding petroleum products grew from 5.17 billion dollar from June to August last year to 5.92 billion US dollar during June to August this year. It denotes an increase of 14 percent. The CEPA agreement has come into effect on 1st of May this year.
• Commerce and Industry Ministry said, Indian imports from the UAE during the same period also grew from 5.56 billion dollar to 5.61 billion dollar.
• It said Indian exports are likely to increase further in the coming months with increasing use of the CEPA by the exporters and with dedicated efforts from Department of Commerce.

About India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA):

• The historic India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which was signed between the two nations on 18 February 2022.
• Gems & Jewellery sector contributes a substantial portion of India’s exports to the UAE and is a sector that is expected to benefit significantly from the tariff concessions obtained for Indian products under the India-UAE CEPA.
• Overall, India will benefit from preferential market access provided by the UAE on over 97 % of its tariff lines which account for 99% of Indian exports to the UAE in value terms particularly from labour-intensive sectors such as Gems and Jewellery, Textiles, leather, footwear, sports goods, plastics, furniture, agricultural and wood products, engineering products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and Automobiles. As regards trade in services, Indian service providers will have enhanced access to around 111 sub-sectors from the 11 broad service sectors.
• CEPA is expected to increase the total value of bilateral trade in goods to over US$100 billion and trade in services to over US$ 15 billion within five years.

ANSWER: A

• The Government’s flagship programme ‘Make in India’ completes eight-year on 25th September2022. Make in India initiative which was launched in 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi aspires to facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhance skill development, and build best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure.
• Make In India has substantial accomplishments across 27 sectors which include strategic sectors of manufacturing and services as well.
• The government is focusing on key sectors like semiconductors to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. Recognising the importance of semiconductors in the world economy, the government has launched a ten billion US dollar incentive scheme to build a semiconductor, display, and design ecosystem in India.
• Complimented by sincere efforts of domestic toy manufacturers, the growth of the Indian Toy industry has been remarkable in less than two years despite Covid-19 pandemic.  The import of toys in 2021-22 have reduced by 70 percent to 110 million US dollar.
• India’s export of toys registered tremendous growth of 636 percent during the months of April to August this year over the same period of 2013.
• Make India Programme is transforming the country into a leading global manufacturing and investment destination.
• The initiative is an open invitation to potential investors and partners across the globe to participate in the growth story of ‘New India’.
• To attract foreign investments, the Government has put in place a liberal and transparent policy wherein most sectors are open to Foreign Direct Investment under the automatic route.
• FDI inflows in India which stood at 45.15 billion US dollar in 2014-2015 reached record FDI inflows for eight years.
• The year 2021-22 recorded the highest ever FDI of  83.6 billion US dollar. The Production Linked Incentive scheme launched across 14 key manufacturing sectors is also giving a boost to Make in India initiative.
• With this initiative at the forefront, the businesses in India are aiming that the products that are ‘Made in India’ are also ‘Made for the World,’ adhering to global standards of quality.

ANSWER: A

• The Philippine authorities started evacuating people from coastal areas on Sunday and hundreds were unable to travel by sea as the main island Luzon, including Manila, braced for a category 3 typhoon that continues to strengthen, officials said.
• Typhoon Noru became a super typhoon “after a period of explosive intensification”, with sustained winds increasing from 120 km per hour to 185 km per hour on Saturday evening, the disaster agency said in an advisory.
• It will continue intensifying and may make landfall with 185 to 205 kph of sustained winds.
• Noru, the 11th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, will bring heavy to torrential rains over the capital region and nearby provinces.
• The Philippine Coast Guard said more than 1,200 passengers and 28 vessels were stranded in ports south of the capital.

ANSWER: A

• Power sector-focussed non-banking finance company (NBFC) REC Ltd. has been accorded the status of a ‘Maharatna’ Central Public Sector Enterprise, thus providing it with greater operational and financial autonomy. The granting of ‘Maharatna’ status will impart enhanced powers to the company’s board while taking financial decisions. REC Ltd. is the 12th company to be given the Maharatna Status.
• The board of a ‘Maharatna’ CPSE can make equity investments to undertake financial joint ventures and wholly-owned subsidiaries and undertake mergers and acquisitions in India and abroad, subject to a ceiling of 15 per cent of the net worth of the CPSE concerned, limited to ₹5,000 crores in one project. The board can also structure and implement schemes relating to personnel and human resource management and training.
• REC has played a key role in the success of the flagship schemes of the Government of India such as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY)and SAUBHAGYA and has contributed towards achieving village and household electrification in the country. REC is currently playing the role of nodal agency for Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), for revamping the distribution sector to alleviate the financial & operational issues.

What is Maharatna’s Status?

• Introduced in 2010, the Maharatna status is given to the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) by the Central Government to make these enterprises global giants.
• This status is granted to CPSE which recorded more than Rs. 5,000 crores of net profit for three consecutive years, an average annual turnover of Rs.25,000 crore for three years and recording an average net worth of Rs.15,000 crore for three years.
• It should also have a footing in the international market and be listed on an Indian stock exchange.

About the REC Ltd:

• Incorporated in 1969,REC focuses on power sector financing and development across India. It provides financial assistance to state electricity boards, state governments, central/state power utilities, independent power producers, rural electric cooperatives and private sector utilities.
• REC Limited, formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, is a public Infrastructure Finance Company in India’s power sector.
• The company is a Public Sector Undertaking and finances and promotes power projects across India. It was earlier known as Rural Electrification Corporation.

ANSWER: C

• CSK HP Agriculture University has been authorised to conduct testing of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) samples from all over the state.
• Vice-Chancellor HK Chaudhary, said that as per the recent notification from the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, “The Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Dr GC Negi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in the varsity, has been granted the status of authorised laboratory to conduct testing of LSD samples from livestock across the state for rapid screening.”
• He said that the Department of Veterinary Microbiology was fully equipped to carry out screening of the samples in collaboration with the state Department of Animal Husbandry.
• The VC said that the designated LSD laboratory would help in faster management of the disease. The samples would no longer need to be sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, for testing. He asked the scientists to help the livestock keepers of the state to tide over the situation created by the LSD.
• Dr Mandeep Sharma, Dean, Dr GC Negi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, and Dr Rajesh Chahota, Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary Microbiology, said that for screening of samples, sensitive molecular techniques like conventional PCR and real-time PCR would be used for providing test results quickly to field veterinarians for better disease control and prevention.
• They added that this would enable field veterinarians to timely intervene to control and prevent LSD so that there are minimum financial losses to livestock owners.

ANSWER: C

• Agriculture Minister Virender Kanwar today thanked the Union government for sanctioning Rs 1,036 crore for the Himachal Pradesh Sub Tropical Horticulture Irrigation Value Addition (HP-SHIVA) Project to be implemented in seven districts of the state. He said the state government will spend an amount of Rs 264 crore.
• Kanwar said the project will be implemented on 6,000 hectares of land in 28 development blocks of seven districts — Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Solan, Una, Bilaspur and Sirmaur. As many as 15,000 farmers would be benefitted under the project, he added. The project will be implemented from 2022-23 to 2027-28 and one crore saplings of citrus fruit species, guava, pomegranate, litchi, oriental persimmon and mango will be planted.
• The minister said high density cultivation of orange, guava, litchi and pomegranate has already been done on 200 hectares through 17 farmer clusters in Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi and Bilaspur, which has been highly successful.