DAY – 22 ( INSTA REVISION TEST – 22)INSTA REVISION PLAN 2.0, 2021 – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: C

Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) is conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). ASI is principal source of industrial statistics in India. ASI, an annual event, not only facilitates suitable data collection based on appropriate sampling techniques but also ensures timely dissemination of statistical information to asses and evaluate the dynamics in composition, growth and structure of organized manufacturing sector.

Solution: C

Recently, India’s first indigenous anti-radiation missile, Rudram, developed for the Indian Air Force, was successfully flight-tested from a Sukhoi-30 MKI jet off the east coast

Rudram is an air-to-surface missile, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Rudram has been developed for the IAF’s requirement to enhance its Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) capability. As one of the many aspects of SEAD tactics, anti-radiation missiles are used mainly in the initial part of air conflict to strike at the air defence assets of the enemy, and also in later parts, leading to higher survivability to a country’s own aircraft.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/why-anti-radiation-missile-rudram-matters-6718894/

Solution: C

India first country in world to develop India cooling action plan. It aims to provide sustainable cooling while keeping in mind, at the same time, the need to protect the ozone layer from substances that can deplete it. It provides a 20-year perspective, with projections for cooling needs in 2037-38
the goals emerging from the suggested interventions stated in ICAP are:

• Recognition of “cooling and related areas” as a thrust area of research under national science and technology programme to support development of technological solutions and encourage innovation challenges,
• Reduction of cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25 % by year 2037-38,
• Reduction of refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by year 2037-38,
• Reduction of cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by year 2037-38
• Training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by the year 2022-23, in synergy with Skill India Mission.

The broad objectives of the India Cooling Action Plan include –

• Assessment of cooling requirements across sectors in next 20 years and the associated refrigerant demand and energy use,
• Map the technologies available to cater the cooling requirement including passive interventions, refrigerant-based technologies and alternative technologies such as not-in-kind technologies
• Suggest interventions in each sector to provide for sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all
• Focus on skilling of RAC service technicians.
• Develop an R&D innovation ecosystem for indigenous development of alternative technologies.

ICAP had been prepared by the Ministry after extensive deliberations and multi-stakeholders engagement in public domain for receiving comments/suggestions.

Solution: C

About the India Energy Modeling Forum:

Jointly launched by NITI Aayog and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the US–India Strategic Energy Partnership.

Composition: The forum would include knowledge partners, data agencies and concerned government ministries.

The Forum aims to:

1. Provide a platform to examine important energy and environmental related issues;
2. Inform decision-making process to the Indian government;
3. Improve cooperation between modelling teams, government, and knowledge partners, funders;
4. Facilitate exchange of ideas, ensure production of high-quality studies;
5. Identify knowledge gaps at different levels and across different areas;
6. Build capacity of Indian institutions.

https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/10/13/india-energy-modeling-forum-2/

Solution: B

Pakke Tiger reserve/Pakhui Tiger reserve is in Arunachal Pradesh. It is bounded by Bhareli or Kameng River in the west and north, and by Pakke River in the east.

Solution: C

Lassa Fever:

• Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness of 2-21 days duration that occurs in West Africa.
• The Lassa virus is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces.
• Person-to-person infections and laboratory transmission can also occur, particularly in hospitals lacking adequate infection prevention and control measures.
• Lassa fever is known to be endemic in Benin, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria, but probably exists in other West African countries as well.
• The overall case-fatality rate is 1%. Observed case-fatality rate among patients hospitalized with severe cases of Lassa fever is 15%.
• Early supportive care with rehydration and symptomatic treatment improves survival

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lassa-fever

Solution: C

The UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2017 stated that India will be behind only the U.S. and China in terms of investment attractiveness over the next two years, making it among the top three most attractive investment destinations in the world. The report emphasized that there was global interest in mergers and acquisitions in the Indian market as multinational organizations eye capturing the fast-growing Indian market.

Solution: A

Operation Twist:

• RBI launched US-style ‘Operation Twist’ to bring down interest rates.
• ‘Operation Twist’ is when the central bank uses the proceeds from sale of short-term securities to buy long-term government debt papers, leading to easing of interest rates on the long-term papers.
• The objective behind such an operation is management of the yield curve.
• It will help to make loans less expensive with those looking to buy homes, cars and make savings less desirable as it doesn’t pay much interest.
• Other central banks, including the US Federal Reserve, have used similar measures. This is the first time RBI has undertaken such an unconventional policy measure with the aim of flattening the yield curve by lowering longer rates to boost lending and growth.

Solution: B

A UN committee has passed a Russian-led resolution on a global cybercrime treaty, despite reservations that it could be used to justify shutting down civil society in repressive countries.

The resolution was sponsored by China, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Syria, among others, and will up an “Open Ended Working Group” to examine cybercrime.

The proposed treaty has been framed to serve as an alternative to the US-led Budapest Convention.

Solution: C

Drake Passage:

• It is located between Cape Horn at the tip of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula.
• It is the shortest crossing from Antarctica to any other landmass. There is no significant land anywhere around the world at the latitudes of Drake Passage, which is important to the unimpeded flow of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current which carries a huge volume of water through the Passage and around Antarctica.
• The passage is named after Sir Francis Drake, who was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe.

• It connects the south-western part of the Atlantic Ocean (Scotia Sea) with the south-eastern part of the Pacific Ocean and extends into the Southern Ocean.

Solution: A

RISAT-2BR1:

• It is a radar imaging earth observation satellite.
• It provides services in the field of agriculture, forestry and disaster management.
• Its mission life is 5 years.
• It will be placed in the low-earth orbit of 576 km at an inclination of 37 degrees.

Other satellites on board:

• The nine customer satellites were from Israel, Italy, Japan and the USA.
• These satellites were launched under a commercial arrangement with New Space India Limited (NSIL).

Background:

• The RISAT, which was first deployed in orbit on April 20, 2009 as the RISAT-2, uses synthetic aperture radars (SAR) to provide Indian forces with all-weather surveillance and observation, which are crucial to notice any potential threat or malicious activity around the nation’s borders.
• Following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, the launch of RISAT-2 was prioritised over RISAT- 1, as its C-band SAR radar was not yet ready and RISAT -2 carried an Israeli-built X-band radar.

Solution: B

National Calamity Contingent Duty:

• The NCCD is tax imposed on pan masala, cigarettes, cellular phones and other tobacco products.
• It was introduced under Finance Act, 2001.

NCCD in the present form has been imposed as a surcharge on Excise Duty. Section 136(1) of the Finance Act, 2001 states that there shall be levied and collected for the purposes of the Union, by surcharge, a duty of excise, to be called the National Calamity Contingent duty.

When the goods are covered under GST, and Excise duty is not levied on those goods; no surcharge can be levied. This no NCCD can be levied on tobacco and tobacco products, which are covered under GST regime.

Solution: D

Oxytocin:

• Oxytocin has also been dubbed the hug hormone, cuddle chemical, moral molecule, and the bliss hormone due to its effects on behavior, including its role in love and in female reproductive biological functions in reproduction.
• Oxytocin is a hormone that is made in the brain, in the hypothalamus. It is transported to, and secreted by, the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain.
• It acts both as a hormone and as a brain neurotransmitter.
• The release of oxytocin by the pituitary gland acts to regulate two female reproductive functions: Childbirth and Breast-feeding.
• Oxytocin can be administered to humans as an injection or a nasal solution.
• It is chemically synthesized and sold by pharmaceutical companies across the world.