[Mission 2022] QUIZ – 2021: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 8 November 2021 – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: d)

There are various sources of methane including human and natural sources. Human sources of methane include landfills, oil and natural gas systems, agricultural activities, coal mining, wastewater treatment, and certain industrial processes.

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Solution: b)

While counter-cyclical fiscal policy is necessary to smooth out economic cycles, it becomes

critical during an economic crisis.

Relevance of Counter-cyclical Fiscal Policy:

Indian Kings used to build palaces during famines and droughts to provide employment and improve the economic fortunes of the private sector. Economic theory, in effect, makes the same recommendation: in a recessionary year, Government must spend more than during expansionary times. Such counter-cyclical fiscal policy stabilizes the business cycle by being contractionary (reduce spending/increase taxes) in good times and expansionary (increase spending/reduce taxes) in bad times. On the other hand, a pro-cyclical fiscal policy is the one wherein fiscal policy reinforces the business cycle by being expansionary during good times and contractionary during recessions.

Solution: d)

Destabilising geological processes, coupled with extreme rainfall events and unscientific farming and construction activities, pose a serious threat to human habitation in the highlands of Kerala, according to scientists.

A team of scientists from the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS) who carried out an investigation in the wake of the heavy rain and devastating floods in August 2018 had found that land subsidence, lateral spread, and soil piping were an immediate threat to life and property in the uplands.

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Solution: b)

The most substantive new commitment, however, relates to the 1-billion-tonne reduction in its total projected emissions from now until 2030. This is the first time that India has taken any climate target in terms of its absolute emissions.

India’s Net Zero target of 2070.

In its climate action plan submitted under the Paris Agreement, India had promised to reduce its emissions intensity, or emissions per unit of GDP, by 33 to 35 per cent by the year 2030 compared to 2005 levels.

The installed renewable capacity has been growing rapidly in the last few years, and the enhancement from 450 GW to 500 GW is not likely to be very challenging.

The increase in proportion of renewable energy sources in India’s electricity generation to 50 per cent is a natural corollary of this.

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Solution: b)

India does not permit the commercial cultivation of GM rice, but research groups are testing varieties of such rice in trial plots.

Though the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee is the apex regulator of GM crops, it is mandated that trials of GM crops obtain permission from States. 

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