DAY – 31 ( INSTA REVISION TEST – 31)INSTA REVISION PLAN 2.0, 2021 – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: D

Government e-Marketplace is an online market place for procurement of common use goods and services by government ministries, departments and CPSEs.

It was setup in 2016. The platform offers online, end to end solution for procurement of commonly used goods and services for all central government departments and state governments, public sector units and affiliated bodies.

It aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement of goods and services and eliminate corruption.

Solution: A

Urea Subsidy is a part of Central Sector Scheme of Department of Fertilizers wholly financed by the Government of India.

The difference between the delivered cost of fertilizers at farm gate and MRP payable by the farmer is given as subsidy to the fertilizer manufacturer/importer by the Government of India.

Urea production units use Natural Gas as well as Naphtha as feedstock/fuel.

Presently, urea is made available to farmers at statutorily controlled price.

Features of Urea

Urea, a white crystalline solid containing 46% nitrogen, is widely used in the agricultural industry as an animal feed additive and fertilizer.

Unlike many fertilizers, Urea can be applied to soil as a solid or solution.

100% Neem Coated Urea was made mandatory in 2015.

Benefits of Neem Coating Urea

o Improvement in soil health.

o Reduction in costs with respect to plant protection chemicals.

o Reduction in pest and disease attack.

o Plugging the diversion of the subsidized Urea towards non-agricultural purposes.

o It reduces loss of Nitrogen/ammonia from urea when it remains on the soil surface for extended periods of time during warm weather.

Solution: D

Solution: B

Superconductivity is a phenomenon in which the resistance of the material to the electric current flow is zero.

Because of zero resistance, superconducting materials can save huge amounts of energy, and be used to make highly efficient electrical appliances.

Superconductivity is largely possible at low temperature. Metallic superconductors usually have transition temperatures (temperatures below which they are superconductive) below 30 K (−243.2 °C) and must be cooled using liquid helium in order to achieve superconductivity.

Solution: C

Key Biodiversity Areas

Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) is an umbrella term commonly used to include areas that contribute to the global persistence of biodiversity, including vital habitat for threatened plant and animal species in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Globally KBAs are designated based on 11 criteria defined under five broad categories of threatened biodiversity; geographically restricted biodiversity; ecological integrity; biological processes; and, irreplaceability.

The criteria for designating a site as KBA have been described in the document “The Global Standard for the Identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (2016)” by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). IUCN identifies 531 KBA sites in India but these have no legal basis

Solution: A

NASA has selected Texas-based Southwest Research Institute to lead its PUNCH mission which will image the Sun. This is a landmark mission that will image regions beyond the Sun’s outer corona. Dipankar Banerjee, solar physicist from Indian Institute of Astrophysics is also a Co-Investigator of the PUNCH mission.

PUNCH, which stands for “Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere,” is focused on understanding the transition of particles from the Sun’s outer corona to the solar wind that fills interplanetary space.

PUNCH will consist of a ‘constellation’ of four suitcase-sized microsats that will orbit the Earth in formation and study how the corona, which is the atmosphere of the Sun, connects with the interplanetary medium. The mission is expected to be launched in 2022.

The mission will image and track the solar wind and also the coronal mass ejections – which are huge masses of plasma that get thrown out of the Sun’s atmosphere. The coronal mass ejections can affect and drive space weather events near the Earth.

Solution: B

National Broadband Mission (NBM)

• The Ministry of Communications has launched ‘National Broadband Mission’ that will facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services across the country, especially in rural and remote areas.
• The Mission is part of the National Digital Communications Policy, 2018.
• The mission will facilitate universal and equitable access to broadband services across the country, especially in rural and remote areas.
• It also involves laying of incremental 30 lakh route km of optical fibre cable and increasing tower density from 0.42 to 1 tower per thousand population by 2024.
• The mission also envisages increasing fiberisation of towers to 70% from 30% at present.
• The mission will envisage stakeholder investment of $100 billion (Rs 7 lakh crore) including Rs 70,000 crore from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) in the coming years.
• The mission also involves the development of a Broadband Readiness Index to measure the availability of digital communication infrastructure and foster conducive policy ecosystem within a state/UT.
• It will also strive for the creation of a digital fibre map of the communications network and infrastructure, including optical fibre cables and towers across the country.

Objective of NBM:

• To fast track growth of digital communications infrastructure, bridge digital divide and to provide affordable and universal access of broadband for all
• To provide broadband access to all villages by 2022

Solution: C

KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) scheme was launched by the Odisha Government for farmer’s welfare. The aim of the scheme is to accelerate agricultural prosperity and reduce poverty in the State payments to encourage cultivation and associated activities.

Solution: C

BLACK CARBON

Black carbon (BC) is a solid particle or aerosol, (though not a gas) contributes to warming of the atmosphere. Black carbon, commonly known as soot, is a form of particulate air pollutant, produced from incomplete combustion. It consists of pure carbon in several linked forms.

Source

biomass burning, cooking with solid fuels, and diesel exhaust,etc.

What does BC do?

Black carbon warms the Earth by absorbing heat in the atmosphere and by reducing albedo, (the ability to reflect sunlight) when deposited on snow and ice.

BC is the strongest absorber of sunlight and heats the air directly. In addition, it darkens snow packs and glaciers through deposition and leads to melting of ice and snow.

Regionally, BC disrupts cloudiness and monsoon rainfall and accelerates melting of mountain glaciers such as the Hindu Kush-Himalayan glaciers.

Life time

Black carbon stays in the atmosphere for only several days to weeks.

Thus the effects of BC on the atmospheric warming and glacier retreat disappear within months of reducing emissions.

Solution: C

Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO):

• The Drugs Prices Control Order is an order issued by the Government of India under Sec. 3 of Essential Commodities Act, 1955 to regulate the prices of drugs.
• The Order interalia provides the list of price controlled drugs, procedures for fixation of prices of drugs, method of implementation of prices fixed by Govt., penalties for contravention of provisions etc.
• For the purpose of implementing provisions of DPCO, powers of Govt. have been vested in NPPA.
• The DPCO fixes the prices of scheduled drug formulations.
• It also monitors maximum retail prices of all drugs, including the non-scheduled formulations.

Are all the drugs marketed in the country under price control?

No. The National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2011 is adopted as the primary basis for determining essentiality, which constitutes the list of scheduled medicines for the purpose of price control. The DPCO 2013 contains more than 600 scheduled drug formulations spread across 27 therapeutic groups. However, the prices of other drugs can be regulated, if warranted in public interest.

Solution: B

The Geological Survey of India (GSI), founded in 1851, is a Government of India Ministry of Mines organisation, one of the oldest of such organisations in the world and the second oldest survey in India after Survey of India (founded in 1767), for conducting geological surveys and studies of India, and also as the prime provider of basic earth science information to government, industry and general public, as well as the official participant in steel, coal, metals, cement, power industries and international geoscientific forums.

The principal function of GSI relate to creation and updation of national geoscientific data and mineral resource assessment, air-borne and marine surveys and conducting multifarious geo-technical, geo-environmental and natural hazards studies, glaciology, seismotectonics, etc. and to nurture studies on fundamental research

Solution: B

RBI has announced a new liquidity facility under Long Term Repo Operations (LTRO) to inject liquidity in the banking system.

LTRO scheme will be in addition to the existing LAF and MSF (Marginal Standing Facility) operations

LTRO, RBI will conduct term repos of one-year and three-year tenors of appropriate sizes for up to a total amount of Rs 1 lakh crore at the policy repo rate.

LTRO will lead to decline in short term lending rates of banks. LTRO will lead to decline in short term lending rates of banks.

Solution: A

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, gave its approval for establishment of the Clean Ganga Fund (CGF). The following broad activities will be financed from the Fund:

• Activities outlined under the ‘Namami Gange’ programme for cleaning of river Ganga.
• Control of non-point pollution from agricultural runoff, human defecation, cattle wallowing, etc.
• Setting up of waste treatment and disposal plants along the river around the cities.
• Conservation of the biotic diversity of the river.
• Community based activities to reduce polluting human interface with the river.
• Development of public amenities including activities such as Ghat redevelopment.
• Research and Development and innovative projects.
• Research and Development projects and innovative projects for new technology and processes for cleaning the river.
• Independent oversight through intensive monitoring and real time reporting.
• Any other activity as approved by the Trust.

Considering that the measures taken till now are inadequate and a national effort is required to mobilize resources for improving the condition of the river Ganga, the Government announced the setting up of an Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission called “Namami Gange” and an initial sum of Rs. 2,037 crore has been allocated in the Union Budget 2014-15.

The Cabinet has now agreed to set up “Clean Ganga Fund (CGF)” with voluntary contributions from residents of the country and Non-Resident Indian (NRIs) / Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and others to harness their enthusiasm to contribute towards the conservation of the river Ganga.

The Fund will have the objective of contributing to the national effort of cleaning of the river Ganga. Domestic donors to the Fund shall be eligible for tax benefits as applicable in the case of the Swachh Bharat Kosh. The Fund would be managed by a Trust to be headed by Finance Minister. The secretariat of the Trust will be set up in Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation under the Mission Director, Clean Ganga.

Solution: A

Biorock or Mineral Accretion Technology

• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), with help from Gujarat’s forest department, is attempting for the first time a process to restore coral reefs using biorock or mineral accretion technology in the Gulf of Kachchh.
• What is Biorock?

o It is the name given to the substance formed by electro accumulation of minerals dissolved in seawater on steel structures that are lowered onto the sea bed and are connected to a power source, in this case solar panels that float on the surface.

1. The technology works by passing a small amount of electrical current through electrodes in the water.
2. When a positively charged anode and negatively charged cathode are placed on the sea floor, with an electric current flowing between them, calcium ions combine with carbonate ions and adhere to the structure (cathode).
3. This results in calcium carbonate formation. Coral larvae adhere to the CaCO3 and grow quickly.
4. Fragments of broken corals are tied to the biorock structure, where they are able to grow at least four to six times faster than their actual growth as they need not spend their energy in building their own calcium carbonate skeletons.

Solution: B

India’s Anti-Satellite (ASAT) missile

• Mission Shakti is a joint programme of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• As part of the mission, an anti-satellite (A-SAT) weapon was launched and targeted an Indian satellite which had been decommissioned.
• The target of the test was a satellite present in a low Earth orbit.
• The test sparked concerns regarding the creation of space debris.
• ASAT missile can be air, sea or land-based

Significance:

• India is only the 4th country to acquire such a specialised and modern capability, and Entire effort is indigenous. Till now, only the US, Russia and China had the capability to hit a live target inspace.
• India’s successful demonstration of the ASAT capability is said to signify its ability to intercept an intercontinental ballistic missile.

What is space debris?

• Space junk is an ever-growing problem with more than 7,500 tonnes of redundant hardware now thought to be circling the Earth. Ranging from old rocket bodies and defunct spacecraft through to screws and even flecks of paint – this material poses a collision hazard to operational missions.
• The rising population of space debris increases the potential danger to all space vehicles, but especially to the International Space Station (ISS), space shuttles, satellites and other spacecraft.

Technologies that can tackle the problem in future are:

• • Nasa’s Space Debris Sensor orbits the Earth on the International Space Station. The sensor was attached to the outside of the space station’s European Columbus module in December 2017. It will detect millimetre- sized pieces of debris for at least two years, providing information on whatever hits it such as size, density, velocity, and orbit and will determine whether the impacting object is from space or a man-made piece of space debris.
  • REMOVE debris, satellite contain two cubesats that will release simulated space debris so that it can then demonstrate several ways of retrieving them.
  • Deorbit mission: e.Deorbit is a planned European Space Agency active space debris removal mission developed as a part of their Clean Space initiative.
  • Other technologies include moving objects with a powerful laser beam. It is important to start doing that soon, current scientific estimates predict that without active debris removal, certain orbits will become unusable over the coming decades.