IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Apr 24 & 25, 2016

ANSWER: Mapping the coral reefs in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Explanation:

• Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India are the hot-spots of biodiversity with their unique Coral Reef bio-reserve.
• Currently, there is no mechanism other than Scuba diving to examine the corals and assess the extent of damage or rejuvenation that might be taking place since the great damages happened earlier.
• National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), for the first time, used the indigenously-developed Remotely Operated Vehicle (PROVe), to map the coral reefs in Andaman & Nicobar Islands (North Bay and Chidiyatapu) and that the ROV can be used for this purpose efficiently.
• The ROV can effectively map 4-6 sq.km. of coral reefs in a day, whereas the same job takes about a week for a Scuba diver. The images of corals recorded by the ROV are useful to study the biodiversity of coral reefs and their evolution.
• The radiometer attached on the ROV provided the spectral signatures of different types of corals in Andaman.
• The spectral signatures of the corals are valuable in developing algorithms to map the coral reefs using sensing techniques, especially the satellite remote sensing.
• Good news is that there are no evidences of coral bleaching at Andaman reef during the mapping period in April 2016 but will require constant monitoring to know what would happen when the temperature rises further.

ANSWER: Regarding imposition of Central Excise Duty on jewellery

Explanation:

• The Central Government has set-up a Sub Committee under Dr. Ashok Lahiri, to interact with the trade and industry on the imposition of Central Excise Duty on jewellery. The Committee comprises of the following members:

1. Shri Gautam Ray
2. Shri Rohan Shah, Legal Expert
3. Shri Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce
4. Shri Alok Shukla, Joint Secretary, Tax Research Unit, CBEC
5. Representatives from the trade will be appointed to the sub-committee shortly.

• The Committee shall consider all issues related to compliance procedure for excise duty, records to be maintained, operating procedures and all other relevant issues.

ANSWER: Switching to LED bulbs

Explanation:

• ‘I led the way’ is the tagline of Energy Efficiency Services limited (EESL).
• The campaign #ILEDTHEWAY promotes the use of LED bulbs and thus wants to promote electricity saving.
• The Government also went to an extent where they are offering 10 LED bulbs at much subsidized rates. By showing an ID proof, any any Indian citizen can get an LED for Rs 100 (which generally costs around Rs. 400).
• Previously, these subsidized LEDs could be picked up from various Government outlets, including electricity board offices across various cities in India.
• Now to push the last mile distribution even further, Government has taken ecommerce route. For this purpose, Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a special purpose vehicle formed by state-run companies under the power ministry have forged a partnership with Snapdeal. Now anyone can log on to Snapdeal website and purchase a maximum of 10 LED lights at a discounted rate of Rs. 99/-.

ANSWER: Road Safety

Explanation:

• As a signatory to Brasilia Declaration, India is committed to reducing the number of road accidents and fatalities by 50 % by 2020.
• It is important as it is one of the new Sustainable Development Goals - 3.6 - By 2020 halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents.
• Developed through an intergovernmental process involving consultation with other stakeholders, the Brasilia Declaration is a call to rethink transport policies in order to favour more sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling and using public transport.
• It highlights strategies to ensure the safety of all road users, particularly by improving laws and enforcement; making roads safer through infrastructural modifications; ensuring that vehicles are equipped with life-saving technologies; and enhancing emergency trauma care systems.
• The Brasilia Declaration encourages WHO and partners to facilitate the development of targets to reduce road traffic crashes and fatalities, and support the definition and use of indicators linked to the SDG targets related to road safety.

ANSWER: Food borne disease

Explanation:

• Paragonimiasis is a food-borne parasitic infection caused by the lung fluke, most commonly Paragonimus westermani. It is particularly common in East Asia.
• In India is found endemic to Nagaland.
• Paragoimiasis is a food borne parasitic infection caused by eating undercooked crab or crayfish. It has been endemic in Nagaland and about half of the patients attending the TB clinic were actually suffering from pulmonary paragonimiasis.
• Paragonimiasis can commonly be misdiagnosed as tuberculosis.

ANSWER: 1, 2

Explanation:

• ADB has in principle agreed to extend a loan of US $ 1 Billion while the World Bank is willing to extend a loan of US $ 0.50 billion for the implementation of Smart City Mission. BRICS Development Bank is keen to support smart city projects.
• The judiciary can revise its own verdicts.
• Judicial review is one of the basic structures of the constitution.

ANSWER: Uttarakhand

Explanation:

• India’s 1st Second-Generation (2G) Ethanol plant has been launched at Kashipur in Uttarakhand.
• It is completely indigenously-developed technology and is useful to boost ethanol production as it is expected to add 10% ethanol to fuel.

ANSWER: Agricultural Waste

Explanation:

• The targets of 10% blending by 2017 and 20% by 2020 look remote unless agricultural waste based ethanol i.e. 2G-Ehanol production technologies are successfully demonstrated. First generation (1G) is molasses-based Ethanol.
• India’s 1st Second-Generation (2G) Ethanol plant has been launched at Kashipur in Uttarakhand.
• It is a novel technology suited to both Indian & Global Needs and is projected to be capable of converting all types of agricultural residues like Bagasse, Rice Straw, Wheat Straw, Bamboo, Cotton Stalk, Corn Stover, Wood chips etc. to ethanol in less than 24 hours, with optimum product yields.
• The Technology Demonstration plant, with a capacity to consume 10 tons of biomass per day, is based on the globally-competitive indigenous technology of converting lingo-cellulosic biomass to Ethanol. It is a Feedstock-independent technology developed by DBT-ICT Centre for Energy Biosciences at the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) Mumbai, supported by Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:

• India and France launched two programmes of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) – “Affordable finance at scale” and “Scaling solar applications for agricultural use”.
• It is expected that these programmes will serve the interests of the farming communities in the prospective ISA member countries and ensure that there is sufficient flow of affordable finance for solar projects.
• The ISA is expected to provide a vibrant platform to bring together countries with rich solar potential to aggregate demand for solar energy globally, thereby reducing prices; promoting collaborative solar R&D and capacity; and facilitating the deployment of existing solar technologies at scale.
• A common buyers market for solar finance, technology, innovation, capacity building etc., will lead to higher quality, lower costs, products better tailored to needs, collaborative innovation, technology ownership, and a more balanced dialogue with all stakeholders. This will empower solar-rich countries, lying fully or partially between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn, which share common challenges and opportunities.
• As an initial step, Ministers agreed to start analysing and sharing the needs, objectives, and obstacles to deployment at scale along the value chain, for those applications for which they seek the benefits of collective action under the Alliance. On this basis, they will design innovative Programmes leveraging initiatives from the ground.

ANSWER: Manipur

Explanation:

• The British annexation of princely states that began with the battle of Plassey in 1757 ended with the battle of Khongjom.
• Manipur became the last nation in the Indian Sub-continent to come under the British Empire after the battle in Khongjom.
• President Pranab Mukherjee acknowledged the historic significance of the Battle of Khongjom, 1891, saying that Manipuri soldiers who had used "outnumbered and primitive weapons" in their fight against the British foces "gave their today for our tomorrow".
• He inaugurated a War Memorial Monument-cum-Tourist Complex as part of the 125th anniversary of the "Khongjom Day" celebrations.
• Khongjom Day is observed on April 23 every year by the government of Manipur to pay tribute to the brave sons of Manipur who made supreme sacrifice for the cause of their motherland.
• For a minimum period of time, a part of Manipur was liberated by INA and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose unfurled the tricolour at a place near Moreh.
• The state is known for its natural beauty and cultural variety.