IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Apr 28, 2016

ANSWER: Allahabad–Haldia

Explanation:

• The National Waterway 1 or NW1 is located in India and runs from Haldia (Sagar) to Allahabad across the Ganges, Bhagirathi and Hooghly river systems.
• It is 1620 km long, making it the longest waterway in India, NW1 passes through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
• It was declared as a waterway in October 1986. It is navigable by mechanical boat up to Patna.

ANSWER: 1, 3

Explanation:

• The National Waterway 1 or NW1 is located in India and runs from Haldia (Sagar) to Allahabad across the Ganges, Bhagirathi and Hooghly river systems.
• National Waterway 2 (NW-2) is Sadiya — Dhubri stretch of Brahmaputra river having a length of 891 km between the Bangladesh border and Sadiya.
• The West Coast Canal or National Waterway No 3 is a 168-km stretch of this inland navigational route located in Kerala, India and runs from Kollam to Kottapuram. Along with the Kottapuram-Kollam stretch of the West Coast Canal, the NW3 also includes Champakara Canal and Udyogmandal Canal.
• The NW-4 runs along the Coromandal Coast through Kakinada, Eluru, Commanur, Buckingham Canals and also through part of Krishna and Godavari rivers in South India. With a length of 1095km it includes Kakinada–Pondicherry stretch of canals and the Kaluvelly Tank, Bhadrachalam – Rajahmundry stretch of River Godavari and Wazirabad – Vijayawada stretch of River Krishna.
• NW5 is Talcher–Dhamra stretch of the Brahmani River, the Geonkhali - Charbatia stretch of the East Coast Canal, the Charbatia–Dhamra stretch of Matai river and the Mangalgadi - Paradip stretch of the Mahanadi River Delta. It covers the state of Odisha and a part of West Bengal.
• National Waterways 6 is a proposed waterway between Lakhipur and Bhanga of the Barak River announced in 2013-14.

ANSWER: 111

Explanation:

• India now has 111 waterways
• Under Entry 24 of the Union List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, the central government can make laws on shipping and navigation on inland waterways which are classified as national waterways by Parliament by law.
• The Act identifies 111 waterways as national waterways, including the five existing national waterways. The Act also specifies the extent of development to be undertaken on each waterway.
• The Act repeals the five Acts that had declared the existing national waterways. These five national waterways will be covered under the Act.
• The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Act states that while inland waterways is recognised as a fuel efficient, cost effective and environment friendly mode of transport, it has received lesser investment as compared to roads and railways. Since inland waterways are lagging behind other modes of transport, the central government has evolved a policy for integrated development of inland waterways.

ANSWER: National Waterway - 1

Explanation:

• The Government is developing National Waterway-1 (NW-1) under the Jal Marg Vikas Project, with assistance from the World Bank. NW-1 refers to 1620 km Haldia-Allahabad stretch of River Ganga.
• The project includes development of fairway, multi-modal terminals, strengthening of open river navigation technique, conservancy works, modern River Information System (RIS), Digital Global Positioning System (DGPS), night navigation facilities, modern methods of channel marking, construction of a new navigational lock at Farakka etc.
• The development of NW-1 would result in a viable supplementary mode of transport and huge quantities of bulk cargo can be transported thereby helping in economic development of this region.
• The central government has designated the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) as the implementing agency, with a Project Management Unit (PMU), for the Jal Marg Vikas Project.

ANSWER: UNESCO

Explanation:

• The Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016, seeks to establish a Regional Centre for Biotechnology, an institution of education, training and research, under the auspices of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the National Capital Region and declare it to be an institution of national importance.
• The Regional Centre for Biotechnology will take up research and innovation and impart education and training in the new areas of Biotechnology at the interface of multiple disciplines of science creating a hub of technology expertise.
• Objectives: (i) Disseminate knowledge by providing teaching and research facilities in biotechnology and related fields, (ii) create a hub of biotechnology expertise, (iii) facilitate transfer of technology and knowledge in the SAARC region and generally Asia and (iv) Promote cooperation at the international level.

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:

• TMT is an international project being funded by scientific organisations of Canada, China, India, Japan and USA.
• The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project is the joint responsibility of the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) from India.
• While Mauna Kea, Hawaii is the preferred choice for the TMT project, given the large investments that have already been made and committed, the project is also looking at alternate sites both in the northern and southern hemispheres. Hanle, Ladakh is one of the sites being evaluated for hosting the telescope.
• Hanle being the protected area in the state of J&K, the project requires clearances from State and Central agencies such as environmental, defence, external affairs and home affairs.
• TMT will enable scientists to study fainter objects far away from us in the Universe, which gives information about early stages of evolution of the Universe.
• Also, it will give us finer details of not-so-far-away objects like undiscovered planets and other objects in the Solar System and planets around other stars.
• TMT being the largest optical and infrared telescope in the northern hemisphere will enable several discoveries which will surely inspire future generations.
• Project will also provide state-of-the-art high end technologies to the country, which would benefit a number of industries and R&D centers in the country.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• The Department of Telecommunications has notified the rules on panic button under section 10 of the Indian Wireless Telegraph Act 1933.
• Under these rules, w.e.f. 1.1.2017, all feature phones will have the facility of panic button configured to the numeric key 5 or 9 and all smart phones will have the panic button configured to three times short pressing of the on-off button.
• Further, w.e.f. 1.1.2018, all mobile phones will be required to have the facility of identifying the location through satellite based GPS.
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development had taken up the issue of installation of a physical panic button on mobile phones. It was observed that in order to provide safety to women in distress situation, it is important to enable them to send out distress signal to a family member or the police authorities so that they can be rescued.
• The Ministry had discussed this issue with a number of stakeholders as well as Department of Telecommunications and had insisted that a physical panic button is much superior to having an App on the mobile phone.
• It was argued that a woman in distress does not have more than a second or two to send out a distress message as a perpetrator will often reach out to her mobile phone in the event of a physical/sexual assault.

ANSWER: 1, 3

Explanation:
India has reiterated that it will:

• Reduce Emission Intensity by 35%;
• Build 40% capacity for Power Generation from non-fossil fuels;
• Create additional carbon sink of 2.5 billion tonnes;
• Invest in reducing our vulnerability and enhancing adaptation to Climate Change.

India has already started on the road to achieve. As per the Environment Minister-

• In a revolutionary measure we have taxed coal at the rate of $6 per tonne, and we will invest the monies in Clean Environment.
• If the World follows India on this, it will generate the elusive $100 billion much early, and more easily.
• We have undertaken a huge Renewable energy programme of 175 GW. I am happy to announce that we have already achieved 40 GW.
• We have blended 1 billion litres of Ethanol, and intend to double it next year, without changing the Land use.
• We have taxed polluting vehicles and are providing subsidy for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles.
• We have distributed 100 million LED bulbs. We have made them cheaper by 80% from $4.7 to $ 0.8
• We will save 80 Million tonnes of Carbon equivalent per annum, when we will complete LED programme of one billion lights
• Urban Public Transport which is presently 300 KM and 2 million passengers, will increase to 1300 KM and 10 million passengers in 3 years.
• For afforestation we are providing $ 10 billion in next 5 years.
• We are replacing energy inefficient pumps with efficient pumps, and we will give it free to our farmers.

ANSWER: 2, 3

Explanation:

• Scientists have designed a novel low-energy nuclear reaction imaging technique to detect the presence of nuclear materials such as weapons-grade uranium and plutonium in cargo containers.
• The technique could significantly improve the ability to prevent the smuggling of dangerous nuclear materials and their potential diversion to terrorist groups, researchers said.
• The method relies on a combination of neutrons and high-energy photons to detect shielded radioactive materials inside the containers.
• The technique can measure the suspected materials density and atomic number using mono-energetic gamma ray imaging, while confirming the presence of special nuclear materials by observing their unique delayed neutron emission signature.
• The technique begins with an ion accelerator producing deuterons, heavy isotopes of hydrogen. The deuterons impinge on a target composed of boron, which produces both neutrons and high-energy photons.
• The resulting particles are focused into a fan shaped beam that could be used to scan the cargo container.
• The transmission of high-energy photons can be used to image materials inside the cargo container, while both the photons and neutrons excite the special nuclear material - which then emits gamma rays and neutrons that can be detected outside the container.
• Transmission imaging detectors located in the line of sight of the interrogating fan beam of photons create the image of the cargo.