IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Dec 01 & 02, 2016

ANSWER: Stanpan Suraksha

Explanation:
The Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram on 5th December 2016 launched the ‘Stanpan Suraksha’ mobile application.

This app will promote breastfeeding and keep a check on inapt promotion of baby food items in diet.

The mobile application was developed by the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI).

This is the first app of its kind promoting breastfeeding and baby food promotion reporting mechanism

It also has a city wise database of trained breastfeeding counsellor to educate and provide assistance to mothers during antenatal and postnatal period.

It also provides signup for women to become breastfeeding counsellors.

MAA

• MAA stands for Mother’s Absolute Affection programme.
• Breastfeeding has declined in recent times due to cultural barriers and myths.
• Around 79 percent of babies are delivered in institutions.
• Of these, only 45 percent were given breast milk in the first hour.

ANSWER: West Bengal

Explanation:
CM of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has announced on 6th Dec that the state will be setting up a special panel to stop child trafficking.

Chaired by the Parliamentary Affairs minister Partha Chatterjee, the committee will constitute a Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, DGP and officers and members of opposition parties Congress and CPI(M).

Move follows a recent CID operation bringing a massive newborn trafficking rocket by two private nursing homes, which used to target poor and single mothers and sell their unwanted babies to childless couples.

NGO called Subodh Memorial Trust was also involved in the racket.

ANSWER: GTARC

Explanation:
Software industry body Nasscom's Centre of Excellence for IoT and Georgia Tech Advanced Research (GTARC) have signed an agreement for advancing Internet of Things (IoT).

GTARC provides contracting, grant, and research administration services for the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).

Nasscom’s CoE-IoT is engaged in building talent, supporting startups and creating applications for some of India's key projects such as

• Smart cities,
• Smart health,
• Smart manufacturing and
• Smart agriculture.

The two will work and share information across a variety of sectors - from industrial, healthcare, agriculture and smart homes, and the use of IoT to improve productivity with reduced natural resource use.

Georgia Tech focuses on emerging technologies and Nasscom hopes both will mutually benefit from the partnership.

ANSWER: Mumbai-Pune

Explanation:
Elon Musk-backed Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) Co-Founder Bibop G Gresta on Dec 6 said the company is ready to build Hyperloop between Mumbai and Pune.

The decision is left with Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to go ahead with the project.

Hyperloop runs faster than an aircraft at a speed of 1,120 kmph.

Asked about the regulatory challenges to build Hyperloop in India, Musk cited government support.

The company has several options for raising money. One of them is to build the Hyperloop in Public-Private partnership.

Private investors are also interested in implementing the project.

ANSWER: Winter Fog Experiment

Explanation:
The objectives of the Winter Fog Experiment (WIFEX) are to develop better now-casting (next 6 hours) and forecasting of winter fog on various time and spatial scales.

The aim is to help reduce its adverse impact on aviation, transportation and economy, and loss of human life due to accidents.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India has taken up a multi-institutional initiative to conduct an intensive ground-based measurement campaign at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), Delhi, to understand different physical and chemical features of Fog and factors responsible for its genesis, intensity and duration.

WIFEX was conducted in a pilot mode at IGIA during last winter, and will be continued during December 2016 till February 2017.

The main scientific objective of this project is to study the characteristics and variability of fog events and associated dynamics, thermodynamics and fog microphysics.

The aim is to achieve better understanding of fog life cycle and ultimately improve capability in fog prediction.

In addition to Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, India Meteorology Department (IMD), these are also participating in this observational campaign:

• National Center for Medium Range Weather Forecast (NCMRWF),
• Airport Authority of India, GMR,
• Indira Gandhi International Airport and
• Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali

What is Fog?


• Fog is a visible mass consisting of cloud water droplets suspended in the air or near the Earth’s surface.

ANSWER: 14th April

Explanation:
Lauding the contribution of Dr. B R Ambedkar in water resources management of the country Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Sushri Uma Bharti has announced that his birth day 14th April will be celebrated as “Water Day”.

Ambedkar was a pioneer in the field of developing multi-purpose projects for independent India.

He had, in fact, been the moving spirit behind the Damodar Valley, Hirakud and other projects", said the Central Water Commission (CWC) in its research paper which was brought out on the occasion of the Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary in April 2016.

The research paper also recalled how he had helped in evolving "a new water and power policy during 1942-46 to utilise the water resources of the country to the best advantage of everybody.