IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Jan 19, 2017

ANSWER: South Korea

Explanation:

• The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the proposal for India’s taking full membership of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) Governing Council.
• The move involves payment of annual contribution of US $ 5,00,000 to the International Vaccine Institute (IVI), Seoul, South Korea.
• International Vaccine Institute (IVI) was established in 1997.
• It was established on the initiatives of the UNDP.
• It is an international organization devoted to developing and introducing new and improved vaccines to protect the people, especially children, against deadly infectious diseases.
• In the year 2007, with the approval of Cabinet, India joined IVI.
• India is a long-term collaborator and stake-holder of IVI.
• In December, 2012 the Board of Trustees (BOT) of IVI approved the formation of its new governance structure.
• As per the new governance structure of IVI, a member State has to contribute to the IVI by paying a portion of its core budget.
• Since India is classified in Group-I, it had to pay an annual contribution of US $ 50,000.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• 20,000 youths in Ganga basin states will be trained and deployed to represent Namami Gange programme as “Swachhta Doots”.
• They would go in 29 districts spanning about 2,336 villages along the river in basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal to spread message of keeping the river clean among the local dwellers and visitors.
• Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), an autonomous organisation under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has been entrusted with this task.
• The youth, once trained, would exhort and motivate local population and tourists to refrain from polluting river Ganga.
• The Swachhta Doots would educate the target audience about the adverse consequences of polluting Ganga.
• They will also be an asset in providing information on existing government activities like construction of toilets, water harvesting and conservation for creation of a comprehensive database in coordination with National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), the implementing arm of Namami Gange programme.

ANSWER: Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• The Union Cabinet has given its approval to exclude State Governments of States/UTs (with Legislature) except Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh from National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) investments from 01.04.2016.
• It also approved providing a one-time loan of Rs. 45,000 crore from NSSF to Food Corporation of India (FCI) to meet its food subsidy requirements.
• Arunachal Pradesh shall be given loans to the tune of 100% of NSSF collections within its territory.
• Delhi, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh shall be provided 50% of collections.
• Once states are excluded from NSSF investments, the investible funds of NSSF with Gol will increase.
• Increased availability of the NSSF loan to Gol may reduce the Gol's market borrowings.
• The States will however, see an increase in market borrowings.
• Implementing the decision to exclude states from NSSF investments and extending the loan will entail no additional cost.
• Instead a reduction in the food subsidy bill of the Gol is anticipated.
• Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh will continue availing of NSSF loans.
• The Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC) recommended that State Governments be excluded from the investment operations of the NSSF.
• The NSSF loans come at an extra cost to the State Government as the market rates are considerably lower.
• The involvement of States which are excluded from operations of National Small Savings Fund with effect from 1.4.2016 would be limited solely to discharging the outstanding NSSF debt obligations as on 31.3.2016 (FFC Recommendation).
• The loan contracted by States till 31.3.2016, from the National Small Savings Fund will stand completely repaid by the Financial Year 2038-39.
• NSSF shall extend a part of its collections to Food Corporation of India (FCI) to meet its food subsidy requirement.
• This will help the FCI reduce its interest cost.
• This savings on interest rate outgo will reduce the food subsidy burden of the Government of India.

ANSWER: 1, 3

Explanation:

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad has developed Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT), an exhaustive and comprehensive compilation of nutritional information on various Indian Foods.
• After 1971, this is the first expansive food composition data to be released having foods analysed from across the country.
• India now joins the elite league of nations having its own complete food composition data base.
• Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) is a reference book for all kinds of nutritional evaluations including clinical practice for analysing the diets of patients and devising special diets for them.
• The comprehensive nutrient data bank will cater to the needs of researchers and policy makers for alleviating the nutritional deficiency and the associated disorders in the country.
• The Indian national food sampling and analysis program was initiated by the Indian Council of Medical Research in 2011.
• It was in order to bring out a totally new ICFTs as an authoritative source of food composition data in India.
• In it key foods were to be prioritized and analysed for a comprehensive set of nutrients at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad.
• IFCT, popularly known as Nutritive Value of Indian Foods (NVIF) contains data which was sampled, analysed and categorized on a massive scale after 45 years of long gap.
• The data enables to monitor food and nutrient availability in the country.
• It serves as a handbook for the dieticians, planners, medical & health professionals and students of nutrition field.
• It forms a basis for development of dietary guidelines, framing of food regulations & food safety, consumer education and educational materials.
• Food industry uses this data for labelling & nutrient claims, product development and reformulation.
• IFCT guides in planning of institutional diets, sports nutrition and food service industry.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its ‘in principle’ approval for listing five Government owned General Insurance Companies in the stock exchanges.

These are -

1. The New India Assurance Company Ltd.
2. United India Insurance Company Ltd.,
3. Oriental Insurance Company Ltd.,
4. National Insurance Company Ltd. and
5. General Insurance Corporation of India.

• The shareholding of these Public Sector General Insurance Companies (PSGICs) will be divested from 100 percent to 75 percent in one or more tranches over a period of time.
• During the process of disinvestment, existing rules and regulations of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) will be followed.
• Listing of (PSGICs) is likely to yield the following benefits -
1. Listing on the Stock Exchange necessitates compliance with a number of disclosures and accounting requirements of SEBI which acts as an additional oversight mechanism.
2. The disclosures bring about transparency and equity in the companies functioning.
3. Listing is expected to lead to improved corporate governance and risk management practices leading to improved efficiency.
4. A greater focus on growth and earnings can also be expected.
5. Listing will open the way for the companies to raise resources from the capital market to meet their fund requirements to expand their businesses, instead of being dependent on the Government for capital infusion.
6. Public shareholding in Government-owned companies is a means of ensuring higher levels of transparency and accountability;

• To promote these objectives, the general insurance companies owned by the Government will be listed on the stock exchanges.