IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - June 30, 2016

ANSWER: Teacher Education Portal

Explanation:

• ‘Prashikshak’, the teacher education portal for District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) is being launched by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development.
• The objective of Prashikshak is to help DIETs make informed decisions about their institutes, compare the performance of their institute against other DIETs in the state/country as well as help aspiring teachers make informed decisions about which institute to join.
• Prashikshak Portal has been developed by the Ministry of HRD in collaboration with Central Square Foundation.
• The major users of Prashikshak will be Pre-service teacher educators, DIET principals and faculty, Policy makers at District, State Government and National Level, and the General public.
• Prashikshak is a unique IT Initiative taken up by the HRD Ministry which would entail the establishment of a strong monitoring mechanism with a database of teacher education institutes with all relevant performance indicators.

ANSWER: A torpedo

Explanation:

• The ‘Varunastra – a Ship Launched Heavy Weight Torpedo’, also known as underwater missile, is an advanced heavyweight anti-submarine torpedo of India, developed by Naval Science and Technological Laboratory of the DRDO for the Indian Navy.
• This torpedo can achieve speeds in excess of 40 knots and is powered by an electric propulsion system with multiple 250 KWs Silver Oxide Zinc (AgOZn) batteries.
• Varunastra, a versatile naval weapon which can be fired from the Rajput class destroyers, Delhi class and all future Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) ships capable of firing heavy weight torpedoes and is capable of targeting quiet and stealthy submarines both in deep and littoral waters even in intense countermeasure atmosphere.

ANSWER: Provide uninterrupted electricity supply

Explanation:

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has signed an MoU with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a policy research institution, to launch a new ‘Initiative on Solar for Healthcare’.
• The collaboration will focus on providing effective health care delivery at the last mile by reducing uncertainty in critical infrastructure, particularly electricity supply via cost effective solar-based solutions.
• Under this collaboration, on a pilot basis, ICMR will install solar systems at select PHCs in partnership with three state governments and evaluate its impact on healthcare delivery and health outcomes.
• The aim of the collaboration is to create resilient health systems in rural India, benefitting primarily women and children.
• In the absence of electricity, services catered by health institutions such as institutional deliveries, paediatric emergencies, and administering of vaccines get severely affected. Electricity access in health centres is also imperative as a means to facilitate communication services, tele-health applications and to retain skilled health workers.

ANSWER: Agriculture

Explanation:

• Ministry of Agriculture has taken an important initiative in respect of adopting remote sensing technology for the assessment of horticultural production.
• The Ministry has initiated a pilot project named as Chaman.
• 11 prominent states have been included in this project so as to develop remote sensing based program for the assessment of area and production related to horticulture crop.
• Other components include geospatial applications for horticultural development and management planning (site suitability, post-harvest infrastructure, crop intensification, GIS database creation, orchard rejuvenation, aqua-horticulture). Besides, detailed scientific field level studies will be conducted for developing technology for crop identification, yield modelling and disease assessment.
• Fruits such as banana, mango, citrus and vegetables such as potato, tomato, onion and chilli will be covered under the project.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:

• Government proposes to establish a not-for-profit autonomous institution that will be known as the National Centre for Mineral Targeting (NCMT) in collaboration with scientific and research bodies, universities and industry for scientific and technological research to address the mineral exploration challenges in the country.
• If the explorer agencies do not discover any auctionable resources, their exploration expenditure will be reimbursed on normative cost basis.
• There will be creation of baseline geoscientific data as a public good for open dissemination free of charge.
• Government will carry out a National Aerogeophysical Program for acquiring state-of-the-art baseline data for targeting concealed mineral deposits.
• A National Geoscientific Data Repository is proposed to be set up to collate all baseline and mineral exploration information generated by various central & state government agencies and also mineral concession holders and to maintain these on geospatial database.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• The Model Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Bill, 2016 will be sent to States/UTs to enable them to modify their individual Acts, if they so desire either by adopting the said Bill as it is or after modifying its provisions as per their requirements.
• It will cover only establishments employing ten or more workers except manufacturing units.
• The Bill provides for freedom to operate 365 days in a year and opening/closing time of establishment.
• Women to be permitted during night shift, if the provision of shelter, rest room ladies toilet, adequate protection of their dignity and transportation etc. exists.
• No discrimination against women in the matter of recruitment, training, transfer or promotions.

ANSWER: A Painter

Explanation:

• Subramanyan was a modernist, who studied art under stalwarts such as Nandlal Boss, Ramkinkar Baij and Benode Bihari Mukherjee in Shantiniketan.
• He was a Padma Vibhushan awardee.
• He was a pioneer in the modern art form ranging from paintings to pottery. His terracotta art, toy-making and designing is known across the world.