IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - Nov 07 & 08, 2016

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:

• The scheme spans over five years (2016-17 to 2020-21) with a project cost of Rs. 499.94 crore.
• It will provide entrepreneurship education and training to over 7 lakh students in 5 years through 3050 Institutes.
• It will also include easy access to information and mentor network, credit, incubator and accelerator and advocacy to create a pathway for the youth.
• It is launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• Pradhan Mantri Yuva Yojana is to scale up an Ecosystem of Entrepreneurship for Youngsters.
• The institutes under the PM’s YUVA Yojana include 2200 Institutes of Higher Learning (colleges, universities, and premier institutes), 300 schools, 500 ITIs and 50 Entrepreneurship Development Centres, through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).
• Two institutions under MSDE dedicated to entrepreneur education and training are NIESBUD and IIE.

ANSWER: NITI Aayog

Explanation:

• NITI Aayog developed School Education Quality Index (SEQI) in collaboration with the Ministry of HRD to improve the learning outcomes among school children.
• The SEQI is a composite index that will report annual improvements of States on key domains of education quality, conceptualized and designed by NITI Aayog and the MHRD.
• The larger vision of the index is to shift the focus of States from inputs towards outcomes, provide objective benchmarks for continuous annual improvements, encourage state-led innovations to improve quality and facilitate sharing of best practices.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• In order to precisely report the quality of education imparted across India, the SEQI is divided into two categories: Outcomes and Governance & Management.
• These are further divided into three domains of Outcomes (Learning, Access and Equity) and two domains of Governance & Management (Governance Processes and Structural Reforms).
• Currently the index has 34 indicators and 1000 points, with the highest weightage given to learning outcomes (600 out of 1000 points).

ANSWER: India TB Research and Development Corporation

Explanation:

• The "India TB Research and Development Corporation" (ITRDC), a flagship initiative by ICMR, aims to bring together all major national and international stakeholders to develop new tools (drug, diagnostics and vaccines) for TB.
• The vision of the corporation is "To achieve Elimination of TB from India by investing in new tools (drugs, diagnostics and vaccines) as well as provide these solutions to the world".

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• TB has been taken as a national priority. The aim is to reduce the incidence on new TB cases by 95% and reduce mortality by 95%.
• The research will be accelerated to improve cure rates and to accelerate decline in new cases. The implementation research will focus on finding and framing strategies to treat TB patients by involving all stakeholders. The aim is to ensure that all TB patients get assured quality diagnosis and treatment.
• The initiative has been undertaken after a consensus from the various Government, Non-Government and international research organizations in a high level meeting with officials from MOH&FW, DBT, CSIR, DST, TDB, WHO, Gates Foundation in Feb 2016 wherein all the members agreed to support the Corporation.
• In a few months time the detailed landscape analysis of the national and global leads in four thematic areas namely diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics and implementation research has been done and most advanced leads have been identified for taking forward.

ANSWER: Eri Silk

Explanation:

• Also known as Endi or Errandi, Eri is a multivoltine silk spun from open-ended cocoons, unlike other varieties of silk.
• Eri silk is the product of the domesticated silkworm, Philosamia ricini that feeds mainly on castor leaves.
• The wooly white silk is often referred to as the fabric of peace when it is processed without the killing of the silk worm, this process results in a silk called Ahimsa silk.
• Moths leave the cocoon and then the cocoons are harvested to be spun. The Eri silkworm is the only completely domesticated silkworm other than Bombyx mori.
• Eri caterpillars are grown in the Indian states of Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and some small cities in other states. The heavy rainfall and humid atmosphere of the region suits the Eri culture.

ANSWER: Surya Jyoti

Explanation:

• In order to capture day light and concentrate the same inside a dark room, particularly in urban slum or rural areas which lack electricity supply, a low cost and energy efficient Micro Solar Dome has been tested and developed.
• It is named Surya Jyoti.
• The Micro Solar Dome (MSD) is a day and night lighting single device unique in its features, that has a transparent semi-spherical upper dome made of acrylic material which captures the sunlight and the light passes through a sun-tube having a thin layer of highly reflective coating on the inner wall of the passage.
• It also contains a lower dome made of acrylic. There is a shutter in the bottom of the lower dome which can be closed, if light is not required in the daytime.
• It is leak proof and works throughout the day and 4 hours continuously after sunset.
• The latest Surya Jyoti operates in three modes, day light without any electricity, night time with solar PV and night time with conventional grid after 17 hours of operation.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:

• In Gandhinagar, 'G-Bike' initiative was launched in March this year with 100 cycles made available at 11 cycles stands for cycles sharing between 6.00 am and 10.00 pm.
• With more than 700 users benefitting from this every day, this scheme is proposed to be spread across the city with 400 cycles. Users are allowed free use of cycles for four hours.
• Gandhinagar’s ‘G-Bike’, a cycle sharing initiative and 'Sanjhi Cycle' of Karnal have been adjudged as 'Commendable' initiatives towards promotion of Non-Motorised Transport.

ANSWER: Surat

Explanation:

• Ministry of Urban Development has identified eight cities in five States and the Union Territory of Chandigarh for 'Best' and 'Commendable' initiatives toward promotion of public transport, Non-Motorised Transport and Road Safety.
• In the 'Best Mass Urban Transport' category, Surat’s Integrated Mass Transit System with focus on bus transport has been adjudged the ‘Best’ while the short term Mass Transit Solution for Simhastha, 2016 in Indore has been identified as a ‘Commendable Initiative,
  Surat’s initiative to ensure long term availability of rapid mobility and high accessibility through Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) as a part of Integrated Multi-modal System with phased introduction of 875 buses has come out the Best for Excellence Award under Best Urban Mass Transit category.
• Gangtok’s Integrated Depot Management System (IDMS) and Jabalpur’s 'J-Card' have been adjudged as Commendable Initiatives under Intelligent Transport System (ITS) category.