UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 24th JULY 2021

Solution (b)

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2018 identified 351 polluted river stretches in India.

Maharashtra has the highest number of polluted river stretches (53), followed by Assam (44), Madhya Pradesh (22), Kerala (21), Gujarat (20), Odisha (19), and West Bengal and Karnataka (17).

The polluted river stretches are prioritised in five categories based on biological oxygen demand concentration consistently.

CPCB study reveals that discharge of untreated wastewater is one of the main causes of river pollution in states. There is either not sufficient treatment capacity or capacity is under-utilised in the states. This is one of the reasons why action plan to clean the polluted river stretch is not working.

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is the amount of oxygen necessary for bacteria to consume the organic material in water. Organic material that is discharged into natural waters causes a rapid increase in the growth of microorganisms that deplete the oxygen required for other aquatic life. 

One of the main reasons for treating wastewater prior to its discharge into a water resource is to lower its BOD i.e. to reduce its need of oxygen and thereby lessen its demand from the streams, lakes, rivers, or estuaries into which it is released.

Article Link: Behind polluted Indian River stretches, inadequate sewage treatment

Solution (d)

Adarsh Smarak Scheme is a scheme of the Ministry of Culture launched in the year 2014.

It aims to provide basic tourist amenities such as rest rooms, drinking water, benches, souvenir shops, interpretation centres, and others at the 100 identified Adarsh Smarak, which also includes cafeterias.

Objectives of the Scheme are:

• To make the monument visitor friendly.
• To provide interpretation and audio-video centers.
• To make the monument accessible to differently-abled people.
• To implement Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Under the scheme Archaeological Survey of India had identified 100 monuments as “Adarsh Smarak” for upgradation.

Article Link: State monuments to get facelift under Central heritage schemes

Solution (c)

Historic Urban Landscape Project was adopted in 2011 at UNESCO’s General Conference.

UNESCO defines Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach as an integrated approach towards managing heritage resources found within dynamic and evolving environments.

HUL acknowledges the interconnections within a city, which occur between the built and natural environments, the tangible and intangible values, as well as within the cultural and social practices of a community.

The approach addresses the policy, governance and management concerns involving a variety of stakeholders, including local, national, regional, international, public and private actors in the urban development process.

In India this project is being implemented with the collaboration of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Ministry of Culture under supervision of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).

Article Link: UNESCO’s ‘Historic Urban Landscape’ project for Gwalior, Orchha launched

Solution (d)

An Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC) is a specialized financial institution that buys the Non Performing Assets (NPAs) or bad assets from banks and financial institutions so that the latter can clean up their balance sheets. Or in other words, ARCs are in the business of buying bad loans from banks. 

 ARCs clean up the balance sheets of banks when the latter sells these to the ARCs. This helps banks to concentrate in normal banking activities. Banks rather than going after the defaulters by wasting their time and effort, can sell the bad assets to the ARCs at a mutually agreed value.

The Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002; enacted in December 2002 provides the legal basis for the setting up ARCs in India.

The SARFAESI Act helps reconstruction of bad assets without the intervention of courts. Since then, large number of ARCs were formed and were registered with the RBI which has got the power to regulate the ARCs.

Setting up of National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd. (NARCL) the proposed bad bank for taking over stressed assets of lenders, was announced in the Budget for 2021-22.

The plan is to create a bad bank to house bad loans of ₹500 crore and above, in a structure that will contain an asset reconstruction company (ARC) and an asset management company (AMC) to manage and recover dud assets.

The new entity is being created in collaboration with both public and private sector banks.

Article Link: ARCs stretched, ‘bad bank’ road map: Rs 2 lakh crore of stressed assets

Solution (c)

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification is a Scheme developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to the request of WHO Member States to facilitate international trade in pharmaceutical products between Member States. 

It was first developed in 1975. Since then it has been revised in 1988, 1992 and in 1997. 

The Scheme is an administrative instrument that requires a participating Member State (a certifying country), upon application by a commercially interested party (the applicant company), to certify/attest to the competent authority of another participating Member State (the recipient country) that:

• A specific pharmaceutical product is authorized for marketing in the certifying country, or if not, the reason why authorization has not been accorded;
• The manufacturing facilities and operations conform to good manufacturing practices (GMP) as recommended by WHO. 

Article Link: WHO-GMP/COPP Certification for Ayurvedic Products