UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 11th September 2021

Solution (c)

The Spotlight Initiative is a global, multi-year partnership between the European Union and the United Nations to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls by 2030.

The Spotlight Initiative responds to all forms of violence against women and girls, with a particular focus on domestic and family violence, sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices, femicide, trafficking in human beings and sexual and economic (labour) exploitation.

The campaign is designed to promote the elimination of violence against women and girls, while bringing visibility to the Spotlight Initiative and its partners, including UN agencies receiving funds from the Initiative (ILO, IOM, OHCHR, UN Women, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNOCD, UNTF, WHO).

According to UN, violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today.

• 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence.
• 15 million girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide have experienced forced sex at some point in their life.
• 137 women across the world are killed by a member of their own family every day.
• 650 million women and girls were married before age 18.
• 200 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation.

Article Link: 46% rise in complaints of crimes against women in 2021 so far: NCW

Solution (b)

PRANA portal is launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

PRANA or the Portal for Regulation of Air-pollution in Non-Attainment cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) would support tracking of the physical and financial status of city air action plan implementation. It would also disseminate information on air quality to the public while also providing comprehensive information related to NCAP programme details, progress, city action plans, implementation updates by city/state/ national level agencies, air quality data, and trends, etc.

The portal (prana.cpcb.gov.in) has a national dashboard that has interactive points on 7 thematic areas of city air action plans, PM10 performance, ambient air monitoring network, public grievance redressal portal, graded response action plans, and more. It is intertwined with the Government’s goal for sustainable utilization, protection, and conservation of public goods and the environment.

Article Link: PRANA portal launched to regulate air pollution in 132 cities

Solution (d)

Methanol is a low carbon, hydrogen carrier fuel produced from high ash coal, agricultural residue, CO2 from thermal power plants and natural gas. It is the best pathway for meeting India’s commitment to COP 21.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) was held in Paris in 2015. The COP 21 led to a new international climate agreement, applicable to all countries, aiming to keep global warming at 1.5°C – 2°C, in accordance with the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Methanol Economy program initiated by NITI Aayog is aimed at reducing our oil import bill; reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions & converting Indian coal reserves and municipal solid waste into methanol leading to independence from import while creating new jobs by setting up Methanol Production Plants.

Methanol, although slightly lower in energy content than petrol and diesel, can replace both petrol and diesel in transport sector (road, rail and marine), energy sector (comprising of DG sets, boilers, process heating modules, tractors and commercial vehicles) and retail cooking replacing LPG (partially), Kerosene and wood charcoal.

Blending of 15% methanol in gasoline can result in at least 15% reduction in import of gasoline/ crude. In addition, it would bring down GHG emissions by 20% in terms of particulate matter, NOx, and Sox thereby improving urban air quality.

Solution (a)

The Democracy Index (began in 2006) is prepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit. It provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide in 165 independent states and two territories.

The Index is based on five categories:

• Civil liberties,
• Electoral process and pluralism;
• Functioning of government;
• Political participation; and
• Political culture

The countries are scored on a scale of 0 to 10 on 60 indicators within the above categories.

Based on their scores, each country is classified as one of four types of regimes:
Full democracy (scores greater than 8);

• Flawed democracy (greater than 6 and up to 8);
• Hybrid regime (greater than 4 and up to 6); and
• Authoritarian regime (less than or equal to 4)

Article Link: EIU declined India’s offer to use govt data for Democracy Index

Solution (c)

Biofuels are liquid or gaseous fuels primarily produced from biomass, and can be used to replace or can be used in addition to diesel, petrol or other fossil fuels for transport, stationary, portable and other applications. Crops used to make biofuels are generally either high in sugar (such as sugarcane, sugarbeet, and sweet sorghum), starch (such as maize and tapioca) or oils (such as soybean, rapeseed, coconut, sunflower).

Biofuels produced from the algae are known as third generation biofuels. These are also known as also known as “algae fuel” or “oilage”. Algae leads to the production of all types of bio-fuels such as biodiseal, gasoline, butanol, propanol and ethanol with high yield, approximately 10 times higher than the second generation biofuel. Cultivation of third generation biofuel biomass also assists in maintaining environmental balance by consuming the CO2 present in the atmosphere.

Article Link: Emerging opportunities in biofuel sector