UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 13th September 2021

Solution (b)

The BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP and 16% of the global trade.

India chaired the annual summit of the BRICS which was held virtually. The theme for the Summit was ‘BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS cooperation for continuity, consolidation and consensus’.

Key Takeaways from the Summit are:

The BRICS asserted that the territory of Afghanistan must not be used to carry out terror attacks against other countries called for combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists.

The summit also endorsed the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan for implementing the grouping’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy that was adopted by the NSAs of the member nations of the grouping.

The Delhi Declaration called for reforms of the principal organs of the United Nations including instilling new life in the discussion on the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). It pledged resolve towards strengthening and reforming the multilateral system to make global governance more responsive and effective. The declaration also condemned “in strongest terms” terrorist attacks near Kabul airport that resulted in a large number of death and injuries.

Article Link: BRICS adopts New Delhi Declaration, calls for settling Afghan situation via peaceful means.

Solution (c)

CCS is a technology reportedly capable of capturing up to 90% of the CO2 emissions produced by the burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity, as well as those used in industrial processes, and prevent it from polluting the atmosphere.

Fossil fuel power plants can be built with the technology already integrated or it can also be combined with renewable biomass to create a “carbon-negative” mode the goes one step further by actually removing CO2 from the planet.

CCS involves capturing CO2, before transporting it to be stored in geological rock formations thousands of metres below the Earth’s surface.

The initial part of the process involves separating CO2 from the gasses produced in power generation and industrial processes, such as manufacturing cement or steel, by pre-combustion capture, post-combustion capture or oxy-fuel combustion.

The pollutant is then transporting using either a pipeline or a ship.

It is then stored in depleted oil and gas fields or deep saline aquifer formations, which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says can retain 99% of the pollutant over a 1000-year period.

Article Link: World’s biggest machine capturing carbon from air turned on in Iceland.

Solution (a)

Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products Scheme was launched in 2019 by the Department of Commerce under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The objective of this scheme is to provide assistance for the international component of freight, to mitigate disadvantage of higher freight costs faced by the Indian exporters of agriculture products.

The scheme was initially applicable for exports effected during the period from 01.03.2019 to 31.03.2020 and was later extended for exports effected up to 31.03.2021.

Recently, the Department has notified ‘Revised Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products Scheme’ for exports effected on or after 01.04.2021 up to 31.03.2022. The existing scheme will remain in operation for exports effected up to 31.03.2021.

Following major changes have been made in the revised scheme:

• Dairy products, which were not covered under the earlier scheme, will be eligible for assistance under the revised scheme.
• Rates of assistance have been increased, by 50% for exports by sea and by 100% for exports by air.

Article Link: Centre Revises “Transport and Marketing Assistance” (TMA) scheme for Specified Agriculture Products’

Solution (b)

The Thamirabarani is a perennial river that originates from the Agastyarkoodam peak of Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats.

The Pothigai Hills, also known as Agasthiyar Mountain is a 1,866-metre tall peak in the southern part of the Western Ghats of South India. The peak lies in the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The old Tamil name of the river is Porunai. 

From the source to sea, the river is about 128 kilometres (80 mi) long and is the only perennial river in Tamil Nadu.

The river drains into Gulf of Mannar from Tuticorin district of Tamil Nadu.

As most of its extensive catchment areas lie in the Western Ghats, the river enjoys the full benefit of both the monsoons, which make the river perennial.

Article Link: Porunai civilisation is 3,200 years old, says M.K. Stalin

Solution (d)

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was lauched in 2014 to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put the focus on sanitation.

SBM (Grameen) is implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

SBM (Urban) is implemented by the Ministry of Housing and urban Affairs (MoHUA).

Article Link: Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2021 to be launched on 9th September, 2021