DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 31st May 2023

Syllabus

• Prelims : Economics

Context:  According to a new report published by United Nations, several parts of the world faces increase in acute food insecurity. India’s neighbors, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar, are among the hunger hotspots in the world.

About Global Hunger Hotspots:

• Acute food insecurity can potentially increase in magnitude and severity for 18 areas in 22 countries, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Findings of the report titled “Hunger Hotspots FAO‑WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity”:

• Highest concern level countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen Haiti, Burkina Faso and Mali.
• Highest concern level countries have populations facing or projected to face starvation or are at risk of deterioration towards catastrophic conditions, given they already have critical food insecurity and are facing severe aggravating factors. These countries require the most urgent attention.
• Hotspots with very high concern countries: Pakistan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Syrian Arab Republic and Myanmar.
• These hotspots have many people facing critical acute food insecurity, coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to intensify life‑threatening conditions in the coming months.
• Hunger hotspot countries: Lebanon, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Malawi, Guatemala and Honduras.

 Major Reasons  

• Global food crisis
• Eruption of conflict due to organized violence and armed conflict and these Conflict disrupt livelihoods
• Economic concerns continue to drive acute food insecurity
• Weather extremes, such as heavy rains, tropical storms, cyclones, flooding, drought and increased climate variability, remain significant drivers in some countries and regions

Recommendations

• Urgent and scaled-up assistance is required in all hunger hotspots to protect livelihoods and increase access to food.
• Address existing humanitarian needs and ensure short‑term protective interventions before new needs materialize.

Must Read: Food Security in India.

SOURCE: Down to Earth

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q1. Which of the following is/are the indicator/ indicators used by IFPRI to compute the Global Hunger Index Report? (2016)

1. Undernourishment
2. Child stunting
3. Child mortality

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1.  1 only
2.  2 and 3 only
3.  1, 2 and 3
4. 1 and 3 only

Q2. Very recently, in which of the following countries have lakhs of people either suffered from severe famine/acute malnutrition or died due to starvation caused by war/ethnic conflicts? (2018)

1.  Angola and Zambia
2.  Morocco and Tunisia
3. Venezuela and Colombia
4.  Yemen and South Sudan

Syllabus

• Prelims : Science and Technology

Context: A recent study has shown that new nanostructures system can be used to solve environmental problems and the weakness of renewable energy source.

About Ternary Nanoparticles:

• Ternary nanoparticles are nanoparticles composed of three different types of materials or elements.
• These nanoparticles consist of a combination of three distinct components, which can be metals, metal oxides, semiconductors, or other materials.
• The term “ternary” indicates the presence of three components in the nanoparticle’s composition.

Properties of Ternary Nanoparticles

• It exhibit a range of unique properties that arise from the combination of three different materials or elements.
• Ternary nanoparticles offer the ability to fine-tune the composition by adjusting the relative ratios of the three components.
• This allows researchers to tailor the properties of the nanoparticles to meet specific requirements
• Ternary nanoparticles can exhibit improved stability compared to their binary counterparts.
• Ternary nanoparticles can possess multiple functionalities due to the combination of different materials.
• Ternary nanoparticles often exhibit interesting optical properties, such as enhanced absorption or emission spectra, due to the interaction between different components.
• Ternary nanoparticles can be synthesized with precise control over their size, shape, and morphology.

Applications Ternary Nanoparticles

• These are employed as catalysts in various chemical reactions.
• Ternary nanoparticles are used in energy storage and conversion devices.
• These with specific optical and electronic properties are utilized in photovoltaic devices such as solar cells also used in light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors, and displays.
• It is employed in biomedical imaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and fluorescence imaging.
• These are used as carriers for controlled and targeted drug delivery.
• Ternary nanoparticles are explored for environmental applications, such as water purification and air pollution control.

SOURCE: Nature.com

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION

Q1.Consider the following statements (2022)

1. Other than those made by humans, nanoparticles do not exist in nature.
2. Nanoparticles of some metallic oxides are used in the manufacture of some cosmetics.
3. Nanoparticles of same commercial products which enter the environment are unsafe for humans.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 3 only
3. 1 and 2
4. 2 and 3

Syllabus

• Prelims :Polity

Context:  The All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) Survey 2020-21 conducted under the Ministry of Education found that the Muslim community’s enrolment in higher education declined at a time when the enrolment of SCs, STs and OBCs improved.

About All India Survey of Higher Education

• All India Survey of Higher Education is an annual web-based survey, which started in 2010-11 and conducted by Ministry of Education.
• Various parameters of data collection includes teachers, student enrolment, programmes, examination results, education finance, and infrastructure.
• For the first time, the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of India have filled their data using an entirely online data collection platformthrough the Web Data Capture Format (Web DCF) developed by the Department of Higher Education and the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

Key findings from the report:

• Gross Enrolment Ratio(GER) for all enrolments (as per 2011 Census) increased by over 2 points to 27.3.
• The female enrolment in higher educationprogrammes had increased to 49% of total enrolments in 2020-21 compared to 45% in 2019-20.
• SC: More SC students who were enrolled in 2020-21 compared two lakh to the previous year.
• ST: The year also saw about three lakh more ST students and six lakh more OBC students being enrolled for higher education.
• The proportion of Muslim students enrolling for higher education dropped to 4.6% in 2020-21 from 5.5% in 2019-20
• During2020-21, the number of universities has increased by 70, and the number of colleges has increased by 1,453.
• The female per 100 male faculty has improved to 75 in 2020-21 from 74 in 2019-20 and 63 in 2014-15.

Other points

• Be it learning or teaching, the Muslim community is lagging behind all communities, including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in higher education

Reasons

• It’s caused partially by the COVID-19 pandemic, points to the relative economic impoverishment of the community, which forces its talented students to pursue earning opportunities after completing schooling rather than enrolling for higher education, beginning at the graduation level.

SOURCE: The Hindu

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q1. Consider the following statements: (2018)

1. As per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in a State, a person would be required to possess the minimum qualification laid down by the concerned State Council of Teacher Education.
2. As per the RTE Act, for teaching primary classes, a candidate is required to pass a Teacher Eligibility Test conducted in accordance with the National Council of Teacher Education guidelines.
3. In India, more than 90% of teacher education institutions are directly under the State Governments.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 3 only

Q2. Which one of the following statements is NOT correct regarding the National Education Policy 2020 in India? (2020)

1.  It proposes sweeping changes in the education system from pre-primary to PhD and skill development.
2. It states that universities from among top 100 in the world will be able to set up campuses in India.
3.  It expects that India will achieve 60% GER by 2030.
4.  It suggests NAAC to be merged with UGC and AICTE.

Syllabus

• Prelims : Geography

Context:  Since March, Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels have been navigating in Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in Ishigaki in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture. China Coast Guard vessels have been operating automatic identification system (AIS) equipment to announce their presence.

About Senkaku Islands:

Image Source: News of Asia

• Senkaku Islands are close to strategically important shipping lanes, offer rich fishing grounds and are thought to contain oil deposits.
• The Senkakus island chain has been administered by Japan since 1972, but its legal status has remained disputed until now.
• Both Japan and China claim ownership of these islands.
• The Senkaku Islands are an uninhabited group of islands situated in the East China Sea, approximately 90 nautical miles north from the Yaeyama Islands in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture and 120 nautical miles northeast of the island of Taiwan.
• The islands comprise Uotsuri Island, Kuba Island, Taisho Island (also called Kumeakashima Island), Kitakojima Island, Minamikojima Island, Tobise Island, Okinokitaiwa Island, and Okinominamiiwa Island.
• The total land area of all the islands is roughly 6.3 square kilometers, with the largest, Uotsuri Island, being some 3.6 square kilometers in size.
• Before World War II, as a result of development by private citizens, there were people living in the Senkakus, principally on Uotsuri Island and Kuba Island. However, the islands are now uninhabited.

Automatic Identification System (AIS);

• An Automatic Identification System is a radio device that automatically shares and receives information on a vessel’s position, course, and speed and so on.
• According to the International Convention for the Safety Of Life at Sea (SOLA) , all passenger ships and other vessels engaged in international voyages need to carry this equipment.
• Radio transmissions are received by surrounding ships and are used to facilitate safe navigation in heavily trafficked sea regions.

Must Read: The Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands dispute.

SOURCE: The Print

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION

Q1. Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue with Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news?

1. It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around South China Sea.
2. China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in East China Sea.
3. A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its defence capabilities.
4. Though International Court of Justice declared them as no man’s land, some South-East Asian countries claim them.

Syllabus

• Prelims: Cyber Attacks

Context:  A recent report has found that increased remote work makes networks more vulnerable, difficult to respond to threats and hackers can target Indian organisations with spear phishing.

About Spear Phishing:

• Spear phishing is an attempt to trick a particular person/group into giving private information over the internet or by email, especially by sending emails that seem to be from someone they know.
• Attackers often research their victims on social media and other sites. That way, they can customize their communications and appear more authentic. Spear phishing is often the first step used to penetrate a company’s defenses and carry out a targeted attack.

Examples of Spear Phishing;

• Stealing stacks of details from an organization
• Stealing product designing procedures from a company

Approaches against Cyber-attacks;

• Cyber Security – Cyber Swachhta Kendra
• It is the Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre under the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• The aim of Cyber Swachhta Kendra is to promote awareness among Indian citizens to secure their data in computers, mobile phones, and other electronic devices.
• Information and Technology Act, 2000:
• Provide legal recognition to all e-transactions
• To protect online privacy and curb online crimes
• Its amended in 2008 and the amendments in the IT Act mentioned: ‘Data Privacy’, Information Security, Definition of Cyber Café, Digital Signature, Recognizing the role of CERT-In, To authorize the inspector to investigate cyber offenses against DSP who was given the charge earlier.

SOURCE: The Business Line

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q1. The terms ‘WannaCry, Petya and EternalBlue’ sometimes mentioned in the news recently are related to (2018)

1. Exoplanets
2. Cryptocurrency
3. Cyber attacks
4. Mini satellites

Q2.  In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cyber security incidents?

1. Service providers
2. Intermediaries
3. Corporate bodies

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3 only

Syllabus

• Prelims : Economy

Context: Recently, India’s state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp said oil output from the Sakhalin-1 project in Russia is raise to its plateau level of about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from zero.

About Sakhalin – 1 Project:

• The Sakhalin-1 oil and gas development project is located in the Okhotsk Sea, off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East.
• It comprises three offshore fields namely Chayvo, Odoptu, and Arkutun-Dagi.
• All the three fields under the Sakhalin-1 project are located in the Okhotsk Sea, off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island.
• The total project area is estimated to be approximately 1,140km².
• Sakhalin-1 was a technically challenging project to develop due to the harsh arctic climatic conditions in the Northern Sakhalin region.
• Exxon Neftegas (ENL), a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil, which holds a 30% participating interest, operates the Sakhalin-1 project.
• The other partners of the project are the Japanese consortium Sakhalin Oil and Gas Development Company (SODECO, 30%), India’s state-owned ONGC Videsh (20%), and Russian oil company Rosneft (20%).

ONGC Videsh Limited;

• ONGC Videsh Limited is a Miniratna
• Schedule “A” Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) of the Government of India.
• It comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
• It is the wholly owned subsidiary and overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), the flagship national oil company (NOC) of India.
• The primary business of ONGC Videsh is to prospect for oil and gas acreages outside India, including exploration, development and production of oil and gas.
• ONGC Videsh owns Participating Interests in 32 oil and gas assets in 15 countries.
• In terms of reserves and production, ONGC Videsh is the second largest petroleum company of India, next only to its parent ONGC.
• ONGC Videsh produced about 27.3% of oil and 19.4% of oil and natural gas of India’s domestic production in 2021-22.

SOURCE:  The Print

Syllabus

• Prelims : Government Schemes

Context: Odisha Chief Minister recently announced new credit-linked housing scheme for rural poor.

About Mo Ghara Scheme:

• Odisha government announced a new initiative, Mo Ghara (My Home).
• Mo Ghara is a credit-linked housing scheme for rural poor in the state with an aim to convert all kutcha houses into pucca ones.
• The scheme will have a financial implication of around Rs.2, 150 crore over a period of two years and it will be fully funded from the state budget.
• Under the Mo Ghara scheme, a beneficiary can avail housing loan of up to Rs. 3 lakh that can be repaid in 10 years in easy instalments excluding one-year moratorium period.
• “The state government will release capital subsidy to the loan account of the beneficiaries on completion of the house.
• There will be four slabs of loan amount.
• The rates of the subsidy will be Rs 30,000 for a Rs 1 lakh loan, Rs 45,000 for Rs 1.5 lakh loan, and Rs 60,000 for a loan amount of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh.
• The subsidy will be Rs 10,000 more across slabs for those belonging to the SC/ST category and for the differently abled.
• “The capital subsidy released to the loan accounts of the beneficiaries will result in a significant reduction in EMI for repayment and thus make the repayment more affordable,”
• A family staying in a kutcha house or one pucca room with a concrete roof is eligible to get the loan under the Mo Ghara scheme.
• Families that have not availed of any government housing assistance or have availed assistance of below Rs 70,000 in the past with a monthly income below Rs 25,000 will also be eligible under the scheme.
• Families having four-wheelers or any member in government service or irrigated land of five acres or more will not be eligible for the loan.
• While banks have been asked not to charge any processing fee from beneficiaries, the Odisha government has also waived off registration fees and stamp duties required during the mortgage of the title deed to further reduce the financial burden for the beneficiaries, said the chief secretary.
• The state government will start receiving applications from beneficiaries on its dedicated portal from June 16, 2023.

SOURCE: Indian Express

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 1 (Art and Culture) and GS 2 (International Relations)

Context: India’s cultural and historical ties with Buddhism can help strengthen its soft power diplomacy with neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan, China etc and other Southeast Asian countries.

About soft power:

• Soft power is the ability to obtain preferred outcomes by attraction rather than coercion or payment.
• Soft power diplomacy refers to the use of cultural, social, and economic means to influence the attitudes and behaviours of other countries, rather than relying solely on military or economic coercion.
  • The concept of soft power was coined by Joseph Nye in the 1990s.
• soft power diplomacy include cultural exchanges, educational programs, humanitarian aid, and public diplomacy campaigns.

Buddhist diplomacy in India:

• For India, Buddhism provided an identity of peace and tranquillity after independence when there was intense violence and division between Hinduism and Islam.
• There has been usage of Buddhist symbolism as a means of escaping difficult times.
  • Due to such usage and evidence, India likes to claim Buddhism as its own.
• It convened the Global Buddhist Summit in April to promote Tibetan Buddhism and the Dalai Lama.
  • There were no Nepal and Bhutan representatives present.
• The India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage is coming up in Lumbini, Nepal.
  • Prime Minister laid the foundation stone in May 2022.
  • This could be seen as an attempt to counter the opening of the Gautam Buddha International Airport in Bhairahawa, Nepal.
• India’s overtures of Buddhism in Nepal began only after ‘Buddha is Born in Nepal’ became a populist slogan of sovereignty in Nepal.

Importance of Buddhism for India’s soft power diplomacy:

• The Indian government has been actively investing in its Buddhist diplomacy efforts, with a focus on promoting tourism through the development of the “Buddhist tourist circuit”.
• By hosting high-profile events, the Indian government hopes to demonstrate its commitment to preserving and promoting Buddhist culture and heritage, as well as strengthening ties with the global Buddhist community.
• With its strong historical and cultural ties to Buddhism, India is well-positioned to play a leading role in shaping the discourse around Buddhist issues on the global stage.
  • Against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the PM said, “India has not given ‘Yuddha’ to the world but ‘Buddha’.”
  • This resonates with his earlier statement of his telling the Russian President that ‘this is not the era of war’.
• The Delhi summit’s theme, “Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis”, also highlights India’s attempts to provide an alternative to contested global politics, with morality as the guiding principle.
• Buddhist diplomacy has the potential to promote regional cohesion, given that nearly 97% of the global Buddhist population is based in Asia.
• However, despite being home to a number of key Buddhist sites, such as Bodhgaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar, India has struggled to attract Buddhist tourists, who tend to favour sites in Thailand and Cambodia.

Buddhist diplomacy of China:

• China is home to around 245 million Buddhists, 28,000 Buddhist monasteries, 16,000 temples, and 2,40,000 Buddhist monks and nuns.
  • This makes Buddhism an important soft power for China.
• China has added religious overtones to China’s existing portfolio of cultural and linguistic diplomacy.
  • The state religious system is supporting the growing political and economic power of China abroad.
• Beijing pursues a multifaceted and flexible approach to promote Chinese Buddhism abroad. Its approach varies depending on whether the target country is Buddhist-majority, Western, or one of China’s Asian competitors.

Factors that make Buddhism bridge between ASEAN and South-East Asia:

• India’s historical link with Buddhism: Buddhism originated in India and spread to South East Asia and other Asian countries.
  • Spirituality, art, culture and faith that found their way across other regions, earned India a considerable amount of soft power.
• Mutual cultural experience: The Buddhist aspect of soft power relies not on the export of a cultural product, but on promoting certain shared religious and cultural associations, thereby creating a mutually erected platform upon which further relations are based.
• Large Buddhist population: Today, 97 percent of the world’s Buddhist population lives in the Asian continent.
  • It is within this context that one can understand the efforts of the Indian government at incorporating Buddhist heritage in order to form a basis for further diplomatic, economic, cultural, and strategic associations within its foreign policy and building bridges with ASEAN.
• Buddhist sites: India has numerous sites of importance to the Buddhist faith, such as Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Nalanda which provides cultural bonds with Buddhist communities in South-Eat Asia.
• Protection to Tibetan Buddhist community: India has nurtured an image of being a protector of the persecuted because of the presence of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan parliament-in-exile in the city of Dharamshala following their failed insurrection against China.

Way Forward:

As Buddha was the first diplomat of peace, his teachings of peace and cooperation can become the guiding light of Indian diplomacy on the world stage. By promoting Buddhism, India can reinforce its image as a responsible global power committed to peaceful cooperation and regional stability while also strengthening ties with the global Buddhist community.

Source:   The Hindu

MUST READ:   NEO BUDDHISM

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2 (International Relations)

Context: Recently, the Prime Minister and the opposition leader have upcoming visits to the US to meet Indian diaspora.

About Diaspora:

• The term diaspora traces its roots to the Greek diaspeiro, which means dispersion.
• The Indian diaspora has grown manifold since the first batch of Indians were taken to counties in the eastern pacific and the Caribbean islands under the ‘Girmitiya’ arrangement as indentured labourers.

Classifications:

• Non-Resident Indians (NRI): NRIs are Indians who are residents of foreign countries. A person is considered NRI if:
  • She/he is not in India for 182 days or more during the financial year Or;
  • If he/she is in India for less than 365 days during the 4 years preceding that year and less than 60 days in that year.
• Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs): PIO refers to a foreign citizen (except a national of Pakistan, Afghanistan Bangladesh, China, Iran, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal) who:
  • At any time held an Indian passport, or who or either of their parents/ grandparents/great grandparents was born and permanently resided in India as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935 or who is a spouse of a citizen of India or a PIO.
  • The PIO category was abolished in 2015 and merged with the OCI category.
• Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs): A separate category of OCI was carved out in 2005. An OCI card was given to a foreign national:
  • Who was eligible to be a citizen of India on January 26, 1950
  • Was a citizen of India on or at any time after January 26, 1950 or belonged to a territory that became part of India after August 15, 1947.
  • Minor children of such individuals, except those who were a citizen of Pakistan or Bangladesh, were also eligible for OCI cards.

Status of Indian diaspora in the world:

• As on December 31, 2021, there were 4.7 crore Indians living overseas.
• According to the World Migration Report, 2022, India has the largest emigrant population in the world in 2020, making it the top origin country globally, followed by Mexico, Russian and China.
• At $83 bn in 2020, India was the largest receiver of remittances, according to World Migration Report 2022.
• According to a Ministry of External Affairs report 2018, there are 32 million NRIs and PIOs (inc. OCIs) residing outside India and overseas Indians comprise the world’s largest overseas diaspora.
  • The number includes NRIs, PIOs, OCIs, and students.

• The countries with over a million (10 lakh) overseas Indians include United States of America (44 lakh), United Kingdom (17.6 lakh), United Arab Emirates (34 lakh) etc.
  • With a population of more than 4.5 million, Indian Americans make up approximately 1.35% of the U.S. population and are the largest group from South Asia and highest-earning ethnic group in the United States.
• India to the United Arab Emirates (over 3 million), comprises mainly labour migrants, making it the third largest bilateral migration corridor in the world.

Significance of the Indian Diaspora:

• Enhancing India’s Soft Power: Indian diaspora is one of the richest minorities in many developed countries.
  • Their advantage is evident in “diaspora diplomacy”, whereby they act as “bridge-builders” between their home and adopted countries.
  • The Indian diaspora is not just a part of India’s soft power, but a fully transferable political vote bank as well.
• Also, many people of Indian origin hold top political positions in many countries, which enhances India’s political clout at multilateral institutions like the United Nations.
• Economic Contribution: Remittances sent by the Indian diaspora have positive systemic effects on the Balance of Payments (BOP), which help to bridge a wider trade deficit.
• The migration of less-skilled labor (especially to West Asia) has helped in bringing down disguised unemployment in India.
• Further, the migrant workers facilitated the flow of tacit information, commercial and business ideas, and technologies into India.

Steps Taken to promote Indian Diaspora:

• Since 2000, Government of India had launched separate Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) Card, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2003, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, Overseas Citizen of India Card, NRI funds and voting rights for Indian citizens abroad.
  • PIO and OCI card holders were merged into OCI in 2015.
• In 2015, the Ministry of External Affairs launched the e-migrate system that requires all foreign employers to register in the database.
• ‘Know India Program’ (KIP) 2016 for diaspora engagement which familiarizes Indian-origin youth (18-30 years) with their Indian culture.
• VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research Faculty) scheme which seeks to formalise a rotation program wherein top NRI scientists, engineers, doctors, managers and professionals serve Indian public sector organizations for a brief period, lending their expertise- is a step in the right direction.
• Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY): To institutionalize the process of skill development of emigrant Indian workers.
• Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC): 100 scholarships per annum are granted to PIO and NRI students for undergraduate courses.
• Recently, United Kingdom (UK) and India decided to launch a Young Professionals Exchange in 2023.
• UMANG International App: It would help all Indian international students, NRIs, and Indian tourists abroad to avail themselves of the services of the government of India anytime they want.

Way Forward:

India needs to catalyse the influential Indian diaspora to promote national interests without jeopardizing their position in the host nations. Indians living abroad are “brand ambassadors” of the country. Overseas Indians can project the truth about India to the world in a credible and effective manner and counter “propaganda” spread by hostile countries like Pakistan and China.

Source:  Indian Express

Q1. Consider the following statement in relation to Mo Ghara Scheme:

1. Mo Ghara is a centrally sponsored scheme.
2. It is a credit-linked housing scheme for rural poor in the state with an aim to convert all kutcha houses into pucca ones.
3. The state government will release capital subsidy to the loan account of the beneficiaries on completion of the house.
4. Families having four-wheelers or any member in government service or irrigated land of five acres or more will not be eligible for the loan.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All four

Q2. With reference to Ternary nano particles consider the following;

1. Ternary nanoparticles are used in energy storage and conversion devices.
2. It can be employed in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
3. Ternary nano particles can be used to control air pollution.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Q3.  Consider the following statements;

Statement: I

The Sakhalin-1 project is operated by ONGC Videsh Limited, a subsidiary and overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.

Statement: II

ONGC Videsh Limited comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
2. Both Statement-1 and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’ 31st May 2023 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – a

Q.2) – b

Q.3) – b