UPSC Quiz – 2023 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 11th December 2023

·       It is a first-of-its-kind Alliance in the world, symbolising the successful partnership of the two Ministries i.e., the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

·       Objective: To provide the member cities with a platform to discuss and exchange information on aspects that are vital for sustainable management of urban rivers, sharing best practices and supporting innovation.

·       The Secretariat of the Alliance is set up at the National Institute for Urban Affairs (NIUA).

·       It focuses on three broad themes- Networking, Capacity Building and Technical Support.

·       It was launched in September 2017 on World Tourism Day.

·       The project aims to encourage these entities to become ‘Monument Mitras’ and take up the responsibility of developing and upgrading the basic and advanced tourist amenities at these sites.

·       The Monument Mitras, in turn, will get limited visibility on the site premises and on the Incredible India website

·       It supports developing countries, including Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), in meeting their commitment towards relevant climate change and energy efficiency goals, for international shipping, through supporting the Initial IMO GHG Strategy.

·       The GreenVoyage2050 Project, currently in its first phase, is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment for an initial period up to December 2023 (NOK 64.5 million).

·       It provides support to developing countries in their efforts to reduce GreenHouse Gas emissions from ships.

·       The Initial IMO Strategy sets out a clear vision and levels of ambition, one of which is to reduce the total annual GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008.

Partnering Countries

·       The countries participating in the GreenVoyage2050 Project are: Azerbaijan, Belize, China, Cook Islands, Ecuador, Georgia, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka.

·       These countries are participating as either a New Pilot Country (NPC) or a Pioneer Pilot Country (PPC).

·       It was discovered during the 19th century, with the first excavations being conducted in the 1880s by the French archaeologist, Ernest de Sarzec.

·       It was significant in that it first revealed to the world the existence of the Sumerian civilization, as well as bringing to light some of the most vital monuments of Mesopotamian art and architecture.

Facts about Sumer Civilization:

·       It is one of the earliest known civilizations that flourished between c. 4100-1750 BCE in the historical region of southern Mesopotamia, in present-day Iraq.

·       Sumer was never a cohesive political entity, however, but a region of city-states, each with its own king.

·       The Sumerians were responsible for many technological advancements, including measurements of time as well as writing.

·       They essentially “invented” time by dividing day and night into 12-hour periods, hours into 60 minutes, and minutes into 60 seconds.

·       They built the first known cities as well as creating the first known code of law.

·       According to archaeological evidence, they built about a dozen city-states in the fourth millennium BC.

·       They advanced the craft of writing, writing literature, hymns and prayers. The epic of Gilgamesh, considered the world’s oldest surviving piece of literature, derives from five Sumerian poems.

·       They also perfected several existing forms of technology, including the wheel, the plough, and mathematics.

·       They were also notably one of the first civilizations to brew beer, which was seen by the ancient people as a key to a healthy heart and liver.

·       People prefer something that is neither too extreme nor too moderate but falls within an optimal or desirable range, fitting their specific needs or preferences.

·       The concept is derived from the children’s story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where Goldilocks preferred the porridge, chair, and bed that were neither too hot nor too cold, too big nor too small, but just right.

Goldilocks Pricing:

·       It is one of the effect’s more prominent applications. It’s a psychological pricing strategy that rests on the concepts of

·       Product differentiation

·       Comparative pricing

·       Bracketing

1.     Product differentiation is the practice of distinguishing certain products from others.

2.     Businesses can only leverage the Goldilocks Effect if they can differentiate their own products from one another.

3.     This then needs to be combined with something known as comparative pricing where businesses offer multiple versions of a product simultaneously of varying quality, attached to corresponding price points.

4.     It ultimately informs a comparative pricing strategy involving three options. One that’s too high for most, one that’s too low for most, and one that’s just right.

5.     When done right, the strategy allows a business to appeal to various parts of the market-registering with premium buyers, standard consumers, and discount seekers.