UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2nd October 2021

Solution (c)

Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism is a market based instrument to promote renewable energy and facilitate compliance of renewable purchase obligations (RPO). It is aimed at addressing the mismatch between availability of RE resources in state and the requirement of the obligated entities to meet the renewable purchase obligation (RPO).

One Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is treated as equivalent to 1 MWh.

There are two categories of RECs, viz., solar RECs and non-solar RECs.Solar RECs are issued to eligible entities for generation of electricity based on solar as renewable energy source, and non-solar RECs are issued to eligible entities for generation of electricity based on renewable energy sources other than solar.

RECs are traded on Indian Energy Exchange and Power Exchange of India.

Article Link: Power ministry redesigns renewable energy certificate mechanism

Solution (a)

PM-POSHAN scheme:

• The scheme will replace the existing national programme for mid-day meal in schools or Mid-day Meal Scheme.
• It has been launched for an initial period of five years (2021-22 to 2025-26).
• The scheme is proposed to be extended to students studying in pre-primary or Bal Vatikas of Government and Government-aided primary schools in addition to all the 11.80 crore children from elementary classes.
• The concept of TithiBhojan will be encouraged extensively. TithiBhojan is a community participation programme in which people provide special food to children on special occasions/festivals.
• Social Audit of the scheme is made mandatory in all the districts.
• Special provision is made for providing supplementary nutrition items to children in aspirational districts and districts with high prevalence of Anemia.
• Cooking competitions will be encouraged at all levels right from village level to national level to promote ethnic cuisine and innovative menus based on locally available ingredients and vegetables.
• Vocal for Local for Atmanirbhar Bharat: Involvement of Farmers Producer Organizations (FPO) and Women Self Help Groups in implementation of the scheme will be encouraged. Use of locally grown traditional food items for a fillip to local economic growth will be encouraged.
• Field visits for progress monitoring and inspections will be facilitated for students of eminent Universities / Institutions and also trainee teachers of Regional Institutes of Educations (RIE) and District Institutes of Education and Training (DIET).

Article Link: Cabinet approves Continuation/Revisions/Modifications of Centrally Sponsored National Scheme for PM POSHAN in Schools for five more years

Solution (a)

Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS):

• The scheme was launched as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package announced in May 2020 to mitigate the distress caused by coronavirus-induced lockdown, by providing credit to different sectors, especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• The objective of this scheme is to provide fully guaranteed and collateral free additional credit to MSMEs, business enterprises, MUDRA borrowers and individual loans for business purposes to the extent of 20% of their credit outstanding.
• Interest rates under the Scheme are capped at 9.25% for Banks and Financial Institutions (FIs), and 14% for NBFCs.
• 100% guarantee coverage is being provided by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company, whereas Banks and Non Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) provide loans
• Tenor of loans provided under the Scheme is four years, including a moratorium of one year on principal repayment.

Article Link: Centre extends Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme till March 2022

Solution (b)

Special Category Status (SCS):

There is no provision of SCS in the Constitution; the Central government extends financial assistance to states that are at a comparative disadvantage against others.

The concept of SCS emerged in 1969 when the Gadgil formula(that determined Central assistance to states) was approved.

First SCS was accorded in 1969 to Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Nagaland. Over the years, eight more states were added to the list — Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripuraand, finally, in 2010, Uttarakhand.

Criteria for Special Category Status are:

• Hilly and difficult terrain
• Low population density or sizeable share of tribal population
• Strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries
• Economic and infrastructural backwardness
• Non-viable nature of state

Benefits confer to the States with Special Category Status are:

• The central government bears 90 percent of the state expenditure on all centrally-sponsored schemes and external aid while rest 10 percent is given as loan to state at Zero Percent Rate of Interest.
• Preferential treatment in getting central funds.
• Concession on excise duty to attract industries to the state.
• 30 percent of the Centre’s gross budget also goes to special category states.
• These states can avail the benefit of debt-swapping and debt relief schemes.
• States with special category status are exempted from customs duty, corporate tax, income tax and other taxes to attract investment.
• Special category states have the facility that if they have unspent money in a financial year; it does not lapse and gets carry forward for the next financial year.

Article Link: We have not dropped demand for special category status: Nitish

Solution (d)

Cyclone Gulab recently made landfall on India’s east coast. Gulab was a tropical cyclone and was named by Pakistan. 

The cyclone affected the coasts of south Odisha north Andhra Pradesh. It made landfall triggering heavy rains along with strong winds over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south coastal Odisha.  It comes under the category of the cyclonic storm according to IMD.

Article Link: Cyclone Gulab may re-emerge as ‘Shaheen’ over Arabian Sea: IMD