Syllabus

• Prelims –Environment and Ecology

Context: Recently, WHO launched the Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) Initiative.

About Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET):-

IMAGE SOURCE: Epidemic vs. Pandemic: What Are the Differences? (verywellhealth.com)

• The Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) initiative of WHO(UPSC Prelims: WHO)
• It is an innovative approach to improving disease pandemic preparedness(UPSC Mains: Emerging issues in international relations during the COVID-19 pandemic).
• The first module of PRET focuses on respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness.
  • It presents an integrated and efficient respiratory pathogen pandemic planning approach (UPSC CSE: WHO and Traditional Medicine) covering both novel pathogens and those known to have pandemic potential.
  • It enables coherence in addressing pathogen-agnostic and pathogen-specific elements for better preparedness.
  • It gives an organizing framework including operational stages and triggers for escalation and de-escalation between pandemic preparedness and response periods.
  • It describes the critical sectors for respiratory pathogen pandemic preparedness to trigger multisectoral collaboration.
• PRET incorporates the latest tools and approaches for shared learning and collective action established during the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent public health emergencies.
• It is an approach that applies a “mode of transmission lens” to preparedness for future pandemics.
• It will align the intersectoral stakeholders including leaders, implementing partners and Member States, around a common approach that leverages cross-cutting
• It provides a platform for national, regional and global stakeholders to collaborate to strengthen preparedness.

Objectives of the PRET Global Meeting:-

• Making countries operationally ready to respond to infectious disease threats.
• Global approaches to pandemic preparedness to be tailored to address regional and country-level specificities.
• Global coordination, inter-country collaboration, and solidarity for global events such as pandemics.
• A multisectoral approach development.

MUST READ:  H5N1 virus/Bird Flu

SOURCE: DOWN TO EARTH

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Consider the following: (2022)

1. Aarogya Setu
2. COWIN
3. DigiLocker
4. DIKSHA

Which of the above are built on top of open-source digital platforms?

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

Q.2) In the context of vaccines manufactured to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, consider the following statements:

1. The Serum Institute of India produced a COVID-19 vaccine named Covishield using an mRNA platform. (2022)
2. Sputnik V vaccine is manufactured using a vector-based platform.
3. COVAXIN is an inactivated pathogen-based vaccine.

Which of the statements given above is correct?

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

Syllabus

• Prelims –Geography

Context: Recently, scientists have reported finding 19,325 new seamounts after poring through new high-resolution data.

About Seamounts:-

IMAGE SOURCE: PPT – Features of the Ocean Floor PowerPoint Presentation, free download – ID:2365741 (slideserve.com)

• A seamount is an underwater mountain.
• They are formed through volcanic activity.
• They are hotspots for marine life.
• Like volcanoes on land, seamounts can be active, extinct or dormant volcanoes.
• Most seamounts are formed near mid-ocean ridges, where the earth’s tectonic plates are moving apart, allowing molten rock to rise to the seafloor.
  • The planet’s two most-studied mid-ocean ridges are the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the East Pacific Rise.
  • Some seamounts have also been found near intraplate hotspots and oceanic island chains with a volcanic and seismic activity called island arcs.
  • Intraplate hotspots: regions of heavy volcanic activity within a plate
• Because seamounts are formed when the molten rock comes up from below the tectonic plates, they provide information about the mantle’s composition and about how tectonic plates evolve. (UPSC PRELIMS: Understanding PLATE TECTONICS)
•  They are good places for life because they can cause localised ocean upwelling. (UPSC MAINS: UPWELLING AND DOWNWELLING)
  • Upwelling: the process by which nutrient-rich water from deep within the ocean moves up to the surface.
• A 2011 census had already mapped 24,000 seamounts across the world’s oceans.
• Since the 2011 seamount survey, altimetry has improved as:-
  •  European Space Agency launched the CryoSat-2 and Envisat, and
  • NASA and the French space agency jointly launched the Jason-1 geodetic missions.
• SARAL, a satellite that India and France developed together for oceanographic studies, made a significant contribution by further reducing radar noise and enabling the expansion of the seamount catalogue. (UPSC PRELIMS: Deep-Sea Mining)

MUST READ: Mission Samudrayan

SOURCE: THE HINDU

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) The black cotton soil of India has been formed due to the weathering of (2021)

1. Brown forest soil
2. Fissure volcanic rock
3. Granite and schist
4. Shale and limestone

Q.2) With reference to Ocean Mean Temperature (OMT), which of the following statements is/are correct? (2020)

1. OMT is measured up to a depth of 26°C isotherm which is 129 meters in the southwestern Indian Ocean during January — March.
2. OMT collected during January — March can be used in assessing whether the amount of rainfall in the monsoon will be less or more than a certain long-term mean.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Syllabus

• Prelims –Governance

Context: Recently, the Union Minister for MSME Shri Narayan Rane launched the revamped CGTMSE Scheme.

About revamped CGTMSE Scheme:-

IMAGE SOURCE: CGTMSE: Home

• CGTMSE was established in 2000.
• It is jointly set up by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), the Government of India and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).
• Objective: to catalyze flow of institutional credit to Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs).(UPSC CSE: Understanding Finance Related Problems of MSME Sector )
• CGTMSE extends a helping hand by providing a guarantee to enable access credit leading to setting up viable micro and small enterprises.
•  It helps in transforming them from job seekers to job providers and meaningfully contributes to nation-building. (UPSC CSE: Empowering MSMEs digitally )
• CGTMSE has been instrumental in providing:
  • Guarantee cover to collateral and/or third-party guarantee free credit facilities
• The lender should cover the eligible credit facilities as soon as they are sanctioned.
•  Guarantee will commence from the date of payment of guarantee fee and shall run through the agreed tenure of the term credit in case of term loans / composite loans and for a period of 5 years.
  • The working capital facilities alone are extended to borrowers, or for such period as may be specified by the Guarantee Trust on this behalf.
• CGTMSE has created a new landmark by touching the milestone figure of approving guarantees worth `1 lakh crore during FY 2022 – 23.

A revamped measure introduced to the scheme:-

• CGTMSE has been provided with an additional corpus support of ₹9,000 crore in the Union Budget for FY 2023-24 to revamp its Scheme to provide a guarantee for an additional ₹2 lakh crore to Micro & Small Enterprises. ()
• Other modifications included a reduction in guarantee fees for loans up to ₹1 crore by 50% bringing the minimum guarantee fee to the level of 0.37% pa only.
• Another major change announced was raising of ceiling for a guarantee from ₹2 crores to ₹ 5 crores and enhancing the threshold limit for claim settlement without initiation of legal action to ₹10 lakh.

MUST READ: MSME Sustainable (ZED) Certification Scheme

SOURCE: PIB

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) With reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, consider the following statements  (2018)

1. It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
2. It, among other things, will also impart training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy.
3. It aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the National Skill Qualification Framework.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Q.2) With reference to the ‘stand up India scheme’, which of the following statement is/are correct? (2016)

1. Its purpose is to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.
2. It provides for refinancing through SIDBI.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Syllabus

• Prelims –Important Institutions

Context: Recently, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation held a meeting with board members of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).

About National Dairy Development Board (NDDB):-

IMAGE SOURCE: CATECHIZE: List of Revolutions in the field of Agriculture in India (catechize20.blogspot.com)

• The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was founded in 1965.
• It was initially registered as a society under the Societies Act 1860.
• It was later merged with the erstwhile Indian Dairy Corporation, a company formed and registered under the Companies Act 1956, by the NDDB Act 1987.
• The NDDB is an institute of national importance established by an act of the Indian Parliament and thus is a statutory body.
• National Dairy Development Board Headquarters: Anand, Gujarat
• It is under the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.
• It was founded by Dr Verghese Kurien, often called ‘India’s milkman’.
• It was set up to replicate the success of Amul to the whole of India. (UPSC CSE: Understanding Dairy Cooperatives)
• Objective: to replace exploitation with empowerment, tradition with modernity, stagnation with growth, transforming dairying into an instrument for the development of India’s rural people. (UPSC CSE: National Dairy Plan )
• Mission: of making dairying a vehicle for a better future for millions of grassroots milk producers. (UPSC CSE: Dairy Farming Sector)
•  The mission achieved thrust and direction with the launching of “Operation Flood“, a programme extending over 26 years and which used a World Bank loan to finance India’s emergence as the world’s largest milk-producing nation.

Operation Flood:

• It was launched in 1970.
•  Operation Flood has helped dairy farmers direct their own development, placing control of the resources they create in their own hands.
• The bedrock of Operation Flood has been village milk producers’ cooperatives, which procure milk and provide inputs and services, making modern management and technology available to members.
• A National Milk Grid links milk producers throughout India with consumers in over 700 towns and cities, reducing seasonal and regional price variations while ensuring that the producer gets fair market prices in a transparent manner on a regular basis.
• Operation Flood’s objectives included:-
  • Increase milk production (“a flood of milk”)
  • Augment rural incomes
  • Reasonable prices for consumers

MUST READ: Women and Cooperative Dairy Farming

SOURCE: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) With reference to organic farming in India, consider the following statements: (2018)

1. ‘The National ‘Programme for Organic Production’ (NPOP) is operated under the guidelines and ‘directions of the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
2. ‘The Agricultural and Processed Food Product Export Development Authority ‘(APEDA) functions as the Secretariat for the implementation of NPOP.
3. Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic State.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Q.2) Which of the following are the objectives of the ‘National Nutrition Mission’? (2017)

1. To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers. 2. To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
2. To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
3. To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Syllabus

• Prelims –Environment and Ecology

Context: Recently, the Supreme Court passed an order on the matter of Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary.

About Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary:-

IMAGE SOURCE: Chandigarh’s Sukhna wildlife sanctuary remains unprotected as Punjab, Haryana delay on the eco-sensitive zone (mongabay.com)

• Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is in Chandigarh, and shares boundaries with Punjab and Haryana from the side of Mohali and Panchkula, respectively. (UPSC CSE: Understanding Wildlife Protection)
• It has an ESZ area of up to 1.75 km, and Birds Sanctuary, Sector 21, has an ESZ of around 100 metres.
•  It is situated at 1 Km in the North-East of Sukhna Lake.
•  It forms the part of Sukhna Lake catchment area falling in Shivalik hills.
  • Shivalik hills are ecologically sensitive and geologically unstable.
  • They are highly prone to soil erosion during rains.
  • The soil in the Shivaliks is sandy, embedded with pockets of clay which is highly susceptible to erosion by surface runoff.
• Sukhna Lake was constructed in 1958 and in the sixties & early seventies, the rate of siltation of the lake was very high due to the high rate of soil erosion from its catchment area.
• The Punjab and Haryana High Court declared Sukhna Lake (Chandigarh) as a living entity in 2020.
•  Upto 1988, 66% of the original water holding capacity of the lake was lost due to siltation.
•  In order to minimize & control soil erosion from hilly catchment areas, various vegetative and engineering methods were adopted by Forest Department.
• These soil & water conservation measures undertaken on a sustained basis yielded very good results and the rate of siltation of the lake has reduced drastically.
• Soil conservation measures supplemented with massive afforestation led to the development of a very good forest in the hilly catchment area which is now an ideal habitat for a wide variety of fauna.
•  Consequently, this area had been notified as “Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary”. (UPSC Mains: Wildlife Diplomacy )

MUST READ: Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary

SOURCE: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Which one of the following has been constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986? (2022)

1. Central Water Commission
2. Central Ground Water Board
3. Central Ground Water Authority
4. National Water Development Agency

Q.2) With reference to Indian laws about wildlife protection, consider the following statements : (2022)

1. Wild animals are the sole property of the government.
2. When a wild animal is declared protected, such animal is entitled to equal protection whether it is found in protected areas or outside.
3. Apprehension of a protected wild animal becoming a danger to human life is sufficient ground for its capture or killing.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Syllabus

• Prelims –Sports

Context: Recently, Delhi Police informed the Supreme Court that it will register an FIR against the President of the Wrestling Federation of India.

About the Wrestling Federation of India:-

• The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is the governing body of wrestling in India.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi, India.
• Affiliation: United World Wrestling (UWW)
• President: Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
• Secretary: V.N. Prasood
• Tournaments:-
  • Pro Wrestling League
    • In 2015, WFI established a Pro Wrestling League tournament to promote the sport. (UPSC CSE: Reformig Sports in India)
  • National Wrestling Championship
    • The National Championships are held annually for Senior and Junior levels. (UPSC MAINS: Social change through sports)

MUST READ: Sports Code

SOURCE: AIR

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Atal Innovation Mission is set up under the (2019)

1. Department of Science and Technology
2. Ministry of Labour and Employment
3. NITI Aayog
4. Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

Q.2) Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India: (2019)

1. PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.
2. A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.
3. There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.
4. Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.

Which of the statements given above is correct?

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

Syllabus

• Prelims –International Relations

Context: Recently, the 70th anniversary of the Washington Declaration was commemorated.

About Washington Declaration:-

• Washington Declaration is a security alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea.
• 26th day of April, 2023 marked the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK Alliance.
• The Alliance commits to engage in deeper, cooperative decision-making on nuclear deterrence, (UPSC Prelims: Nuclear Weapons)including through enhanced dialogue and information sharing regarding growing nuclear threats to the ROK and the region.

Recent developments:-

•  The two Presidents announced the establishment of a new Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) to strengthen extended deterrence, discuss nuclear and strategic planning, and manage the threat to the non-proliferation regime(UPSC Mains: Nuclear Disarmament) posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
• In addition, the Alliance will work to enable joint execution and planning for ROK conventional support to U.S. nuclear operations in a contingency and improve combined exercises and training activities on the application of nuclear deterrence on the Korean Peninsula.
•  In keeping with the Presidents’ commitments, the Alliance has established a new bilateral, interagency table-top simulation to strengthen our joint approach to planning for nuclear contingencies.

MUST READ: NATO

SOURCE: THE HINDU

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Consider the following pairs: (2020)

International agreement/ set-up Subject

1. Alma-Ata Declaration – Healthcare of the people
2. Hague Convention – Biological and Chemical Weapons
3. Talanoa Dialogue – Global Climate Change
4. Under2 Coalition – Child Rights

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

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

Q.2) In which one of the following groups are all four countries members of G20? (2020)

1. Argentina Mexico, South Africa and Turkey.
2. Australia Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand
3. Brazil, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam
4. Indonesia Japan Singapore and South Korea

Syllabus

• Prelims –Economy

Context: Recently, India pushed to widen the scope of the common reporting standard (CRS) in the existing OECD’s Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) framework.

About the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) framework:-

• It provides for the automatic exchange of a predefined set of information between tax authorities.
• The AEOI Standard requires the annual exchange of information on financial accounts held by non-resident individuals and entities in a pre-defined format.
• The information exchanged includes details about the financial account and details about the account holder.
• Under the AEOI framework, signatory countries follow a CRS and obtain information from their financial institutions and automatically exchange that information with other jurisdictions on an annual basis.
• The AEOI Standard provides a powerful tool to help deter and identify offshore tax evasion through holding financial assets abroad.
• Indian Scenario:  India currently has AEOI with 108 jurisdictions for receiving financial information and with 79 jurisdictions for sending information automatically.
• In August 2022, the OECD also approved the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF).

About Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF):-

• It provides for the reporting of tax information on transactions in crypto assets (UPSC Prelims: Understanding Cryptocurrency) in a standardised manner, with a view to automatically exchanging such information.
• The CARF aims to ensure the collection and automated exchange of information on crypto assets with jurisdictions of taxpayers’ residences every year in a standardized manner.
• The framework defines crypto assets as any assets that are held and transferred in a decentralized manner, without the involvement of traditional financial intermediaries.
  • These assets are issued in the form of crypto derivatives, stablecoins, or certain non-fungible tokens.
  • This definition does not include entities that use cryptography only to keep records and does not have ownership rights.
  • It also does not include Central Bank Digital Currency, which has separate reporting requirements.
• Intermediaries and other service providers enabling the exchange and transfer of crypto-assets(UPSC CSE: Crypto Asset Regulation ) like brokers and ATM operators are included within the scope of this framework.
• CARF also outlines the data that needs to be reported and the due diligence to be conducted by crypto-asset users.
• The framework mandates that the crypto asset firms must report to the country in which they operate.
• They must report about exchanges between relevant crypto assets and fiat currencies, and the exchanges between one or more types of crypto assets as well as other transfers of crypto, including retail payment transactions.
• The framework requires individual and entity customers and persons to identify themselves.

MUST READ: Cryptojacking

SOURCE: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) With reference to Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), consider the following statements: (2022)

1. They enable the digital representation of physical assets.
2. They are unique cryptographic tokens that exist on a blockchain.
3. They can be traded or exchanged at equivalency and therefore can be used as a medium transaction. of commercial

Which of the statements given above is correct?

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

Q.2) With reference to ‘Bitcoins’, sometimes seen in the news, which of the following statements is/are correct? (2016)

1. Bitcoins are tracked by the Central Banks of the countries.
2. Anyone with a Bitcoin address can send and receive Bitcoins from anyone else with a Bitcoin address.
3. Online payments can be sent without either side knowing the identity of the other.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Syllabus

• Mains – GS 2 (Governance) and GS 3 (Science and Technology)

Context: The 2021 report by the U.S.- India Strategic Partnership Forum states that the third-gen web will be crucial for India to realise its $1.1 trillion digital asset opportunity by 2032.

About ‘third-gen web’:

Source:  https://flatworldbusiness.wordpress.com/

• Web3 is decentralised, privacy-oriented, blockchain-driven and crypto-asset friendly.
• It also advocates decentralising data storage systems from the single entity or an organisation.
• It uses file-sharing systems such as the Inter-Planetary File System which are cryptographically protected, more secure and capable of functioning off internet and off blockchains.
• Web3’s boldest element is the strategic role it assigns to non-custodial wallets that function as digital passports for users to access blockchain-enabled transaction platforms.
• These wallets aid the creation of a ‘ownership economy,’ whereby creators themselves control their content. Fundamentally, they work as digital proof of identity.
• Web3 seeks to replace micro-economic organisations with decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs).

Significance of WEB 3.0:

• Web3 is autonomous and reliable, as the data will no longer depend on these large companies or institutions, but on each individual.
• Web3 seeks to radically transform the manner in which data is generated, monetised, shared and circulated.
• Non-custodial wallets/digital passports:
  • Web3’s boldest element is the strategic role it assigns to non- custodial wallets that function as digital passports for users to access blockchain-enabled transaction platforms.
  • These wallets aid the creation of an ‘ownership economy,’ whereby creators themselves control their content.
  • Fundamentally, they work as the digital proof of identity.
• Decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs):
  • Web3 seeks to replace micro-economic organisations with decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs).
• Role of digital tokens and cryptocurrencies:
  • At a more macro level, it seeks to create a distributed economic system, where special classes of native digital tokens and cryptocurrencies would form the media of monetary circulation.
  • In general, Web3 platforms would serve to raise the efficiency of peer-to-peer transactions.

Benefit of the third-generation web for India:

• Design-related innovations of India’s handicraft industry are not protected by Intellectual Property rights.
  • The digital tokens minted by Web 3 platforms would enable our handcraft enterprises to secure their innovations.
• Web 3-based instruction tools enable the rapid dissemination of grassroots innovations from master artisans to fellow members.
  • It would improve the economic fortunes of craftsmen and artisan communities in north-east, western and peninsular India.
• India’s major digital public infrastructure push and the large-scale deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) in rural development projects offer major possibilities for deploying Web 3 in rural areas.
• Web 3.0 can also yield insights from large volumes of community data, generated by IoT-enabled development programmes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• Web 3.0’s natural advantage of facilitating ‘analytics at the edge’ provides considerable scope for mapping the water use habits of communities.
• India’s National Blockchain Strategy 2021 proposes to explore tokenization and apply blockchains solutions for development programmes. A third-gen web strategy can be helpful in achieving it.

Challenges:

• From a policy perspective, the next-gen web is complex.
• Part of the problem lies with the diverse descriptors employed by experts.
• Another constraint today is the inability of data analytics capabilities to catch up with the pace of data generation in rural areas.
• India has a rapidly expanding pool of data analytics and web design talent.
• By providing incentives for decentralised analytics and tokenising them (as envisaged in Web 3), it is possible to draw upon the talent pool for the benefit of rural communities.

India’s Digital Infrastructure:

• India is in an evolving process of building a large citizen-scale digital public infrastructure.
• Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) refers to solutions and systems that enable the effective provision of essential society-wide functions and services in the public and private sectors.
• The Government of India and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have been promoting simplification and transparency to increase the speed of interaction between individuals, markets, and the government.
• With the commencement of the Digital India mission in 2015, our payments, provident fund, passports, driving licences, crossing tolls, and checking land records all have been transformed with modular applications built on Aadhaar, UPI, and the India Stack.

Way Forward:

India’s National Blockchain Strategy 2021 proposes to explore tokenisation and apply blockchains solutions for development programmes. It will be a natural progression for India to craft a third-gen web strategy that optimises public interest. Such a strategy should seek to combine the features of Web3 and Web 3.0.

Source:  The Hindu

Q.1) Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) framework and Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) often mentioned in the news are Initiatives of

1. World Bank
2. World Economic Forum
3. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
4. European Union

Q.2) Consider the following statements regarding the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI):

1. It is the governing body of wrestling in India
2. It is headquartered in Bengaluru
3. It is affiliation to the United World Wrestling (UWW)

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

Q.3) Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is located in

1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Haryana
3. Gujrat
4. Odisha

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

ANSWERS FOR ’ 29th April 2023 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – c

Q.2) – a

Q.3) – b