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(PRELIMS & MAINS Focus)


Global Hunger Index - 2022

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In News: India ranks 107th out of 121 countries on Global Hunger Index.

About the Global Hunger Index:

Aim: To comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels.

Calculation: It is calculated on the basis of four indicators:

Scoring:

Indian Scenario:

Global Scenario

Initiatives taken by the government

Must Read: Malnutrition

Source: The Hindu

Previous Year Question

Q.1) The Global Competitiveness Report is published by the (2019)

  1. International Monetary Fund
  2. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
  3. World Economic Forum
  4. World Bank

Q.2) Rule of Law Index” is released by which of the following? (2018)

  1. Amnesty International
  2. International Court of Justice
  3. The office of UN Commissioner for Human Rights
  4. World Justice Project

Paddy Straw Torrefaction

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In News: Centre to help set up paddy straw pellet units to arrest stubble burning.

Stubble Burning

The present scheme:

Note: Torrefaction is the thermochemical conversion method to produce coal fuel (bio char) from biomass.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

Must Read: Stubble burning – In Depth

Source: The Hindu


Share Buyback

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Tech companies, which are sitting on a cash pile, usually prefer buybacks instead of bonus issues as the latter bloat the equity capital.

Few Disadvantages:

News Source: Indian Express

Previous Year Question

Q.1) Which one of the following situations best reflects “Indirect Transfers” often talked about in media recently with reference to India? (2022)

  1. An Indian company investing in a foreign enterprise and paying taxes to the foreign country on the profits arising out of its investment
  2. A foreign company investing in India and paying taxes to the country of its base on the profits arising out of its investment
  3. An Indian company purchases tangible assets in a foreign country and sells such assets after their value increases and transfers the proceeds to India
  4. A foreign company transfers shares and such shares derive their substantial value from assets located in India

Carbon Dating

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In News: A court in Varanasi rejected a plea asking for a scientific investigation into the structure found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque that the Hindu side has claimed is a Shivling.

What is carbon dating?

  1. Of Living things

A widely-used method to establish the age of organic materials, things that were once living. Living things have carbon in them in various forms. The dating method is based on the fact that Carbon-14 (C-14), an isotope of carbon with an atomic mass of 14, is radioactive, and decays at a well-known rate. This is how it works:

  1. Of Non-living things

Why is Carbon dating not used: Though extremely effective, carbon dating cannot be applied in all circumstances. It cannot be used to determine the age of non-living things like rocks, for example. Also, the age of things that are more than 40,000-50,000 years old cannot be arrived at through carbon dating. This is because after 8-10 cycles of half-lives, the amount of C-14 becomes almost very small and is almost undetectable.

Usage of radiometric dating methods

Must Read: Gyanvapi case

Source: Indian Express


Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia

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In News: The 6th Summit meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) held in Astana, Kazakhstan.

About CICA

Source: The Hindu


Just Energy Transition Partnership

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In News: The Union Ministry of Power has opposed the G7 nations’ plan of persuading India to start negotiations on a Just Energy Transition Partnership.

About Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP)

India’s stand – India argues that coal cannot be singled out as a polluting fuel, and energy transition talks need to take place on equal terms.

Must Read: G7 – covered comprehensively

Source: The Hindu

Previous Year Question

Q.1) Consider the following statements: (2022)

  1. “The Climate Group” is an international non-profit organization that drives climate action by building large networks and running them.
  2. The International Energy Agency in partnership with the Climate Group launched a global initiative “EP100”.
  3. EP100 brings together leading companies committed to driving innovation in energy efficiency and increasing competitiveness while delivering on emission reduction goals.
  4. Some Indian companies are members of EP100.
  5. The International Energy Agency is the Secretariat to the “Under2 Coalition”.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1, 2, 4 and 5
  2. 1, 3 and 4 only
  3. 2,3 and 5 only
  4. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test DART Mission

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In News: NASA’s DART gives hope that science can ward off extraterrestrial threats. For the very first time, NASA scientists have succeeded in slightly altering the trajectory of an asteroid by using a spacecraft to slam into it.

The Testing

Way Forward: Since all asteroids are not similar, more tests have to be done to perfect this technique.

The Utility of this Effort

News Source: The Hindu

Previous Year Question

Q.1) The experiment will employ a trio of spacecraft flying in formation in the shape of an equilateral triangle that has sides one million kilometres long, with lasers shining between the craft”. The experiment in question refers to (2020)

  1. Voyager
  2. New Horizons
  3. LISA Pathfinder
  4. Evolved LISA

Indian Deep Tech and a case for a strategic fund

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Context: In order to become a developed country in 25 years, India will need to build world-class deep tech capabilities in certain sectors.

Importance of Self reliance

Crucial role of funding

India Strategic Fund – Redirecting CSR and tax incentives

There are two avenues to build a movement of patriotic capital.

CSR budgets:

High Net Worth (HNI)

Staying the course

India will remain a net importer of critical technology in the foreseeable future. While the Prime Minister’s vision for an Atmanirbhar Bharat has created the right momentum, it will take close to a decade or more to fructify. If correctly aligned with the programmes launched by the Government, CSR funds and the right tax incentives to HNIs can create an almost self-fulfilling prophecy in the nascent Indian Deep Tech ecosystem.

Source: The Hindu


Livestock sector - Role of Women

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Context: On the International Day of Rural Women (October 15), we need to recognise the role of women in livestock rearing, and to include women in all facets of livestock development, be it breeding, veterinary care, extension services, training or access to credit and markets.

An underestimation

Core problems

Way Forward

Women’s labour is critical to the livestock economy. It follows then that women should be included in every stage of decision-making and development of the livestock sector.

Source: The Hindu


Bio Age

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Context: The report titled  ‘Law in the Emerging Bio Age’, have proposed giving legal rights to plants, animals, and non-living entities is crucial to building meaningful human-environment relationships in the future.

What is the “bio age”?

This is where the question of nature as a “juristic person” or an entity recognized in law as a person, which otherwise is not, comes in.

Recognising the rights of Nature

Ecuador: The first country in the world to recognise the rights of nature

Bolivia: Establishing the Law of Mother Earth

New Zealand’s Whanganui river: First in the world to be given legal status

Where does India stand?

How does granting legal rights help?

A compelling shift from competition to cooperation between humans and living systems for future survival is currently an underexplored area, with the question of how India is preparing for the “bio age” still remaining.

Source: Indian Express


Daily Practice MCQs

Daily Practice MCQs

Q.1) Consider the following statements about Global Hunger Index – 2022

  1. It is an annual report jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.
  2. It is calculated on the basis of three indicators – child wasting, child stunting and child mortality.
  3. India ranked 107 out of 121 countries on Global Hunger Index, 2022.

Choose the correct statements:

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

Q.2) Consider the following statements about Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA)

  1. It is a multi-national forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.
  2. To be a member of CICA, a state must have at least a part of its territory in Asia.
  3. India is a founding member of CICA.

Choose the incorrect statements:

  1. 3 only
  2. 2 only
  3. 2 and 3
  4. None

Q.3) DART mission, recently seen in news is an initiative of?

  1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  2. Indian Space Research Organisation
  3. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  4. European Space Agency

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

ANSWERS FOR ’15th October 2022 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.


ANSWERS FOR 14th October – Daily Practice MCQs

Answers- Daily Practice MCQs

Q.1) –  c

Q.2) – c

Q.3) – a

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