PRELIMS CURRENT AFFAIRS-16/07/24

01.With reference to National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme, Consider the following statements:

1. It aims to promote apprenticeship training in the country, by providing partial stipend support to the apprentices engaged under the Apprentice Act, 1961, undertaking capacity building of the apprenticeship ecosystem.
2. The objective is to  provide up-skilling opportunities for candidates who have undergone short-term skill training offered by various Central and State Government initiatives.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Answer:  (c)Both 1 and 2

In News:Shri Jayant Chaudhary attends Kaushal Samwaad on World Youth Skills Day 2024

Explanation:

• Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Shri Jayant Chaudhary, attended an open house, “Kaushal Samwaad”, to celebrate World Youth Skills Day, which is recognised globally by the United Nations. 
• The day also commemorated the 10th-year celebrations of the Skill India Mission. Shri Chaudhary and Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, also planted a tree on the Kaushal Bhawan premises, symbolising growth and the nurturing of talent.
• The young professionals present were beneficiaries/candidates from schemes such as PMKVY (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana), PM Vishwakarma, NAPS (National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) while some represented successful entrepreneurs of NIESBUD (National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development), beneficiaries under SANKALP (Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion) and students of ITI (Industrial Training Institute) and more.
•  The candidates shared their learning experiences with the Minister and highlighted the importance of equipping themselves with skills for wider job opportunities and entrepreneurship. 
• Their stories were vivid illustrations of transformation. Each shared how skill development had not only reshaped their futures but ignited their passion and drive. 
• The skill trainers who guided them were also present at the event.
• National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme-2 (NAPS-2) aims to promote apprenticeship training in the country, by providing partial stipend support to the apprentices engaged under the Apprentice Act, 1961, undertaking capacity building of the apprenticeship ecosystem, and providing advocacy assistance to the stakeholders.Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The objectives of NAPS-2 are as follows:
• To develop skilled workforce for the economy by promotion of on-the-job experiential training.
• To encourage establishments to enrol apprentices by sharing partial stipend support to the apprentices.
• To provide up-skilling opportunities for candidates who have undergone short-term skill training offered by various Central and State Government initiatives.Hence statement 2 is correct.
• To encourage enrolment of apprentices in small establishments especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and those located in the underserved areas such as aspirational districts and North-East Region.

Source:

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2033515

https://msde.gov.in/en/schemes-initiatives/apprenticeship-training/naps

02.Chindown river recently seen in news is a tributary of 

1. Brahmaputra
2. Irrawaddy
3. Ganga
4. Mekong

Answer:  (b)Irrawaddy

In News:Tizu Zunki River to be harnessed for Economic Development of Nagaland, to enable Cargo & Passenger Transport: Shri Sarbananda Sonowal

Explanation:

• The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal announced major initiatives aimed at enabling the waterways potential of Nagaland during the Stakeholder’s Conference held in Dimapur, Nagaland.
• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), via the IWAI, has been working towards empowering and enabling the complex and dynamic waterways of the region. 
• The agency is working on multiple projects in this regard including the prestigious Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project, enabling linkage of multiple NWs like NW 2 and NW 16 with Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR), development of fairway on IBPR as well as declaration of Ports of Call among others.
• Tizu river in Nagaland further flows into Chindown river (Third largest Tributary of river Irrawaddy river), also known as Ningthi river in Myanmar, at Htamanthi in Myanmar. Chindown River further enters into Irrawaddy River – the largest river of Myanmar.Hence option(b) is correct.
•  River Irrawaddy further drains into Andaman Sea via Irrawaddy Delta after travelling through river ports like Mandalay Chauk, Prome and & Hinthada providing an alternative opportunity to use waterways for cargo movement from Northeast to the international trade routes.

Source:

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2033481

03.Consider the following:

1. VerifiableIdentity and Registries
2. DataSharing
3. Signature and Consent
4. Payments

How many of the above are categories of Digital Public Infrastructure?

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

Answer:  (d)All four

In News:Report of India’s G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure released

Explanation:

• The final ‘Report of India’s G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure’ by ‘India’s G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure for Economic Transformation, Financial Inclusion and Development’ was released in New Delhi.
• The work of this Task Force had led to the acceptance of the definition and framework of the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) during India’s G20 Presidency and will be taken forward for implementation during the Brazilian and South African Presidencies.
• India did an incredible pole vault in Digital Public Infrastructure. India achieved in 9 years what would have taken 50 years without DPI. 
• Today in India, UPI is used at all levels from street vendors to large shopping malls, with the highest percentage of digital transactions globally, accounting for nearly 46% share.
•  All these proved to be building blocks for India to steer through the COVID-19 pandemic, be it transfer $4.5 billion into the bank accounts of 160 million beneficiaries or facilitate distribution of 2.5 million vaccinations in two years with digital vaccine certificates on mobiles. 
• Currently, DPIs can be categorised into five main groups which fall within and across multiple sectors (financial, health, education, eCommerce, agriculture, etc.).These Include:
• VerifiableIdentityandRegistries
• DataSharing,Credentials,andOpenModels
• Signature and Consent
• DiscoveryandFulfillmentnetworks
• Payments.Hence option(d) is correct.

Source:

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2033389

04.With reference to The Codex Alimentarius Commission, Consider the following statements:

Statement -I: It is the body established by FAO and WHO to develop food standards under the Joint Food Standards Programme.

Statement -II: Codex texts are mandatory and  binding effect on national food legislation

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 – I 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

Answer:  (c)Statement – I is correct but Statement – II is incorrect

In News:Union Health Minister Shri J P Nadda reviews various initiatives taken up by FSSAI; appreciates the “remarkable leap” taken in the area of food safety

Explanation:

• The Union Health Minister was briefed on various initiatives taken up by FSSAI by Shri G Kamala Vardhana Rao, CEO, FSSAI. The Union Health Minister also commended FSSAI’s leadership in areas such as millets and CODEX standards.  The issue of food safety is a huge responsibility of FSSAI. 
• The Codex Alimentarius Commission (commonly referred to as Commission) is the body established by FAO and WHO to develop food standards under the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The Codex Alimentarius Commission is based in FAO in Rome. 
• It coordinates input from 187 Member Countries and one Member Organization to develop and endorse the international food standards that comprise the Codex Alimentarius.
• Codex texts are voluntary and do not have binding effects on national food legislation.Hence statement 2 is incorrect. 
• However, WTO Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) encouraged WTO members to harmonise national regulations with the international standards. 
• Since the SPS Agreement specifically identifies Codex standards, guidelines and recommendations as the international benchmark for food safety, national regulations consistent with Codex standards are deemed to meet the requirements of the SPS Agreement. 
• Under the SPS Agreement, WTO Members are allowed to implement national standards that are more stringent than those of Codex. 
• In doing so, however, WTO Members may be requested to provide scientific justification that such stringent sanitary measures are required to achieve their appropriate level of protection, as well as demonstrate that the measure taken is based on an assessment of risk. 
• Codex standards, guidelines and other recommendations may also be used as a reference in case of a food trade dispute.

Source:

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2033417

https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/about-codex/faq/en/#c454876

05. With reference to Jan Shikshan Sansthan scheme,consider the following statements:

1. The scheme is implemented through NGOs with 100% grants from the Government of India.
2. The mandate of the scheme is to provide vocational skills in non-formal mode to non-literate, neo-literates, persons with rudimentary level of education upto 8th and school drop-outs upto 12th standard in the age group of 15-45 years
3. This scheme was transferred from Ministry of Skill Development and  Entrepreneurship Ministry of Education in, 2018

How many of the above statements are correct?

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

Answer: (b) Only two

In News:Shri Jayant Chaudhary attends Kaushal Samwaad on World Youth Skills Day 2024

Explanation:

• The Scheme of Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) formerly known as Shramik Vidyapeeth was a unique creation of the Government of India is being implemented through NGOs in the country since 1967.
• The scheme was renamed as Jan Shikshan Sansthan in 2000. 
• JSS scheme was transferred from the Ministry of Education (erstwhile Ministry of Human Resource Development) to the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship in July, 2018.Hence statement 3 is incorrect.
• At present, 290 JSSs in 26 States and 7 Union Territories are functional. The annual coverage of the beneficiaries is around 4 lakh, out of which 85% are women.
• Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme is implemented through NGOs with 100% grants from the Government of India.Hence statement 1 is correct.
•  Jan Shikshan Sansthans are registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. 
• The affairs of Jan Shikshan Sansthan are managed by the respective Board of Management approved by the Government of India.
• The mandate of the scheme is to provide vocational skills in non-formal mode to non-literate, neo-literates, persons with rudimentary level of education upto 8th and school drop-outs upto 12th standard in the age group of 15-45 years.Hence statement 2 is correct. 
• The priority groups are women, SC, ST, minorities and other backward sections of the society. JSSs are reaching to the unreached areas to cater the needs of the poorest of the poor. They work at the door step of the beneficiaries with a minimum infrastructure and resources.

Source:

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2033515

https://www.jss.gov.in/staticPages

06. Consider the following Countries:

1. Bangladesh
2. Myanmar
3. Thailand
4. Maldives

How many of the above Countries are members of BIMSTEC?

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

Answer:  (c) Only three

In News:Ministry of Earth Sciences organizes a high-level workshop for BIMSTEC countries, promoting scientific capacity, skill and regional cooperation

Explanation:

• The National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF)—a subordinate office of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), is organising a two-week workshop for BIMSTEC countries from July 15 to 26, 2024, in Noida. 
• The high-level workshop will have key officials of the National Hydrology and Meteorology Services of BIMSTEC members—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand in attendance. 
• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organisation that was established on 06 June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration. 
• Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organisation is now known as BIMSTEC and comprises seven Member States with the admission of Myanmar on 22 December 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in February 2004.Hence option(c) is correct.
• On 06 June 1997, representatives of the Governments of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand came together in Bangkok, and signed the ‘Declaration on the Establishment of the Bangladesh–India–Sri Lanka–Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIST-EC)

Source:

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2033445

https://bimstec.org/history

07.The Reserve Bank of India had constituted an ‘Expert Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ under the Chairmanship of

1. Urjit Patel
2. Rangarajan
3. U K Sinha
4. Aravind Subramaniam

Answer:  (c)U K Sinha

In News:Credit to ECLGS

Explanation:

• A report in this newspaper shows that the ECLG scheme extended liquidity support of over ₹3.68-lakh crore to 1.19 crore businesses in just a three-year tenure between May 2020 and March 2023. 
• SBI’s economic research has estimated that this saved 1.5 crore MSME jobs. Contrary to original fears that Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) from ECLGS would blow up and saddle the exchequer with a large bill on guarantees, the scheme has ended with Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) of about ₹22,000 crore or 6 per cent of the loans. A 6 per cent NPA figure may seem big today when banks are sitting on system-wide NPAs of less than 3 per cent. 
• But it should be seen in the context of the severe dislocation suffered by MSMEs during the pandemic. 
• A 6 per cent delinquency rate for MSMEs is not all that high, when you consider that banks were left with a stressed loan stock-pile of over 14 per cent from medium and large corporate loans in September 2013 after the capex boom. 
• The ECLGS experience could offer lessons to address the ₹25-lakh crore credit gap in MSME funding (UK Sinha committee estimates).
• It may be worth reviewing why the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTME), which has been running guarantee-based schemes for MSMEs for over two decades now, has not met with the same success as ECLGS
• The ECLGS experience suggests that contrary to perception, the credit behaviour of MSMEs can be superior to that of large corporates. 
• Their ability to service loans may be impaired during crises, but their willingness to do so is quite high once it is business-as-usual.
• The Reserve Bank of India had constituted an ‘Expert Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ under the Chairmanship of Shri U K Sinha in January 2019 to suggest long-term measures for the economic and financial sustainability of the MSME sector.Hence option(c) is correct.

Source:

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/credit-to-eclgs/article68406508.ece

08. Consider the following statements:

1. Monsoon Trough is an elongated low-pressure area which extends from heat low over Pakistan to Head Bay of Bengal. 
2. Southward migration results in an active monsoon over a major part of India and in contrast, the northward migration of this trough leads to break monsoon condition over major part of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Answer:  (c)Both 1 and 2

In News:Back-to-back low-pressure areas to drive monsoon to new high this week

Explanation:

• India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday said a low-pressure area has formed on the South Odisha coast over the Bay of Bengal.
•  This will likely be followed up by another ‘low’ over the next five days lending a sudden but expected boost to the monsoon as it enters the second half of July, normally the rainiest of the four months.
• Monsoon Trough is an elongated low-pressure area which extends from heat low over Pakistan to Head Bay of Bengal. This is one of the semi-permanent feature of monsoon circulation..Hence statement 1 is correct.
•  Monsoon trough may be a characteristic of east west orientation of Himalayan ranges and north south orientation of Khasi-Jaintia Hills. 
• Generally the eastern side of the monsoon trough oscillates, sometimes southwards and sometimes northwards. 
• Southward migration results in active/vigorous monsoon over major part of India. In contrast, the northward migration of this trough leads to break monsoon conditions over major parts of India and heavy rains along foothills of Himalayas and sometimes floods in Brahmaputra river..Hence statement 2 is correct. 

Source:

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/monsoon-may-peak-to-a-new-high-this-week-as-helpful-features-align/article68405618.ece

https://mausam.imd.gov.in/imd_latest/monsoonfaq.pdf#:~:text=Monsoon%20Trough%20is%20an%20elongated%20low-pressure%20area%20which,ranges%20and%20north%20south%20orientation%20of%20Khasi-Jaintia%20Hills.

09. Consider the following Countries:

1. Russia
2. USA
3. UAE
4. Iran

How many of the above Countries are members of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum?

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

Answer:  (c)Only three

In News:Heat waves push gas-based power plants capacity to a five-year high

Explanation:

• The plant load factor (PLF), or capacity utilisation, of gas-based power plants hit a record 28.7 per cent in May 2024 as the country witnessed unprecedented heat waves, pushing up demand. 
• Gas-based plants reported a PLF of 28.7 per cent in May 2024, the highest in the last five years. Before this, the plants had reported PLF of 28.9 per cent in May 2020
• The International Energy Agency projects India’s gas demand to grow 7 per cent yo-y in 2024 calendar year, while the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GCEF) predicts usage to grow at 6 per cent y-o-y. 
• Higher gas consumption for power generation is among the reasons fuelling the growth
• The GECF is an intergovernmental organisation that provides a framework for exchanging experience and information among its member countries. 
• As the gathering of the world’s leading gas exporting countries, the GECF seeks to build a mechanism for a meaningful dialogue between gas producers and consumers in order to improve the stability and security of supply and demand in gas markets around the world.
• The full-fledged Members of the GECF are: Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, UAE and Venezuela.Hence option(c) is correct. 
• Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mozambique, Peru and Senegal hold the status of Observers.

Source:

https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/heat-waves-push-gas-based-power-plants-capacity-to-a-five-year-high-in-may/article68405782.ece

https://www.gecf.org/about/overview.aspx

10.Consider the following statements:(2024)

Statement-I: Recently, Venezuela has achieved a rapid recovery from its economic crisis and succeeded in preventing its people from fleeing/emigrating to other countries.

Statement-II: Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves

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

1.  Both Statement-1 and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
2.  Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
3.  Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
4.  Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Ans :(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Explanation: 

• With an exodus of more than 7.72 million people since 2014, the refugee crisis in Venezuela is the largest displacement crisis in Latin America and one of the largest in the world. 
• Of the 7.72 million people, almost 84% settled in Latin America and the Caribbean and faced significant challenges accessing food, housing and livelihood. Hence, statement I is not correct.
• In 2021, crude oil reserves in Venezuela reached close to 304 billion barrels, more than triple the figure reported at the beginning of the previous decade. In turn, Venezuela boasted the largest crude oil reserves worldwide. Hence, statement 2 is correct.