UPSC IAS Prelims 2021: Monthly Current Affairs Questions for Preparation | September 2020

Explanation:

Biotech-KISAN programme is a farmer-centric scheme for farmers, developed by and with farmers under the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology. It is a pan-India program, following a hub-and-spoke model and stimulates entrepreneurship and innovation in farmers and empowers women farmers.

Explanation:

A special drive to uproot the invasive lantana bushes in the famous Sajjangarh wildlife sanctuary in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district has helped in ecological restoration of grasslands and saved biodiversity. The month-and-a-half-long campaign was accompanied by the plantation of native species on the cleared patches of land.

The small sanctuary in the southern Aravalli hills, spread over 5.19 sq. km, is home to a large number of herbivores. Lantana camara, a thicket forming shrub, has covered vast tracts of land in the sanctuary, stopping the natural light and nutrition for flora and fauna.

The toxic substance in its foliage and ripe berries affected the animals, while its expansion stopped the natural growth of grass and other shrubs. With the herbivores not getting sufficient forage, the prey base for carnivorous animals was declining, leading to ecological disturbances in the food chain.

Explanation: 

Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers Shri D. V. Sadananda  Gowda has said that to consolidate and synergize the capacities of the domestic downstream plastic processing industry, Government has come up with a scheme of Setting up of Plastic Parks with an state-of-the-art infrastructure through cluster development approach.

Details of the 6 Plastic Parks are as under:

1. Madhya Pradesh: Plastic Park at Tamot has completed physical infrastructure and purchase of equipment for common facility centers (CFC) is in progress. One unit is functional in the Plastic Park.

2. Madhya Pradesh: Plastic Park at Bilaua is at implementation stage and work of development of physical infrastructure is in progress.

3. Odisha: Plastic Park at Paradeep is at implementation stage and work of development of physical infrastructure is almost completed.

4. Jharkhand: Plastic Park at Deoghar is at implementation stage and work of development of physical infrastructure is in progress.

5. Tamil Nadu: The work at Plastic Park at Thiruvallur has started recently and   land filling on the site is in progress.

6. Assam: Plastic Park at Tinsukia is at implementation stage and work of development of physical infrastructure is in progress

Explanation: 

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Shri Narendra Singh Tomar today inaugurated by virtual mode 22 bamboo clusters in 9 States (Gujarat, MP, Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Karnataka). A logo for the National Bamboo Mission was also released. Lauding the success of the National Bamboo Mission, Shri Tomar said that the country is now gearing up to increase the export of bamboo products.

Explanation: 

UNICEF’s YuWaah! Initiative: UNICEF has always been at the forefront of ushering in transformative change initiatives with respect to the Youth and their issues. In India, the UN Agency has launched YuWaah!, a unique initiative which aims to groom India’s youth into change-leaders of tomorrow by providing them the mindset and skillset to flourish in a rapidly changing world. In an exclusive interview with Jagranjosh.com, Ms. Dhuwarakha Sriram - Chief of ADAP and Generation Unlimited with UNICEF India, shares details about its YuWaah! Initiative, its key goals and the steps it is taking to prepare India’s youth for the challenges of the future. Read more

Explanation: 

HSTDV is developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and is based on hypersonic propulsion technologies. It will help India to develop futuristic space assets like long-range missile systems and aerial platforms.

On 7 September 2020, DRDO successfully flight tests Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV) from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Launch at Wheeler Island, off the coast of Odisha. 

The hypersonic cruise vehicle was launched by using a proven solid rocket motor, which took it to an altitude of 30 kilometres. Here, at hypersonic Mach number, the aerodynamic heat shields were separated. Then, the cruise vehicle separated from the launch vehicle and the air intake opened as planned. Read more

Explanation: 

After a decade of negotiations, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was finally inked with the participation of 15 members countries including 10 ASEAN member nations along with Australia, China, Korea, Japan and New Zealand. It is to be noted that RCEP is the world's largest free trading agreement. Read more

Explanation: 

ESG stands for Environment Empathy, Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance. These parameters are used as filters for the investments in stocks. In simple words, ESG investing is sustainable or socially responsible investing. 

The ESG fund shortlists the companies which rate high on the environment, social responsibility and corporate governance. In other words, the scheme focuses on those companies which have environment-friendly practices, ethical business practices and an employee-friendly record. 

Like any other funds, the investors make investments in the ESG funds. The experts of the ESG funds will then invest your money in different companies which meets all three--Environment Empathy, Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance. Here, the fundamentals and financial parameters are secondary. Read more

Explanation: 

DIKSHA - National Digital Infrastructure for Teachers and students is a customizable platform which is currently being used by teachers (from both government and private institutions) across the nation for all the standards to help the students learn several concepts. The portal is accessible in many languages for easy understandability of the user.

SWAYAM is a Government of India initiative directed at ensuring holistic learning environment for the aspirants. As the name suggests, SWAYAM aims to make students self-sufficient in learning without any external in the form of physical infrastructure. Teachers and students can interact through SWAYAM for solving queries and attending classes. Government urges students and teachers to use SWAYAM platform to support digital learning:-

The PRAGYATA guidelines have been developed from the perspective of learners, with a focus on online/blended/digital education for students who are presently at home due to lockdown. These guidelines on Digital/ Online Education  provide a roadmap or pointers for carrying forward online education to enhance the quality of education. The guidelines will be relevant and useful for a diverse set of stakeholders including school heads, teachers, parents, teacher educators and students. The guidelines stress upon the use of alternative academic calendar of NCERT, for both, learners having access to digital devices and learners having limited or no access.

Explanation: 

The Karnataka government is likely to pressurise the Centre for approval of the construction of the Mekedatu Project on the Cauvery river.