November 21 2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Ministry of Jal Shakti launched the “Bhu-Neer” portal during the concluding ceremony of India Water Week 2024.
• Developed by Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, in collaboration with National Informatics Centre (NIC), to improve groundwater regulation across India.
• Features of “Bhu-Neer”:
  • PAN-Based Single ID System: This feature allows users to use their PAN (Permanent Account Number) as a single identification system for all groundwater-related activities.
  • NOC with QR Code: The portal issues No Objection Certificates (NOCs) with QR codes, ensuring easy verification and authenticity.
  • Centralised Database: Provides comprehensive details on the legal framework governing groundwater extraction, regulations at both state and national levels, and access to critical information on groundwater compliance, policies, and sustainable practices.
  • Ease of Doing Business: Makes groundwater regulation seamless & faceless.

Statement 2 is correct and statement 3 is incorrect

• Current State of Water in India:
  • Water Scarcity: India, with 18% of the world’s population, has only 4% of its freshwater resources, making it one of the most water-stressed countries globally. As of 2024, this imbalance highlights the nation’s severe water scarcity issues.
  • Groundwater Depletion: Groundwater accounts for 80% of the drinking water supply and two-thirds of the irrigation needs in India. Over-extraction of groundwater has led to severe depletion, especially in agricultural states like Punjab, where the water table is drastically falling.
  • Water Pollution: Approximately 70% of India’s water is contaminated, with nearly half of the country’s rivers unsafe for drinking or irrigation. India ranks 120th out of 122 countries on the Global Water Quality Index 2024, indicating poor water quality.
  • Rural Water Access: Around 163 million Indians lack access to safe drinking water. Around 600 million people in India face high-to-extreme water stress, with many rural areas still dependent on unsafe water.
  • Climate Vulnerability: Climate change has exacerbated droughts and floods, further impacting water availability in India. By 2030, India’s water supply is projected to meet only half of the country’s demand.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Option (d) is correct

• Government Initiatives Related to Water Management in India:
  • Atal Bhujal Yojana:
    • It is a Central Sector Scheme for facilitating sustainable groundwater management.
    • Budget Rs. 6000 crore. Of this, Rs. 3,000 is a loan from the World Bank, and Rs. 3,000 crore is a matching contribution from the Government of India (GoI).
    • The World Bank financing is done under a new lending instrument, the Program for Results (PforR), wherein Funds under the scheme are disbursed from the World Bank to the GoI for disbursement to participating States based on the achievement of pre-agreed results.
    • Funds under the scheme shall be provided to the States as grants-in-aid.
    • The scheme is being implemented in 8220 water-stressed Gram Panchayats in Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
    • The scheme emphasises community participation and demand-side interventions for sustainable groundwater management in identified water-stressed areas in seven States of the Country.
  • Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM):
    • JJM Rural is a centrally sponsored scheme announced by the Prime Minister in 2019.
    • It works under the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS).
    • It aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual functional household tap connections (FHTC) by 2024 to all households in rural India.
    • It envisages the supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household.
    • JJM will also implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management (used wastewater that has not come into contact with faeces), water conservation, rainwater harvesting, etc.
    • JJM will be based on a community approach to water (Jan Andolan for water — making water everyone’s priority) and will include extensive Information, education, and communication.
    • The Mission will converge with other Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply management across the country.
  • Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana:
    • PMKSY is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
    • Aims:
      • To enhance physical access to water on the farm
      • To expand cultivable area under assured irrigation
      • To improve on-farm water use efficiency
      • To introduce sustainable water conservation practices
    • The main components of PMKSY are:
      • Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)
      • Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP): It has four sub-components.
      • Watershed Development
      • Per Drop More Crop
  • Jal Shakti Abhiyan- Catch the Rain Campaign:
    • Catch the Rain is an annual campaign under Jal Shakti Abhiyan.
    • Aim: to encourage people to adopt rainwater harvesting practices.
  • National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG):
    • NMCG is the implementation wing of the National Ganga Council.
    • It was established in 2011 as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
    • It acts as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), constituted under Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986.
    • It is implemented by the National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga also known as the National Ganga Council.
    • The objectives of NMCG are:
      • Ensure Ganga River’s pollution abatement and rejuvenation by adopting a basin approach, fostering inter-sectoral coordination for holistic planning and management.
      • Maintain minimum ecological flows in the Ganga to ensure water quality and promote environmentally sustainable development.

Answer: (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Also known as the Shorapur Principality, was a state in present-day Yadgir district, Karnataka.
• Rulers: Ruled by the Nayak Dynasty, with Raja Venkatappa Nayak as the last ruler.

Statement 2 is correct

• The Bedars, a community whose name means “hunter” in Kannada, became the rulers of Surpur after the fall of Vijayanagara.

Statement 3 is correct

• Raja Venkatappa Nayak led a rebellion against the British East India Company in 1857, refusing to accept their sovereignty.
• The British captured the city of Surpur, and Raja Venkatappa Nayak was forced to flee to Hyderabad.
• Palace: An example of the superior architecture of the Nayak reign. It features fine wooden work, stone carving, and plasterwork.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• Surpur paintings: Surpur paintings are a type of miniature art that are now largely no longer produced.

Answer: (c) Only three; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Both statements are correct

• Model Prisons Act, 2023:
  • Replaces outdated colonial laws like the Prisons Act, 1894.
  • Separate accommodations for women and transgender inmates.
  • Emphasis on rehabilitation through skill development and vocational training.
  • Transparency through grievance redressal and technological integration (e.g., video conferencing with courts).

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Global Plastics Outlook report is published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee’s (INC-5) conference in Busan is scheduled to take place from November 25 to December 1, 2024.
• Global negotiations for a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution are advancing with this key session.
• The treaty aims to address the entire plastic lifecycle, focusing on human health, and environmental protection, and ensuring a just transition for informal waste collectors and recyclers.
• The treaty has not yet been adopted as the meeting is yet to occur.

Answer: (a) 1 only; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• Francis Xavier, venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Catholic missionary and saint who co-founded the Society of Jesus.
• He was born in Javier, Kingdom of Navarre (in present-day Spain); he was one of the first seven Jesuits.
• Saint Francis Xavier arrived in Goa in 1542 to restore Christianity among Portuguese settlers. Also referred to as “Goencho Saib” (Lord of Goa).
• His body was exhumed and transported to Malacca, then to Goa in 1554. Now the relics are placed in the Basilica in 1624.
• The exposition of Saint Francis Xavier’s sacred relics in Goa is a 45-day spiritual event starting in November. It attracts pilgrims and tourists for veneration and is marked by a religious ceremony.

Answer: (b) Saint Francis Xavier; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Statements 1 and 3 are incorrect, and Statement 2 is correct

• Recently researchers identified a new microbe Candidatus phytoplasma, responsible for a peculiar disease affecting the sesame fields of Midnapore in West Bengal.
• The disease causes sesame plants to revert from their flowering and fruiting stage to their vegetative state, with white flowers turning green.
• Candidatus phytoplasma is a cell wall-lacking bacteria produced in plants’ nutrient-rich phloem and sieve cells.
• These bacteria are transmitted primarily through phloem feeder insects (leafhoppers, plant-hoppers, psyllids, and dodders).
• They infect many commercially valuable crops like Catharanthus, tobacco, maize, and grapevine causing disfigurement and virescence of floral parts.

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Both statements are incorrect

• Women labour force participation (WLFP) refers to the percentage of women actively engaged in the labour market, including paid employment and self-employment, reflecting their economic contribution and involvement in workforce activities.
• As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2023-24, India’s female labour force participation rate stands at 36.7%, not 10%.
• The data highlights systemic barriers like caregiving responsibilities and the lack of flexible work options, which limit women’s workforce participation.
• 53% of Indian women are out of the labour force due to caregiving, compared to just 1.1% of men.

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2; Difficulty Level: Hard