Current Affairs Questions

Explanation :

• AGR is the usage and licensing fee that telecom operators are charged by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• Telecom operators are required to pay license fee and spectrum charges in the form of ‘revenue share’ to the Centre. The revenue amount used to calculate this revenue share is termed as the AGR.
• According to the DoT, the calculations should incorporate all revenues earned by a telecom company – including from non-telecom sources such as deposit interests and sale of assets. The companies, however, have been of the view that AGR should comprise the revenues generated from telecom services only and non-telecom revenues should be kept out of it.
• Currently, telecom operators pay 8% of the AGR as license fee, while spectrum usage charges (SUC) vary between 3-5% of AGR.

Explanation :

• Part XIV-A of the Constitution provides for the Tribunals. The provision was added through 42nd Amendment Act, 1976.
• Article 323A and 323B provide for Administrative Tribunals and Tribunals related to other matters respectively.
• Under Article 323A, Parliament is empowered to establish Administrative Tribunals for the adjudication of disputes and complaints with respect to recruitment and conditions of service of persons appointed to public services and posts in connection with the affairs of the Union or of any State.
• The Administrative Tribunals Act in 1985 enacted by the Parliament authorises the Central Government to establish Central Administrative Tribunal and the State Administrative Tribunals.

Explanation :

• The Korku are an Adivasi ethnic group predominantly found in the Khandwa, Burhanpur, Betul and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh and adjoining areas near the Melghat Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra.
• Korku people are initially believed to be a hunter-gatherer community who dwelt in the forests of the Satpura Range on both sides of the Tapti River.
• The Korku language, which is often called the Kolarian language, belongs to the Munda Family of languages.

Explanation :

• The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body formed in April 1957 by the Government of India, under the Act of Parliament - 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956'.
• It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village industries within India, which seeks to - "plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries in the rural areas.
• In April 1957, it took over the work of former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board.
• The KVIC is authorized to establish and maintain separate organisations for the purpose of carrying out any or all of the above matters besides carrying out any other matters incidental to its activities.
• It may also undertake directly or through other agencies studies concerning the problems of Khadi and/or village industries besides research or establishing pilot projects for the development of Khadi and village industries.

Broad Objectives

• The social objective of providing employment.
• The economic objective of producing saleable articles.
• The wider objective of creating self-reliance amongst the poor and building up of a strong rural community spirit.

Explanation :

• The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization comprising seven Member States lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.
• This sub-regional organization came into being on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration.
• It constitutes seven Member States: five deriving from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and two from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand.
• Initially, the economic bloc was formed with four Member States with the acronym ‘BIST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). Following the inclusion of Myanmar on 22 December 1997 during a special Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, the Group was renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
• With the admission of Nepal and Bhutan at the 6th Ministerial Meeting (February 2004, Thailand), the name of the grouping was changed to ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation’ (BIMSTEC).

Objective

• The objective of building such an alliance was to harness shared and accelerated growth through mutual cooperation in different areas of common interests by mitigating the onslaught of globalization and by utilizing regional resources and geographical advantages . Unlike many other regional groupings, BIMSTEC is a sector-driven cooperative organization.

Explanation :

• Launched in August, 2019, Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, aims to ensure access of piped water for every household in India.
• It subsumed the ongoing National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) into Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household i.e., Har Ghar Nal Se Jal (HGNSJ) by 2024.
• The goal of JJM is to provide functional household tap connection to every household with service level at the rate of 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd).
• The fund sharing pattern between Centre and State is 90:10 for Himalayan (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh) and North-Eastern States, 100:0 for UTs and 50:50 for rest of the States.
• JJM will focus on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level, including creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse would be undertaken in convergence with other Government programmes/ schemes.

Impact

• It will significantly improve quality of life, particularly of women and children and assist in ODF-sustainability as water is important to sustain Swachh Bharat Mission’s gains.
• Further there will be procurement of various materials for water supply systems. This will generate employment and boost the economy.

Explanation :

• Located in Puri, Odisha, the thirteenth-century Sun Temple, was built by King Narasimhadeva I (AD 1236-1264) of the Ganga dynasty.
• Three kinds of stones were used in its construction, namely Chlorite, Laterite, and Khondalite rocks. The original temple consisted of the main sanctuary, called Bada Deul or Rekha Deul, which was surrounded by other smaller structures. In front of the main sanctuary stood another smaller sanctum called the Bhadra Deul or the assembly hall of the people.
• It exhibits the traditional Odisha style of architecture, also known as Kalinga architecture, on a grand scale.
• The temple is constructed as a gigantic chariot with 24 wheels about three meters high and pulled by 7 horses, housing the Sun God within.
• The entrance is guarded by two huge lions, each killing a war elephant and beneath the elephant is a man. The lions represent pride, elephants represent wealth and both of them consume man.
• This temple is also known as 'Black Pagoda' due to its dark color and used as a navigational landmark by ancient sailors to Odisha coast.

Explanation :

• Exercise Ajeya Warrior is a joint military exercise between India and the UK. It was held for the first time in 2013.
• The aim of this exercise is to conduct army level joint training with emphasis on counter terrorism operations.
• The fifth edition of India-UK joint military exercise will be conducted at Salisbury Plains, United Kingdom from 13th-26th February, 2020.

Other exercises between India and UK

• Exercise Konkan: It is an annual maritime bilateral exercise between Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Britain.
• Exercise Indradhanush: It is a joint bilateral air exercise between India and the UK.

Explanation :

• Pangolins or scaly anteaters are mammals of the order Pholidota (from the Greek word- horny scale). Thesehave large, protective keratin scales covering their skin; they are the only known mammals with this feature
• Pangolins eat ants, termites and larvae and are often known as "the scaly anteater." Because they have no teeth, pangolins pick up food with their sticky tongues, which can sometimes reach lengths greater than the animal’s body.
• There are eight species of pangolins. Four are found is Asia—Chinese, Sunda, Indian, and Philippine pangolins—and they're listed by the IUCN as critically endangered.
• The four African species—the ground pangolin, giant pangolin, white-bellied, and black-bellied—are listed as vulnerable.

Ecological Significance

• Pangolins are known as the guardians of the forest because they protect forests from termite destruction, maintaining a balanced ecosystem.

Explanation :

• The Chindu Yakshaganam is an age-old art form popular in Armur, Bodhan, Nizamabad, Makloor, Balkonda and Morthad areas in the district of Telangana state.
• The art form dates back to second century BC, is derived from the artiste’s caste Chindu Madiga, a sub-caste of Madiga in Telangana.
• The word ‘Chindu’ in Telugu means ‘jump’. As their presentation is interspersed with leaps and jumps, gaining its name.
• Also called Chindu Bhagavatam, it is similar to Yakshaganam, a traditional theatre form particular to Karnataka State.
• The ancient art form combines dance, music, dialogues between the characters, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form and such was the aura of these artists.