Current Affairs Questions

Explanation :

• On 2^nd January, 2019, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) set up New, Emerging and Strategic Technologies (NEST) division, as a nodal division within the ministry to deal with issues like new and emerging technologies.
• NEST will help the country to collaborate with other countries in the field of 5G and artificial intelligence which are in line with India’s security goals.

Roles and Responsibilities of NEST

• The NEST will be empowered to formulate India's external technology policy in coordination with domestic stakeholders which are in line with India's developmental priorities and national security goals.
• It will also assist in evaluating foreign policy and international legal implications of new and emerging technologies and technology-based resources.
• It will also recommend a suitable foreign policy choice. Further, in multilateral and plurilateral frameworks, it will negotiate technology governance rules, standards, and architecture that are best suited for India's condition.
• The division will also be holding responsibility for matters that involves negotiations with multilateral fora like the United Nations,G20. This will help to safeguard India’s interests as such forums govern the rules of access to such technologies.

Explanation :

• The Blue Flag beach is an Eco-tourism model endeavouring to provide to the tourists/beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities, amenities, safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area.
• This Certification is accorded by an international agency, ‘Foundation for Environment Education’, Denmark, based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads i.e. (i) Environmental Education and Information, (ii) Bathing Water Quality, (iii) Environment Management and Conservation and (iv) Safety and Services in the beaches.
• It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001, when South Africa joined.
• Japan and South Korea are the only countries in South and southeastern Asia to have Blue Flag beaches.
• The Chandrabhaga beach on the Konark coast of Odisha is the first in India to get the Blue Flag certification.

Features of a Blue Flag beach

• These beaches will have proper waste disposal systems and access to clean drinking water for the tourists. Knowledge about the coastal ecosystem and sensitive natural areas will also be given to the tourists.
• A choice of environment-friendly activities will be offered to all the visitors and fully functional toilets will be available to all.
• The rules and regulations will be very strict and no unauthorized camping or dumping is allowed.

Explanation :

• Open Market Operations (OMO)is the sale and purchase of government securities and treasury bills by the central bank of the country.
• The objective of OMO is to regulate the money supply in the economy.
• When the central bank wants to increase the money supply in the economy, it purchases the government securities from the market and it sells government securities to suck out liquidity from the system.
• It carries out the OMO through commercial banks and does not directly deal with the public.
• OMO is one of the tools that central banks use to smoothen the liquidity conditions throughout the year and minimise its impact on the interest rate and inflation rate levels.

Explanation :

• The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Bill was approved by the President on September 11, 1958. It became known as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958.
• AFSPA gives armed forces the power to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”. They have the authority to prohibit a gathering of five or more persons in an area, can use force or even open fire after giving due warning if they feel a person is in contravention of the law.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs would usually enforce this Act where necessary, but there have been exceptions where the Centre decided to forego its power and leave the decision to the State governments.
• Justice Jeevan Reddy Commission (2005) in its report recommended to repeal AFSPA, citing the Act a symbol of hate, oppression and instrument of high handedness .
• Presently, AFSPA is operational in entire States of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur (except Imphal Municipal area), three districts namely Tirap, Changlang and Longding of Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of the 8 police stations in the districts of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering the State of Assam.

Explanation :

• Senna spectabilis is a deciduos plant species of the legume family (Fabaceae) in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae native to South and Central America.
• It is a common garden ornamental plant that also invades; forest margins, savanna, riverbanks, roadsides, waste ground and plantations.
• It can invade disturbed forests, forest edges and gaps where it can establish and suppress the regeneration of native species.
• However, it has a few medicinal properties. The plant can be used as a treatment for ringworm and skin diseases.

Explanation :

• Merchant Discount Rate (alternatively referred to as the Transaction Discount Rate or TDR) is the sum total of all the charges and taxes that a digital payment entails.
• It is the fee that a merchant has to pay to a bank for every debit/credit card transaction.
• It is split between the bank which has issued the card, the lender whose point-of-sale terminal (PoS) is being used and payment gateways like MasterCard or Visa.
• MDR also includes the processing charges that a payments aggregator has to pay to online or mobile wallets or indeed to banks for their service.

Explanation :

• The Ghataprabha River is an important right-bank tributary of the Krishna River and flows eastward for a distance of 283 kilometers before its confluence with the Krishna River at Almatti.
• It originates in the Western Ghats near chaukul village, tehsil sawantwadi in the Sindhudurg district of Maharahtra.
• The river basin stretches across Karnataka and Maharashtra states.

Explanation :

• Microdot Technology involves spraying thousands of the small dots laser etched with a PIN (Personal Identification Number) number, linked to the Vehicle Number, throughout the vehicle. As the polymer dots are 1mm by 1mm it is impossible to locate them.
• These can be read physically with a microscope and identified with an ultraviolet light source.
• The microdots and adhesive fix permanently and cannot be removed without damaging the vehicle itself.

Advantages

• A vehicle, which has microdots sprayed on its body, if stolen, can be easily identified with the help of this technology.
• Similarly, the use of fake spare parts can also be prevented as counterfeit ones can be singled out easily.

Explanation :

• On 17^th December, 2019, the government launched the National Broadband Mission(NBM) which aims to fast track growth of digital communications infrastructure, bridge the digital divide and provide affordable and universal access of broadband for all.
• The Mission is part of the National Digital Communications Policy, 2018.

Objective

• To provide broadband access to all villages by 2022.

Key Points of NBM

• The ambitious project will involve laying down around 30 Lakhs kilometre route Optical Fiber Cable, increase tower density from 0.42 to 1.0 tower per thousand of population by 2024 and significantly improve quality of services for mobile and internet.
• The mission envisages Rs 7 lakh crore investments in next 4 years.
• Developing a Broadband Readiness Index (BRI) to measure the availability of digital communications infrastructure and conducive policy ecosystem within a State/UT.
• Creation of a Digital Fiber Map of the Digital Communications network and infrastructure, including Optical Fiber Cables and Towers, across the country.

Impact

• It will help government to fast-track digital connectivity and bridge the digital divide as well as facilitate digital empowerment and inclusion.
• The mission by providing internet connectivity to 1 lakh villages, will push the economy to 5 trillion dollar milestone.

Explanation :

• Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile System (QRSAM) is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile system designed to protect moving armoured columns from aerial attacks.
• It is developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in association with Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited.
• The all-weather and all-terrain missile, which can be mounted on a truck and stored in a canister, is equipped with electronic counter measures against jamming by aircraft radars.
• QRSAM uses solid-fuel propellant and has a range of 25-30 km.
• The missile system comprises of two four-walled radars apart from the launcher both of which encompass a 360-degree coverage, namely,

-The Active Array Battery Surveillance Radar

-The Active Array Battery Multifunction Radar