Current Affairs Questions

Explanation :

• The National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAPA) was established under section 171 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.
• It was set up to monitor and to oversee whether the reduction or benefit of input tax credit is reaching the recipient by way of appropriate reduction in prices.

Aim

• The primary aim of the Authority is to ensure the benefits of reduction or lower taxes under the new GST regime are passed onto the end consumers.

Institutional Framework

• The National Anti-profiteering Authority comprises of a five-member committee, consisting of, a Chairman (equivalent to a rank of secretary in the government), four technical members (present/former commissioners of State tax or central tax departments).
• The Additional Director General of Safeguards under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBEC) would be the Secretary to NAA.

Function

• The Authority’s main function is to ensure that the registered suppliers under GST law are not profiteering by charging higher prices from recipients in the name of GST.

Explanation :

• ChapcharKut is an annual harvest festival of the Mizo Community in Mizoram state of India which marks the beginning of Spring Season.
• It is celebrated during March after completion of their most arduous task of jhum operation i.e., jungle-clearing (clearing of the remnants of burning).
• One of the greatest highlights of ChapcharKut is the popular bamboo dance called Cheraw, which features men tapping the bamboo sticks according to the rhythm of the dance and women adjust their dance moves with moving sticks.

Explanation :

• The Red-crowned roofed turtle is native to India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Historically, the species was widespread in the Ganga River, both in India and Bangladesh. It also occurs in the Brahmaputra basin.
• It is a freshwater turtle species found in deep flowing rivers with terrestrial nesting sites.
• Currently in India, the National Chambal River Gharial Sanctuary is the only area with substantial population of the species, but even this Protected Area and habitat are under threat.

Conservation Status

• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) : Critically Endangered
• Wildlife Protection Act (IWPA) : Schedule I
• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) : Appendix II

Explanation :

• Luxembourg has become the first country in the world to make all public transport ‘free’ from February 29, 2020.
• Luxembourg abolished fares for trains, trams and buses in a bid to tackle road congestion and pollution, as well as supporting low earners.
• All standard-class journeys on public transport in the country are now free of charge, compared to an annual pass worth 440 euros ($485) before.
• Travellers can still pay for first class, at a cost of 660 euros a year.

Luxembourg

• Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe.
• It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France to the south.
• Its capital, Luxembourg City, is one of the four official capitals of the European Union (together with Brussels, Frankfurt, and Strasbourg) and the seat of the European Court of Justice, the highest judicial authority in the EU.

Explanation :

• The Land Ports Authority of India(LPAI) is a statutory body established under the Land Ports Authority of India Act,2010.
• It functions under the administrative control of the Department of Border Management, Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The Authority works to provide secure and efficient systems of cargo and passenger movements across international borders. It also works to reduce the dwell time and trade transaction time and costs. It promotes people-to-people contact.

Explanation :

• The Government of India set up Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) on 1st March 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.

Mission

• The mission of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to assist in developing policies and strategies with a thrust on self-regulation and market principles, within the overall framework of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 with the primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy.

Role

• BEE co-ordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies and other organizations and recognize, identify and utilize the existing resources and infrastructure, in performing the functions assigned to it under the Energy Conservation Act.

Explanation :

• The Project Monitoring Group (PMG) is an institutional mechanism for the expedited resolution of issues and regulatory bottlenecks in projects with investments upward Rs. 500 Crores in India.
• It aims to facilitate issue resolution in projects that are facing delays or awaiting regulatory clearances with State and/or Central Ministries.
• It was set up as a special cell in the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India in 2013 and was subsequently brought under the administrative control of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in 2015.
• In February 2019, PMG was merged with Invest India, Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce.
• PMG seeks to enlist unresolved project issues of all Public, Private and ‘Public–Private Partnership’ (PPP) Projects and undertakes fast-tracking of approvals, sectoral policy issues and removal of bottlenecks in expeditious commissioning.

Explanation :

• Watermelon snow, also called snow algae, pink snow, red snow, or blood snow, is a phenomenon caused by Chlamydomonas nivalis, a species of green algae containing a secondary red carotenoid pigment (astaxanthin) in addition to chlorophyll.
• Capable of surviving in extreme cold, this algae is found throughout the world in polar and mountainous regions. It is the carotenoids in the algae's chloroplasts that give snow a red color.
• The more sunlight the algae receive, the more it produces the “watermelon red” pigment, which causes the snow to melt faster.
• Snow blooms contribute to climate change because of the red-crimson color, the snow reflects less sunlight and melts faster. As a consequence, it produces more and more bright algae.

Explanation :

• PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana(PMKSY) is a Central Sector Scheme aiming to create modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.
• It is an umbrella scheme with its period coterminous with the cycle of 14^th Finance Commission.

Objectives

• Creation of modern infrastructure for food processing mega food parks/ clusters and individual units
• To create effective backward and forward linkages - linking farmers, processors and markets
• To create robust supply chain infrastructure for perishables

Seven Components of PMKSY

• Mega Food Parks
• Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure
• Creation/ Expansion of Food Processing/ Preservation Capacities (Unit Scheme)
• Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters
• Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages
• Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure
• Human Resources and Institutions

Explanation :

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Royal Air Force (RAF) of United Kingdom, jointly commenced the fifth edition of Ex Indradhanush at Air Force Station Hindan on 24^thFebruary,2020.
• The focus of this edition of the exercise is 'Base Defence and Force Protection'.
• This theme is of significance considering the recent threats to military establishments from terror elements.
• The exercise started in 2006 and has held four editions so far.
• Ex Indradhanush provides a platform for the IAF and RAF to share and jointly validate strategies and tactics to counter terror threats to their installations.