Q. Take into account the following statements on Adhaar Mitra:
- Aadhar Mitra is a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
- UIDAI has started using it.
Which of the aforementioned statements is true?
- 1 Only
- 2 Only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
- Both of the claims are true.
- UIDAI has introduced Aadhaar Mitra, a new AI/ML-based Chatbot, to significantly improve residents’ experiences.
- The new chatbot has improved functionality like the ability to track Aadhaar PVC card status, check Aadhaar enrollment/update progress, and find out where the enrolment centre is.
- Using Aadhaar Mitra, residents may even record their complaints and follow up on them.
- In the rankings report released by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) for the month of October 2022, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has once again been ranked first among all Group A Ministries, Departments, and Autonomous Bodies for resolving public grievances. UIDAI has led the standings for three months in a row.
Q. In relation to the India Infrastructure Project Development Fund Scheme (IIPDF Scheme), take into account the following statements:
- It is a Plan for Financial Support for PPP Project Project Development Costs.
- This programme is centrally financed.
- The Ministry of Finance’s initial budgeted commitment of Rs. 100 Crore will make up the IIPDF’s corpus.
Which of the aforementioned statements is true?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
- The first statement is true.
- The Scheme for Financial Support for Project Development Expenses of PPP Projects – India Infrastructure Project Development Fund Scheme is announced by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance, Government of India (IIPDF Scheme).
- The second claim is untrue.
- It is a Central Sector Scheme that will assist in the development of high-quality PPP projects by giving the project sponsoring bodies in the Central and State Governments the required financial support.
- The third statement is true.
- The Ministry of Finance’s initial budgeted commitment of Rs. 100 Crore will make up the IIPDF’s corpus. Should it be required, this would be reinforced by occasional budgetary help provided by the Ministry of Finance.
- In addition to the currently in place Scheme for Financial Support to PPPs in Infrastructure, funding is provided under the IIPDF Scheme (VGF Scheme).
- The Empowered Institution will be in charge of managing the IIPDF.
Q. Take into consideration what is said about Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM):
- The program’s goal is to close the gap between rural and urban areas.
- This programme is centrally financed.
- The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs began the assignment.
Which of the aforementioned statements is true?
- 1 Only
- 1, 2 only
- 3 and only 1
- 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
- The first and second claims are both true.
- The goal of the National Rurban Mission (NRuM) is to “develop a cluster of villages that preserve and nurture the essence of rural community life with a focus on equity and inclusiveness without compromising with the facilities perceived to be essentially urban in nature, thus creating a cluster of “Rurban Villages.”
- It is now a centrally sponsored scheme, with funding split 60:40 for states in plain areas and 90:10 for states in the Himalayan and NE regions.
- The scheme’s primary goal is to close the economic, technological, and facility and service gaps between rural and urban areas.
- The third statement is untrue.
- The Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rural Mission (SPMRM) was introduced by the Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) in 2016.
- A “Rurban cluster” would be a collection of geographically close-by villages with populations ranging from 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly, or tribal regions and between 25000 and 50000 in plain and coastal areas.
Q. Take into account the following statements about India’s Blue Economy:
- It is seen as a component of the national economy that includes the full system of maritime resources and any man-made economic infrastructure that is subject to national legal authority.
- The nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Finance.
- The blue economy in India contributes about 15% of the country’s GDP.
Which of the aforementioned statements is true?
- 1 Only
- 1, 2 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Explanation
- The first statement is true.
- The blue economy of India is regarded as a segment of the national economy that includes the full system of ocean resources and all man-made economic infrastructure in marine, maritime, and onshore coastal zones that are subject to national legal authority.
- Due to its extensive maritime interests, India’s Blue Economy concept is multifaceted and has a significant impact on the nation’s economic development.
- The second claim is untrue.
- The nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
- The draught National Policy for India’s Blue Economy-2021 has been released.
- The goal of the policy paper is to increase the blue economy’s contribution to India’s GDP, boost the quality of life for coastal residents, protect marine biodiversity, and uphold national security for maritime resources and places.
- In order to promote comprehensive economic growth for India, the proposed policy framework places an emphasis on policies spanning various important industries, including fishing.
- The third statement is untrue.
- India’s blue economy makes up about 4% of the country’s GDP and is anticipated to grow if the system is strengthened.
- Despite the difficulties brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the sector managed to achieve exports worth Rs. 56,200 (US$ 7.2 billion) between April 2021 and February 2022.
- In recent years, the Indian government has undertaken a number of programmes to fully and ethically utilise the potential of the fisheries industry.
- The Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management of Fisheries Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), which has a 5-year budget of Rs 3000 crores, was introduced in 2015–16.
- The “Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund” (FIDF) was established in 2018–19 with a fund size of Rs. 7522.48 crores to address the critical gaps in the fisheries infrastructure. It will provide concessional financing to the State/UT Governments, their entities, and the private sector.
- The Government of India launched the “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana” (PMMSY) in May 2020 with the largest investment of Rs. 20,050 crore in recognition of the enormous potential in the fisheries sector. PMMSY aims to bring about the “Blue Revolution” through the sustainable and responsible development of the nation’s fisheries sector.
Q. Take into account the following claims about the Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) programme:
- Through international cooperation, it seeks to raise the calibre of higher education in the nation.
- IIT Kharagpur is the coordinator or nodal agency for this Scheme.
Which of the aforementioned statements is true?
- 1 Only
- 2 Only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
- Both of the claims are true.
- through international cooperation, aims to raise the standard of higher education in the nation.
- The Ministry of Human Resources and Development launched this programme (Ministry of Education)
- Facilitate the delivery of short-term courses and programmes in Indian colleges by highly qualified international academicians.
- At first, 500 foreign professors will be hired to teach courses, and in later years, 1000 professors would be hired under GIAN all over India.
- This programme calls for academicians to teach 352 courses across 13 disciplines at 68 national universities.
- Depending on the subject, these courses will last one to three weeks and be offered for free to students at the host university and for a small price to others.
- For students nationwide, these classes will be broadcast live on a website created by IIT Kharagpur.
Q. Which of the following organizations/ministry does Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) fall under?
- NITI Aayog
- Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Skill Development
- Science and Technology Ministry
- Department of Education
Explanation
- The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, was established in 2016 as the Government of India’s flagship programme to encourage a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the nation.
- The aim of AIM is to provide a framework to manage the nation’s innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, as well as new programmes and policies for supporting innovation in various economic sectors. AIM also offers venues and possibilities for stakeholder engagement.
- ATL is a cutting-edge space established in a school with a goal to foster innovation in young minds, between grade 6th and 12th across the country, through 21st century tools and technologies like the Internet of Things, 3D printing, rapid prototyping tools, robotics, miniaturised electronics, do-it-yourself kits, and more. Over the past four years, AIM has launched the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) programme.
- Through Atal Incubation Centres, or AICs, at universities, institutions, and corporations, AIM is creating an ever-evolving ecosystem of start-ups and entrepreneurs. These business incubation centres aim to foster and support world-class innovations and dynamic entrepreneurs, who want to build scalable and sustainable enterprises. The mission of AIM is to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in our country.
Q. Take into account the following statements regarding the Global Navigation Satellite System:
- One of the five GNSS systems utilised globally is Navic.
- The earliest GNSS system is GPS.
Which of the aforementioned statements is true?
- 1 Only
- 2 Only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
- Statement 1 is false and statement 2 is true.
- GPS (US), QZSS (Japan), BEIDOU (China), GALILEO (EU), and GLONASS are among the five GNSS constellations (Russia).
- The oldest GNSS system, GPS, which started operating in 1978 and was made accessible for worldwide usage in 1994, is one of the five GNSS constellations that are in use today.
- NavIC, the operational name of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, is an autonomous regional satellite navigation system that covers India and a territory extending 1,500 km around it, with plans for further extension.
Q. Which of the following countries borders the Amazon River?
- Ecuador
- Colombia
- Venezuela
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Argentina
Select the right option from the list of codes below:
- 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6
- 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
- 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6
- All of the above
Explanation
- The Amazon River runs from west to east through the northern region of South America.
- Before draining into the Atlantic Ocean, the river system goes through Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Brazil from its source in the Andes Mountains of Peru.
- In terms of the size of its basin and the amount of its flow, it is the world’s largest drainage system.
Q. Take into account the following statements:
- Defense Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020’s Make-I category will be government-funded, while Make-II will be industry-funded.
- For projects falling under the “Make-II” category, only 10% of the government’s financing will be used for prototype development of the equipment, system, or platform.
Which of the aforementioned statements is true?
- 1 Only
- 2 Only
- Both 1 and 2
- None of 1 or 2
Explanation
- While statement 2 is false, statement 1 is true.
- The “Make” Procedure has the two subcategories listed below:
- Make-I (Government Funded): In accordance with agreements negotiated between the MoD and the vendor, projects falling under the “Make-I” subcategory will receive government funding of 90%, which will be dispersed in stages and based on the scheme’s progress.
- Make-II (Industry Funded): Projects under the “Make-II” category will involve the development of prototypes for equipment, systems, platforms, or upgrades, as well as for their sub-systems, sub-assemblies, assemblies, and components. These prototypes will be developed primarily to replace imported goods or come up with novel solutions, and no government funding will be provided for the prototype development phase.
- A committee led by Secretary of Defense will review and approve any proposed “Make-II” initiatives on behalf of the Department of Defense, DRDO, and HQ (IDS) (Defence Production).
Q. Take into account the following statements about the Employees’ Pension Scheme:
- The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization offers this social security programme (EPFO).
- It was first created in 1995 with the primary objective of assisting workers in the unorganised sector.
- Under the plan, a monthly income of INR 25,000 was the maximum pensionable amount.
Which of the aforementioned statements is true?
- 1 Only
- 1 and 2 Only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1,2 and 3
Explanation
- The first statement is true.
- Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), sometimes known as EPF Pension, is a social security programme offered by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO).
- The second claim is untrue.
- In 1995, the Employee’s Pension Scheme (EPS) was launched with the primary objective of assisting workers in the organised sector.
- The plan provides for organised sector employees to receive a pension when they reach the age of 58 and retire.
- The third statement is untrue.
- The monthly salary cap for pension eligibility was fixed at INR 15,000 per year.
- The terms of membership in the EPS Scheme were altered by the EPS Amendment, which took effect on September 1, 2014.
- Through the modification, employees who joined the EPF Scheme on or after November 16, 1995 and whose monthly income was less than or equivalent to INR 15,000 were now eligible for the EPS programme.
- This income cap was INR 6,500 in the original system, which was launched in 1995.