Navigating Challenges in Current Affairs

Important Bills Passed in the Year 2023

Awards

Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021

India’s national accreditation system under the Quality Council of India (QCI) has been ranked 5th in the world in the recent Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021.

• India’s overall QI system ranking continues to be in the Top 10 at the 10th position, with
  • the standardization system (under BIS) at 9th and
  • The metrology system (under NPL-CSIR) at 21st position in the world.

About Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII):

• The GQII ranks the 184 economies in the world on the basis of quality infrastructure (QI).
• The GQII is a database and ranking that allows interested persons to compare the quality infrastructure of different countries worldwide.
• The GQII program is an initiative of the independent consulting firms Mesopartner and Analytics to research and disseminate data on Quality Infrastructure.
• Quality Infrastructure means the international system of metrology, standardization, accreditation and quality-related services (testing, calibration, inspection, verification, training and awareness building).
• GQII rankings are published and presented post-facto for each year based on the data collected till the end of that year.

About Quality Council of India:

• It was established as a National body for Accreditation on recommendations of Expert Mission of EU after consultations in Inter-ministerial Task Force, Committee of Secretaries and Group of Ministers through a Cabinet decision in 1996.
• QCI was set up through a PPP model as an independent autonomous organization with the support of Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by the three premier industry associations, (i) Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), (ii) Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and (iii) Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
• QCI is a non-profit organization registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
• The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry was designated as the nodal point for all matters connected with quality and QCI to structure and help implementation of the Cabinet decision.
• It is operated through the constituent Boards of QCI, primarily the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), which provides accreditation to the certification, inspection, and validation / verification bodies.
• The National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL), which provides accreditation to the testing, calibration and medical laboratories.

World Wetlands Day

The World Wetlands Day is observed on 2nd February every year all over the world to commemorate the signing of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in 1971. India is a party to the Convention since 1982 and has so far declared 75 wetlands as Ramsar sites covering 23 states and Union Territories.

The 2023 theme for World Wetlands Day is ‘Wetland Restoration’ which highlights the urgent need to prioritize wetland restoration. It is a call on an entire generation to take proactive action for wetlands, by investing financial, human and political capital to save the wetlands from disappearing and to revive and restore those that have been degraded.

India has the largest network of Ramsar Sites in Asia, making these sites a critical ecological network for conservation of global biological diversity and supporting human well-being. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched Mission Sahbhagita in 2022 with a mission of ‘a healthy and effectively managed network of 75 wetlands of national and international significance which support water and food security; buffer from floods, droughts, cyclones and other extreme events; employment generation; conservation of species of local, national and international significance; climate change mitigation and adaptation actions; and recognition, conservation and celebration of cultural heritage.’

First Energy Transitions Working Group Meeting held in Bengaluru

 The first G20 Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) Meeting under India’s Presidency will begin in Bengaluru on 05 February 2023. 

Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy Shri R.K. Singh  will deliver keynote address of the three-day event.  Union Minister for  Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Shri Pralhad Joshi will give  special address.

The first G20  ETWG Meeting under India’s Presidency being  held in Bengaluru will have over 150 participants including G20 member countries, nine special invitee guest countries – Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, UAE and Spain. India’s G20 Presidency will share, collaborate, and build on the sense of trusteeship amongst the member countries to help build a sustainable future for all.

The priority areas  of ETWG meeting include Energy Transition through Addressing Technology Gaps; Low-cost Financing for Energy Transition;  Energy Security and Diversified Supply Chains; Energy Efficiency, Industrial Low Carbon Transitions and Responsible Consumption;  Fuels for Future (3F) and Universal Access to Clean Energy and Just, Affordable, and Inclusive Energy Transition Pathways. 

The Energy Transitions Working Group while retaining focus on achieving energy transition, will emphasize on addressing technology gaps and financing to ensure that it is delivered across countries in a time-bound and affordable manner without compromising the energy needs of the communities.

The expected outcomes of the deliberations would include agreement to advance cooperation initiatives under  Research and Development-20 roadmap for channelizing adequate low-cost international finance towards deployment of critical technologies, declaration on collective efforts to ensure energy security and diversified supply chains of new energy sources, roadmap for doubling global rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030, action plan for enhancing and promoting 
bio-energy cooperation, and recommendations on global best practices for supporting Just, Affordable, and Inclusive energy transitions.     

On the sidelines, a high-level international seminar on ‘Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)’ has been organized.  The seminar will focus on  highlighting the importance of carbon capture, utilization, and storage, considered vital for achieving net-zero targets. 

As part of the first ETWG Meeting, delegates will also visit Infosys Green Building Campus and Pavagada Solar Park to see first-hand India’s push towards renewable sector and efforts to mitigate climate change. 

Indian Semiconductor Mission

 India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) has been setup as an Independent Business Division within Digital India Corporation having administrative and financial autonomy to formulate and drive India’s long-term strategies for developing semiconductors and display manufacturing facilities and semiconductor design ecosystem. Envisioned to be led by global experts in the Semiconductor and Display industry, ISM is serving as the nodal agency for efficient, coherent and smooth implementation of the programme for development of semiconductor and manufacturing ecosystem in India.

Objectives of ISM are as under:

1. Formulate a comprehensive long-term strategy for developing sustainable semiconductors and display manufacturing facilities and semiconductor design eco-system in the country in consultation with the Government ministries / departments / agencies, industry, and academia.
2. Facilitate the adoption of secure microelectronics and developing trusted semiconductor supply chain, including raw materials, specialty chemicals, gases, and manufacturing equipment.
3. Enable a multi-fold growth of Indian semiconductor design industry by providing requisite support in the form of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools, foundry services and other suitable mechanisms for early-stage start-ups.
4. Promote and facilitate indigenous Intellectual Property (IP) generation.
5. Encourage, enable and incentivize Transfer of Technologies (ToT).
6. Establish suitable mechanisms to harness economies of scale in Indian semiconductor and display industry.
7. Enable cutting-edge research in semiconductors and display industry including evolutionary and revolutionary technologies through grants, global collaborations and other mechanisms in academia / research institutions, industry, and through establishing Centres of Excellence (CoEs).
8. Enable collaborations and partnership programs with national and international agencies, industries and institutions for catalysing collaborative research, commercialization and skill development.

ISM has been working as nodal agency for the Schemes approved under Semicon India Programme. The applications were received by ISM and are being appraised by ISM. ISM has also been engaging with various stakeholders of Semiconductors and Display ecosystem to attract the investments in India. So far INR 13 crore has been released to ISM.

Government is very focused on its important objective of building the overall semiconductor ecosystem and ensure that, it in-turn catalyses India’s rapidly expanding electronics manufacturing and innovation ecosystem. Government has approved the Semicon India programme with a total outlay of INR 76,000 crore for the development of semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in the country. The programme has further been modified in view of the aggressive incentives offered by countries already having an established semiconductor ecosystem and a limited number of companies owning advanced node technologies. The modified programme aims to provide financial support to companies investing in semiconductors, display manufacturing and design ecosystem. This will serve to pave the way for India’s growing presence in the global electronics value chains.

Following four schemes have been introduced under the aforesaid programme:

1. ‘Modified Scheme for setting up of Semiconductor Fabs in India’ for attracting large investments for setting up semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities in the country to strengthen the electronics manufacturing ecosystem and help establish a trusted value chain. The Scheme extends a fiscal support of 50% of the project cost on pari-passu basis for setting up of Silicon CMOS based Semiconductor Fab in India.
2. ‘Modified Scheme for setting up of Display Fabs in India’ for attracting large investments for manufacturing TFT LCD or AMOLED based display panels in the country to strengthen the electronics manufacturing ecosystem. Scheme extends fiscal support of 50% of Project Cost on pari-passu basis for setting up of Display Fabs in India.
3. ‘Modified Scheme for setting up of Compound Semiconductors / Silicon Photonics / Sensors Fab / Discrete Semiconductors Fab and Semiconductor Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) / OSAT facilities in India’ shall extends a fiscal support of 50% of the Capital Expenditure on Pari-passu basis for setting up of Compound Semiconductors / Silicon Photonics (SiPh) / Sensors (including MEMS) Fab/ Discrete Semiconductor Fab and Semiconductor ATMP / OSAT facilities in India.
4. ‘Semicon India Future Design: Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme’offers financial incentives, design infrastructure support across various stages of development and deployment of semiconductor design for Integrated Circuits (ICs), Chipsets, System on Chips (SoCs), Systems & IP Cores and semiconductor linked design. The scheme provides “Product Design Linked Incentive” of up to 50% of the eligible expenditure subject to a ceiling of ₹15 Crore per application and “Deployment Linked Incentive” of 6% to 4% of net sales turnover over 5 years subject to a ceiling of ₹30 Crore per application.

In addition to the above schemes, the Government has also approved modernisation of Semi-Conductor Laboratory, Mohali as a brownfield Fab.

The government has reached out foreign semiconductor companies and invited them to set up semiconductor and display manufacturing facilities in the country. As a result, India Semiconductor Mission, a Nodal Agency setup for implementation of the programme has received proposals under all schemes which are currently under consideration.

MoHUA signs MoU to develop Waste to Wealth plants in million plus cities

 Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2023-2024 listing the seven priorities or the ‘Saptarishi’ guiding us through the Amrit Kaal. In the ‘Green Growth’ segment, 500 new Waste to Wealth plants will be established under the GOBARdhan scheme for promoting circular economy. These will include 200 compressed biogas plants, 75 in urban areas, 300 community or cluster-based plants, at a total investment of Rs 10,000 Cr.

As part of furthering the ‘Green Growth’ agenda, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Engineers India Limited to develop Waste to Energy and bio-methanation projects in cities with a population of million plus. In the presence of Mr. Manoj Joshi, Secretary, MoHUA and Ms. Vartika Shukla, C&MD, EIL, the MoU was signed by Ms. Roopa Mishra, Joint Secretary, SBM-U & Mission Director, MoHUA and Mr. R.K. Rathi, Executive Director, EIL.

The thrust on sustainable solid waste management has been strengthened under the ambit of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, with the overall vision of creating garbage-free cities. Focusing on this objective, MoHUA has decided to set up large-scale solid waste processing facilities in million plus cities. There are 59 million plus cities in India like Lucknow, Kanpur, Bareilly, Nasik, Thane, Nagpur, Gwalior, Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore to name a few. For management of organic/wet fraction of municipal solid waste bio-methanation plants have been proposed in these million plus cities.

In February 2022, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, inaugurated Asia’s biggest municipal solid waste based GOBARdhan plant in Indore aiming to generate 19,000 kg bio-CNG gas. Under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, the bio-methanation plants linked to the GOBARdhan and SATAT schemes will produce Bio-CNG as a renewable energy.

Waste to Energy plants use dry waste fraction of municipal solid waste and produce renewable power with maximum reduction of waste volume utilizing least space in execution in compliance with SWM Rules 2016 and fulfill all the statutory norms of environment protection. Waste to Energy and bio-methanation projects will integrate the concept of circularity in waste management by producing green energy from dry and wet waste component of municipal solid waste. The by-product such as electricity and Bio-CNG will also help in achieving sustainability of waste management operations.

EIL will assist and handhold the million plus cities in developing such projects for larger quantum of waste integrating circularity in waste management. In the first phase, 25 million plus cities will be selected for developing large-scale process plants. The success of these projects will be pivotal as it will be conceptualized and executed as bench-marking for such projects. Thus, collaboration for providing support in preliminary technical assessment and Transaction Advisory services from EIL will have significant impact. EIL will also handhold ULBs in carrying out monitoring process of these PPP projects during the construction phase and will assist in obtaining statutory approvals. The initiative will result in additional processing capacity of 15,000 TPD for Bio-Methanation and 10,000 TPD for Waste to Energy respectively.

National Solar Mission

The National Solar Mission is one of the eight missions of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The objective of the National Solar Mission is to establish India as a global leader in solar energy, by creating the policy conditions for its diffusion across the country as quickly as possible. The Mission is under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

India’s first Avalanche Monitoring Radar

 The Indian Army and the Defence Geoinformatics and Research Establishment (DGRE) have jointly installed the Avalanche Monitoring Radar, first of its kind in India, at an altitude of 15,000 feet in north Sikkim.

• Besides being used for detection of avalanches, this radar can also be employed to detect landslides.
• This radar has the capability to detect avalanches within three seconds of their triggering and will assist in saving valuable life of troops and civilians as also vehicles in super high altitude areas.
• The avalanche radar was made operational by Defence Research and Development Organisation’s wing DGRE, which is involved in forecasting and mitigation of avalanche hazards faced by Indian Army in the Himalayan region.

Working Principle/Features

• The radar uses a series of short micro wave pulses which are scattered at the target and can detect an avalanche in less than three seconds.
• The radar, which can permanently scan the targeted slope for avalanche release and track its path and its size in case it is triggered, can “see” through snow, fog as well as in the night, making it an all-weather solution and covers an area of two sq/km obviating the requirement to place additional instruments in dangerous avalanche prone areas.
• The radar is also linked to an alarm system enabling automatic control and warning measures in case an avalanche is triggered. Images and videos of the event are automatically recorded for future analysis by the experts.

ANDHRA PRADESH PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION ASSISTANT ENGINEERS EXAM CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTIONS (EXAM HELD ON: 15-05-2022)

 1) Why was Roberta Metsola in the news in January 2022?

1. She was elected as the president of the World Bank.

2. She was elected as the president of the INTERPOL.

3. She was elected as the president of the European Parliament.

4. She was elected as the president of UNICEF

 

2) Why was Roberta Metsola in the news in January 2022?

1. She was elected as the president of the World Bank.

2. She was elected as the president of the INTERPOL.

3. She was elected as the president of the European Parliament.

4. She was elected as the president of UNICEF.

 

3) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with the Ngadag Pel gi Khorlo award in December 2021. This is the highest civilian award in which country?

1. Cambodia

2. Indonesia

3. Bhutan

4. Myanmar

 

4) Barbados was declared a new republic after how many years of British rule?

1. 100 years

2. 200 years

3. 300 years

4. 400 years

 

5) The new CEO of Twitter, Parag Agrawal, has graduated from which IIT?

1. IIT-Bombay

2. IIT-Madras

3. IIT-Kharagpur

4. IIT-Delhi

 

6) Which country hosted the G-7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in December 2021?

1. The UK

2. Canada

3. France

4. Italy

 

7) After winning the finals of the men’s singles title at the Australian Open 2021, Rafael Nadal set a new record of winning ______ titles in Grand Slam singles.

1. 21

2. 19

3. 17

4. 15

 

8) In November 2021, India was re-elected to the Executive Board of the United Nations' Cultural and Education Organization (UNESCO) for a term of _______ years.

1. four

2. three

3. five

4. six

 

9)  Which government body has recently (January 2022) constituted a ‘Fly Ash Management and Utilization Mission’ with the objective of coordinating and monitoring the issues related to handling and disposal of fly ash and other associated issues?

1. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)

2. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

3. National Green Tribunal (NGT)

4. Indian Forest Service (IFS)

 

10)Which research institute secured the second rank in the National Ranking Index-2020?

 1. IISc, Bangalore

2. CSIR, Delhi

3. NIN, Hyderabad

4. C-DAC, Pune

 

11) How many new high yielding varieties of field crops were released by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research during 2019 to 2021?

1. 462

2. 562

3. 362

4. 262

 

12) The Central Government is set to roll out a digital system called ‘OSM’ from 1 April 2022 in a bid to bring in operational efficiency in storage, movement and distribution of food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). The full form of OSM is:

1. Online Storage Management

2. Output Storage Management

3. Outsource Storage Management

4. Onset Storage Management

 

13) According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), India emerged as the ________ largest manufacturer of mobile handsets in the world in 2021.

1. second

2. third

3. fourth

4. fifth

 

14) On 27 September 2021, DRDO tested a new version of the Akash Missile equipped with an active Radio Frequency (RF) seeker for improved accuracy. What is the name of this new version of Akash missile?

1. Akash Next

2. Akash Prime

3. Akash Apex

4. Akash Blaze

 

 

15)In July 2021, ISRO announced the launch of its geo-imaging satellite that will enable near-real time monitoring of natural disasters, such as floods and cyclones. The name of this satellite is:

1. EOS-03

2. EOS-04

3. EOS-05

4. EOS-06

16) Which state ranked first among the larger states in primary education in the Index on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy 2021?

1. West Bengal

2. Rajasthan

3. Uttar Pradesh

4. Madhya Pradesh

 

17) Which of the following states did NOT get an A++ rank in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) of the States/UTs 2021?

1. Kerala

2. Punjab

3. Tamil Nadu

4. Rajasthan

 

18) For the effective implementation of various schemes and programmes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, all the major schemes of the Ministry have been classified under how many umbrella schemes?

1. Three

2. Four

3. Five

4. Six

 

19) What amount was allocated for child protection and welfare services under Mission VATSALYA in the 2021-22 Union Budget of India?

1. ₹700 crore

2. ₹900 crore

3. ₹600 crore

4. ₹300 crore

 

20) What amount was allocated for the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, the ministry that caters to the welfare of the backward classes and those with disabilities, in the Union Budget 2022-23?

1. ₹10,134 crore

2. ₹11,134 crore

3. ₹12,134 crore

4. ₹13,134 crore

 

21) According to the reports of the Ministry of Electronics and IT, approximately how much e-waste was collected and processed in the financial year 2021?

1. 3.54 lakh tonnes

2. 2.54 lakh tonnes

3. 1.54 lakh tonnes

4. 4.54 lakh tonnes

 

22) As of December 2021, what was the total number of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in India?

1. 23,391

2. 31,391

3. 11,391

4. 41,391

 

23) According to the reports of Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), how many Indians were unemployed as of December 2021?

1. 23 million

2. 33 million

3. 43 million

4. 53 million

 

24)  Recently (January 2022), the Union Cabinet extended the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis for how many more years?

1. One

2. Four

3. Two

4. Three

 

25) The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is a specialised force that is responsible for disaster response and relief. For 2021-22, the budget estimate for the NDRF was:

1. ₹1,409 crore

2. ₹1,309 crore

3. ₹1,109 crore

4. ₹1,209 crore

 

Answers:

(1)  1 (2) 3 (3) 3 (4) 4 (5) 1 (6) 1 (7) 1 (8) 1 (9) 3 (10) 1

(11) 2     (12) 1 (13) 1 (14) 2 (15) 1 (16) 1 (17) 4 (18) 1 (19) 2 (20) 4

(21) 1 (22) 1 (23) 4 (24) 4 (25) 4

Important Government Schemes in 2021-22

 

Government Ministry	Name of Scheme
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare	Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Nidhi
	Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojna
	National Digital Health Mission
	Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna
	Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0
Ministry of Education	STARS Project
	Institutions of Eminence Scheme
	Mid-May Meal
	Swach Vidyalaya Abhiyan
	Kala Utsav
	Shikshav Parv Initiative
	Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration  (SPARC)
	Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA)
Ministry of Women and Child Development	Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna
	Poshan Abhiyan
	Rashtriya Poshan Maah
Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship	Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna
Ministry of Rural Development	Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) Scheme
	National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)
	Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)
	Rashtriya Aajivika Mission
	Gram Panchayat Development Plans
	Startup Village Entrepreneurship Programme
	DDU Grameen Kaushalya Yojna
	Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs	Global Housing Technology Challenge
	Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge
	PM SVANIDI
	Climate-Smart City Assessment Framework
	Swachh Sarvekshan 2021
Ministry of Jal Shakti	Rashtriya Swachhta Kendra
	Grand ICT Challenge
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment	Ambekar Social Innovation & Incubation Mission
Ministry of Finance	Saral Jeevan Bima
Ministry of Commerce & Industry	One District One Product Scheme
	PRARAMBH: Startup India International Summit
	Merchandise Export From India Scheme
Ministry of Textiles	SAMARTH Scheme
	National Technical Textile Mission
Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways	Sagarmala Sea Plane Services
	National Authority For Recycling of Ships
Ministry of Labor & Employment	Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojna
	Nation Career Service Project
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution	Bureau of Indian Standards
	Consumer Protection (Ecommerce) Rules, 2020
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation	MPLADS (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme)
NITI Aayog	Vision 2035
	NPMPF ('National Program and Project Management Policy Framework')
	Aatmanirbhar Bharat ARISE-Atal New India Challenge
Minister of Railways, Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution	Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)