Syllabus

• Prelims : Economics

Context:  According to a new report published by United Nations, several parts of the world faces increase in acute food insecurity. India’s neighbors, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Myanmar, are among the hunger hotspots in the world.

About Global Hunger Hotspots:

• Acute food insecurity can potentially increase in magnitude and severity for 18 areas in 22 countries, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

Findings of the report titled “Hunger Hotspots FAO‑WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity”:

• Highest concern level countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen Haiti, Burkina Faso and Mali.
• Highest concern level countries have populations facing or projected to face starvation or are at risk of deterioration towards catastrophic conditions, given they already have critical food insecurity and are facing severe aggravating factors. These countries require the most urgent attention.
• Hotspots with very high concern countries: Pakistan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Syrian Arab Republic and Myanmar.
• These hotspots have many people facing critical acute food insecurity, coupled with worsening drivers that are expected to intensify life‑threatening conditions in the coming months.
• Hunger hotspot countries: Lebanon, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Malawi, Guatemala and Honduras.

 Major Reasons  

• Global food crisis
• Eruption of conflict due to organized violence and armed conflict and these Conflict disrupt livelihoods
• Economic concerns continue to drive acute food insecurity
• Weather extremes, such as heavy rains, tropical storms, cyclones, flooding, drought and increased climate variability, remain significant drivers in some countries and regions

Recommendations

• Urgent and scaled-up assistance is required in all hunger hotspots to protect livelihoods and increase access to food.
• Address existing humanitarian needs and ensure short‑term protective interventions before new needs materialize.

Must Read: Food Security in India.

SOURCE: Down to Earth

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q1. Which of the following is/are the indicator/ indicators used by IFPRI to compute the Global Hunger Index Report? (2016)

1. Undernourishment
2. Child stunting
3. Child mortality

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1.  1 only
2.  2 and 3 only
3.  1, 2 and 3
4. 1 and 3 only

Q2. Very recently, in which of the following countries have lakhs of people either suffered from severe famine/acute malnutrition or died due to starvation caused by war/ethnic conflicts? (2018)

1.  Angola and Zambia
2.  Morocco and Tunisia
3. Venezuela and Colombia
4.  Yemen and South Sudan

Syllabus

• Prelims : Science and Technology

Context: A recent study has shown that new nanostructures system can be used to solve environmental problems and the weakness of renewable energy source.

About Ternary Nanoparticles:

• Ternary nanoparticles are nanoparticles composed of three different types of materials or elements.
• These nanoparticles consist of a combination of three distinct components, which can be metals, metal oxides, semiconductors, or other materials.
• The term “ternary” indicates the presence of three components in the nanoparticle’s composition.

Properties of Ternary Nanoparticles

• It exhibit a range of unique properties that arise from the combination of three different materials or elements.
• Ternary nanoparticles offer the ability to fine-tune the composition by adjusting the relative ratios of the three components.
• This allows researchers to tailor the properties of the nanoparticles to meet specific requirements
• Ternary nanoparticles can exhibit improved stability compared to their binary counterparts.
• Ternary nanoparticles can possess multiple functionalities due to the combination of different materials.
• Ternary nanoparticles often exhibit interesting optical properties, such as enhanced absorption or emission spectra, due to the interaction between different components.
• Ternary nanoparticles can be synthesized with precise control over their size, shape, and morphology.

Applications Ternary Nanoparticles

• These are employed as catalysts in various chemical reactions.
• Ternary nanoparticles are used in energy storage and conversion devices.
• These with specific optical and electronic properties are utilized in photovoltaic devices such as solar cells also used in light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photodetectors, and displays.
• It is employed in biomedical imaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and fluorescence imaging.
• These are used as carriers for controlled and targeted drug delivery.
• Ternary nanoparticles are explored for environmental applications, such as water purification and air pollution control.

SOURCE: Nature.com

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION

Q1.Consider the following statements (2022)

1. Other than those made by humans, nanoparticles do not exist in nature.
2. Nanoparticles of some metallic oxides are used in the manufacture of some cosmetics.
3. Nanoparticles of same commercial products which enter the environment are unsafe for humans.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 3 only
3. 1 and 2
4. 2 and 3

Syllabus

• Prelims :Polity

Context:  The All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) Survey 2020-21 conducted under the Ministry of Education found that the Muslim community’s enrolment in higher education declined at a time when the enrolment of SCs, STs and OBCs improved.

About All India Survey of Higher Education

• All India Survey of Higher Education is an annual web-based survey, which started in 2010-11 and conducted by Ministry of Education.
• Various parameters of data collection includes teachers, student enrolment, programmes, examination results, education finance, and infrastructure.
• For the first time, the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of India have filled their data using an entirely online data collection platformthrough the Web Data Capture Format (Web DCF) developed by the Department of Higher Education and the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

Key findings from the report:

• Gross Enrolment Ratio(GER) for all enrolments (as per 2011 Census) increased by over 2 points to 27.3.
• The female enrolment in higher educationprogrammes had increased to 49% of total enrolments in 2020-21 compared to 45% in 2019-20.
• SC: More SC students who were enrolled in 2020-21 compared two lakh to the previous year.
• ST: The year also saw about three lakh more ST students and six lakh more OBC students being enrolled for higher education.
• The proportion of Muslim students enrolling for higher education dropped to 4.6% in 2020-21 from 5.5% in 2019-20
• During2020-21, the number of universities has increased by 70, and the number of colleges has increased by 1,453.
• The female per 100 male faculty has improved to 75 in 2020-21 from 74 in 2019-20 and 63 in 2014-15.

Other points

• Be it learning or teaching, the Muslim community is lagging behind all communities, including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in higher education

Reasons

• It’s caused partially by the COVID-19 pandemic, points to the relative economic impoverishment of the community, which forces its talented students to pursue earning opportunities after completing schooling rather than enrolling for higher education, beginning at the graduation level.

SOURCE: The Hindu

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q1. Consider the following statements: (2018)

1. As per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, to be eligible for appointment as a teacher in a State, a person would be required to possess the minimum qualification laid down by the concerned State Council of Teacher Education.
2. As per the RTE Act, for teaching primary classes, a candidate is required to pass a Teacher Eligibility Test conducted in accordance with the National Council of Teacher Education guidelines.
3. In India, more than 90% of teacher education institutions are directly under the State Governments.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 3 only

Q2. Which one of the following statements is NOT correct regarding the National Education Policy 2020 in India? (2020)

1.  It proposes sweeping changes in the education system from pre-primary to PhD and skill development.
2. It states that universities from among top 100 in the world will be able to set up campuses in India.
3.  It expects that India will achieve 60% GER by 2030.
4.  It suggests NAAC to be merged with UGC and AICTE.

Syllabus

• Prelims : Geography

Context:  Since March, Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels have been navigating in Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in Ishigaki in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture. China Coast Guard vessels have been operating automatic identification system (AIS) equipment to announce their presence.

About Senkaku Islands:

Image Source: News of Asia

• Senkaku Islands are close to strategically important shipping lanes, offer rich fishing grounds and are thought to contain oil deposits.
• The Senkakus island chain has been administered by Japan since 1972, but its legal status has remained disputed until now.
• Both Japan and China claim ownership of these islands.
• The Senkaku Islands are an uninhabited group of islands situated in the East China Sea, approximately 90 nautical miles north from the Yaeyama Islands in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture and 120 nautical miles northeast of the island of Taiwan.
• The islands comprise Uotsuri Island, Kuba Island, Taisho Island (also called Kumeakashima Island), Kitakojima Island, Minamikojima Island, Tobise Island, Okinokitaiwa Island, and Okinominamiiwa Island.
• The total land area of all the islands is roughly 6.3 square kilometers, with the largest, Uotsuri Island, being some 3.6 square kilometers in size.
• Before World War II, as a result of development by private citizens, there were people living in the Senkakus, principally on Uotsuri Island and Kuba Island. However, the islands are now uninhabited.

Automatic Identification System (AIS);

• An Automatic Identification System is a radio device that automatically shares and receives information on a vessel’s position, course, and speed and so on.
• According to the International Convention for the Safety Of Life at Sea (SOLA) , all passenger ships and other vessels engaged in international voyages need to carry this equipment.
• Radio transmissions are received by surrounding ships and are used to facilitate safe navigation in heavily trafficked sea regions.

Must Read: The Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands dispute.

SOURCE: The Print

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION

Q1. Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue with Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news?

1. It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around South China Sea.
2. China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in East China Sea.
3. A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its defence capabilities.
4. Though International Court of Justice declared them as no man’s land, some South-East Asian countries claim them.

Syllabus

• Prelims: Cyber Attacks

Context:  A recent report has found that increased remote work makes networks more vulnerable, difficult to respond to threats and hackers can target Indian organisations with spear phishing.

About Spear Phishing:

• Spear phishing is an attempt to trick a particular person/group into giving private information over the internet or by email, especially by sending emails that seem to be from someone they know.
• Attackers often research their victims on social media and other sites. That way, they can customize their communications and appear more authentic. Spear phishing is often the first step used to penetrate a company’s defenses and carry out a targeted attack.

Examples of Spear Phishing;

• Stealing stacks of details from an organization
• Stealing product designing procedures from a company

Approaches against Cyber-attacks;

• Cyber Security – Cyber Swachhta Kendra
• It is the Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre under the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• The aim of Cyber Swachhta Kendra is to promote awareness among Indian citizens to secure their data in computers, mobile phones, and other electronic devices.
• Information and Technology Act, 2000:
• Provide legal recognition to all e-transactions
• To protect online privacy and curb online crimes
• Its amended in 2008 and the amendments in the IT Act mentioned: ‘Data Privacy’, Information Security, Definition of Cyber Café, Digital Signature, Recognizing the role of CERT-In, To authorize the inspector to investigate cyber offenses against DSP who was given the charge earlier.

SOURCE: The Business Line

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q1. The terms ‘WannaCry, Petya and EternalBlue’ sometimes mentioned in the news recently are related to (2018)

1. Exoplanets
2. Cryptocurrency
3. Cyber attacks
4. Mini satellites

Q2.  In India, it is legally mandatory for which of the following to report on cyber security incidents?

1. Service providers
2. Intermediaries
3. Corporate bodies

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3 only

Syllabus

• Prelims : Economy

Context: Recently, India’s state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp said oil output from the Sakhalin-1 project in Russia is raise to its plateau level of about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from zero.

About Sakhalin – 1 Project:

• The Sakhalin-1 oil and gas development project is located in the Okhotsk Sea, off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East.
• It comprises three offshore fields namely Chayvo, Odoptu, and Arkutun-Dagi.
• All the three fields under the Sakhalin-1 project are located in the Okhotsk Sea, off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island.
• The total project area is estimated to be approximately 1,140km².
• Sakhalin-1 was a technically challenging project to develop due to the harsh arctic climatic conditions in the Northern Sakhalin region.
• Exxon Neftegas (ENL), a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil, which holds a 30% participating interest, operates the Sakhalin-1 project.
• The other partners of the project are the Japanese consortium Sakhalin Oil and Gas Development Company (SODECO, 30%), India’s state-owned ONGC Videsh (20%), and Russian oil company Rosneft (20%).

ONGC Videsh Limited;

• ONGC Videsh Limited is a Miniratna
• Schedule “A” Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) of the Government of India.
• It comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
• It is the wholly owned subsidiary and overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), the flagship national oil company (NOC) of India.
• The primary business of ONGC Videsh is to prospect for oil and gas acreages outside India, including exploration, development and production of oil and gas.
• ONGC Videsh owns Participating Interests in 32 oil and gas assets in 15 countries.
• In terms of reserves and production, ONGC Videsh is the second largest petroleum company of India, next only to its parent ONGC.
• ONGC Videsh produced about 27.3% of oil and 19.4% of oil and natural gas of India’s domestic production in 2021-22.

SOURCE:  The Print

Syllabus

• Prelims : Government Schemes

Context: Odisha Chief Minister recently announced new credit-linked housing scheme for rural poor.

About Mo Ghara Scheme:

• Odisha government announced a new initiative, Mo Ghara (My Home).
• Mo Ghara is a credit-linked housing scheme for rural poor in the state with an aim to convert all kutcha houses into pucca ones.
• The scheme will have a financial implication of around Rs.2, 150 crore over a period of two years and it will be fully funded from the state budget.
• Under the Mo Ghara scheme, a beneficiary can avail housing loan of up to Rs. 3 lakh that can be repaid in 10 years in easy instalments excluding one-year moratorium period.
• “The state government will release capital subsidy to the loan account of the beneficiaries on completion of the house.
• There will be four slabs of loan amount.
• The rates of the subsidy will be Rs 30,000 for a Rs 1 lakh loan, Rs 45,000 for Rs 1.5 lakh loan, and Rs 60,000 for a loan amount of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh.
• The subsidy will be Rs 10,000 more across slabs for those belonging to the SC/ST category and for the differently abled.
• “The capital subsidy released to the loan accounts of the beneficiaries will result in a significant reduction in EMI for repayment and thus make the repayment more affordable,”
• A family staying in a kutcha house or one pucca room with a concrete roof is eligible to get the loan under the Mo Ghara scheme.
• Families that have not availed of any government housing assistance or have availed assistance of below Rs 70,000 in the past with a monthly income below Rs 25,000 will also be eligible under the scheme.
• Families having four-wheelers or any member in government service or irrigated land of five acres or more will not be eligible for the loan.
• While banks have been asked not to charge any processing fee from beneficiaries, the Odisha government has also waived off registration fees and stamp duties required during the mortgage of the title deed to further reduce the financial burden for the beneficiaries, said the chief secretary.
• The state government will start receiving applications from beneficiaries on its dedicated portal from June 16, 2023.

SOURCE: Indian Express

Q1. Consider the following statement in relation to Mo Ghara Scheme:

1. Mo Ghara is a centrally sponsored scheme.
2. It is a credit-linked housing scheme for rural poor in the state with an aim to convert all kutcha houses into pucca ones.
3. The state government will release capital subsidy to the loan account of the beneficiaries on completion of the house.
4. Families having four-wheelers or any member in government service or irrigated land of five acres or more will not be eligible for the loan.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All four

Q2. With reference to Ternary nano particles consider the following;

1. Ternary nanoparticles are used in energy storage and conversion devices.
2. It can be employed in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
3. Ternary nano particles can be used to control air pollution.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Q3.  Consider the following statements;

Statement: I

The Sakhalin-1 project is operated by ONGC Videsh Limited, a subsidiary and overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.

Statement: II

ONGC Videsh Limited comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
2. Both Statement-1 and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
3. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’ 31st May 2023 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – a

Q.2) – b

Q.3) – b