Daily Current Affairs Quiz – 4th September 2024

Correct Answer:  (b) 7 per cent

Explanation: The World Bank has raised the growth forecast for the Indian economy in the current financial year (2024-25) to 7 per cent from its earlier projection of 6.6 per cent. The upward revision in the World Bank forecast occurred after the Indian economy recorded its lowest quarterly growth in fifteen months. The Indian economy grew by 6.7 per cent during the Q1(April-June) of the 2024-25 fiscal year. The World Bank report “India Development Update: India’s Trade Opportunities in a Changing Global Context” was released on 3 September 2024. The World Bank expects the Indian economy to grow at a good pace despite the challenging global economic situation.

Correct Answer:  (c) AgriSure

Explanation:  The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Minister for  Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, launched the AgriSURE fund in New Delhi . The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her 2022-23 Union Budget speech, announced the creation of a dedicated fund to finance startups for agriculture and rural enterprises. The Union Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Bhagirath Choudhary and Ram Nath Thakur, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Dr Devesh Chaturvedi, and other key stakeholders from the banking and agricultural community were present.

• The AgriSure Fund or Agri Fund for Start-ups & Rural Enterprises is a Category -II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) registered with the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• The fund will be managed by NABARD (National Bank For Agriculture and Rural Development)
• It will be under the regulation of the capital market regulator SEBI.

Correct Answer:  (a) Moscow

Explanation:  The 2nd meeting of the joint Russian-Indian Commission on the Cooperation in the Field of Emergency Management was held in Moscow, the capital city of Russia. The Indian delegation was led by Minister of State (MoS) Nityanand Rai, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India (GoI) at the meeting. During the meeting, India and Russia signed the working plan of joint Russian-Indian Commission on the Cooperation in the field of Emergency Management for 2025-26. India will host the 3rd meeting of Indo-Russian Joint Commission on the Cooperation in the Field of Emergency Management in 2026.

Correct Answer:  (c) World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India

Explanation:  A tracking initiative ‘Vulture Count 2024’ launched by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India to keep track of nature’s ‘sanitation workers.’ WWF-India has launched this initiative that involves counting vultures and raising awareness about the critically endangered bird species. This campaign will start from 7 September and will run till 6 October. This initiative has been launched on the occasion of International Vulture Awareness Day. Vultures are essential to the health of ecosystems, they act as nature’s clean-up crew.

Correct Answer:  (d) V. Satish Kumar

Explanation:  V. Satish Kumar, the director (marketing) of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), has assumed additional charge as the chairman, following the completion of Shrikant Madhav Vaidya’s tenure. Kumar, who has been with IOCL for 35 years, has held key positions across various regions and led significant initiatives in the company’s marketing division. His tenure has seen IOCL achieve strong physical performance, modernize its retail outlets, and lead in the sales of high-octane fuels and clean energy solutions. Kumar also has experience engaging with multinational oil companies, serving as the non-executive chairman of Indian Oil Petronas Pvt. Ltd. and Indian Oil Mauritius Ltd.

A mechanical engineer by training, Kumar holds a postgraduate degree in management from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Before his role as director (marketing), he was the state head for Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where he played a key role in implementing the direct benefit transfer for LPG consumers under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).

Correct Answer:  (d) 30 crore

Explanation:  The Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoLE) launched the eShram portal on 26th August 2021. In the short span of three years since its launch, eShram has registered more than 30 crore unorganised workers, showcasing its rapid and widespread adoption among the unorganised workers. This achievement highlights the social impact and the Government’s commitment to support unorganised workers across the country. The Government envisages to establishing the eShram portal as a “One-Stop-Solution” for Country’s unorganised workers. During Budget speech 2024-25 it has been announced that, “A comprehensive integration of eShram portal with other portals will facilitate such One-Stop-Solution.” This initiative aims to facilitate access of various social security schemes being implemented by different Ministries/ Departments to unorganised workers through the eShram portal. The eShram-One Stop Solution will serve as a facilitator to ensure seamless access of various Government schemes to the unorganised workers. This will help in creating awareness of the schemes meant for unorganised workers while ensuring saturation of the schemes through identification of left-out potential beneficiaries.

As part of the ‘eShram – One Stop Solution’ project, Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) has been working to integrate major schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM-SVANidhi), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G), Ration Card scheme etc. for the benefit of the unorganised workers.

Correct Answer:  (b) Rs 14,235.30 Crore

Explanation:  Cabinet approves seven major schemes for improving farmers’ lives and livelihoods with total outlay of Rs 14,235.30 Crore. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, approved seven schemes to improve farmers’ lives and increase their incomes at a total outlay of Rs 14,235.30 Crore.

1. Digital Agriculture Mission: based on the structure of Digital Public Infrastructure, Digital Agriculture Mission will use technology to improve farmers’ lives. The Mission has a total outlay of Rs 2,817 crores. It comprises two foundational pillars.1. Agri Stack Farmers registry Village land maps registry Crop Sown Registry
2. Krishi Decision Support System Geospatial data Drought/flood monitoring Weather/satellite data Groundwater/water availability data. The Mission has provision for: Soil profile, Digital crop estimation, Digital yield modelling, Connect for crop loan, Modern technologies like AI and Big Data, Connect with buyers, Bring new knowledge on mobile phones 2. Crop science for food and nutritional security: with a total outlay of Rs 3,979 crore. The initiative will prepare farmers for climate resilience and provide for food security by 2047. It has following pillars: Research and Education Plant genetic resource management Genetic improvement for food and fodder crop Pulse and oilseed crop improvement Improvement of commercial crops Research on insects, microbes, pollinators etc.
3. Strengthening Agricultural Education, Management, and Social Sciences: with a total outlay of Rs 2,291 Crore the measure will prepare agriculture students and researchers for current challenges and comprises the following: Under the Indian Council of Agri Research Modernising agri research and education In line with the New Education Policy 2020 Use latest technology … Digital DPI, AI, big data, remote, etc Include natural farming and climate resilience
4. Sustainable livestock health and production: with a total outlay of Rs 1,702 crore, the decision aims to Increase farmers income from livestock and dairy. It comprises the following Animal health management and veterinary education Dairy production and technology Animal genetic resource management, production and improvement Animal nutrition and small ruminant production and development
5. Sustainable development of Horticulture: with a total outlay of Rs 1129.30 crore, the measure aims to increase farmers’ income from horticulture plants. It comprises the following: Tropical, sub-tropical and temperate horticulture crops. Root, tuber, bulbous, and arid crops Vegetable, floriculture, and mushroom crops Plantation, spices, medicinal, and aromatic plants
6. Strengthening Krishi Vigyan Kendra with an outlay of Rs 1,202 crore.

7. Natural Resource Management with an outlay of Rs 1,115 crore.

Correct Answer:  (d) Kaynes Semicon Pvt Ltd

Explanation:  To develop a vibrant semiconductor ecosystem, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal of Kaynes Semicon Pvt Ltd to set up a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat. The proposed unit will be setup with an investment of Rs 3,300 crore. The capacity of this unit will be 60 Lakh chips per day. The chips produced in this unit will cater to a wide variety of applications which include segments such as industrial, automotive, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, telecom, mobile phones, etc.

• The Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India was notified on 21.12.2021 with a total outlay of Rs. 76,000 crore. In June, 2023, the Union Cabinet had approved the first proposal for setting up a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat. In February, 2024, three more semiconductor units were approved.
• Tata Electronics is setting up a semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat and one semiconductor unit in Morigaon, Assam. CG Power is setting up one semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat Construction of all 4 semiconductor units is progressing at a rapid pace and a robust semiconductor ecosystem is emerging near the units. These 4 units will bring an investment of almost Rs 1.5 Lakh crore. The cumulative capacity of these units is about 7 crore chips per day.

Correct Answer:  (b) Bharath Sesha

Explanation:  Dutch multinational conglomerate Philips has appointed Bharath Sesha as the Managing Director for India, effective September 1. Sesha will lead the company’s growth strategy in India, focusing on enhancing customer satisfaction and driving operational excellence, particularly in the healthcare sector. He succeeds Daniel Mazon, who has transitioned to a global role at Philips’ headquarters in the Netherlands. Bharath Sesha brings over 20 years of global experience, with deep expertise in the Indian market, particularly in the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors. He previously served as the Managing Director of Heubach Colorants India and holds a Master’s in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management and an MBA from ITM.

Correct Answer:  (b) China

Explanation:  India has a trade surplus with 151 countries, including major partners like the US and the Netherlands, and a trade deficit with 75 countries, including China and Russia, as per the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). Trade surplus countries account for 55.8% of India’s exports and 16.5% of its imports, totaling USD 72.1 billion. Largest surpluses were with the USA (USD 21 billion) and the Netherlands (USD 11.6 billion). Trade deficit with 75 countries totals USD 185.4 billion. Major contributors to this deficit include:

• China: USD 41.88 billion
• Russia: USD 31.98 billion
• Iraq: USD 15.07 billion

Deficits with countries exporting crude oil and coal are less concerning, while those with countries exporting industrial goods, particularly China, pose significant economic risks. India’s import dependency on China, especially for industrial goods, amounts to USD 41.9 billion, making it the largest deficit partner.

Correct Answer:  (c) Uruguay

Explanation:  Luis Suarez, a legendary footballer, has recently announced his retirement from international football. He belongs to **Uruguay**, where he is the national team’s top scorer with 69 goals. Suarez made his international debut in 2007 and played a key role in Uruguay’s successful campaigns, including reaching the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup and winning the Copa America in 2011. He has earned 142 caps over a 17-year career with the national team. Suarez is known for his aggressive playing style and has earned the nickname “El Pistolero” (“The Gunman”). He currently plays as a striker for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer (MLS). His final match for Uruguay will be against Paraguay in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

Correct Answer:  (a) IIT Delhi

Explanation:  In a landmark event for both Indian and UAE educational landscapes, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has officially inaugurated the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi Abu Dhabi campus. This momentous occasion marks the first time the prestigious IIT brand has established a full-fledged campus outside India, signifying a major leap in international academic collaboration. The establishment of IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi is not just an academic venture; it’s the realization of a broader diplomatic and educational vision. This initiative fulfills a crucial aspect of the Vision Document launched jointly by:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India
• UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

This document, unveiled in February 2022, laid the groundwork for enhanced cooperation between the two nations, with education being a key focus area.

Correct Answer:  (b) Air Force Station Jodhpur

Explanation: The second phase of Exercise Tarang Shakti 24 is being held at Air Force Station Jodhpur. This phase of the exercise runs from August 30 to September 13. Participating nations include Australia, Greece, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Japan, Singapore, and the United States. Australia has deployed three EA-18G Growler aircraft and up to 120 personnel for this exercise.

The first phase of Exercise Tarang Shakti took place in Tamil Nadu in August. Exercise Tarang Shakti is India’s largest multilateral air exercise. Australia’s participation in this exercise highlights the country’s commitment to regional stability and interoperability. Exercise Tarang Shakti includes multiple nations to foster international cooperation in addressing security challenges.

Correct Answer:  (d) Aparajita

Explanation:  The West Bengal Assembly has unanimously passed the ‘Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) 2024’, marking a significant development in the state’s legal framework against sexual crimes. This bill introduces the death penalty for individuals convicted of rape if their actions result in the victim’s death or leave her in a vegetative state. With this move, West Bengal becomes the first state to amend central laws dealing with rape, gang-rape, and sexual crimes against children. The ‘Aparajita’ bill is named in tribute to a 31-year-old trainee doctor who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical Centre and Hospital last month. The bill’s key provisions include:

• Death Penalty: Imposed for rape if the victim dies or suffers severe brain damage.
• Life Sentence: Without parole for those convicted of rape.
• Aparajita Task Force: To ensure punishment within 21 days of the preliminary report.
• Enhanced Safety Measures: Installation of CCTV cameras and increased security on routes used by female healthcare workers, with an allocation of Rs 120 crores.
• ‘Ratri Saathi’ Provision: Extends the duty hours for female workers, ensuring their safety during night shifts.

Correct Answer:  (c) Rs 33,500 crore       

Explanation:  The Uttar Pradesh government is set to make a significant investment of approximately Rs 33,500 crore (around $4 billion) to spur growth in the Information Technology (IT) and IT-enabled Services (ITeS) sectors over the next five years. The plan aims for a tenfold increase in these sectors by developing technology hubs across five major cities: Noida, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, and Prayagraj (Allahabad).

• Noida: Designated as a major IT and ITeS hub, leveraging its established global IT ecosystem.
• Lucknow: Targeted for advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).
• Kanpur: To become a center for drones and robotics.
• Varanasi and Prayagraj: Will focus on Engineering Research and Development (ER&D).

The Yogi Adityanath government is developing strategies to attract global investors, including those from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), to engage with the state’s AI and drone sectors. Additionally, there are plans to grant industry status to IT companies, allowing them to benefit from industrial electricity tariffs. This initiative is part of the government’s broader goal to enhance Uttar Pradesh’s IT infrastructure and appeal to international tech firms.