QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 22 September 2017

Solution: a.
South Asia as a geographical region comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.Myanmar too is included sometimes.
• The sub-regional organization BIMSTEC came into being in 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration. It constitutes seven Member States: five deriving from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and two from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand. The regional group constitutes a bridge between South and South East Asia and represents a reinforcement of relations among these countries. BIMSTEC has also established a platform for intra-regional cooperation between SAARC and ASEAN members. BIMSTEC is a sector-driven cooperative organization (at the moment, it focuses on 9 sectors).
• MGC is an initiative by six countries – India and five ASEAN countries (CLMVT) for cooperation in tourism, culture, education, as well as transport and communications.

http://bimstec.org/overview/;
Improvisation: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=170930;
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Solution: d.
Impacts of the revamped Khelo India Programme include:
• Regarding Statement 1: The power of sport in promoting gender equity and social inclusiveness is also fully recognized and special measures are provided for to achieve these objectives.
• Regarding Statement 2: The programme also aims at engaging youth living in disturbed and deprived areas, in sporting activities, to wean them away from unproductive and disruptive activities and mainstream them in the nation-building process.

Salient features of the revamped Khelo India Programme include:
• It will cover 1,000 most talented young athletes each year across select sports disciplines.
• Each athlete selected under the scheme shall receive an annual scholarship worth Rs. 5 lakh for 8 consecutive years. This is the first time ever that a long-term athlete development pathway would be made available to gifted and talented youngsters to excel in competitive sports.
• The Programme aims to promote 20 universities across the country as hubs of sporting excellence, which would enable talented sports persons to pursue the dual pathway of education and competitive sports.
• The Programme would cover about 200 million children in the age group of 10-18 under a massive national physical fitness drive, which will not only measure the physical fitness of all children in the age group, but also support their fitness related activities.
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=170948;
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Solution: a.
Why statement 3 is incorrect: The 1st Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction AFTER the introduction of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) was hosted by the Government of India. Beijing hosted the first AMCDRR conference in 2005, followed by India in 2007. We have posted here a few questions on AMCDRR in the past.

The First ‘BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise- 2017’ (BIMSTEC DMEx-2017) will be conducted by the National Disaster Response Force as the lead agency in October, 2017 in the National Capital Region.

Why was this question relevant? India has been at the forefront of DRR efforts by hosting the South Asian Annual Disaster Management Exercise (SAADMEx-2015) and the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR). India has also offered its expertise and capabilities in DRR such as the South Asia satellite, GSAT-9, and the Tsunami Early Warning Centre to other countries. Disaster Management was one of the important Agenda items the BIMSTEC leaders deliberated upon during the Goa BRICS Summit in October 2016 where BIMSTEC leaders were the Special Invitees.

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=170930;
AMCDRR: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=128812;
SAADMEx: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=131769;
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Solution: c.
The Committee noted that 17 of the 20 most developed countries, includ

Solution: b.

Sahakar Bharati has been established (1978) “for spreading, purifying and strengthening the

Co-operative movement. Any individual as well as Co-operative society can become its member, who have faith in its concepts. It works as a Non-Political and Non-Government organization.”

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=170967;

Improvisation: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=170986;

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ing Europe, Japan, Russia, Israel, etc., do not grow GM crops. This is due to the increasing evidence about the lack of safety of GM crops and little or no benefits to justify the risks. In India, Bt cotton is the only GM crop that is cultivated. In its assessment on the success of Bt cotton, the Committee noted that government data talks about production and not the average yield in an area. A better assessment would be to see the increase in yield of cotton since the introduction of Bt cotton in 2005.

The Committee noted deficiencies in the functioning of Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), which grants approval for release of genetically engineered organisms and products in the environment. It stated that most members of GEAC were from government and government aided institutions, and there was no representation from states or from civil society organisations. It also observed ad hocism in the constitution of the Committee and the criteria adopted by the Ministry of Environment for selection of the members and their qualifications.

It said that there is evidence on adverse impacts of GM mustard (with reference to DMH-11) since it is an herbicide tolerant GM crop. It also noted that many state governments were opposed to its entry, even in the form of field trials. The Committee recommended that no GM crop should be introduced in the country unless its effect on the environment and human health is scientifically assessed.

http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Report%20Summary/Report%20Summary%20-%20Genetically%20Modified%20crops%20and%20its%20impact%20on%20environment.pdf;
Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/nod-for-gm-mustard-unlikely-soon/article19722585.ece;

Solution: b.
• The Phyto-Pharma Plant Mission is aimed at a) conservation and cultivation of endangered and threatened endemic medicinal plants, and b) discovery of new botanical drugs for unmet medical needs using the rich traditional ethno-botanical knowledge and biodiversity of these states.
• Brahmaputra Biodiversity and Biology Boat (B4): On the Brahmaputra River, a major ecology hotspot, in NER, in collaboration with DoNER. B4 will establish a large barge on the river with a well-equipped laboratory for analysis of all components of the entire ecosystem of the river and surroundings. B4 will be linkEd with all the local research institutions along the river, as well as national and international laboratories.
• Frugal Microscopy through the Foldscope: a frugal microscope assembled from simple components, including a sheet of paper and a lens, is acting as a tool connecting students and science from the region, with the rest of the country.
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=170969;
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