QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 25 September 2017

Solution: d.
• SEBI introduced the measure to keep a tab on securities that witness an abnormal price rise that is not commensurate with financial health and fundamentals of the company such as earnings, book value, price to earnings ratio among others.
• The underlying principle behind the graded surveillance framework is to alert and protect investors trading in a security, which is seeing abnormal price movements. SEBI may put shares of companies under the measure for suspected price rigging or under the ambit of ‘shell companies’. The measure would provide a heads up to market participants that they need to be extra cautious and diligent while dealing in such securities put under surveillance.
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/all-you-need-to-know-about-graded-surveillance-measure/article19747350.ece;
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Solution: b.
• Traditional systems in the Koraput Region are strongly linked to the local traditional communities. From their knowledge and practices, a high biodiversity has been conserved through an in-situ conservation preserving endemic species. In spite of their invaluable ecological services, the local communities are part of the poorest of the country and the world. The food production is not always enough to satisfy all of their needs during the whole year.
• This region is endowed with impressive biodiversity and is one of the primary centres of origin of rice. It is also regarded as one among the world’s leading areas for rice diversification.
• Due to the current threats toward forest and agro-biodiversity such as mining and deforestation, the recognition of this GIAHS would aim to enable rural families to derive economic benefit from their past and present contributions to conservation of genetic resources.
Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/guardians-of-the-grain/article19735976.ece;
http://www.fao.org/giahs/giahsaroundtheworld/designated-sites/asia-and-the-pacific/koraput-traditional-agriculture/detailed-information/en/;
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Solution: c.
• Hyperspectral imaging involves analysing extremely detailed images of an object — frequently to the scale of nanometres — and then reconstructing its constituent elements. Using custom-developed algorithms, satellite-images, or those taken from low flying planes or drones, can be used to calculate the proportion of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous — the three most vital nutrients — as well as other minerals in the soil and be used to gauge its health.
• From August: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) says it plans to launch a full-fledged niche Earth observation (EO) satellite — called the Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite or HySIS — using a critical chip it has developed.
• Hyperspectral or hyspex imaging is said to be an EO trend that is being experimented globally. Adding a new dimension to plain-vanilla optical imagers, it can be used for a range of activities from monitoring the environment, crops, looking for oil and minerals all the way up to military surveillance — all of which need images that show a high level of differentiation of the object or scene.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tech-boost-for-soil-quality-scheme/article19748267.ece;
From August: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/isro-to-develop-full-fledged-earth-observation-satellite/article19458651.ece;
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Solution: c.
The North East Connectivity Summit (NECS) was conceived and designed by FICCI in 2014. The summit was designed as a cross sectoral initiative with the objective of highlighting the connectivity gaps and proposing a comprehensive connectivity agenda for the Northeast Region. Encouraging private sector investment in connectivity infrastructure was further built into the program.
• The theme for this year is ‘Act East from Nagaland’. This is particularly apt because of its shared boundary with Myanmar which has now emerged as a democratic country. It is envisaged that Nagaland, due to its unique location, may become the connecting link between Northeast India and Myanmar.
• At the 4th Northeast Connectivity Summit in Kohima from September 22 to 23, a representative of the Embassy of Japan said Tokyo would invest in the region’s infrastructure, education and people-to-people sectors. Japan has already undertaken works on road connectivity, energy projects, water supply and sanitation, forest resources management, Japanese language education and post-war reconciliation, which aimed to build a deeper understanding of the actions of Japanese forces in the region during the Second World War.
• The 2018 North East Connectivity Summit will be in Tawang.

http://northeastconnectivity.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Connect-North-East-Agenda-Summary.pdf;
Source and Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/japan-keen-on-friendship-with-northeast/article19747834.ece;

Solution: a.
The same question was posted here earlier.

Last week the British government concluded a consultation on whether measures against caste discrimination should be included in equality law, to ensure there is “appropriate and proportionate legal protection” against unlawful discrimination because of a person’s origins. The consultation has been inviting submissions from late March and attracted substantial interest from Britain’s sizeable South Asian diaspora within which the debate on this issue has been raging for years.

In June 2009, the first World Conference on Untouchability took place in London, to explore versions of untouchability in all its forms, bringing together experts and activists from across the globe — from India to Japan and Nigeria. At the conclusion of the conference, delegates issued what has come to be known as the Conway Hall Declaration on Untouchability, calling on all states where such practices were prevalent to introduce legislation to outlaw the practice and undertake programmes of education.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-fight-against-prejudice/article19747724.ece;
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