QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 03 May 2019

Solution: c)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has sold its entire stakes in National Housing Bank. The government now holds a 100 per cent stake in NHB.

NHB is an All India Financial Institution (AIFl), set up in 1988, under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.

It is an apex agency established to operate as a principal agency to promote housing finance institutions both at local and regional levels and to provide financial and other support incidental to such institutions and for matters connected therewith.

NHB has been established to achieve, inter-Alia, the following objectives –

1. To promote a sound, healthy, viable and cost-effective housing finance system to cater to all segments of the population and to integrate the housing finance system with the overall financial system.
2. To promote a network of dedicated housing finance institutions to adequately serve various regions and different income groups.
3. To augment resources for the sector and channelise them for housing.
4. To make housing credit more affordable.
5. To regulate the activities of housing finance companies based on regulatory and supervisory authority derived under the Act.
6. To encourage augmentation of supply of buildable land and also building materials for housing and to upgrade the housing stock in the country.
7. To encourage public agencies to emerge as facilitators and suppliers of serviced land, for housing.

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Solution: b)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has sold its entire stakes in the National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD). The decision to divest its entire stake was taken based on the recommendations of the second Narasimham Committee.

The government now holds a 100 per cent stake in NABARD.

NABARD is an apex development and specialized bank established on 12 July 1982 by an act by the parliament of India.

• Its main focus is to uplift rural India by increasing the credit flow for elevation of agriculture & rural non farm sector.
• It was established based on the recommendations of the Committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under the chairmanship of Shri B. shivaraman.
• It replaced the Agricultural Credit Department (ACD) and Rural Planning and Credit Cell (RPCC) of Reserve Bank of India, and Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation (ARDC).
• It has been accredited with “matters concerning policy, planning and operations in the field of credit for agriculture and other economic activities in rural areas in India”.
• NABARD is active in developing financial inclusion policy.
• Serves as an apex financing agency for the institutions providing investment and production credit for promoting the various developmental activities in rural areas
• International associates of NABARD include World Bank-affiliated organisations and global developmental agencies working in the field of agriculture and rural development. These organizations help NABARD by advising and giving monetary aid for the upliftment of the people in the rural areas and optimising the agricultural process.

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Solution: b)

The Indian Council of Medical Research has launched the ‘Malaria Elimination Research Alliance (MERA) India’ – a conglomeration of partners working on malaria control – in order to prioritise, plan and scale up research to eliminate the disease from India by 2030.

Over the past two decades, India has made impressive progress in malaria control. The malaria burden has declined by over 80 per cent, 2.03 million cases in 2000 to 0.39 million in 2018, and malaria deaths by over 90 per cent, 932 deaths in 2000 to 85 in 2018.

This success has provided a strong foundation for the commitment from the leadership of the government of India to eliminate malaria from India by 2030.

National Vector Borne Diseases Control Program (NVBDCP) of India has developed a comprehensive framework to achieve the overarching vision of “Malaria free India by 2030“.

NVBDCP’s National Strategic Plan clearly recognises the critical role of research to support and guide malaria elimination efforts.

Solution: c)

As part of the ongoing initiatives to enhance self-reliance in defence, the Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti aims to provide a boost to the IPR culture in indigenous defence industry.

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Solution: a)

Union Agriculture Minister launches National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)’s new scheme to promote young entrepreneurs in cooperatives.

The scheme is linked to Rs 1000 crore ‘Cooperative Start-up and Innovation Fund (CSIF)’ created by the NCDC. It would have more incentives for cooperatives of North Eastern region, Aspirational Districts and cooperatives with women or SC or ST or PwD members.

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