UPSC QUIZ 09.02.2024

Explanation:

• Government of India has decided to map and document all villages under the Mera Gaon, Meri Dharohar (MGMD) Programme.
• The program seeks to compile comprehensive information detailing the life, history, and ethos of Indian villages and make it available to virtual and real-time visitors.
• The Ministry of Culture is preparing mapping and documentation of all the villages under the 'Mera Gaon, Meri Dharohar' (MGMD) programme.
• The National Mission on Cultural Mapping is being run in coordination with Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts (IGNCA) under the Ministry of Culture. A web portal on MGMD was also launched on July 27, 2023.
• A web portal on MGMD has also been launched. MGMD aims to compile comprehensive information about Indian villages, covering aspects of life, history, and ethos, accessible to both virtual and real-time visitors.

Explanation:

• Odisha is set to unveil the world's first melanistic tiger safari near the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR).

Odisha's Vision for the Melanistic Tiger Safari

• Melanism and Melanistic Tiger: Melanism is a genetic condition, that results in increased melanin production, leading to black or nearly black skin, feathers, or hair in animals.
• The Royal Bengal Tigers of Similipal boast a distinctive lineage with elevated melanin levels, giving rise to black and yellow interspersed stripes, making them pseudo-melanistic.
• According to the All India Tiger Estimation, 2022, Similipal Tiger Reserve houses 16 tigers, with 10 of them displaying melanistic traits.
• Location of Safari: Spanning approximately 200 hectares near Dhanbad-Balasore National Highway-18, the safari site lies in close proximity to STR, providing a landscape akin to Simlipal.

Explanation:

• A green propulsion system developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has successfully demonstrated functionality in orbit on payloads launched by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)- C58 mission.
• It is a major achievement for the Indian space sector as it showcases the efficiency of green and indigenous technologies to enhance the country's defense capabilities.
• TDF is a flagship program of the Ministry of Defense to promote innovation in defense and aerospace, especially in startups and MSMEs. The financing is being implemented by DRDO under the “Make in India” initiative.

Explanation:

• On 06 February, the 'Bharat Rice' brand has been launched by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in New Delhi to provide rice to consumers at subsidized rates.
• The rice will be available in packs of 5 kg and 10 kg at a discounted rate of Rs 29 per kg.
• The government is committed to providing ration at affordable prices.
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), free food grains are being provided to 81 crore people, and the government has extended the scheme for the next five years.
• Under this scheme, poor families are saving Rs 1500 to 2000 every month.
• This initiative will not only bring change in the lives of farmers but will also provide them security.
• Under the Price Stabilization Fund, about Rs 27,000 crore has been used to provide relief to farmers and consumers by providing food at subsidized rates.
• Food Corporation of India (FCI) will provide 5 lakh metric tonnes of rice to two cooperatives in the first phase.
• This includes the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India (NCCF) as well as the retail chain Kendriya Bhandar.
• Further, these agencies will pack the rice in 5 kg and 10 kg packets and retail through their outlets under the brand “Bharat Rice”.
• Rice will also be sold through e-commerce platforms.

Explanation:

• Rajya Sabha has passed the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024.
• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024 seeks to amend the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
• This bill proposed to decriminalise several violations and impose penalties. Initially, it will apply to Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and the Union Territories.
• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, of 1974 established the central and state pollution control boards to prevent and control water pollution.
• As per this act, the chairman of a State Pollution Control Board is nominated by the state government.
• As per the provision of the bill, now central government will prescribe the manner of nomination and the terms and conditions of service of the chairman.
• The bill also proposed a penalty between 10000 to 15 lakh rupees for violation of rules related to the discharge of polluting matter in water bodies.