CLICK ON - PLUTUS IAS ​ CONTENT BY - JITHIN LAL VJ GENERAL STUDIES FACULTY

1.‘Glanders disease’

Context The Delhi High Court asked municipal bodies to take steps to prevent spread of glanders disease in animals including horses and issued notice to the Delhi government and others on an application filed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), India. About Glanders is an infectious disease that is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. While people can get the disease, glanders is primarily a disease affecting horses. It also affects donkeys and mules and can be naturally contracted by other mammals such as goats, dogs, and cats. Transmission of the disease The bacteria that cause glanders are transmitted to humans through contact with tissues or body fluids of infected animals. The bacteria enter the body through cuts or abrasions in the skin and through mucosal surfaces such as the eyes and nose. It may also be inhaled via infected aerosols or dust contaminated by infected animals. Sporadic cases have been documented in veterinarians, horse caretakers, and laboratorians. Signs and Symptoms Symptoms of glanders commonly include: ● Fever with chills and sweating ● Muscle aches ● Chest pain ● Muscle tightness ● Headache ● Nasal discharge ● Light sensitivity (sometimes with excessive tearing of the eyes) The Petition The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA) has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court with regards to the issue of Glanders in horses, mules, ponies, and donkeys in Delhi seeking directions to implement Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Disease in Animal Act, 2009 and National Action Plan for its control and eradication. The petition states that “Glanders is a zoonotic disease and is transmitted from animal to humans and in case if preventive measures are not taken at once then even the human beings may get infected which may be fatal for the humans.” About PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 6.5 million members and supporters. ● Founded in 1980, PETA opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview, and focuses its attention on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: ● in laboratories ● in the food industry ● in the clothing trade ● in the entertainment industry ● PETA works through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns.

2.‘Country’s longest ‘ropeway over a river’ inaugurated in Guwahati’

Context ● The Assam government inaugurated a 1.8-km-long ropeway over the Brahmaputra, connecting Guwahati to North Guwahati. It is the longest ropeway on a river in India.

About ● Built at a cost of Rs 56 crore, it comprises two cabins, each with a capacity of 30 passengers and one operator. ● It takes eight minutes to traverse the entire length of the ropeway. ● The ropeway uses a “twin-track, single-haul, bi-cable double reversible jig back” system. ● The ropeway comprises two cabins — each with a capacity of 30 passengers plus one operator. ● The ropeway will be operated from Kachari Ghat in Guwahati and the Dol GovindaTemple in North Guwahati. ● It will pass the Umananda Temple on a small island in the middle of the Brahmaputra. ● This is said to be one of the most advanced & longest river crossing Aerial Tramway systems in India. What is the need of a ropeway?

● Thousands of people commute every day between the capital city of Guwahati and the town of North Guwahati, where IIT Guwahati is located. ● The ropeway cuts travel time between the two banks to 8 minutes. ● The current travel options between the two banks are by ferry (30 minutes or more, depending on current and season) or by road through a bridge that usually takes over an hour in the traffic.

Significance of the initiative

● It will help in not only promoting tourism but also make commuting easier. ● This is said to be one of the most advanced & longest river crossing Aerial Tramway systems in India.

3.‘Niti Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index 2020’ ​

Context Niti Aayog in partnership with the Institute of Competitiveness released the first Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020. About What is Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2020? ● The EPI intends to identify challenges and opportunities and encourage a facilitative regulatory framework. ● Parameters: The index ranked states on four key parameters – ● policy ● business ecosystem ● export ecosystem ● export performance ● Sub-pillars: The index also took into consideration 11 sub-pillars -- export promotion policy; institutional framework; business environment; infrastructure; transport connectivity; access to finance; export infrastructure; trade support; R&D infrastructure; export diversification; and growth orientation. Key-highlights of the Index

● has topped the Niti Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index 2020 followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu in the second and third place respectively. ● Coastal States: Six coastal states -- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala -- feature in the top ten rankings, indicating the presence of strong enabling and facilitating factors to promote exports. ● Landlocked States: Among the landlocked states, has performed the best, followed by Telangana and . ● Himalayan States: Among the Himalayan states, Uttarakhand topped the chart, followed by Tripura and Himachal Pradesh. ● Union Territories: Across Union Territories, Delhi has performed the best, followed by Goa and Chandigarh. ● The report stated that Chattisgarh and Jharkhand are two landlocked states that had initiated several measures to promote exports.

Fundamental Challenges

● Based on the findings of the report, export promotion in India faces three fundamental challenges: ● intra- and inter-regional disparities in export infrastructure ● poor trade support and growth orientation among states ● poor R&D infrastructure to promote complex and unique exports

What needs to be done?

● There is a need to emphasise on key strategies to address these challenges: ● a joint development of export infrastructure ● strengthening industry-academia linkages ● creating state-level engagements for economic diplomacy. ● To achieve the target of making India a developed economy by focusing on 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat,' there is a need to increase exports from all the states and Union Territories. The EPI provides invaluable insights on how states can attain this goal.

4.Ladakh & Lakshadweep joining One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

In News- The Ladakh and Lakshadweep are recently integrated into the One Nation One Ration card scheme. With this, a total of 26 states and union territories are now connected with each other under the scheme.

About:

● The implementation of this scheme has been ramped up following the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences on marginal sections. ● The Food Ministry is doing all the necessary arrangements to include the remaining states and union territories to the national cluster.

Highlights of the scheme:

● In this system, eligible beneficiaries would be able to avail entitled food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) from any Fair Price Shop(FPSs) in the country using the same ration card. ● The eligible beneficiaries will be able to buy subsidized foodgrains, rice at ₹3 per kg, wheat at ₹2 per kg, and coarse grains at Re 1 per kg, from anywhere in the country. ● 100 percent of national portability of these cards has been assured by March 31, 2021. ● The new system is based on a technological solution to identify a beneficiary through biometric authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices installed at the FPS’s. ● The Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) portal provides the technological platform for the inter-state portability of ration cards. ● A standard format for ration cards has been prepared after taking into account the format used by different states and it has been advised that ration cards be issued in a bi-lingual format having Hindi or English apart from the local language.

Significance:

● Easy Accessibility across the nation- This will make all PDS shops ​ across the country accessible to the beneficiaries. ● Reduce corrupt practices- It will reduce their dependence on shop ​ owners and curtail instances of corruption. ○ With the help of the scheme, the government would be able to rightly target the beneficiaries to provide them with the foodgrains under the PDS. The scheme is linked with Aadhaar and biometrics, this removes most possibilities of corruption. ● No additional cost- There will be no additional cost as the scheme ​ goes on the entitlements that are mandated in the National Food Security Act. ● Provides choice- The scheme will give the beneficiaries the ​ opportunity to opt for the dealer of their choice. If any dealer misbehaves or misallocates, the beneficiary can switch to another FPS shop instantly. ○ This will let the beneficiaries choose the PDS shop that best delivers on the attributes. ● Beneficial to depressed sections- This will be particularly ​ beneficial for women and other disadvantaged groups, given how social identity (caste, class and gender) and other contextual factors (including power relations) provide a strong backdrop in accessing PDS. Challenges:

● Non-Compliance & interstate issues- Every state has its own rules for ​ the Public Distribution System (PDS). ○ Within some states, there are issues of intrastate portability. ○ Different states have different rates and this mismatching rate will be a big challenge. ● Technical issues- Since the scheme is based on technology, the ​ government may face some technical challenges during the implementation of the scheme. ● Corruption is still a major issue- If ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ is ​ implemented, it may further boost corruption in an already corrupted Public Distribution System. ○ The scheme may increase the woes of the common man as the middlemen and corrupt PDS shop owners may exploit them. ● Against Federal Structure- Tamil Nadu has opposed the proposal ​ of the Centre, saying it would result in undesirable consequences and is against federalism.

About the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013:

● Under the National Food Security Act, all state governments in India have to identify households that are eligible for purchasing subsidized food grain from the Public Distribution System and provide them with ration cards. ● The objective is to provide for food and nutritional security. ● The act entitled, highly subsidized food grains under PDS.

What is a Ration Card? ● A Ration Card is a document issued under an order or authority of the State Government, as per the Public Distribution System, for the purchase of essential commodities from fair price shops. ● It depends on the number of members in a family and the financial status of the applicant.

5.Mission Karmayogi: Union cabinet approves capacity building ​ programme for Civil Servants

In News- The Union Cabinet has approved Mission Karmayogi, the national programme for civil services capacity building.

● This scheme is based on the government’s vision of how a civil servant should be, and this is the biggest Human Resources Development reform in the government.

About:

● This programme will lay the foundation for capacity building for civil servants so that they remain entrenched in Indian culture, while they learn from best practices across the world. ● Aim & Objective– Mission Karmayogi aims to prepare Indian civil ​ servants for the future by making them more creative, constructive, imaginative, proactive, innovative, progressive, professional, energetic, transparent and technology-enabled. ● The mission will focus on individual (civil servants) & institutional capacity building. Comprehensive reform of the capacity building apparatus at the individual, institutional and process levels for efficient public service delivery.

Key Points:

● Proper institutional framework- The institutional framework will ​ consist of Prime Minister’s Public Human Resources (HR) Council, Capacity Building Commission, Special Purpose Vehicle for owning and operating the digital assets and the technological platform for online training, and Coordination Unit headed by the Cabinet Secretary. ● Capacity Building Commission- Capacity Building Commission ​ will be set up which will harmonise training standards, create shared faculty & resources & will have a supervisory role over all training institutions so that there’s common understanding of India’s aspirations & development goals. ● PM led HR Council – A council headed by Prime Minister ​ will help approve civil services capacity building plans under Mission Karmayogi. ○ The council consists of national & international experts under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. ● Establishment of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)- A wholly ​ owned Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be set up. The SPV will create and operationalize the content, market place and manage key business services of the iGOT-Karmayogi platform.

Significance:

● Mission Karmayogi is an endeavour to reincarnate a government servant into an ideal karma yogi to serve the nation. It will provide a mechanism for continuous capacity building & constant updating of the talent pool. ● The programme will also help in making the civil servants more professional, progressive, energetic, inculcating right attitude, technology-enabled which is aligned to the vision of a “New India” ● This shall help in ending the culture of working in silos and to overcome the multiplicity of training curriculum which we have because of institutions spread all over the country.

Conclusion:

● To serve the need of the hour and the nation adequately, the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building will bring a shift in the human resource management from ‘rules-based’ to a ‘roles-based’ approach. ● This shall put great emphasis on the role of ‘on-site learning’ while complementing the ‘off-site learning’ methodology. Linking training and development of competencies of civil servants will be targeted through Mission Karmayogi.

QUESTIONS

Who has launched the world's 1st exclusive product market for the renewable energy sector named Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM)? 1) PiyushGoyal 2) Raj Kumar Singh 3) Ravi Shankar Prasad 4) Giriraj Singh 5) Pralhad Joshi Answer & Explanation Answer-2) Raj Kumar Singh Explanation: Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy Raj Kumar Singh launched the Pan-India Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) in New Delhi virtually, for electricity. GTAM is the World’s First Exclusive Product Market for the renewable energy sector. It will help in achieving the Government of India’s target of 175 Giga Watt (GW) RE Capacity by 2022.

According to the report titled “Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) 2019” released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Which city recorded the highest number of deaths due to dangerous driving and overall road accidents in 2019? 1) Kolkata 2) Bengaluru 3) Chennai 4) Delhi 5) Mumbai Answer & Explanation Answer-4) Delhi Explanation: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Ministry of Home Affairs released an annual report titled “Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) 2019”. This is NCRB’s 53rd edition of the series which was started in 1967. Delhi recorded the highest number of deaths due to dangerous driving and overall road accidents in 2019. In Chennai and Bengaluru, 1,258 and 768 persons died in road accidents respectively.

Which is the 1st country in the world that planned to release a set of standards for Forensic accounting and Investigation? 1) India 2) China 3) Japan 4) Germany 5) United States Answer & Explanation Answer-1) India Explanation: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) plans to come out with a detailed set of forensic accounting and Investigation standards by the end of December 2020. The move will make India the first country in the world to release a set of standards for Forensic accounting and Investigation. The council of ICAI has accepted the proposal of Digital Accounting and Assurance Board (DAAB) of ICAI to develop and issue a set of Forensic Accounting and Investigation Standards (FAIS) in India.

Madhya Pradesh state government has launched the cleanliness campaign named ‘Gandagi Bharat Chhodo Madhya Pradesh’ recently. Who is the present Governor of Madhya Pradesh? 1) Droupadi Murmu 2) Acharya Dev Vrat 3) Jagdish Mukhi 4) Bhagat Singh Koshyari 5) Answer & Explanation Answer-5) Anandiben Patel Explanation: Bhupendra Singh, Madhya Pradesh(MP) Urban Development and Housing Minister launched a 15-day campaign (August 16-30, 2020) ‘Gandagi Bharat Chhodo Madhya Pradesh’ (Free India and Madhya Pradesh from garbage) from Sagar, MP. Anandiben Patel has been given additional charge as governor of Madhya Pradesh recently (She is also the governor of ).

The 51st edition of International Film Festival of India will be held in which state/UT from November 20 to 28? 1) Delhi 2) Telangana 3) Maharashtra 4) Goa 5) Jammu & Kashmir Answer & Explanation Answer-4) Goa Explanation: Fifty first International Film Festival of India IFFI will be held in Goa, from November 20th to 28th. This film festival being a hybrid film festival due to COVID 19, would screen films on official digital platforms along with the theatrical screenings.

Which country constructs a missile site at Kailash-Mansarovar? 1) Hong Kong 2) Nepal 3) India 4) China 5) Tibet Answer & Explanation Answer-4) China Explanation: Amid tensions with India over the standoff in Eastern Ladakh sector, China has reportedly built a surface-to-air missile near a lake, which is a part of the Kailash-Mansarovar. Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar, commonly known as the Kailash-Mansarovar site is revered by four religions and is linked to culture and spiritual scriptures in India.

How many States and UTs are connected with one nation one ration card scheme (as on September 2, 2020)? 1) 14 2) 32 3) 24 4) 22 5) 26 Answer & Explanation Answer-5) 26 Explanation: The Union Territories(UTs) Ladakh & Lakshadweep have been included in the ‘One Nation-One Ration Card’ scheme on ‘Integrated Management of Public Distribution System’(IM-PDS). After the integration of these two UTs, a total 26 States /UTs Connected with the Scheme and will benefit about 65 crore people. The remaining states will be integrated in the scheme by March 2021.

Which bank has partnered with Innoviti to provide affordable options of bank’s debit cards by Innoviti POS terminals? 1) Federal Bank 2) Axis Bank 3) State Bank of India 4) Yes Bank 5) ICICI bank Answer & Explanation Answer-1) Federal Bank Explanation: To provide convenient and affordable options of Federal Bank Debit Cards through Innoviti Point of Sale (POS) terminals, the Federal Bank and Innoviti Payment Solutions Pvt. Ltd (Innoviti) have entered into a partnership, which will offer Equated Monthly Installments (EMIs) options to over 7.5 million Federal Bank Debit Card holders at over 70,000 Innoviti POS terminals across 1000 cities. The partnership is in view of COVID-19 crisis as people are cautious about their spending and still will need affordable options in essential categories such as healthcare, education and IT (computers and laptops).

Which state government received the nod from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) recently to form its own insurance firm? 1) Andhra Pradesh 2) Telangana 3) Madhya Pradesh 4) Haryana 5) Chhattisgarh Answer & Explanation Answer-1) Andhra Pradesh Explanation: The Government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) received the nod from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) to form its Crop Insurance Firm Andhra Pradesh General Insurance Company (APGIC). Andhra Pradesh is among the few states like Bihar, West Bengal that has chosen to have their crop insurance schemes.

Name the company which becomes world’s largest solar power generation asset owner as per Mercom Capital. 1) Invenergy 2) Enel Green Power 3) SB Energy 4) Adani Green Energy 5) GCL New Energy Answer & Explanation Answer-4) Adani Green Energy Explanation: Mercom Capital ranked Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) as World’s Largest Solar Power Generation Asset Owner in terms of operating, under-construction and awarded projects. GCL New Energy (7.1 GW), a Hong Kong-listed independent solar power producer, ranked second, followed by Tokyo-based renewable energy developer, SB Energy (7 GW). Mercom Capital Group is a clean energy communication consulting firm.

Which is 1st Indian dairy company to enter into Rabobank’s annual listing of top 20 Global Dairy for the year 2020? 1) Ponlait 2) KSE Limited 3) Amul 4) Dudhsagar Dairy 5) Aavin Answer & Explanation Answer-3) Amul Explanation: Amul, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) became the first Indian Dairy Company to enter Rabobank’s Annual listing of Global Dairy Top 20, 2020 Companies. Amul was ranked 16th with an annual turnover of USD 5.5 billion (approximately Rs 40,240 Crores). Rabobank is a Dutch multinational banking and financial services company. Switzerland’s Nestle topped the list with a turnover of USD 22.1 Billion, followed by France’s Lactalis with USD 21 Billion turnovers.

Who heads the 6-member working group constituted by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to study index linked products for life insurance companies? 1) Dinesh Pant 2) Y Srinivasa Rao 3) Manish Kumar 4) Jose C John 5) Anil Kumar Singh Answer & Explanation Answer-1) Dinesh Pant Explanation: Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) formed a 6-member working group headed by Dinesh Pant, appointed actuary of Life Insurance Corporation(LIC) to scrutinize various aspects for allowing the life insurance companies to offer index linked products.

K Padmakar has been given additional charge as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of which public sector company? 1) Gas Authority of India Limited 2) Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited 3) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited 4) National Highway Authority of India 5) Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited Answer & Explanation Answer-2) Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Explanation: K Padmakar, Director (HR) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has been given additional charge as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of BPCL until further orders by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He succeeds D Rajkumar who superannuated after attaining 60 years on August 31, 2020. Ramamoorthy Ramachandran, director refineries also stepped down with D Rajkumar on the same day due to the same reason.

Who has got 1-year extension as CMD of India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO)? 1) Jose C John 2) D Rajkumar 3) L C Goyal 4) R Ramachandran 5) LNK Chakravarthi Answer & Explanation Answer-3) L C Goyal Explanation: The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the 1-year extension in the tenure of L C Goyal, as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), the trade promotion agency of the ministry of Commerce and Industries. Goyal will hold the position for the extended period of 1 year from 1st September 2020 till 1st September 2021.

Find the person who has become the 1st women director general of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security? 1) Sujatha Singh 2) Devyani Khobragade 3) Meera Shankar 4) Usha Padhee 5) Nirupama Rao Answer & Explanation Answer-4) Usha Padhee Explanation: Usha Padhee, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1996 batch from Odisha Cadre became the first Women and the third IAS officer to be appointed as the Director General(DG) of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security(BCAS), a security regulator of civil aviation industry in India under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. She succeeds Rakesh Asthana(IPS) who was appointed as the Director General of Border Security Force(BSF) on 17th August 2020.

Cycling Federation of India (CFI) planned to host the first ever cycling summit in 2021 at which Indian city? 1) Delhi 2) Mumbai 3) Bengaluru 4) Both 1) and 2) 5) All the 1), 2) and 3) Answer & Explanation Answer-5) All the 1), 2) and 3) Explanation: Cycling Federation of India (CFI) is set to host the first ever Cycling Summit in 2021 in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The one-day summit is designed with an aim to promote the culture of cycling and sharing of knowledge between beginner and professional cyclists. On 1st September 2020, CFI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the 2021 summit with Antarctica, a marketing exploration firm.

Which IIT has collaborated with Czech Republic’s University of Pardubice for data protection project? 1) IIT Madras 2) IIT Gandhinagar 3) IIT Guwahati 4) IIT Delhi 5) IIT Bhopal Answer & Explanation Answer-3) IIT Guwahati Explanation: A Team of Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Guwahati have collaborated with University of Pardubice, Czech Republic to work towards developing indigenous algorithms to protect the Country’s digital data from cyber-attacks by advanced computers. The work has been published in the IEEE International Conference Radioelektronika (RADIOELEKTRONIKA). It received 3rd best paper award by IEEE Czechoslovakia Section based on its research contributions.

Olympic Ski Champion Viktoria Rebensburg who announced retirement recently belongs to which country? 1) Demark 2) Sweden 3) Germany 4) Switzerland 5) None of the Above Answer & Explanation Answer-3) Germany Explanation: Germany’s Olympic Ski Champion Viktoria Rebensburg announced her retirement from Alpine Skiing at the age of 30. Rebensburg was a German World Cup-winning Alpine Ski Racer. She won the Gold Medal in 2010 Winter Olympics held at Vancouver (Canada) in Giant Slalom, a discipline in Alpine Skiing. She won the Bronze Medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics held at Sochi(Russia) in Giant Slalom.

Who authored the book named ‘The Commonwealth of Cricket: A Lifelong Love Affair with the Most Subtle and Sophisticated Game Known to Humankind’? 1) Sujit Mukherjee 2) Harsha Bhogle 3) Ed Smith 4) Ramachandra Guha 5) Alan Ross Answer & Explanation Answer-4) Ramachandra Guha Explanation: Indian writer Ramachandra Guha has authored a new book, ‘The Commonwealth of Cricket: A Lifelong Love Affair with the Most Subtle and Sophisticated Game Known to Humankind ‘. The book portrays the entire arc of the game(cricket) in India, across all levels at which it is played and gives a glimpse of local heroes, provincial emblems and international stars. The book will be co-published by HarperCollins India and William Collins.

Who is the author of the book titled, “The One and Only Sparkella”? 1) Lena Dunham 2) Ben Affleck 3) Channing Tatum 4) Tom Hanks 5) Matt Damon Answer & Explanation Answer-3) Channing Tatum Explanation: Hollywood Actor Channing Tatum (American) announced the release of his first book, a Children’s picture book titled “The One and Only Sparkella” dedicated to his daughter Everly. The book featuring the illustrations of Kim Barnes is set to be published by Feiwel & Friends on 4th May 2021. The book portrays a young girl Ella who likes sparkly things and gets teased at school and Ella’s father who teaches her to express and love herself.

When was world coconut day observed annually (2020’s theme – “Invest in Coconut to save the world”)? 1) October 19 2) July 29 3) September 2 4) August 31 5) None of the Above Answer & Explanation Answer-3) September 2 Explanation: World Coconut Day is observed annually on September 2 to create awareness about the importance, usage of coconut and its benefits across the world. The day is celebrated in Asian and Pacific regions to a large extent as they contain the world’s most coconut growing production centres. Theme of World Coconut Day 2020– “Invest in Coconut to save the world”.

The National Small Industry Day is observed annually on ______. 1) August 31 2) September 3 3) August 30 4) September 2 5) August 29 Answer & Explanation Answer-3) August 30 Explanation: National Small Industry Day is observed annually on August 30 in our country. The day is observed to promote small industries across the country and recognizes the contribution made by small scale industries. To acknowledge the announcement of an extensive policy package for the small-scale industry in August 30,2000, the National Small Industry Day is observed every year on the same date. On 30 August 2001, the Ministry of Small-Scale Industries organised a Convention for all SSI Entrepreneurs.

STATIC GK based on Current Affairs

‘Mussoorie’, the Queen of Hills located in which state/UT? 1) Jammu & Kashmir 2) Assam 3) Meghalaya 4) Uttarakhand 5) Chhattisgarh Answer & Explanation Answer-4) Uttarakhand Explanation: A study by the scientists at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) has found that 15 per cent of Mussoorie hill station in Uttarakhand and its surrounding area is highly susceptible to landslides. Mussoorie is located at a distance of 35 kms from Dehradun, Mussoorie is a wonderful hill station in Uttarakhand situated at a height of 2005 mts above the sea level. It is situated at the foothills of the Himalayas and is known as the Queen of the Hills.

Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is located in which state? 1) Kerala 2) Tamil Nadu 3) Karnataka 4) Andhra Pradesh 5) Telangana Answer & Explanation Answer-1) Kerala Explanation: The annual migration of butterflies from the hill ranges of the Eastern Ghats towards the Western Ghats has been observed earlier in 2020, being witnessed in the months of July and August. Usually, these butterflies breed during the southwest monsoon season on the eastern areas of South India and their progeny migrate back to the western ghats in October- November. The migration started early after a gap of eight years. The movement was observed towards the western ghats hill ranges, Nilgiris, the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, and Palani hills in Tamil Nadu and Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Kerala. Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is a well-protected ecological portion in the Nelliampathy – Anamalai landscape of the Southern Western Ghats in India. It is located in the Palakkad District of Kerala. It was declared as Tiger Reserve during 2008-09.

Kolleru Lake is located in which state? 1) Assam 2) Punjab 3) Uttar Pradesh 4) Andhra Pradesh 5) West Bengal Answer & Explanation Answer-4) Andhra Pradesh Explanation: Kolleru Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India located in the state of Andhra Pradesh and forms the largest shallow freshwater lake in Asia, 15 kilometers away from the Eluru and 65km from Rajamahendravaram. Kolleru is located between Krishna and Godavari deltas.

The headquarters of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) located at which city? 1) Noida 2) Chennai 3) Hyderabad 4) Bengaluru 5) Kolkata Answer & Explanation Answer-3) Hyderabad Explanation: The headquarters of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) located at Hyderabad, Telangana.

Who is the administrator of UT of Lakshadweep? 1) V.P. Singh Badnore 2) Dineshwar Sharma 3) Praful Patel 4) Kiran Bedi 5) Devendra Kumar Joshi Answer & Explanation Answer-2) Dineshwar Sharma Explanation: Dineshwar Sharma is the present administrator of UT of Lakshadweep.