Current Affairs Quiz 21 November 2023

India is the second-largest producer of sugar in the world after Brazil and is also the largest consumer. The Indian sugar industry’s annual output is worth approximately Rs.80,000 crores.
The cane price announced by the Central Government is decided on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

Sixth Schedule of the Constitution
It provides for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram to safeguard the rights of the tribal population in these states.
This special provision is provided under Article 244(2) and Article 275(1) of the Constitution.
It seeks to safeguard the rights of the tribal population through the formation of Autonomous District Councils (ADC).
ADCs are bodies representing a district to which the Constitution has given varying degrees of autonomy within the state legislature.

Correct Answer : C

PM-PRANAM

PM-PRANAM (PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) is a scheme introduced by the Prime Minister of India.

Objective:

• Encourage the balanced use of fertilisers by promoting the use of bio fertilisers and organic fertilisers.
• Reduce the subsidy burden on chemical fertilisers, which has been increasing significantly.

Implementation:

• States that adopt alternative fertilisers and reduce the consumption of chemical fertilisers will be incentivised.
• The subsidy amount saved from reducing chemical fertiliser usage will be provided to the states as a subsidy for promoting alternative fertilisers and other development works.
• The Centre will give 50% of the subsidy savings to the states.

Example:

• If a state reduces its consumption of conventional fertilisers by 3 lakh tonnes and saves ₹3,000 crore in subsidies.
• The Centre will provide 50% of the subsidy savings, which is ₹1,500 crore, to the state for promoting alternative fertilisers and other development initiatives.

Benefits:

• Encourages the adoption of sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
• Reduces the dependency on chemical fertilisers, promoting the use of bio fertilisers and organic fertilisers.
• Helps in reducing the subsidy burden on chemical fertilisers, which has been increasing over the years.

Features of the PM-PRANAM scheme include:

Financing:

• The scheme will be financed through the savings from existing fertiliser subsidies under schemes administered by the Department of Fertilisers.
• There will be no separate budget allocated for the scheme.

Subsidy Grant:

• 50% of the subsidy savings resulting from reduced chemical fertiliser usage will be provided to the state as a grant.
• Asset Creation:
• 70% of the grant received by the state can be utilized for creating assets related to the technological adoption of alternative fertilisers.
• This includes establishing alternate fertiliser production units at the village, block, and district levels.

Incentives and Rewards:

• The remaining 30% of the grant money can be used to reward and encourage farmers, panchayats (village councils), and other stakeholders involved in reducing chemical fertiliser usage and generating awareness about alternative fertilisers.

Calculation Method:

• The calculation for reducing chemical fertiliser use will compare a state’s increase or decrease in urea consumption in a given year with its average urea consumption over the previous three years.
• This serves as a reference point to assess the reduction in chemical fertiliser usage.

Correct Answer : C

Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)

• The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), sometimes referred to as the Indian Nino, is a phenomenon similar to El Nino.
• It occurs in a relatively smaller area of the Indian Ocean, between the Indonesian and Malaysian coastline in the east and the African coastline near Somalia in the west.
• In the IOD, one side of the ocean along the equator becomes warmer than the other.
• A positive IOD occurs when the western side of the Indian Ocean, near the Somalia coast, becomes warmer than the eastern Indian Ocean.
• Conversely, a negative IOD indicates cooler temperatures in the western Indian Ocean.

Answer: C