Current Affairs Quiz 10 July 2024

Crop Insurance Coverage Under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
• Gross direct premium underwritten by insurers declined by 4.17 per cent to Rs 30,677 crore during the fiscal as against Rs 32,011 crore in the previous year even as farmers faced crop losses due to floods, unseasonal rains and heatwaves.
• Crop insurance premium underwritten had risen by 8.66 per cent to Rs 29,465 crore in the previous fiscal (FY23).
• General insurance companies reduced their exposure to crop insurance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) during FY24 despite the government’s push to expand the insurance coverage in the farm sector.
• The decline is mainly due to the 32 per cent fall in premium income underwritten by state-owned Agriculture Insurance Company (AIC) to Rs 9,890 crore during FY24 from Rs 14,619 crore a year ago,
o Four government-controlled insurers — AIC, New India Assurance, Oriental Insurance and SBI General — reduced their exposure to crop insurance in FY24.

About the Expunction
• Expunction refers to the removal or deletion of specific words, phrases, or expressions from the official records of Parliamentary proceedings, as it plays a crucial role in maintaining decorum and ensuring that discussions remain respectful.
• The purpose of expunction is to eliminate content that is deemed ‘defamatory, indecent, unparliamentary, or undignified’.

Who Holds the Power to Order Expunction?
• The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House Rule 261) and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha (Lower House Rules 380 and 381) have the authority to order the expunction of remarks.

National Archives of India

– Originally established as the Imperial Record Department in 1891 in Calcutta, the capital of British India, and is now located in Delhi.
– It is the repository of all non-current government records, holding them for the use of administrators and scholars.
– It functions under the Ministry of Culture.
– Abhilekh Patal portal: National Archives of India has made efforts to make available all the records digitally — on the newly created portal.

About Gallantry Awards
• Gallantry Awards are prestigious honors bestowed upon individuals who display exceptional courage, valor, and devotion to duty.
• These gallantry awards are announced twice in a year – first on the occasion of the Republic Day and then on the occasion of the Independence Day.
Wartime Gallantry Awards:
• Param Vir Chakra (PVC) : It is the highest military decoration for valor in India.
o It is awarded for acts of conspicuous bravery in the presence of the enemy.
o It is a posthumous award in most cases and is symbolized by a bronze circular medal with a purple ribbon.
• Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) :It is the second-highest military award for gallantry.
o It recognizes acts of exceptional courage and valor during combat.
• Vir Chakra (VrC) : The Vir Chakra is awarded for acts of bravery in the face of the enemy.
o It is a gallantry award for both officers and other ranks.

About Pearl Spot(Etroplus suratensis )
• It is commonly known as “Karimeen” in Kerala and is an indigenous fish extensively found along the east and south-west coasts of Peninsular India.
• It is a euryhaline species that inhabits mainly brackish water and river mouths.
• It is distributed in the coastal regions of peninsular India and Sri Lanka.
• In India, the wild populations have been recorded from the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
o There are also populations in Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal
• Use and Trade : It is a popular food fish. It is known locally as Karimeen and is considered a delicacy.
• Threats : Wild populations are subject to various pressures brought on by people, such as habitat deterioration due to disposal of solid and liquid wastes, the discharge of human fecal matter and an increasing number of tourism resorts
• IUCN Red List Status Least Concern.