Current Affairs Quiz 26 August 2023

Answer: C

What is a Surety Bond?
• A surety bond is a legally binding contract entered into by three parties—the principal, the obligee, and the surety.
• The obligee, usually a government entity, requires the principal, typically a business owner or contractor, to obtain a surety bond as a guarantee against future work performance.
• Surety bonds are mainly aimed at infrastructure development, mainly to reduce indirect cost for suppliers and work-contractors thereby diversifying their options and acting as a substitute for bank guarantee.
• Surety bond is provided by the insurance company on behalf of the contractor to the entity which is awarding the project.
• Surety bonds protect the beneficiary against acts or events that impair the underlying obligations of the principal. They guarantee the performance of a variety of obligations, from construction or service contracts to licensing and commercial undertakings.

Answer: C

What are carbon markets?
• Carbon markets are essentially a tool for putting a price on carbon emissions — they establish trading systems where carbon credits or allowances can be bought and sold.
• Article six of the 2015 Paris Agreement provides for the use of international carbon markets by countries to fulfil their nationally determined contributions (NDC) to keep global warming within 2°C.

Ans. (b) 2 and 3 only
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): This is a flagship outcome-based skill training scheme aimed at benefiting 24 lakh youth. A monetary reward is provided to trainees on assessment and certification. The steering Com
Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood (SANKALP): SANKALP is a Centrally sponsored scheme of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) with the primary focus on district-level skilling ecosystem through convergence and coordination.
Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM): Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched ‘Aatamanirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping (ASEEM)’ portal to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities in 2020. Through ASEEM, agencies, employers, and job aggregators who are looking for a skilled workforce in the specific sectors will have access to the required details of the availability of skilled workforce and formulate their hiring plans.

Answer: C

Project AMBER
• The Accelerated Mission for Better Employment and Retention (AMBER) project is a collaborative effort between the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Global Innovation Fund (GIF).
• Objective: AMBER, operating under the SANKALP programme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), aims to establish pathways for employment and retention, particularly for underprivileged groups and women, in the tech industry.
• Training Goal: The project’s goal is to provide training to 30,000 youths, with a special emphasis on women, accounting for 50% of the participants.

Key Features of the Project
• AWS (re/Start) Program: Participants engage in the AWS (re/Start) initiative, a workforce development program for unemployed or underemployed individuals.
• Skill Development: Training encompasses fundamental AWS cloud skills, along with practical insights into career development such as resume creation and interview preparation.
• Comprehensive Curriculum: Learners receive instruction in various technologies like Linux, Python, networking, security, and relational databases, using real-world scenarios, labs, and coursework.
• Certification Coverage: The project covers the costs for participants to take the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification exam. This credential validates their cloud proficiency and connects them to job opportunities in the cloud and IT sectors.

Ans. 4

What is a Virus?
Viruses are non-cellular, microscopic infectious agents that can only replicate inside a host cell. From a biological perspective, viruses cannot be classified either as living organism nor non-living. This is due to the fact that they possess certain defining characteristic features of living organisms and non-living entities.
For instance, a virus cannot replicate itself outside the host cell. This is because viruses lack the required cellular machinery. Therefore, it enters and attaches itself to a specific host cell, injects its genetic material, reproduces by using the host genetic material and finally the host cell splits open, releasing the new viruses.
Classification based on the mode of transmission
1. Airborne infections – Transmission of the virus through the air into the respiratory tract. E.g, Swine flu, and Rhinovirus.
2. Faecal oral route – Transmission of the virus through the contaminated water or food.
E.g. Hepatitis A virus, Poliovirus, Rotavirus.
3. Sexually transmitted diseases – Transmission of the virus through sexual contacts with the infected person. E.g. Retrovirus, human papillomavirus, etc.
4. Transfusion-transmitted infections- Transmission of the virus through the blood transfusion.
E.g. Hepatitis B virus, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, etc.
5. Zoonoses -Transmission of the virus through the biting of infected animals, birds, and insects to human. E.g. Rabies virus, Alphavirus, Flavivirus, Ebola virus, etc.

Based on their host, viruses can be classified into three types, namely, animal viruses, plant viruses, and bacteriophages. AIDS, Chikungunya, Ebola, Influenza, SARS, Small Pox are some examples of viral diseases.