Daily Current Affairs Date 26th of June 2021
Topics
- West Bengal approves Student Credit Card scheme.
- China plans First Manned MARS Mission in 2033.
- FM addressed USISPF-Global Investors Meet.
- UN World Drug Report 2021.
- Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project.
- RIL launches New Clean Energy Business.
- Kerala’s Kaval Plus programme.
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Questions-
Q- Recently West Bengal Cabinet approved the “Student Credit Card scheme”.
Which of the following statement is or are correct?
- Student can get a loan of up to ₹10 lakh.
- 2. Loans will be given at 4% interest rates.
- Loan is available to those only who has spent 10 years in West Bengal.
Options-
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1, 2 and 3
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 2 and 3 only
West Bengal approves Student Credit Card scheme
- West Bengal Cabinet approved the “Student Credit Card scheme” on June 24, 2021.
- Trinamool Congress had promised to launch this scheme in its election manifesto.
Students Credit Card Scheme
- This scheme will be implemented and launched on June 30, 2021.
- Under the scheme, student can get a soft loan of up to ₹10 lakh with the help of credit card to enroll into higher studies.
- Loans will be given for higher studies in India as well as abroad.
- Loans will be given at 4% interest rates. State government would act as guarantor.
Who can get the loan?
- Anyone who has spent 10 years in West Bengal can avail loan benefits under the scheme.
- Loan will be available for undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and post-doctoral study.
- One person is eligible to get loans under scheme till 40 years of age.
How loans can be repaid?
- Students will be provided Fifteen years to repay the loan after they get a job.
Background
- Similar scheme is run by Bihar government.
- Bihar government has launched “Student Credit Card Scheme” on October 2, 2016.
- Under this scheme, interest free loan of up to 4 lakh rupees is provided by state government to the poor 12th pass students of Bihar state to enroll into higher education.
- It was launched to benefit the students of Bihar with poor background and who are eager to complete their higher education.
- Loans are provided only to those students who are permanent resident of Bihar.
Question
Q- Consider the following statement regarding China’s First Manned Mission.
- It has planned to send crewed mission in the year 2030.
- This plan will intensify a race with United States to CHina 3. Spacecraft would have to tap energy from nuclear reactions
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 3 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 2 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
China plans First Manned MARS Mission in 2033.
- China has planned to send its first crewed mission to MARS in the year 2033.
- Manned MARS Mission will be launched with regular follow-up flights.
- Mission will be launched with a long-term plan to build a permanently inhabited base on MARS and extract its resources.
- This ambitious plan will intensify a race with United States to put humans on MARS.
- Plan was disclosed after China landed a robotic rover on Mars in May 2021.
- It was China’s inaugural MARS mission.
Manned Mission by China
- China has planned manned launches to Mars for 2033, 2035, 2037, 2041 and so on.
- Before the manned missions, China will send robots to Mars that will study possible sites to set up base and to build systems to extract resources there.
- Resources would be extracted to study it properly for manned mission.
What are the challenges ahead?
- For human habitation on the planet, crews will have to be able to use resources from MARS.
- For instance, they should be ready for extracting any water beneath planet’s surface, generating oxygen on-site and producing electricity there.
- China must also develop technology to fly crew back to Earth.
How spacecraft will tap energy?
- To reduce travel time to MARS, spacecraft would have to tap energy from nuclear reactions in the form of heat and electricity, besides from traditional chemical propellants.
QUESTION
Q- With reference to USISPF-Global Investors Meet. Consider the following statements:
- Fiscal deficit was at 9.3 per cent of the GDP for fiscal year 2020-2021.
- Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, addressed the Global Investors Roundtable.
- USISPF is a non-profit organization which was set up in 2017.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 3 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 2 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
USISPF-Global Investors Meet
- Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, addressed the Global Investors Roundtable organised by US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) on June 24, 2021.
- While addressing the investor’s meet she asserted that; continuous reforms make India a great place to do business.
- She also invited global investors to take advantage of recent FDI reforms, privatisation policy and performance linked incentive (PLI) scheme in India.
- She further highlighted, fiscal situation is under control and is expected to improve in coming days and emphasised the strong fundamental of economy.
- According to her, COVID-19 and its aftermath has shown Indian economy’s resilience.
- Highest ever Goods and Services Tax (GST) were collected amid the pandemic.
- It signifies the bright spot and indicates greater formalisation of economy and tax compliance.
Fiscal Deficit in India
- Fiscal deficit was at 9.3 per cent of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for fiscal year 2020-2021.
- It was lower than 9.5 per cent estimated by finance ministry in revised Budget estimates.
US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF)
- USISPF is a non-profit organization which was set up in 2017 with the objective of strengthening USA-India bilateral and strategic partnership.
- It aims to strengthen economic and commercial ties between both the countries by policy advocacy.
- It will lead to boosting economic growth, entrepreneurship, employment-generation, and innovation in order to establish a more inclusive society.
Questions
Q- Consider the following statement regarding UN World Drug Report 2021
- 5.5 percent of population aged 15 and 64 years have used drugs at least once in 2020.
- In last 24 years, cannabis potency had increased by four times in some parts of the globe.
- As per surveys of health professionals in 77 countries, 40 per cent asserted that cannabis use had increased.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 3 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 2 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
UN World Drug Report 2021
- World Drug Report 2021 was released by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
- As per the report, 275 million people used drugs across the world in 2020 As per the report, 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders.
- In last 24 years, cannabis potency had increased by four times in some parts of the globe.
- Percentage of adolescents who perceived drug as harmful has reduced by 40 per cent.
- Despite that, cannabis use is associated with a variety of health and other harms, particularly among regular long-term users.
- Drug Report highlight the need to close gap between perception and reality to educate young people about harmful effects of drugs and safeguard public health.
- Percentage of Δ9-THC, main psychoactive component in cannabis, has increased from six per cent to 11 per cent in Europe between 2002-2019.
Drugs and COVID-19
- Most countries have reported an increase in use of cannabis during covid-19 pandemic.
- As per surveys of health professionals in 77 countries, 42 per cent asserted that cannabis use had increased.
Which age group is vulnerable?
- As per the latest report, about 5.5 percent of population aged 15 and 64 years have used drugs at least once in 2020.
- While, 36.3 million people (13% of total number of persons who use drugs) suffered with drug use disorders.
- CRWC is a Public Sector Enterprise of Mini-Ratna status of Category-II.
- It was incorporated on in 2007 under the Companies Act, 1956.
Question
Q- Which State Government signed a loan agreement of worth $32 million with World Bank.
(a) Assam
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Kerala
(d) Mizoram
Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project.
- Central government, state government of Mizoram and the World Bank signed a loan agreement of worth $32 million.
- Loan agreement was signed for Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project.
- It will improve management capacity and quality of health services in Mizoram.
Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project
- This project will strengthen governance and management structure of Department of Health & Family Welfare (DoHFW) and its subsidiaries.
- It will also improve quality & coverage of services delivered by state government health systems.
- Project would also invest in comprehensive Quality Assurance program, which would enable quality certification of health facilities.
Focus of the project
- This project will be launched with the focus on Strengthening the effectiveness of state health insurance programme
- Building synergies with Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY); and
- Reducing financial barriers in accessing hospital services
- Preventing catastrophic out of pocket expenditure for health by poor families and
- Expanding coverage.
Who will benefit?
- Mizoram Health Systems Strengthening Project will benefit people across eight districts of the state.
- It will also benefit health sector staff at secondary and primary level by strengthening their planning & management capacity and building their clinical skills & competencies.
Bio-medical waste management
- Project will also invest in improving overall ecosystem for solid & liquid bio-medical waste management.
- It will include segregation, disinfection, and collection besides safeguarding environment.
- It will also improve quality of health service and patient safety.
Questions-
Q- Consider the following statements about Reliance Industry Clean Energy Buisness.
- Reliance will set up four Giga Factories for this Buisness.
- It will set up 120 GW of solar power generating capacity.
- Mukesh Ambani will launch a Rs 75,000 crore investment project.
Which of the given above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
RIL launches New Clean Energy Business
- Reliance Industry has announced to launch a new clean energy factory to make solar photovoltaic cells for next three years.
New Clean Energy Business
- Mukesh Ambani will launch a Rs 75,000 crore investment project.
- It will be launched to set up four ‘Giga’ factories in order to make solar photovoltaic cells, green hydrogen, batteries and fuel cells for next three years.
- It will set up 100 GW of solar power generating capacity.
- These capacities will be set up through rooftop installations and de-centralised operations across villages.
- Reliance will set up solar manufacturing units, a battery factory to store energy, a fuel cell-making factory and an electrolyser unit which will produce green hydrogen under the business.
- This new business will be set up with the aim of bridging green energy divide in India as well as in world.
Purpose of four Giga Factories
- Reliance will set up four Giga Factories under “Dhirubhai Ambani Green Energy Giga Complex” to manufacture and integrate all critical components of new energy ecosystem, energy storage battery factory, solar photovoltaic module factory, electrolyser factory and fuel cell factory.
- These four factories will be set at an investment of Rs 60,000 crore.
- Reliance will also build solar capacities of 100 GW by 2030.
Q- Consider the following statements about Kaval Plus programme:
- This programme is to lend holistic support to children in need of care.
- It covers both children at homes and child care institutes
- This programme was launched in December 2020 in two districts of Kerala.
Which of the given above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Kerala’s Kaval Plus programme
- Department of Women & Child Development in Kerala has decided to expand Kaval Plus programme to five districts, after the success of this pilot project in two districts of Kerala.
What is Kaval Plus Programme?
- It is an ambitious programme to lend holistic support to children in need of care & protection and to the survivors of sexual abuse.
- Project has reached out to about 300 children in Thiruvananthapuram district and 150 children in Palakkad district.
- It will not be implemented in Ernakulam, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Kannur districts.
- It covers both children at homes and child care institutes.
- Now, vulnerable children in the community outside the purview of child welfare committees (CWCs) and other agencies would also be included.
Background
- This programme was launched in December 2020 in two districts of Kerala, namely Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad.
- This scheme was launched because, 15 homes of Children in Kerala account for about 500 inmates and leave 96% of high-risk children in need of support unprotected in community.
Early identification system
- An early identification system will also be launched under the programme using community-level workers like Asha and Anganwadi workers.
Also Read: Daily Current Affairs Date 26th of June 2021
Who implements the project?
- This project is being implemented with help and support of NGOs who have experience in working with children.
- Two NGOs are selected in each district by a committee of district child protection officer, CWC representative and protection officer.
- These NGOs will not work in silos but in association with child protection agencies.
