Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 7 February 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

Q) Which one of the following statements is not correct about Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY)?

1. PMMY provides loans of up to 10 lakhs to non-farm enterprises.
2. At least 60 percent of loans goes to Shishu category.
3. Subsidies can be availed for loans given under PMMY.
4. Under it, loan can also be taken from non-banking finance company.

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 6 February 2023

Explanation:

• Option (1) is correct statement: Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) was launched in 2015 for providing loans of up to 10 lakh to non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.

These loans are classified as MUDRA (Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Ltd.) loans under PMMY.

• Option (2) is correct statement: The scheme has three categories under which loans are disbursed: Shishu– For loan amount up to Rs. 50,000 ; Kishore –For loan amounts from Rs. 50,001 to Rs 5 lakh ; Tarun– For loan amounts of more than 5 lakhs and up to Rs 10 lakh. Under the guidelines of the MUDRA scheme, it would be ensured that at least 60% of the credit flows to the ‘Shishu’ Category Units.
• Option (3) is incorrect statement: Any Indian Citizen who has a business plan for a non-farm sector income-generating activity and whose credit need is less than Rs 10 lakh under PMMY. There will be no subsidy for the loan given under PMMY.
• Option (4) is correct statement: Eligible beneficiaries can approach a Bank, MFI, or NBFC for availing of MUDRA loans under PMMY. As per the results of a large sample survey conducted by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, PMMY generated 1.12 crore net additional employments from 2015 to 2018.

Q) With reference to ‘Earthquakes’, consider the following statements:

1. Hypocentre is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the source of an earthquake.
2. Activities like injecting fluid into the ground for waste disposal and the retreat of glaciers can induce earthquakes.
3. The North Anatolian fault line is a tectonic boundary between the Anatolian Plate and the Arabian Plate.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: An earthquake is a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves. The focus, also known as the hypocentre, is the point within the Earth where an earthquake originates. The point on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus or source of an earthquake is called as Epicenter. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that occur after a larger earthquake, as the Earth adjusts to the sudden movement.
• Statement 2 is correct: Main causes of earthquakes are as follows:
• Plate tectonics: The movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates can cause earthquakes when the plates interact along plate boundaries.
• Volcanic activity: Earthquakes can occur when magma moves beneath a volcano, causing the ground to shake.
• Human activity: Human activities, such as the injection of fluid into the ground for waste disposal, or the extraction of oil and gas from underground reservoirs, can induce earthquakes.
• Reservoir-induced earthquakes: The filling or emptying of large reservoirs, such as lakes or dams, can cause earthquakes as the weight of the water changes and affects the Earth’s crust.
• Glacial rebound: The movement of glaciers can cause earthquakes as they advance or retreat and cause changes in the Earth’s crust.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Recently three earthquakes measuring -7.8, 7.6, and 6.0 magnitude devastated Turkey and Syria, while impacting regions as far away as Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt. Turkey’s proneness to earthquakes comes from its tectonic location. Major fault lines of Turkey are:
• North Anatolian fault (NAF) line: It is the meeting point of the Eurasian and Anatolian tectonic plates-is known to be “particularly devastating”.
• East Anatolian fault line: It is the tectonic boundary between the Anatolian Plate and the northward-moving Arabian Plate.

Q) Consider the following statements about ‘National Industrial Corridor Programme’ (NICP):

1. As part of NICP, eleven industrial corridors will be developed in a plug-and-play model.
2. The Department of Economic Affairs is responsible for the overall development and monitoring of the NICP.
3. The Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor was the first project to be undertaken under the NICP.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: The National Industrial Corridor Development Programme includes the development of 32 greenfield industrial smart cities under 11 industrial corridors with world-class Plug-n-Play infrastructure. Smart industrial cities have already been developed at Dholera in Gujarat, Vikram Udyogpuri in Madhya Pradesh, Shendra Bidkin in Maharashtra, Integrated Industrial Township at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: National Industrial Corridor Programme will contribute to the futuristic and inclusive growth of the country with the vision ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. It is expected to create employment opportunities and also leads to the overall socio-economic development of the country. National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The National Industrial Corridor Programme (NICP) has been conceived to promote world class manufacturing facilities and develop futuristic industrial cities in India. The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor was the first corridor taken up for development in 2011. Subsequently, other industrial corridors viz. Amritsar- Kolkata, Chennai-Bangalore, Vizag-Chennai, East Coast etc. was added to be part of the umbrella NICP. Under the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), Rs 111 lakh crore of investment is the estimated requirement for the period ending 2024-25. Investments in the NICP are expected to contribute to the NIP and trigger manufacturing activity in the country.

Q) Consider the following statements about National Research Foundation (NRF):

1. NRF is a subordinate organization under the Ministry of Education.
2. The total proposed outlay of the NRF is Rs 50,000 crore.
3. NRF will assimilate the research grants being given by various ministries.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect but statement 2 is correct: National Research Foundation (NRF) is being envisaged as an autonomous and umbrella structure that will improve linkages between R&D, academia and industry. The total proposed outlay of the National Research Foundation is Rs 50,000 crore over a period of five years. National Research Foundation (NRF) will fund, coordinate, and promote research in the country.
• Statement 3 is correct: NRF will assimilate the research grants being given by various ministries independent of each other. NRF will ensure that the overall research ecosystem in the country is strengthened with a focus on identified thrust areas relevant to our national priorities and towards basic science without duplication of effort and expenditure. The funds available with all ministries will be integrated into NRF. This would be adequately supplemented with additional funds.

Q) With reference to Village Defence Committees (VDCs), consider the following statements:

1. In order to build self-defense skills against terrorist threats in the border communities of northern Indian states, VDCs were established in 1984.
2. Village Defense Guards are trained by the Central Reserve Police Force.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect but statement 2 is correct: Village Defence Committees (VDCs) were first set up in 1995 to offer self-defence capabilities to villagers in the face of looming terrorist threats. The idea to set up VDCs was rooted in the arming of ex-service personnel in the 1965 and 1971 wars to check enemy infiltration and espionage. One key reason for the formation of VDC in the 1990s was to resolve the insecurity among the minority Hindus in J&K, who faced forced displacement due to terrorism. In 2020, the policy of Village Defence Committees was revamped and Village Defence Groups were introduced, members of whom are called Village Defence Guards (VDGs). It was not just a change of name as the very structure of committees was changed. Unlike VDCs where only SPOs were paid, all VDGs are paid. The VDGs also function under the supervision of district SP/SSPs. The recent Rajouri killings have led to a further boost of VDGs as they have been given self-loading rifles (SLRs) in place of older .303 rifles. The Central Reserve Police Force has been tasked to train the VDGs in the use of automatic weapons.

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