Daily Quiz 16 September 2023

Explanation: 

Researchers have documented the impact of light pollution on ecosystems, human health, and culture.

• Option (1) is correct: Light Pollution impacts the environment and causes habitat loss, disruption of food webs, and declining insect populations and is responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions. Light pollution can have a significant impact on the economy by reducing visibility, hindering astronomical research, and diminishing the value of dark skies for tourism and recreation.
• Option (2) is incorrect: An increased amount of light at night lowers melatonin production, which results in sleep deprivation, fatigue, headaches, stress, anxiety, and other health problems. According to a study “Artificial night sky brightness and its impact on human health and environment in India” published in 2019, the brightness of India’s night skies has increased by around 20% over the past decade.
• Option (3) is correct: Artificial light alters the patterns of insect movement, foraging, reproduction and predation of insects resulting in the decline of insect population. Birds, butterflies, and other animals rely on the stars and moonlight to navigate during migration. Artificial light can disorient and confuse these animals, making it difficult for them to reach their destination.
• Option (4) is correct: The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is a non-profit organization that works to protect the night skies for present and future generations by advocating for responsible outdoor lighting and promoting dark sky places.

Explanation:

• Statement 1 and 2 are correct: The OIML stands for International Organisation of Legal Metrology. Established in 1955 and headquartered in Paris, the OIML is an international standard-setting body. It develops model regulations, standards and related documents for use by legal metrology authorities and industry. It plays a crucial role in harmonizing national laws and regulations on the performance of measuring instruments like clinical thermometers, alcohol breath analyzers, radar speed measuring instruments, ship tanks found at ports, and petrol dispensing units.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: India became a member of the OIML in 1956. In the same year, India signed the metric convention. India has recently become an OIML certificate-issuing authority. With the addition of India, the number of countries authorised to issue OIML certificates has increased to 13.

Explanation:

The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) Scheme is being projected as a huge success that has taken India closer to universal health coverage, one of the sustainable development goals.

• Statement 1 and 2 are correct: Ayushman Bharat scheme, a flagship scheme of Government of India, was launched in 2018 as recommended by the National Health Policy 2017. It aims to achieve the vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). It has two inter-related components, Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). The households included are based on the deprivation and occupational criteria of Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC 2011) for rural and urban areas respectively. PM-JAY is fully funded by the Government and cost of implementation is shared between the Central and State Governments. It provides a cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization across public and private empanelled hospitals in India. It covers up to 3 days of pre-hospitalization and 15 days post-hospitalization expenses such as diagnostics and medicines.
• Statement 3 is correct: National Health Authority (NHA) has been set up to implement Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). PM-JAY provides cashless access to health care services for the beneficiary at the point of service, that is, the hospital. PM-JAY envisions to help mitigate catastrophic expenditure on medical treatment which pushes nearly 6 crore Indians into poverty each year.

Explanation:

Rubber farmers from Kerala, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka that are affiliated to the All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) have demanded a fair remunerative price (FRP) of at least ₹300 for a kilogram of natural rubber.

• Statement 1 and 2 are correct: The rubber trees demand well-drained and well-weathered soils. Lateritic type, alluvial, sedimentary types, and non-lateritic red soilsare best for the growth of these trees. An evenly distributed rainfall with at least 100 rainy days a year and a temperature range of about 20 to 34°C are optimum conditions for the growth of the Hevea rubber tree. A humidity of around 80%, 2000 hours of sunshine, and absence of strong winds are also necessary for the best results.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: According to FAOStat (Food and Agricultural Organisation Corporate Statistical Database), Thailand is the largest Producer of Rubber in the World followed by Indonesia, Malaysia, India, China etc. India is one of the world’s significant producers of natural rubber. Kerala is the largest rubber-producing state in India, and it plays a crucial role in the country’s rubber industry. Other key rubber-producing states in India include Tamil Nadu (Nilgiri, Madurai, Kanniyakumari, Coimbatore and Salem), Karnataka (Chikmagalur and Kodagu), Tripura, Assam, Andaman & Nicobar, Goa, and others.

Explanation:

• Option (3) is correct: The state of Sikkim in India has implemented a mobile-based system to digitize government data. The system, called the Sikkim Mobile App for Government Employees (SMAGe), is used by government employees to collect data from the field and upload it to a central server. The data is then used to generate reports and insights that can be used to improve government services. SMAGe was launched in 2018 and has since been used to digitize data on a wide range of topics, including like Demographics, Education, Health, Agriculture, Rural development and Disaster management.