Topic: indigenization of technology and developing new ... · PRACTISE FOR PRELIMS 1. Consider the following statements about LCA Tejas: 1. The Tejas, or ‘radiance’, is an indigenous

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1. MANDATORY GOLD HALLMARKING NORMS IN INDIA

Topic: indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Context:

The Department of Consumer Affairs will release the notification regarding mandatory hallmarking of Gold jewellery & artefacts in India.

Background:

Earlier, it was optional for the jewellers and thus only 40% of gold jewellery was getting hallmarked.

Gold Hallmarking is a purity certification which started in 2000. About the notification:

The notification will make hallmarking of gold jewellery mandatory from January 15, 2021.

The jewellers have been given one year time to register with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and clear their stocks if not hallmarked yet.

Hallmarked gold jewellery will be only in three grades – 14-carat, 18-carat and 22-carat instead of current availability of ten grades.

About the marks:

It will contain four marks: o BIS mark, o purity in carat, o assay centre’s name and o jewellers’ identification mark.

Applicability:

The rule is applicable only on sales by retailers and not to consumers.

However, it is available for consumers who want to get their old jewellery hallmarked.

Anybody found violating the provision, will have to pay a minimum fine of Rs 1 lakh or 5 times the price of the article.

The government had informed about these hallmarking norms to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which will help exporters get to know the changes in advance in importing country like India.

India is the world’s largest importer of gold, with annual imports of 700-800 tonne. Reasons behind:

The mandatory hallmarking will protect the public against lower caratage

It ensures consumers do not get cheated while buying gold ornaments.

It will also help to get the purity as marked on the ornaments.

It will bring in transparency and assure the consumers of quality.


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The new system will weed out anomalies and corruption in the system of manufacturing of jewellery.

2. INDIAN ARMY DAY

Topic: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate. Context:

Army Day is celebrated every year on 15th January in India to commemorate the jawans and the Indian Army.

The Army Day celebrations, which began in 1949, will be observed for the 72nd time in 2020.

About the Army Day:

Army Day is celebrated to mark Lt Gen K M Carriappa taking over as commander-in-chief of the Indian Army in 1949 from General Francis Butcher, the last British commander-in-chief of India.

The Indian Army was established on April 1, 1895.

It’s motto is "Service before self."

The Army Day parade in New Delhi will see for the first time a woman, Captain Tania Shergill, leading an all-men contingent.

Apart from the three service chiefs, India’s first chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat will also attend the parade.

About the Battle of Asal Uttar:

The battle of Asal Uttar was a very key turning point during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965, which set the course of India’s victory.

It was fought from 8th-10th September, 1965.

It is described by historians as one of the largest tank battles in history since World War II.


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Asal Uttar is a village 12 km from the international border with Pakistan in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district.

About MQ-9B Guardian:

It is the next generation Remotely Piloted Aircrafts Systems (RPAS).

It is a highly modular aircraft and is rapidly configurable with a variety of payloads and weapons.

3. OLDEST MATERIAL ON EARTH Topic: Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent). Context:

Recently, scientists have found 4.6 to 7-billion-year-old presolar grains of Silicon Carbide (SiC) in the Murchison meteorite which fell in Australia in 1969.

Background:

The presolar grains of Silicon Carbide is the oldest solid materials ever found.

These grains are formed before the solar system's formation and thus termed as “presolar grains”.

About the presolar grains:

The presolar grains are very rare, found only in about 5% of meteorites that have fallen to Earth.

It may reveal the phenomenon of formation of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy.


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As the presence of Silicon Carbide in the meteorite are samples of stardust.

It also provides clues about the rate of star formation in the Milky Way galaxy. About Stardusts:

Stardust is formed by the material ejected from stars and carried by stellar winds, getting blown into interstellar space.

The stellar wind is a flow of gas ejected from the upper atmosphere of a star.

Interstellar space is defined as that which lies beyond a magnetic region that extends about 122 Astronomical Unit (AU) from the sun.

During the solar system's birth, this dust was incorporated into everything that formed including the planets and the sun but survived intact until now only in asteroids and comets.

About Silicon Carbide (SiC):

Silicon carbide also known as Carborundum is a compound of silicon and carbon.

Silicon carbide is a semiconductor material and is an emerging material for applications in semiconductor devices.

It is one of the most important industrial ceramic materials.

It is widely used as an abrasive and steel additive and structural ceramic.

4. ROJGAAR SANGI Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context:

Recently, the Chhattisgarh State Skill Development Authority (CSSDA) has launched a mobile phone app - ‘Rojgaar Sangi’ to help skilled and trained candidates find jobs.

About the app:

The app has been developed with the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC).

The app will also help start-up companies to hire an office staff.


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It will increase accessibility for skilled and trained candidates, which in turn will increase job opportunities.

The app is expected to benefit 7 lakh students who were trained under the 705 courses offered by CSSDA.

About National Informatics Centre:

NIC of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology provides network backbone and e-Governance support to the Central Government, State Governments and UT Administrations.

It was established in 1976 and is located in New Delhi.

5. TAAL VOLCANO Topic: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. Context:

A volcano called Taal on the island of Luzon, 50 km from Manila, Philippines erupted on 12th January, 2020.

About Compound Volcano:

Taal is classified as a “complex” volcano by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).


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A complex volcano, also called a compound volcano, is defined as one that doesn't have just one main vent or cone but several eruption points.

Another such example is Mount Vesuvius on the west coast of Italy. Highlights:

Taal has erupted more than 30 times in the last few centuries, the most recent was in 1977.

It needs to be noted that the Philippines is situated at the boundaries of two tectonic plates — the Philippines Sea Plate and the Eurasian plate — thus susceptible to earthquakes and volcanism.

6. 5TH ANNUAL DAY OF CARA Topic: Role of women and women's organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies. Context: The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has celebrated its 5th Annual

Day recently.

CARA has conducted various training programmes and workshops at national and state levels for all the stakeholders of the adoption programme.

Background:

It has also carried out a number of advocacy programs through various mediums for creating awareness and sensitization of the general public.


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It is giving emphasis to the rehabilitation of older and special needs children in various Child Care Institutions across the country.

About CARA:

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has been set up as a statutory body of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

It functions as a nodal body for the adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoption.

CARA is designated as the Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Conventions on Inter-Country Adoptions, 1993, ratified by the Government of India in 2003.

CARA primarily deals with adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children through its associated /recognised adoption agencies.

About Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction:

Hague Convention is a multilateral treaty which came into existence on 1st December 1983.

It is an international treaty to ensure the prompt return of the child who has been “abducted” from the country of their “habitual residence”.

The Convention applies to children age under 16 years.

PRACTISE FOR PRELIMS

1. Consider the following statements about LCA Tejas:

1. The Tejas, or ‘radiance’, is an indigenous fighter aircraft jointly developed by Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

2. It is the smallest lightweight, multi-role, single-engine tactical fighter aircraft in the world.

3. It is being developed in single-seat fighter and twin seat trainer variants for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy.


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Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 1 and 3only

c) 2and 3 only

d) All of the above

Solution: D

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Topic: indigenization of technology and developing new ... · PRACTISE FOR PRELIMS 1. Consider the following statements about LCA Tejas: 1. The Tejas, or ‘radiance’, is an indigenous