UPSC 2017: Weekly GK and Current Affairs Quiz May 07 - May 13

Criteria and weightages for different components of sanitation related aspects used for the Survey are:

1. Solid Waste Management including Door-to-Door collection, Processing and Disposal, ODF status etc: 45% of total 2,000 marks i.e 900 marks
2. Citizen feedback : 30% i.e 600 of total marks
3. Independent observation : 25% i.e 500 marks

• Lidar (also called LIDAR, LiDAR, and LADAR) is a surveying method that measures distance to a target by illuminating that target with a pulsed laser light, and measuring the reflected pulses with a sensor.
• Differences in laser return times and wavelengths can then be used to make digital representations of the target.
• The name lidar, sometimes considered an acronym of Light Detection And Ranging

UN Additional Convention Against Torture (CAT):

• Nearly all 112 countries at the 5-yearly review of India’s record called for India to ratify the UN Additional Convention Against Torture (CAT).
• India is one of only nine countries which haven’t yet implemented the Torture convention, despite signing on to it in 1997.
• In 2012, India had also given a unilateral pledge to ratify CAT, but has yet to move forward on it, despite a Supreme Court directive in the matter.
• The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (commonly known as the United Nations Convention against Torture) is an international human rights treaty, under the review of the United Nations that aims to prevent torture and other acts of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment around the world.

‘Swachh Survekshan-2017’ report

Indore in Madhya Pradesh is India’s cleanest city. Bhopal gets the second position in the cleanliness ranking of 434 cities.

Mission Raftaar: It targets doubling of average speeds of freights trains and increasing the average speed of superfast mail/express trains by 25 kmph in the next 5 years.

OPEC members include, as of July 2016, Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupil and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. Eye color is defined by that of the iris.

“In Karnataka, 51 of the 155 main market yards and 354 sub-yards have been integrated into a single licensing system. Rashtriya e-market Servies Ltd. (ReMS), a joint venture created by the State government and NCDEX Spot Exchange, offers automated auction and post auction facilities (weighting, invoicing, market fee collection, accounting), assaying facilities in the markets, facilitate warehouse-based sale of produce, facilitate commodity funding, price dissemination by leveraging technology. The wider geographical scope afforded by breaking up fragmented markets has enabled private sector investment in marketing infrastructure.”

Magnetite is the finest iron ore with a very high content of iron up to 70 per cent. It has excellent magnetic qualities, especially valuable in the electrical industry. Hematite ore is the most important industrial iron ore in terms of the quantity used, but has slightly lower iron content than magnetite (50-60 per cent).

Over 85 per cent of the iron ore produced in Goa is of low-grade. Compared to Goa, over 90 per cent of the ore produced in the other four major states producing iron ore — Chhatisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka and Jharkhand — is of a higher grade with ferrous content of more than 60 per cent.

“I am confident the automobile industry will support us on this move. We will support them in the difficulties that they face but to control pollution, they also need to support us…Many auto companies already export car engines which support the BS VI norms. Moreover, we have given them time till 2020 to implement it,” Mr. Gadkari said.

At present, BS-IV auto fuels are being supplied in over 30 cities while the rest of the country has BS-III fuels.

In the context of Indian Universities’ presence (rather, the lack of it) in top-200 world rankings, this is of relevance: “..The first University Commission of independent India, popularly known as the Radhakrishnan Commission of 1948, pointed out that universities need to have ‘world-mindedness and national sentiments..”

In 2015, the Prime Minister launched a Gyan Sangam conclave with bankers, and an Indradhanush road map to revitalise public sector banks.

The digital fiat currency works in the same way as do notes and coins. By virtue of its digital nature, it has the potential to be the most financially inclusive instrument.

Any person in India can hold it, transfer it and use it to settle debts, be it a farmer living in Gahmar village in U.P. or a salaried individual in Mumbai, with or without a bank account.

Pay Commission is set up intermittently by Government of India, and gives its recommendations regarding changes in salary structure of its employees. Since India’s Independence, seven pay commissions have been set up on a regular basis to review and make recommendations on the work and pay structure of all civil and military divisions of the Government of India.

India-Iran cooperation in the field of development of infrastructure and regional connectivity including the development of Chabahar Port is in line with the Tehran Declaration (2001) and the New Delhi Declaration (2003).

Chabahar Port lies outside the Persian Gulf in Iran and will help in expanding maritime commerce in the region.

Finance Minister is the India’s governor to Asian Development Bank.

Aug 2014: The two Prime Ministers agreed to review, adjust and update the Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950 and other bilateral agreements. Both sides agreed that the revised Treaty should better reflect the current realities and aim to further consolidate and expand the multifaceted and deep rooted relationships in a forward looking manner.

APEDA is under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every year on January 9th to mark the date of return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa for good.

Africa contributes the maximum number of troops to the UN peace keeping operations.

Duration of Panchayats is 5 years. Fresh election to constitute a Panchayat shall be completed before the expiry of its term; or in case of dissolution before the expiry of a period of 6months from the date of its dissolution.

The Agaria are a Muslim community found in the state of Gujarat in India.

Tabo Monastery is located in the Tago village of Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh.

A Tight monetary policy is a course of action undertaken by Central Bank to constrict spending in an economy, or to curb inflation when it is rising too fast. The increased bank rate increases the cost of borrowing and effectively reduces its attractiveness.