Day-589 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS

Answer: D
Context: PM’s departure statement ahead of his recently visits to UAE for World Climate Action Summit included a mention of LeadIT initiative and Green Credit initiative.
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect:
The LeadIT initiative was jointly launched by India and Sweden at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019 and is supported by the World Economic Forum.
Statement 2 is incorrect:
LeadIT members subscribe to the notion that energy-intensive industries can and must progress on low-carbon pathways, aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
About Leadership for Industry Transition initiative/LeadIT initiative-
· It was launched by the governments of Sweden and India at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019 and is supported by the World Economic Forum.
· The initiative gathers countries and companies that are committed to action to achieve the Paris Agreement.
· Purpose: LeadIT members subscribe to the notion that energy-intensive industries can and must progress on low-carbon pathways, aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
● Secretariat: It is hosted by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Sweden.
● Significance: The low carbon transition of the industrial sector will not only contribute towards the reduction in required greenhouse gas emissions.
● It has several co-benefits that include increasing resilience to changes in climate, enhanced energy security, innovation, socio-economic development and job creation.
Member Countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America.

Answer: D
Context: Aviation regulatory bodies have imposed a total fine of ₹1.5 crore on IndiGo and ₹90 lakh on Mumbai airport following an incident where passengers occupied the airport apron and sat there following a flight diversion due to long delays after fog in Delhi in January 2024.
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: The BCAS monitors security of aircraft and airports. It is an attached office of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (India).
About BCAS
● The BCAS was initially set up as a Cell in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation(DGCA) in January 1978 on the recommendation of the Pande Committee constituted in the wake of the hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight on 10 September 1976.
● The role of the Cell was to coordinate, inspect, monitor and train personnel in Civil Aviation Security matters.
● The BCAS was reorganized into an independent department in April , 1987 under the
● Ministry of Civil Aviation as a sequel to the Kanishka Tragedy in June 1985 in which the whole aircraft was disintegrated due to an onboard bomb explosion by terrorists.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The DGCA monitors the safety of air travellers.
About DGCA
● The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is a statutory body of the Government of India to regulate civil aviation in India. It became a statutory body under the Aircraft (Amendment) Act, 2020.
● It investigates aviation accidents and incidents.
Other functions
● Registration of civil aircraft
● Certification of airports
● Licensing to pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers and flight engineers, and conducting examinations and checks for that purpose
● Safety Oversight of all entities approved/ certified/ licensed under the Aircraft Rules 1937.
● Coordination of ICAO matters with all agencies, sending replies to State letters, and
taking all necessary action arising out of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) of ICAO.
● Granting Air Operator’s Certificates to Indian carriers and regulation of air transport services operating to/from/within/over India by Indian and foreign operators, including clearance of scheduled and non-scheduled flights of such operators
● Approval of institutes engaged in flying training including simulator training, AME training, air traffic services training or any other training related with aviation, with a view to ensuring a high quality of training
● Approval to aircraft maintenance, repair, design and manufacturing organizations and their continued oversight

Answer: A
Explanation:
A report by Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI) reveals that 1 in 12 hospitals worldwide could face shutdowns due to extreme weather events from climate change. In India, 9.6% of hospitals will be high-risk by 2100. Currently, 2,700 hospitals are at high risk, expected to increase to over 5,100 by the end of the century. Urgent action on fossil fuel emissions is needed to prevent disruption in emergency healthcare services. The report highlights the vulnerability of hospitals on coastlines and near rivers. Governments are urged to address the risk posed to critical healthcare infrastructure.
About the Gross Domestic Climate Risk:
The report is released by Australia-based Cross Dependency Initiative or XDI, which is a part of the climate risk group of companies quantifying the costs of climate change.
● The Gross Domestic Climate Risk analysis focuses on the extent of capital value at risk from extreme weather and climate change in states, provinces and other territories, represented by vulnerability and exposure of the built environment.
● Built environment refers to aspects of the surroundings that are built by humans to support human activity like homes and workplaces.
● It covers damage to buildings and properties from extreme weather and climate change such as flooding, forest fires, heat wave and sea level rise.
● This is the first time there has been a physical climate risk analysis focused exclusively on the built environment, comparing every state, province and territory in the world.
● The report is particularly significant for investors, as extensive built infrastructure generally overlaps with high levels of economic activity and capital value.

Highlights from the report:
● “Gross Domestic Climate Risk” assess the physical climate risk in over 2,600 states and provinces around the world in 2050.
● The more built-up a state, the greater the risk.
● The ranking was derived using modelled projections of damage to buildings and properties from extreme weather conditions such as flooding, forest fires and sea level rise.
● As per the analysis, 80 percent of the top 50 most at-risk states and provinces in 2050 are in China, the US and India.
● After China, India has the highest number of states (nine) in the top 50, which include Bihar (22nd spot), Uttar Pradesh (25), Assam (28), Rajasthan (32), Tamil Nadu (36), Maharashtra (38), Gujarat (48), Punjab (50) and Kerala (52).Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

Answer: A
Explanation:
India congratulates UAE for joining BRICS group on this year (2024).
Statement 1 is correct: The leaders of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) countries met for the first time in St. Petersburg, Russia, on the margins of the G8 Outreach Summit in July 2006. Shortly afterwards, in September 2006, the group was formalised as BRIC during the 1st BRIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, which met on the sidelines of the General Debate of the UN Assembly in New York City.
· BRIC group was renamed as BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) after South Africa was accepted as a full member at the BRIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in New York in September 2010.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The agreement for establishing the New Development Bank was signed during the sixth BRICS summit -2014 in Fortaleza, Brazil, by the leaders. It is also known as the Fortaleza Declaration.
· Besides Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as members; the NDB has been expanded to include Egypt, UAE, Bangladesh and Uruguay.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Five new full-time members have joined the BRICS grouping— Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab. It is a strong indication of the growing authority of the association and its role in international affairs.
● Argentina was also invited but backed out at the end of December.
● Now, it has become a 10-member bloc.

Answer: D
Explanation:
Context:
Recently, the African Union becomes permanent member at the inaugural session of the two-day G-20 Summit in New Delhi.
Statement 1 is incorrect: The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent.
Statement 2 is incorrect: It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999).
Statement 3 is incorrect: The African Union became a full member of the G-20 on September 9, 2023 under the Indian presidency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the inclusion of the African bloc will enhance the effectiveness of the G-20.

● After the European Union, the African Union is the second regional bloc to join the G20.
● India had hosted the India Africa Forum Summit in 2015 and has expanded its diplomatic footprint in the continent by opening new missions in the member countries of AU.
● Apart from supporting the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of G-20, India has also invited Nigeria, Egypt, and Mauritius as part of the ‘Guest Countries’ at the G-20 summit.