Prelims Mantra (Day-24)

World Air Quality Report, 2024:

• • Released by IQAir, Swiss company tracks global air quality.

 

Findings of the report:

• • Delhi is world’s most polluted national capital for sixth straight year.
  • Thirteen of world’s 20 most polluted cities are in India.
  • Most polluted city in world – Byrnihat on border of Assam and Meghalaya.
  • Five most polluted countries – Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Congo, and India.
  • At 50.6 µg/m3, India’s average PM2.5 concentration last year was 7% lower than in 2023 (54.4 µg/m3).
  • Only 12 countries, regions, and territories recorded PM2.5 concentrations below World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended average annual limit of 5 µg/m3.

 

How does a lie detector work?

• • A polygraph, also called a lie-detector test, is generally used during interrogation by police.
  • It works by recording physiological functions such as blood pressure, heartbeat, respiration, and perspiration.
  • A pneumograph tube is fastened around person’s chest, and a blood-pressure-pulse cuff is strapped around arm.
  • Psychogalvanic skin reflex, electro-dermal response & flow of current between different parts of body are measured.
  • Sensitive electrodes are used to pick up impulses, which are recorded on a moving graph paper.
  • Parameters are recorded when a suspect answers questions put to them by an operator. Data is then used as basis for deciding whether person is lying.
  • When a person lies, graph deviates from ‘normal’ shape in one or more of body functions. Such changes were believed to occur due to emotional response to telling a lie.
  • Modern polygraph was first constructed in 1921 by John Larson, a medical student at University of California.
  • It has not been accepted as proof of truth-telling in courtrooms.

 

Extracting urea from urine:

• • A new electrochemical technique proposes to separate urea from urine in its solid form via a greener, less energy-consuming process.
  • This method converts urea, a nitrogen-rich compound in urine, into a crystalline peroxide derivative called percarbamide.
  • It strikes two targets at once: enabling treatment of urine in urban wastewater & transforming it into useful resource.
  • Since urea is rich in nitrogen, it has potential to be a natural fertiliszer.
  • Urea is made up of nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen.
  • Currently about 20% of Urea is imported in India.

 

Recession:

• • A recessionary phase is counterpart of an expansionary phase. When overall output of goods and services, typically measured by GDP, increases from one quarter (or month) to another, economy is said to be in an expansionary phase. And when GDP contracts from one quarter to another, economy is said to be in a recessionary phase.
  • Together, these two phases create what is called a “business cycle” in any economy. A full business cycle could last anywhere between one year and a decade.
  • When a recessionary phase sustains for long enough, it is called a recession. In other words, when GDP contracts for long enough period, economy is said to be in a recession.
  • Technical recession refers to when real GDP has declined for at least two consecutive quarters.

 

Mauritius:

• • Island country in Indian Ocean, located off eastern coast of Africa.
  • Volcanic in origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs.
  • Physiographically, it is part of the Mascarene Islands.
  • Climate: maritime subtropical, with uniform temperature throughout year.
  • Capital: Port Louis.
  • Two major rivers, the Grand River South East and the Black River, are primary sources of hydroelectric power.
  • Lake Vacoas is chief source of water.
  • More than half of country’s area is arable, and it is almost entirely planted in sugarcane, the major export crop.
  • Approximately two-thirds of population is of Indo-Pakistani origin, most of whom are descendants of indentured laborers brought to work in sugar industry during 19th and early 20th centuries. About one-fourth of population is Creole (of mixed French and African descent).
  • Creole, a French-based patois, is spoken by about four-fifths of population and is the lingua franca of country.
  • Religion: about half of population is Hindu, about one-third is Christian.
  • Population density is the highest of African countries.
  • Currency: Mauritian rupee.
  • Séga, a popular folk dance consisting of suggestive movements of the hips and arms to a rhythmic beat.
  • In 2024, United Kingdom (UK) agreed to cede sovereignty of the strategically important Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. However, UK will continue to exercise sovereign rights over Diego Garcia island.

 

Gyan Bharatam Mission:

• • Announced in Union Budget 2025-26.
  • Special mission for survey, documentation, conservation of India’s manuscript heritage lying with academic institutions, museums, libraries & private collectors.
  • Key component- national digital repository of the Indian knowledge system.

 

“75/25” initiative:

• • On World Hypertension Day, celebrated on May 17, 2023, Government unveiled “75/25” initiative which aims to provide standardized care to 75 million individuals living with hypertension & diabetes by December 2025.
  • As of March 5, 2025, govt. has achieved 89.7% of target.

 

National Ambulance Services (NAS) Scheme:

• • Launched by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2012 as part of the National Health Mission (NHM).
  • NHM provides assistance for both operational costs and capital expenditures related to various types of ambulances, including Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Life Support (ALS) vehicles.

 

PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) scheme:

• • Notified by Ministry of Textiles in 2021.
  • It is inspired by the 5F vision – Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign.
  • Time Period: 2021-22 to 2027-28
  • It will offer opportunity to create an Integrated Textiles Value Chain right from spinning, weaving, processing/dyeing and printing to garment manufacturing etc. at one location and will reduce logistics cost of industry.
  • A Special Purpose Vehicle owned by Centre and State Government will be set up for each park which will oversee the implementation of project.
  • Ministry of Textiles will provide financial support in form of Development Capital Support up to Rs. 500 crores per park to Park SPV.
  • State governments will provide a contiguous and encumbrance-free land parcel of at least 1000 acres.
  • Government has finalised 7 sites viz. Tamil Nadu (Virudhnagar), Telangana (Warangal), Gujarat (Navsari), Karnataka (Kalburgi), Madhya Pradesh (Dhar), Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow/Hardoi) and Maharastra (Amrawati) for setting up PM MITRA Parks.

PRACTICE MCQs

Q1. Consider the following provisions:

1. e-trucks and e-ambulances

2. financial support for upgradation of testing agencies.

3. Aadhar based generation of e-vouchers.

Which of the above provisions are introduced in PM E-DRIVE scheme and were absent in FAME-II scheme?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 2 and 3 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: D

Q2. Consider the following statements about PM MITRA scheme:

1. It is launched by Ministry of Textiles to create an integrated textile value chain at one location.

2. Special Purpose Vehicle owned by Centre and State Government will be set up for each park.

3. Central government provides financial assistance while state government provides land.

How many statements given above are correct?

a) Only one

b) Only two

c) All three

d) None

Answer: C

Q3. Which of the following statements is incorrect about World Air Quality Report 2024?

a) Delhi is the world’s most polluted national capital in the world.

b) Thirteen of world’s 20 most polluted cities are in India.

c) Most polluted city in world is Beijing, China.

d) India is among top five most polluted countries in the world.

Answer: C

Q4. Consider the following statements about Mauritius:

1. It consists of several islands of volcanic origin in the Indian Ocean.

2. About half of population is of Hindu religion.

3. It has highest population density among African nations.

4. Sugarcane is a major plantation crop grown in the country.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 1, 2 and 3 only

c) 1, 2 and 4 only

d) All of them

Answer: D

Q5. “75/25” initiative of the Government of India aims to –

a) rejuvenate 75 lakes in every district by 2025.

b) increase enrolment in higher education to 75% by 2025.

c) provide standardized care to 75 million individuals living with hypertension & diabetes by December 2025.

d) developing 75 model villages in every district by 2025.

Answer: C

 

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