UPSC Prelims 2016 - General Studies (Paper I)

Explanation

It was launched in April 2016 to promote entrepreneurship at the grass-root level focusing on economic empowerment and job creation. To leverage the institutional credit structure to reach out to the underserved sector of people such as SCs, STs and Women Entrepreneurs. The objective of this scheme is to facilitate bank loans between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 crore to at least one SC or ST borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch of Scheduled Commercial Banks for setting up a Greenfield enterprise. The offices of SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) and NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) are designated Stand-Up Connect Centres (SUCC). Recently, the Ministry of Finance has extended the Standup India Scheme up to the year 2025. New Changes: The margin money requirement for loans under the scheme has been reduced from ‘25% to ‘upto 15%’, and activities allied to agriculture have been included in the Scheme.

Explanation

In order to safeguard and support the world’s agricultural heritage systems, in 2002 FAO started an initiative for the dynamic conservation of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). So, clearly, modern practices wouldn’t be relevant to the initiative. The initiative intends to safeguard the social, cultural, economic and environmental goods and services of these heritage systems. There is no such provision, GI is accorded to products from a certain origin and not to traditional agricultural systems. Food and Agriculture Organization: z z It is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. z z The World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16th October to mark the anniversary of the founding of the FAO in 1945. z z It is one of the UN food aid organisations based in Rome (Italy). Its sister bodies are the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Explanation

The Brahmaputra (meaning the son of Brahma) originated from the Chemayungdung glacier in southwestern Tibet. Its source is very close to the sources of Indus and Satluj. Mariam La separates the source of the Brahmaputra from the Manasarovar Lake. In Tibet, it passes through the depression formed by the Indus-Tsangpo Structure Zone between the Great Himalayas in the south and the Kailash Range in the north. Dibang, Kameng and Lohit are the tributaries of the Brahmaputra River. Region Brahmaputra's Name Tibet Tsangpo (meaning ‘The Purifier’) China Yarlung Zangbo Jiangin Assam Valley Dihang or Siong, South of Sadiya: Brahmaputra Bangladesh Jamuna River Bangladesh Padma River: Combined Waters of Ganga and Brahmaputra Bangladesh Meghana: From the confluence of Padma and Meghna

Explanation

The Core Banking Solution (CBS) is the networking of branches, which enables customers to operate their accounts, and banking services from any branch of the bank on the CBS network, regardless of where they open their accounts. It enables banks to offer a multitude of customer-centric services on a 24 × 7 basis from a single location. Almost all branches of commercial banks, including the Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), are brought into the core-banking fold. By Core Banking Solution, there is no change in RBI’s control over commercial banks. In Core Bank Solution there is no provision related to non-performing assets.

Explanation

Kyoto Protocol (COP 3; UNFCCC Summit 1997): z z It was adopted in Kyoto, Japan in 1997. z z India ratified Kyoto Protocol in 2002. z z It came into force in February 2005. There are currently 192 Parties. z z The Kyoto Protocol aimed to cut emissions of greenhouse gases across the developed world by about 5% by 2012 compared with 1990 levels. z z It is the only global treaty with binding limits on GHG emissions. Classification of Parties and their commitments – Kyoto Protocol: Annex I Developed countries Annex II Developed countries (Annex II is a subset of Annex I). Annex B Annex I Parties with first or second-round Kyoto greenhouse gas emissions targets. Non-Annex I Parties to the UNFCCC not listed in Annex I of the Convention (mostly low-income developing countries). Nagoya Protocol: z z This protocol is a legal framework for the implementation of one of the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which is the fair & equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources. z z The protocol was adopted in 2010 in Nagoya, Japan. z z It entered into force in October 2014. India signed the Nagoya Protocol in 2011 and ratified it in October 2012. The Cartagena Protocol: It is an international agreement on biosafety as a supplement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) effective since 2003. The Biosafety Protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by genetically modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.