UPSC QUIZ 29.06.2024

Explanation:

• According to the data released recently by the Ministry of Textiles, the consumption of cotton by the textile industry was the highest in this decade during the period from October 2023 to September 2024.

Key facts related to cotton agriculture

• Cotton is one of the most important commercial crops cultivated in India and it accounts for about 25% of the total global cotton production.
• Given its economic importance in India, it is also called "White-Gold".
• About 67% of cotton in India is grown in rain-fed areas and 33% in irrigated areas.

Explanation:

• International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has found that snow levels in Ganges, Brahmaputra and Indus basins of Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) have reached record low levels, according to a recent report.
• CIMOD, a regional intergovernmental organisation established in 1983, is working towards making the Hindu Kush Himalaya greener, more inclusive and climate-resilient.

Report Findings

• The Amu Darya river basin in Afghanistan recorded the lowest snowfall, while the Helmand River, which is important for drinking water supply of Iran and Afghanistan, recorded snowfall of about 32% below normal.
• Water levels in China’s Yellow River basin are 20.2% above normal, influenced by the interaction between cold winds from the East Asian winter monsoon and westerly winds from the Pacific Ocean

Explanation:

• India has achieved higher ethanol production from grains, particularly maize, surpassing that from sugar-based feedstock.

Ethanol

• Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a biofuel produced from various sources such as sugarcane, corn, rice, wheat, and biomass.
• Molasses, a byproduct of sugar manufacture, are generally the main source of production of ethanol (anhydrous alcohol) and rectified spirit.

Explanation:

• Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy has been chosen for the 2024 PEN Pinter Literary Prize for her courageous and unswerving writing.
• The award to Arundhati Roy comes after the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, V.K. Saxena, sanctioned her prosecution under the preventive detention law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 this month.
• Arundhati Roy will receive her award at a ceremony to be held in October in London, England.
• Arundhati Roy joins a list of literary giants like Salaman Rushdie, Margret Atwood, Tom Stoppard, Carol Ann Duffy and Malorie Blackman, who have previously won the prize.

Explanation:

• Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi launched two new initiatives to boost micro and small businesses' trade using e-commerce.
• MSME Trade Enablement and Marketing (TEAM)' initiative has been launched to promote small businesses to participate in online trade using the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform.
• It will help more than 5 lakh micro and small businesses and half of the beneficiaries of this initiative will be women-led businesses.
• The 'Yashaswini' initiative is a mass awareness campaign to support informal women-led businesses by providing them with capital and more trade opportunities.
• The government is focused on access to credit, increased access to markets and e-commerce, enhanced digitization, and the empowerment of women and artisans.