UPSC EXAM QUIZ 05.10.2024

Explanation:

• In a major push to further strengthen the Make in India initiative, the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2024 is set to establish a seamless business regulatory framework across the country, enhancing the ease of doing business.
• Led by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), BRAP 2024 introduces next-generation reforms that address the needs of both businesses and citizens.
• Building on the successes of previous editions, BRAP 2024 aligns with key government initiatives such as the Reducing Compliance Burden (RCB) and Decriminalisation, while also integrating elements from the World Bank's upcoming B-READY program.
• This convergence will streamline regulatory processes, bolster economic growth, and foster greater investor confidence in India's business landscape.

Explanation:

• Prime Minister of India inaugurated Bidkin Industrial Area (BIA), marking a significant step in advancing India's industrial landscape, particularly in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra.
• Strategic Location: The BIA, a 7,855-acre transformative project, has been developed under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) as part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.
• It features excellent connectivity to NH-752E, Aurangabad railway station, Aurangabad Airport, and Jalna Dry Port.

Key Features of BIA Project

Location and Connectivity

• BIA is located adjacent to NH-752E and is only 35 km from Samruddhi Mahamarg connecting Nagpur to Mumbai.
• It is in close proximity to Aurangabad Railway Station (20 km), Aurangabad Airport (30 km), and Jalna Dry Port (65 km), thereby providing seamless multi-modal connectivity in line with the principles of PM Gatishakti.

Explanation:

• Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi informed that India has now become the world's third largest ethanol producer and consumer. In his address at the Sugar and Bio-Energy Conference, he highlighted the efforts of the government to promote the sugar industry and renewable energy.
• He praised the role of farmers who are moving from being food providers to being energy providers. India's ethanol blending program has saved foreign exchange worth US$ 11.80 billion (Rs 99000 crore) since 2014.

Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Program

• The sale of ethanol under this program has significantly increased the revenue of sugar mills, as well as reduced greenhouse gas emissions. • India’s ethanol blending programme has saved foreign exchange worth US$11.80 billion (approx Rs 99,000 crore) since 2014.
• India has opted out of importing 17.3 million metric tonnes of crude oil due to ethanol blending.

Explanation:

• The 2024 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize was awarded to Alexander Dunn of the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.
• Dunn has made significant progress in the study of modular forms, half-integral weight forms, metaplectic forms and their relationship with prime numbers and integer partitions.

SASTRA Ramanujan Prize

• Established in 2005, it was given by Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA) University, Tamil Nadu.
• It carries a cash prize of US$10,000.
• The prize is awarded each year to mathematicians aged 32 or younger for outstanding contributions, especially in areas inspired by the work of Srinivasa Ramanujan.

Srinivasa Ramanujan

• Born on 22 December 1887 in Tamil Nadu, he made pioneering contributions to number theory, elliptic functions, partition theory and hypergeometric series.
• His talent was recognised by G.H. Hardy in 1913, which resulted in him getting an opportunity to work at Cambridge.

Explanation:

• India and Uzbekistan signed a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) to ensure adequate protection of investors of both countries.
• It assures minimum standard treatment and non-discrimination while offering independent arbitration for dispute resolution.
• However, both countries have the right to regulate and provide adequate policy space for public interest regulation, without compromising the protection of investors.
• India is among the top 10 trading partners of Uzbekistan with bilateral trade of US$756.60 million.
• Total Indian investment in Uzbekistan is US$61 million.
• Notable Indian investments are in the fields of pharmaceuticals, amusement parks, automobile components and tourism industry.
• In 2019, India and Uzbekistan agreed to conduct a feasibility study for negotiating a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
• Lal Bahadur Shastri, India's second Prime Minister, died in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hours after signing the Tashkent Declaration, which ended the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War.