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Daily Current Affairs Prelims Quiz 12-04-2021 - (Online Prelims Test) 

1) Natanz Nuclear Complex, often seen in the news recently, is one of the main uranium enrichment plants of which of the following countries?

  • a. 
  • b. 
  • c. 
  • d. 
Answer : d
  • Iran's nuclear chief has said its Natanz nuclear facility was hit by a terrorist act recently.
  • Iran Atomic Energy Organisation (IAEO) condemned the incident and urged the international community and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to deal with this nuclear terrorism.

Background

  • Iran's President Hassan Rouhani had recently inaugurated new centrifuges at the Natanz site, which is key to the country's uranium enrichment programme.
  • The facility, located in the desert in the central province of Isfahan, is the centre piece of Iran’s uranium enrichment programme and is monitored by inspectors of the IAEA.

2) Consider the following statements

  1. The Indus and Ganges River dolphins are same species but found in different waters.
  2. Both Indus and Ganges River Dolphins are classified as ‘Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

  • a. 
  • b. 
  • c. 
  • d. 
Answer : b
  • A Detailed analysis of South Asian river dolphins has recently revealed that the Indus and Ganges River dolphins are not one, but two separate species.
  • The study estimates that Indus and Ganges River Dolphins may have diverged around 550,000 years ago.
  • The Indus and Ganges River dolphins are both classified as ‘Endangered’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

3) Umngot River, sometimes seen in the news recently, is located in which of the following states?

  • a. 
  • b. 
  • c. 
  • d. 
Answer : a
  • 12 villages in Meghalaya protest against a 210 MW hydroelectric power project on Umngot River.
  • The river attracts many tourists to Dawki bordering Bangladesh.

Umngot River

  • The river acts as a natural divide between Jhaintia and Khasi hills, before finally flowing into Bangladesh.
  • The water of the river is so clear that the boats floating on it look as if they are on a crystal glass surface.     

4) Consider the following statements with respect to Shaphari Scheme

  1. The scheme certifies hatcheries and farms, for a period of two years, which adopts good aquaculture practices.
  2. The scheme was developed by the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA).
  3. The scheme is based on the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s (UN FAOs) technical guidelines on aquaculture certification.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

  • a. 
  • b. 
  • c. 
  • d. 
Answer : c
  • India exported frozen shrimp worth almost $5 billion in 2019-20 to the U.S. and China — its biggest buyers.
  • But a combination of factors had hurt export volumes in recent months, including container shortages and incidents of seafood consignments being rejected because of food safety concerns.
  • To bolster confidence in India’s frozen shrimp produce, the Centre has kicked off a new scheme “Shaphari” to certify hatcheries and farms that adopt good aquaculture practices.

Shaphari Scheme

  • The scheme was developed by the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA).
  • Shaphari is a Sanksrit word which means superior quality of fishery products suitable for human consumption.
  • Frozen shrimp is India’s largest exported seafood item.
  • Certified aquaculture products will help exporters to export their consignments to markets under stringent food safety regulations without the fear of getting rejected.
  • The Shaphari scheme is based on the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s technical guidelines on aquaculture certification and will have two components — certifying hatcheries for the quality of their seeds and, separately, approving shrimp farms that adopt the requisite good practices.
  • The certification of hatcheries will help farmers easily identify good quality seed producers.
  • Those who successfully clear multiple audits of their operations shall be granted a certificate for a period of two years.
  • The entire certification process will be online to minimise human errors and ensure higher credibility and transparency.

5) Consider the following pairs

  1. La Soufriere Volcano - Indonesia
  2. Thwaites Glacier - Antarctica        

Which of the pair(s) given above is/are correctly matched?

  • a. 
  • b. 
  • c. 
  • d. 
Answer : b

La Soufriere Volcano

  • La Soufriere, a volcano in the main Island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Southern Caribbean erupted in a billowing blast of gray smoke recently, spewing clouds of ash for miles and forcing thousands to evacuate.
  • The La Soufriere Volcano has been dormant for decades and last erupted in 1979.

Thwaites Glacier

  • Researchers at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg had recently said that the fears related to the melting of Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier are worse than previously thought, owing to the supply of warm water flowing underneath at a rate underestimated in the past.
  • It is 120 km wide at its broadest, fast-moving, and melting fast over the years.
  • Because of its size (1.9 lakh square km), it contains enough water to raise the world sea level by more than half a metre.
  • Studies have found the amount of ice flowing out of it has nearly doubled over the past 30 years.
  • As of now, Thwaites’s melting already contributes 4% to global sea level rise each year.
  • It is estimated that it would collapse into the sea in 200-900 years.
  • Thwaites is important for Antarctica as it slows the ice behind it from freely flowing into the ocean.
  • Because of the risk it faces — and poses — Thwaites is often called the Doomsday Glacier.

6) Consider the following statements with respect to Classical Swine Fever (CSF)

  1. It is caused by type A influenza viruses H1N1, which causes 100% mortality in pigs.
  2. The humans are not affected by this disease and swines are the only species known to be susceptible.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?

  • a. 
  • b. 
  • c. 
  • d. 
Answer : a

Classical Swine Fever (CSF)

  • It is also known as hog cholera, a contagious viral disease of domestic and wild swine.
  • It is caused by a virus of the genus Pestivirus of the family Flaviviridae, which is closely related to the viruses that cause bovine viral diarrhoea in cattle and border disease in sheep.
  • The most common method of transmission is through direct contact between healthy swine and those infected with CSF virus.
  • Humans are not affected by this virus. Swine are the only species known to be susceptible.
  • Recently ICAR-IVRI has developed a Cell Culture CSF Vaccine using the Lapinized Vaccine Virus from foreign strain.

Swine flu

  • It is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses i.e. H1N1.
  • It is called swine flu because it was known in the past to occur in people who had been in the vicinity of pigs.

7) Which of the following statements are incorrect with respect to Municipal Bonds

  1. In India interest rates generated on municipal bonds are exempt from taxation.
  2. It is incentivised by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under Mission AMRUT.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  • a. 
  • b. 
  • c. 
  • d. 
Answer : d

Municipal Bonds

  • A municipal bond (muni) is a debt security issued by a state, municipality or county to finance its capital expenditures, including the construction of highways, bridges or schools.
  • Through muni bonds, a municipal corporation raises money from individuals or institutions and promises to pay a specified amount of interest and returns the principal amount on a specific maturity date.
  • Municipal Bonds can help the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to garner revenue to complete budgetary projects as property tax is the only major source of municipal revenue.
  • Municipal bonds that are issued to the public are rated by renowned agencies such as CRISIL, which allows investors transparency regarding the credibility of the investment option.
  • Municipal bonds are issued by municipal authorities, implying involvement of minimal risk with these securities.

Mission Amrut

  • Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) was launched in 2015 to:
  1. Ensure that every household has access to a tap with the assured supply of water and a sewerage connection.
  2. The Priority zone of the Mission is water supply followed by sewerage.
  3. Increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery and well-maintained open spaces (e.g., parks).
  4. Reduce pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities for non-motorized transport (e.g., walking and cycling).
  • It is a centrally sponsored scheme with 80% budgetary support from the Centre.

8) Which of the following states have rolled out Advanced Antiquities Management System?

  • a. 
  • b. 
  • c. 
  • d. 
Answer : d

Advanced Antiquities Management System

  • The AAMS is a software-driven automated storage used for the storage of various objects.
  • So far it has been used for storage of industrial equipment but the decision of Goa’s DAA to use it for storing valuable antiquities is the first such in the country.
  • The AAMS will ensure safety of antiquities, clean storage space, access control and data management and also enhance utilisation of space.
  • With antiquities preserved within the system, it will provide access to these in one place with the help of a screen on which the preserved antiquities can be searched and accessed within the system for viewing.
  • It will also provide information about the age of the antiquity, the material it is made of and its brief history.

9) Consider the following statements with respect to Net-Zero Target

  1. It is a plan on Co2 emissions formulated in COP15, by which a country would bring down its net carbon emission to zero.
  2. It suggests absorption of the emissions through carbon sinks such as forests, and futuristic technologies such as carbon capture and storage.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

  • a. 
  • b. 
  • c. 
  • d. 
Answer : b

Net-Zero Target

  • It is also referred to as carbon-neutrality, does not mean that a country would bring down its emissions to zero.
  • Rather, net-zero is a state in which a country’s emissions are compensated by absorption and removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
  • Absorption of the emissions can be increased by creating more carbon sinks such as forests, while the removal of gases from the atmosphere requires futuristic technologies such as carbon capture and storage.
  • This way, it is even possible for a country to have negative emissions, if the absorption and removal exceed the actual emissions.
  • A good example is Bhutan which is often described as carbon-negative because it absorbs more than it emits.
  • India, the world’s third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, after the US and China.
  • However, India is the only one opposing this target because it is likely to be the most impacted by it.

10) Consider the following statements with respect to Sheep Pox

  1. It is a highly contagious disease of sheeps caused by a poxvirus different from the benign orf or contagious ecthyma.
  2. Indigenously developed vaccine for the disease can protect the vaccinated animals for a period of 40 months.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

  • a. 
  • b. 
  • c. 
  • d. 
Answer : c

Sheep Pox

  • It is a severe viral disease in sheep which is economically important in small ruminants.
  • It is a serious and often fatal disease characterized by widespread skin eruption.
  • It is a highly contagious disease of sheep caused by a poxvirus different from the benign orf (or contagious ecthyma).
  • The transmission is usually by aerosol after close contact with severely affected animals containing ulcerated papules on the mucous membranes.
  • The live attenuated Sheep Pox Vaccine using indigenous strain was developed by the Institute for preventive vaccination in the sheep population.
  • The developed Vaccine uses indigenous Sheep Pox Virus Strain [SPPV Srin 38/00] and is adapted to grow in the Vero cell line which makes the Vaccine production to be easily scalable.
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