INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 29 April 2020) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Stat1: In 1904, Viceroy Lord Curzon, on behalf of the British King Emperor, bestowed upon Varma the Kaisar-i-Hind Gold Medal.
• Stat2: Raja Ravi Varma produced many masterpieces of art during his life. Here is a comprehensive list of some of the most prominent works of Raja Ravi Varma:
  • A Family of Beggars – This painting represented the sorry state of Indian economics.

• • A Lady Playing Swarbat – Just like many of his paintings, this too, was modelled after a South Indian woman.
  • Arjuna and Subhadra – This painting narrates a story from the Hindu epic Mahabharata.
  • Damayanti Talking to a Swan – This too is a scene straight out of Mahabharata.
  • Draupadi Dreading to meet Kichaka – Once again, this picture narrates a story from Mahabharata.
  • Girl in Sage Kanwa’s Hermitage (Rishi-Kanya) – This story talks about the story of Shakuntala.
  • Jatayu (a bird devotee of Lord Rama) – This is perhaps one of the most commonly featured work of Raja Ravi Varma. The picture narrates the story of Jatayu who gives up its life after fighting the mighty villain Ravana from Ramayanam.
• On his 65th death anniversary, India post issued a commemorative postal stamp depicting Ravi Varma and his famous painting ‘Damayanti and Swan’
  • 

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/04/29/raja-ravi-varma/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Cyclones are given many names in different regions of the world – They are known as typhoons in the China Sea and Pacific Ocean; hurricanes in the West Indian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean; tornados in the Guinea lands of West Africa and southern USA.; willy-willies in north-western Australia and tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/04/29/imd-releases-new-list-of-cyclone-names/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: About ADB’s COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support (CARES) Program:

• Started to provide immediate requirements to governments in the face of this global crisis.
• The CARES Programme is provided as the first support to meet the immediate requirements of the government.
• The Program will contribute directly to the improvement of access to health facilities and care, as well as social protection for more than 800 million people.
• The Program is funded through the COVID-19 pandemic response option (CPRO) under ADB’s Countercyclical Support Facility.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/04/29/adbs-covid-19-active-response-and-expenditure-support-cares-program/

Ans: (c)

Explanation: The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released its 2020 report.

• Recommendations made by USCIRF to US government:
  • Take stringent action against India under the “International Religious Freedom Act” (IRFA).
  • Impose targeted sanctions on Indian government agencies and officials responsible for severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ assets and/or barring their entry into the United States under human rights-related financial and visa authorities, citing specific religious freedom violations.
• International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) was passed to promote religious freedom as a foreign policy of the United States, to promote greater religious freedom in countries which engage in or tolerate violations of religious freedom, and to advocate on the behalf of individuals persecuted for their religious beliefs and activities in foreign countries.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/04/29/uscirf-2020-annual-report/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Since its inception in 2010, the Petersberg Climate Dialogue has provided a forum for high-level political discussions, focusing both on the international climate negotiations and on advancing climate action on the ground. This year, the Petersberg Climate Dialogue will be held virtually for the first time, and will focus on climate ambition in the context of a green, resilient recovery.
• The Climate Dialogue was originally an initiative of German Chancellor Angela It is hosted by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/04/29/petersberg-climate-dialogue/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Niti Aayog has questioned Australian institute’s terror ranking of India in its Global Terrorism Index of 2019.
• It has questioned the methodology adopted to rank India as the seventh worst terrorism affected country ahead of conflict-ridden countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Palestine and Lebanon.
• It also questions the opaque funding of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/04/29/global-terrorism-index-gti/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Eclipta prostrata commonly known as false daisy and bhringraj, is a species of plant in the sunflower family. It is widespread across much of the world.
• Eclipta grows abundantly in the tropics and is used with success in Ayurvedic medicine. Bhringaraj was used by Hindus in their Shradh, the ceremony for paying respect to a recently deceased person. This plant is one of the Hindu’s “Ten Auspicious Flowers” and is sometimes called, “the king of hair.
• The plant has traditional uses in Ayurveda.
• 
• Medicinal Values:
  • Bhringraj is mainly used in hair oils, but it has been considered a good drug in hepatotoxicity.
  • In hair oils, it may be used alongwith Centela asiatica (Brahmi) and Phyllanthus emblica (Amla) It may be used to prevent habitual abortion and miscarriage and also in cases of post-delivery uterine pain. A decoction of leaves is used in uterine haemorrhage.
  • The juice of the plant with honey is given to infants with castor oil for expulsion of worms. For the relief in piles, fumigation with Eclipta alba is considered beneficial. The paste prepared by mincing fresh plants has got an anti-inflammatory effect and may be applied to insect bites, stings, swellings and other skin diseases.

Refer: http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/False%20Daisy.html

Ans: (a)

Explanation: Here Directive word is not correct!!

Ankasamudra Lake : Karnataka

• It is known to be a Natural Bird Sanctuary owing to large number of local and migratory birds choosing it as a breeding ground
• It was the first bird conservation reserve declared in the entire Hyderabad-Karnataka region

Refer: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2017/feb/05/ankasamudra-lake-is-now-a-bird-reserve-1567162.html

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Bureau of Indian Standards, has grouped the country into four seismic zones, viz. Zone II, III, IV and V.
• Zone V is seismically the most active region, while zone II is the least.
• Broadly, Zone – V comprises entire northeastern India, parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, part of North Bihar and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• 

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Kuldiha WS- Odisha
• Manjira WS- Telangana