DAY – 6 ( INSTA REVISION TEST)INSTA REVISION PLAN 2.0, 2020

Solution: D

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organization, the creation of which was announced on 15 June 2001 in Shanghai (China) by the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan. It was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Charter was signed during the St.Petersburg SCO Heads of State meeting in June 2002, and entered into force on 19 September 2003. This is the fundamental statutory document which outlines the organization’s goals and principles, as well as its structure and core activities.

The historical meeting of the Heads of State Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was held on 8-9 June 2017 in Astana. On the meeting the status of a full member of the Organization was granted to the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

The Heads of State Council (HSC) is the supreme decision-making body in the SCO. It meets once a year and adopts decisions and guidelines on all important matters of the organization. The SCO Heads of Government Council (HGC) meets once a year to discuss the organization’s multilateral cooperation strategy and priority areas, to resolve current important economic and other cooperation issues, and also to approve the organization’s annual budget. The SCO’s official languages are Russian and Chinese.

The organization has two permanent bodies — the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent. The SCO Secretary-General and the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS are appointed by the Council of Heads of State for a term of three years.

Thus, currently:

• the SCO comprises eight member states, namely the Republic of India, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan;
• the SCO counts four observer states, namely the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran and  the Republic of Mongolia;
• the SCO has six dialogue partners, namely the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, the Republic of Turkey, and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/modi-to-meet-xi-putin-at-sco/article27766641.ece

http://eng.sectsco.org/about_sco/

Solution: A

The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world’s most strategically important choke points. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast the United Arab Emirates and Musandam, an exclave of Oman.

The Bab-el-Mandeb is a strait located between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula, and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa. It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

Iran has one of the longest land borders of any country in western Asia covering 3,662 miles in length. There are seven countries that Iran shares this long land border with. These countries are Iraq, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/iran-has-accelerated-uranium-enrichment/article27766133.ece

Solution: C

Considering the importance of availability of labour force data at more frequent time intervals, National Statistical Office (NSO) launched Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) on April 2017. The objective of PLFS is primarily twofold:

1. To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the Current Weekly Status (CWS)
2. To estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both usual status (ps+ss) and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.

The first Annual Report (July 2017- June 2018) covering both rural and urban areas giving estimates of all important parameters of employment and unemployment in both usual status (ps+ss) and current weekly status (CWS) was released in May 2019.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gender-gap-in-employment-jobs-report/article27852266.ece

Solution: D

Japanese encephalitis virus JEV is the most important cause of viral encephalitis in Asia. It is a mosquito-borne flavivirus, and belongs to the same genus as dengue, yellow fever and West Nile viruses.

JEV is transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes of the Culex species (mainly Culex tritaeniorhynchus). Humans, once infected, do not develop sufficient viraemia to infect feeding mosquitoes. The virus exists in a transmission cycle between mosquitoes, pigs and/or water birds (enzootic cycle). The disease is predominantly found in rural and periurban settings, where humans live in closer proximity to these vertebrate hosts.

In most temperate areas of Asia, JEV is transmitted mainly during the warm season, when large epidemics can occur. In the tropics and subtropics, transmission can occur year-round but often intensifies during the rainy season and pre-harvest period in rice-cultivating regions

WHO recommends testing for JEV-specific IgM antibody in a single sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or serum, using an IgM-capture ELISA.

There is no antiviral treatment for patients with JE. Treatment is supportive to relieve symptoms and stabilize the patient.

https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/japanese-encephalitis

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/centre-sends-medical-team-to-bihar-to-tackle-encephalitis-cases-1560267309049.html

Solution: D

Rain water harvesting is the technique of collection and storage of rain water at surface or in sub-surface aquifers, before it is lost as surface run-off. The augmented resource can be harvested in the time of need. Artificial recharge to ground water is a process by which the ground water reservoir is augmented at rate exceeding that under natural conditions of replenishment.

ADVANTAGES :

• Cost of recharge to sub-surface reservoir is lower than surface reservoirs.
• The aquifer serves as distribution system also.
• No land is wasted for storage purpose and no population displacement is involved.
• Ground water is not directly exposed to evaporation and pollution.
• Storing water underground is environment friendly.
• It increases the productivity of aquifer.
• It reduces flood hazards.
• Effects rise in ground water levels.
• Mitigates the effects of drought.
• Reduces soil erosion.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/rainwater-harvesting-could-have-saved-city-from-crisis/article27903267.ece

http://cgwb.gov.in/documents/RWH_GUIDE.pdf

Solution: A

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) functions in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). As per Rules, 1989, it is responsible for appraisal of activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle. The committee is also responsible for appraisal of proposals relating to release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials.

GEAC is chaired by the Special Secretary/Additional Secretary of MoEF&CC and co-chaired by a representative from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). Presently, it has 24 members and meets every month to review the applications in the areas indicated above.

The functions of GEAC as prescribed in the Rules 1989 are as follows:

• To appraise activities involving large scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle.
• To appraise proposals relating to release of genetically engineered organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials.
• The committee or any persons authorized by it has powers to take punitive action under the Environment Protection Act.

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-mysterious-case-of-gm-brinjal-cultivation/article27943344.ece

https://geacindia.gov.in/about-geac-india.aspx

Solution: C

Wholesale Price Index, or WPI, measures the changes in the prices of goods sold and traded in bulk by wholesale businesses to other businesses. WPI is unlike the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks the prices of goods and services purchased by consumers.

WPI has been released by the Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. An upward surge in the WPI print indicates inflationary pressure in the economy and vice versa. The quantum of rise in the WPI month-after-month is used to measure the level of wholesale inflation in the economy.

 The central bank currently uses CPI or retail inflation as a key measure of inflation to set the monetary and credit policy.

WPI has a sub-index called WPI Food Index, which is a combination of the Food Articles from the Primary Articles basket, and the food products from the Manufactured Products basket.

https://www.thehindu.com/business/wpi-inflation-at-2-year-low-in-may/article27943361.ece

https://www.eaindustry.nic.in/pdf_files/cmonthly.pdf

Solution: A

In the Lok Sabha, the lower House of the Indian Parliament, both Presiding Officers, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker- are elected from among its members by a simple majority of members present and voting in the House. As such, no specific qualifications are prescribed for being elected the Speaker. The Constitution only requires that Speaker should be a member of the House.

https://m.economictimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/om-birla-to-be-ndas-nominee-for-lok-sabha-speakers-post-sources/articleshow/69836202.cms

https://speakerloksabha.nic.in/roleofthespeaker.asp#election

Solution: B

Libra is the name of newly launched Facebook’s cryptocurrency. It is a digital asset built by Facebook and powered by a new Facebook-created version of blockchain, the encrypted technology used by bitcoin and other crypto currencies.

Solution: D

For recognition as a national party, the conditions specified under Paragraph 6B of the 1968 Order are:

o a 6% vote share in the last Assembly polls in each of any four states, as well as four seats in

the last LokSabha polls; or

o 2% of all LokSabha seats in the last such election, with MPs elected from at least three states;

or

o recognition as a state party in at least four states.

Solution: C

Irula tribes are largely known for Vulture conservation in Mudumalai tiger reserve.

Adi tribes are largely known for the soil Conservation in the North East. The Adi are recognized as one of the 56 ethnic groups of China. They practice wet rice cultivation and have a considerable agricultural economy

Soliga tribes are known traditional control of Invasive lantana in Biligirirangaswamy Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in southern Karnataka. They speak Sholaga, which belongs to the Dravidian family. Used to practice shifting cultivation.

Solution: C

Access, Watch and Reserve (AWaRe) is a global campaign urging governments to adopt a tool to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance, adverse events and costs.

The AWaRe tool was developed by the WHO Essential Medicines List to contain rising resistance and make antibiotic use safer and more effective.

It classifies antibiotics into three groups

o Access

o Watch

o Reserve

It specifies which antibiotics to use for the most common and serious infections, which ones should be available at all times in the healthcare system, and those that must be used sparingly or preserved and used only as a last resort.

Solution: D

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten countries in Southeast Asia.

It was established in the year 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration). ASEAN Secretariat is in, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Membership

• The founding Members of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
• Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Cambodia joined later with Cambodia being the last member country to join in 1999

Solution: B

Sacred groves comprise of patches of forests or natural vegetation – from a few trees to forests of several acres – that are usually dedicated to local folk deities (Example – Ayyanar  and Amman) or tree spirits (Vanadevatais).

These spaces are protected by local communities because of their religious beliefs and traditional rituals that run through several generations. Sacred groves are not exclusively protected under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Himachal Pradesh leads in state-wise distribution of sacred groves.

Solution: C

Africa: fastest growing continent

More than half of global population growth between now and 2050 is expected to occur in Africa. Africa has the highest rate of population growth among major areas. The population of sub-Saharan Africa is projected to double by 2050. A rapid population increase in Africa is anticipated even if there is a substantial reduction of fertility levels in the near future.

Regardless of the uncertainty surrounding future trends in fertility in Africa, the large number of young people currently on the continent, who will reach adulthood in the coming years and have children of their own, ensures that the region will play a central role in shaping the size and distribution of the world’s population over the coming decades.

https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/population/index.html