QUIZ – 2020: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 19 June 2020

Solution: c)

The number of Asiatic lions in Gujarat’s Gir forest has risen. It has grown by almost 29% over the last five years. The lion population now stands at 674, according to the State Forest Department. There has been a consistent increase in the population over the years.

Their distribution has also expanded from 22,000 sq. km in 2015 to 30,000 sq. km in 2020. Asiatic lions are present in Protected Areas and agro-pastoral landscapes of Saurashtra.

Asiatic Lions are listed as ‘Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List. Its population is restricted to the state of Gujarat in India.

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Solution: c)

Following a series of orders by the National Green Tribunal in 2018, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has for the first time released guidelines to monitor and check illegal sand mining in the country.

The Enforcement and Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining 2020 released by the Ministry include directions to states to carry out river audits, put detailed survey reports of all mining areas online and in the public domain, conduct replenishment studies of river beds, constantly monitor mining with drones, aerial surveys, ground surveys and set up dedicated task forces at district levels.

The guidelines also push for online sales and purchase of sand and other riverbed materials to make the process transparent. They propose night surveillance of mining activity through night-vision drones.

While the MoEF has already put in place the Sustainable Sand Management Guidelines 2016, which focus on the management of sand mining in India, officials say that there is an urgent need to have guidelines for effective enforcement of regulatory provisions and their monitoring.

The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 has empowered state governments to make rules to prevent illegal mining, transportation and storage of minerals. “But in the recent past, it has been observed that there was a large number of illegal mining cases in the country.

The 2020 guidelines are to be enforced simultaneously with the Sustainable Sand Management Guidelines, 2016, but in instances where the two sets of guidelines may seem to be in conflict, the new set will hold legal precedence.

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Solution: d)

Milk is the largest crop in India in terms of value, it’s more than the total value of paddy and wheat put together. From a largely captive market—despite being the world’s largest milk producer—the country is emerging as a major exporter now.

Solution: c)

Like RT-PCR, the rapid antigen detection test too seeks to detect the virus rather than the antibodies produced by the body.

What is the rapid antigen detection test for Covid-19?

It is a test on swabbed nasal samples that detects antigens (foreign substances that induce an immune response in the body) that are found on or within the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is a point-of-care test, performed outside the conventional laboratory setting, and is used to quickly obtain a diagnostic result.

How is rapid antigen detection test different from RT-PCR test?

RT-PCR is currently the gold standard frontline test for the diagnosis of Covid-19. Like RT-PCR, the rapid antigen detection test too seeks to detect the virus rather than the antibodies produced by the body. While the mechanism is different, the most significant difference between the two is time. As the ICMR has pointed out, the RT-PCR test takes a minimum of 2-5 hours including the time taken for sample transportation. “These specifications limit the widespread use of the RT-PCR test and also impedes quick augmentation of testing capacity in various containment zones and hospital settings,” the ICMR advisory states. In a reliable rapid antigen detection test, the maximum duration for interpreting a positive or negative test is 30 minutes.

What are the limitations of an antigen test’s results?

These tests are very specific for the virus, but are not as sensitive as molecular PCR tests. This means that positive results from antigen tests are highly accurate, but there is a higher chance of false negatives, so negative results do not rule out infection.

Negative results from an antigen test may need to be confirmed with a PCR test prior to making treatment decisions or to prevent the possible spread of the virus due to a false negative.

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Solution: a)

Odisha Forest Department officials, wildlife experts and researchers had sighted 146 endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in Chilika Lake, which boasts of the highest single lagoon population of the aquatic mammal in the world.

The direct sighting of 146 dolphins only corroborates the estimate of the Chilika Development Authority (CDA), which does counting of dolphins round the year using hydrophones.

According to hydrophone monitoring carried out round the year in Chilika, the highest number of Irrawaddy dolphins (20-25) was moving around Rajhans, followed by the Magarmukh and Malatikuda areas.

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