INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 18 July 2020) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• On 16th July, exactly 75 years ago, scientists tested Gadget — the world’s first atomic bomb — in what was dubbed as the ‘Trinity Test’.
• Less than a month later, an identical nuclear bomb called ‘Fat Man’ was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing tens of thousands of people.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/18/us-trinity-test/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Stat1 SIDBI was established on April 2, 1990, through an Act of Parliament. It is headquartered in Lucknow.
• Stat2: SIDBI operates under the Department of Financial Services, Government of India.
• Stat3: State Bank of India is the largest individual shareholder of SIDBI with holding of 16.73% shares, followed by Government of India and Life Insurance Corporation of India.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/18/pm-street-vendors-atmanirbhar-nidhi-pm-svanidhi/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Stat1: It was launched in 2000 by the Government of India (GoI) to make available collateral-free credit to the micro and small enterprise sector.
• Stat2: Both the existing and the new enterprises are eligible to be covered under the scheme.
• Stat3: The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, GoI and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), established a Trust named Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) to implement the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/18/pm-street-vendors-atmanirbhar-nidhi-pm-svanidhi/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Stat1: Namami Gange Programme is being implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterparts—State Programme Management Groups.
• Stat2: Source: World Bank has approved a 5 year loan to the Namami Gange project worth Rs. 3,000 crore ($400 million). The assistance will help strengthen the management of the river basin which is home to more than 500 million people, the World Bank said in a statement

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/18/pms-awards-for-excellence-in-public-administration-2020/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• MMR is defined as the number of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births.
• The target 3.1 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births.
• Maternal mortality in a region is a measure of reproductive health of women in the area. As per the World Health Organization, maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/18/india-registers-a-steep-decline-in-maternal-mortality-ratio/

Ans: (d)

• The union environment ministry has approved the zonal master plan for the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone notification that stretches from Gaumukh to Uttarkashi covering an area of 4179.59 sqkm.
• This move will help expedite the chaardhaam road project.
• What is there in the zonal master plan?
  • The ZMP is based on watershed approach and includes governance in the area of forest and wildlife, watershed management, irrigation, energy, tourism, public health and sanitation, road infrastructure, etc.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/18/bhagirathi-eco-sensitive-zone/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Stat3: Mandakini originates from the Chorabari Glacier near Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, India. Mandakini is fed by Vasukiganga River at Sonprayag.
• Stat5: The Manas river system as a whole in Bhutan constitutes a length of 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi), the main stem of the river is the Manas or Gongri river, which originates in the West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh in India. Zemu is located in Sikkim.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/18/bhagirathi-eco-sensitive-zone/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Scientists have found widespread uranium contamination in groundwater from aquifers across 16 states in India, much above the WHO provisional standard for the country. The findings published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters are the first to demonstrate the predominant prevalence of uranium in India’s groundwater.
• The WHO has set a provisional safe drinking water standard of 30 micrograms of uranium per litre for India, a level that is consistent with US Environmental Protection Agency standards. Despite this, uranium is not yet included in the list of contaminants monitored under the Bureau of Indian Standards’ Drinking Water Specifications.
• While the primary source of uranium is geogenic (naturally occurring), anthropogenic (human caused) factors such as groundwater table decline and nitrate pollution may further enhance uranium mobilisation. Using geochemical and uranium isotope data, it suggests factors that may drive high uranium concentrations in groundwater, including uranium content in aquifer rocks, oxidation state, and groundwater chemistry that promotes the formation of soluble uranyl carbonate complexes.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/03/17/uranium-contamination-in-ground-water/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The Bhoj Wetland consists of two lakes located in the city of Bhopal. The two lakes are the Bhojtal and the Lower Lake. It is a manmade reservoir. Bhoj Wetland was recognized as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention of 1971 in 2002.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/29/ramsar-sites-in-india/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• The British government has announced a research project, South Asian Nitrogen Hub to study nitrogen pollution in India and South Asia.
• The project aims to study the impact of different forms of nitrogen pollution, particularly looking at nitrogen in agriculture in eight countries of South Asia.
• The project led by UK’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology will partner with 50 organisations from the UK and South Asia.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/01/25/nitrogen-pollution/