QUIZ – 2020: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 6 August 2020

Solution: d)

Irrawaddy dolphins are found in coastal areas in South and Southeast Asia, and in three rivers: the Ayeyarwady (Myanmar), the Mahakam (Indonesian Borneo) and the Mekong.

Although sometimes called the Irrawaddy river dolphin, it is not a true river dolphin, but an oceanic dolphin that lives in brackish water near coasts, river mouths, and estuaries. It has established subpopulations in freshwater rivers, including the Ganges and the Mekong, as well as the Irrawaddy River from which it takes its name.

The worldwide population appears to be over 7,000.

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

It is endangered as per IUCN Red List.

Source

Solution: c)

Microplastics are synthetic or semi-synthetic, solid, water insoluble, high polymer plastic particles of a size range below 5 mm. They are both used as a raw material for a number of products and produced from degradation of any plastic product. Their small size allows them to pass through wastewater treatment plants and reach the oceans through surface waterbodies and rivers. Microplastics are non-biodegradable and persistent in marine and freshwater

Plastic particles generally of size below1µm are called nanoplastics. They pose higher risk to the environment because of their reduced size which is 1000 times smaller than an algal cell.

Microplastics undergo various processes of physical, enzymatic and microbial degradation in nature, but do not get completely broken down.

Microplastics can absorb extremely harmful hydrophobic organic pollutants. Removal of microplastics from aquatic environment is extremely difficult as that could lead to the elimination of all plankton size organisms.

Microplastics exist in air as airborne pollutants originating from the plastic textile fiber production.

Microplastics used as abrasives in personal care and cosmetic products (PCCP) are commonly known as microbeads. Mostly of spherical shape, these, are used in both leave-on lotions and rinse-off products.

Source

Solution: b)

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has constituted an ‘Advisory Board for Banking Frauds (ABBF)’ to examine bank fraud of over ₹50 crore and recommend action.

Headquartered in Delhi, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will provide required secretarial services, logistic and analytical support along with the necessary funding to the board.

Besides the chairman, the Board consists of three other members.

Functions:

• The board’s jurisdiction would be confined to those cases involving the level of officers of General Manager and above in the Public Sector Banks in respect of an allegation of fraud in a borrowal
• It would function as the first level of examination of all large fraud cases before recommendations or references are made to the investigative agencies by the respective public sector banks (PSBs).
• Lenders would refer all large fraud cases above ₹50 crore to the board and on receipt of its recommendation or advice, the bank concerned would take further action in such matter.
• The Central Bureau of Investigation may also refer any case or matter to the board where it has any issue or difficulty or in technical matters with the PSB
• It would also periodically carry out frauds analysis in the financial system and give inputs for policy formulation related to the fraud to the

Source

Solution: c)

Solution: c)

For the first time ever India hosted the 14th session of Conference of Parties (COP-14) of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in September 2019, to address the issue of land degradation and desertification.

India took over the Presidency of the COP from China.

About UNCCD:

• Established in 1994.
• It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
• It is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21.
• To help publicise the Convention, 2006 was declared “International Year of Deserts and Desertification”.
• Focus areas: The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.
• The end goal is to protect land from over-use and drought, so it can continue to provide food, water and energy.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal Ministry for this Convention.