INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 9 January 2021) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Navtej Singh Johar & Ors. v. Union of India thr. Secretary Ministry of Law and Justice is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of India in 2018 that decriminalised all consensual sex among adults, including homosexual sex.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/09/last-chance-to-clear-stand-on-same-sex-marriages-for-center-delhi-hc/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Right to religion is subject to public order, morality, health and other provisions relating to fundamental rights.
• State is permitted to provide for social welfare and reform or throw open Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/09/sc-to-hear-plea-against-confessions-to-priests/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: here the directive word is incorrect!!

• H5N1 is a type of influenza virus that causes a highly infectious, severe respiratory disease in birds called avian influenza (or “bird flu”). Human cases of H5N1 avian influenza occur occasionally, but it is difficult to transmit the infection from person to person. When people do become infected, the mortality rate is about 60%.
• Almost all cases of H5N1 infection in people have been associated with close contact with infected live or dead birds, or H5N1-contaminated environments. The virus does not infect humans easily, and spread from person to person appears to be unusual. There is no evidence that the disease can be spread to people through properly prepared and thoroughly cooked food.
• It is safe to eat properly prepared and cooked poultry and game birds. The virus is sensitive to heat.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/09/the-return-of-bird-flu/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• H9N2 is a subtype of the influenza A virus, which causes human influenza as well as bird flu.
• According to the US National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), H9N2 viruses are found worldwide in wild birds and are endemic in poultry in many areas.
• H9N2 viruses could potentially play a major role in the emergence of the next influenza pandemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), with avian influenza viruses circulating in poultry, there is a risk for sporadic infection and small clusters of human cases due to exposure to infected poultry or contaminated environments.
• H9N2 virus infections in humans are rare, but likely under-reported due to typically mild symptoms of the infections. Cases of human infection have been observed in Hong Kong, China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Egypt.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/09/the-return-of-bird-flu/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• About the IoEs scheme:
• Launched in order to empower the Higher Educational Institutions and to help them become world-class teaching and research institutions.
• Objectives:
  • Excellence and Innovation: To provide for higher education leading to excellence and innovations in such branches of knowledge as may be deemed fit at post-graduate, graduate and research degree levels.
  • Specialization: To engage in areas of specialization to make distinctive contributions to the objectives of the university education system.
  • Global Rating: To aim to be rated internationally for its teaching and research as a top hundred Institution in the world over time.
  • Quality teaching and Research: To provide for high quality teaching and research and for the advancement of knowledge and its dissemination.
• Incentives of the scheme:
  • Institutes with IOE tag will be given greater autonomy and freedom to decide fees, course durations and governance structures.
  • The public institutions under IOE tag will receive a government grant of ₹1,000 crore, while the private institutions will not get any funding under the scheme.
• Eligibility
  • Public institutions are assessed on the basis of QS-2020 world rankings, in case of a tie QS- 2019 rankings are used.
  • Only higher education institutions currently placed in the top 500 of global rankings or top 50 of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) are eligible to apply for the eminence tag.
• Greenfield Proposals: Only after exhausting the above criterion, if any slot remains vacant, consideration shall be given to yet to be established (Greenfield) proposals.
• The term green field project generally refers to the initiation of a project without the need to consider any prior work.
• Greenfield Institutions would get 3 year period to establish and operationalise the institution, and thereafter, EEC will consider giving IoE status to such institutions.
• Satya Bharti Foundation (telecom major Airtel’s philanthropic arm) became the second green field institution to be given IoE status, after Reliance’s Jio Institute.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/09/institutions-of-eminence-ioes-to-set-up-campuses-abroad/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• About NCAVES India Forum 2021
• In India, the NCAVES project is being implemented by the MoSPI with collaboration of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC).
• NCAVES India Forum 2021 is being organised in a virtual format.
• Key Focus area:
• The Forum aims to build a stronger awareness about the different perspective to Environment and to show a way forward towards realizing the contribution of the natural capital to achieve a “better environment, better tomorrow”.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/09/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-9-january-2021/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI)
• The National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) announced that it will offer a free IDN (Internationalized Domain Name) in any of their preferred 22 official Indian language.
• It will be available along with every IN domain booked by the registrant.
• This offer has been created to stimulate the adoption of भारत (IDN) domain name and proliferation of local language content.
• About NIXI
• National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not for profit organization working since 2003 for spreading the internet technology to the citizens of India.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/09/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-9-january-2021/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Shri Guru Ravidas Ji was an Indian mystic poet-sant of the Bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century CE. Venerated as a guru (teacher) in the region of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and mainly Punjab. He was a poet-saint, social reformer and a spiritual figure.
• The Panch Vani text of the Dadupanthi tradition within Hinduism also includes numerous poems of Ravidas. Guru Ravidas taught removal of social divisions of caste and gender, and promoted unity in the pursuit of personal spiritual freedoms.

Refer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravidas

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Tiger conservation involves attempts to prevent the animal from becoming extinct and preserving its natural habitat. India is home to 70 per cent of global tiger population. Therefore, the country has an important role to play in tiger conservation.
• Guru Ghasidas National Park: This will be Chattisgarh’s 4th tiger reserve. Current 3 tiger reserves: Achanakmar, Udanti- Sitanadi and Indravati tiger reserves.

Refer: https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/chhattisgarh-to-get-fourth-tiger-reserve-119112500111_1.html

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Ministry of rural development releases fifth edition of Wasteland Atlas. The last edition was published in 2011.
• This is significant as it takes into account 12.08 MHa of unmapped area of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) for the first time.
• The new wastelands mapping exercise was carried out by NRSC using the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite data.

Refer: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1590395