QUIZ – 2020: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 15 January 2021

Solution: a)

An international research team led by the University of Bonn has identified and further developed novel antibody fragments against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. These “nanobodies” are much smaller than classic antibodies — and they, therefore, penetrate the tissue better and can be produced more easily in larger quantities.

Antibodies are an important weapon in the immune system’s defense against infections. They bind to the surface structures of bacteria or viruses and prevent their replication. One strategy in the fight against disease is therefore to produce effective antibodies in large quantities and inject them into patients. However, producing antibodies is difficult and time-consuming; they are, therefore, probably not suitable for widespread use.

Nanobodies are antibody fragments that are so simple that they can be produced by bacteria or yeast, which is less expensive.

Source

Solution: b)

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms.

Solution: c)

The governor is neither directly elected by the people nor indirectly elected by a specially constituted electoral college as is the case with the president. He is appointed by the president by warrant under his hand and seal.

As held by the Supreme Court in 1979, the office of governor of a state is not an employment under the Central government. It is an independent constitutional office and is not under the control of or subordinate to the Central government.

Solution: b)

The Global Warming Potential (GWP) was developed to allow comparisons of the global warming impacts of different greenhouse gases. Specifically, it is a measure of how much energy the emissions of 1 ton of any greenhouse gas will absorb over a given period of time, relative to the emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO₂). The larger the GWP, the more that a given gas warms the Earth compared to CO₂ over that time period. The time period usually used for GWPs is 100 years. GWPs provide a common unit of measure, which allows analysts to add up emissions estimates of different gases (e.g., to compile a national GHG inventory), and allows policymakers to compare emissions reduction opportunities across sectors and gases.

CO₂, by definition, has a GWP of 1 regardless of the time period used, because it is the gas being used as the reference.

Solution: b)

Nagaland is bordered by the state of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east.

Article 371A of the Constitution, enacted in 1963, confers special provisions on Nagaland, with clause (a) reading:

“[N]o Act of Parliament in respect of (i) religious or social practices of the Nagas, (ii) Naga customary law and procedure, (iii) administration of civil and criminal justice involving decisions according to Naga customary law, (iv) ownership and transfer of land and its resources, shall apply to the State of Nagaland unless the Legislative Assembly of Nagaland by a resolution so decides”.