QUIZ – 2020: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 4 February 2021

Solution: c)

Orchids are not often called ugly, but that is how the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, described a new species of the normally vibrant and delicate flower discovered in the forests of Madagascar.

Gastrodia agnicellus, one of 156 plants and fungal species named by Kew scientists and their partners around the world in 2020, has been crowned “the ugliest orchid in the world”.

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Solution: d)

A neural network is a series of algorithms that endeavours to recognize underlying relationships in a set of data through a process that mimics the way the human brain operates. In this sense, neural networks refer to systems of neurons, either organic or artificial in nature. Neural networks can adapt to changing input; so the network generates the best possible result without needing to redesign the output criteria. The concept of neural networks, which has its roots in artificial intelligence, is swiftly gaining popularity in the development of trading systems.

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Solution: d)

On October 14, 2020 the top court upheld the Tamil Nadu government’s authority to notify an ‘elephant corridor’ and protect the migratory path of the animals through the Nilgiri biosphere reserve. The reserve is the largest protected forest area in India, spanning across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

A three-judge Bench led by CJI Bobde had said it was the State’s duty to protect a “keystone species” such as elephants, immensely important to the environment.

The corridor is situated in the ecologically fragile Sigur plateau, which connects the Western and the Eastern Ghats and sustains elephant populations and their genetic diversity. It has the Nilgiri Hills on its southwestern side and the Moyar River Valley on its north-eastern side. The elephants cross the plateau in search of food and water.

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Solution: c)

SAARC comprises of eight Member States: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Solution: c)

The Asiatic cheetah, which once roamed India’s vast forests and grasslands, was declared extinct here in 1952, after decades of human intervention, hunting and habitat degradation. The IUCN Red List classifies the species as critically endangered globally.

The Asiatic cheetah is now found only in Iran.

The Asiatic cheetah is arguably the most distinct of the cheetah subspecies. It is lighter in weight, has a smaller head and shorter legs. It faces many threats, including persecution killing, habitat loss (prey depletion), targeted poaching for skins, body parts and live trade, and even road-kill.

Cheetahs are fairly adaptable and present across varied climate and habitats in their extant range. However, they require specialized prey and do not tolerate landscapes that have medium to high human populations.

Cheetahs have wide climatic tolerances but the impacts of climate change and increasing human populations are placing pressure on cheetah habitats.