Explanation: What is a heatwave?

• The IMD says heatwave is considered when the maximum temperature of a station touches at least 40 degrees Celsius or more for plains, 37 degrees Celsius or more for coastal regions and at least 30 degrees Celsius or more for hilly regions.
• What are the criteria?
• Heatwave is declared when the departure from normal temperature is by 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celsius and a severe heatwave is when the departure from normal is more than 6.4 degrees Celsius.
• For plains, based on actuals maximum temperature, IMD considers heatwave when actual maximum temperature is more than 45 degrees Celsius and severe heatwave when it is more than 47 degrees Celsius.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/04/07/what-are-heat-waves/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: CVC is only an advisory body. Central Government Departments are free to either accept or reject CVC’s advice in corruption cases.
• S2: CVC does not have powers to register criminal case. It deals only with vigilance or disciplinary cases.
• S3: CVC has supervisory powers over CBI. However, CVC does not have the power to call for any file from CBI or to direct CBI to investigate any case in a particular manner. CBI is under administrative control of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which means that, the powers to appoint, transfer, suspend CBI officers lie with DoPT.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/04/07/vigilance-officers-to-be-transferred-every-3-years/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• NITI Aayog, along with a working subgroup of officials and members of civil society, had prepared a draft National Migrant Labour policy.
• The Policy is a clear statement of intent to better recognise migrants’ contribution to the economy and support them in their endeavours.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/04/07/draft-national-migrant-labour-policy/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: About North Atlantic Treaty Organization:

• It is an intergovernmental military alliance.
• Established by Washington treaty.
• Treaty that was signed on 4 April 1949.
• Headquarters — Brussels, Belgium.
• Headquarters of Allied Command Operations — Mons, Belgium.
• Significance:
  • It constitutes a system of collective defence whereby its independent member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party.
• Composition:
  • Since its founding, the admission of new member states has increased the alliance from the original 12 countries to 30. The most recent member state to be added to NATO was North Macedonia on 27 March 2020.
  • NATO membership is open to “any other European state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area.”
• Objectives:
  • Political – NATO promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defence and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.
  • Military – NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake crisis-management operations. These are carried out under the collective defence clause of NATO’s founding treaty – Article 5 of the Washington Treaty or under a United Nations mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organisations.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/04/07/north-atlantic-treaty-organization-2/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: What is plasma therapy?

• Plasma is the liquid part of the blood. Convalescent plasma, extracted from the blood of patients recovering from an infection, is a source of antibodies against the infection.
• The therapy involves using their plasma to help others recover.
• For Covid-19, this has been one of the treatment options. The donor would have to be a documented case of Covid-19 and healthy for 28 days since the last symptoms.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/04/07/convalescent-plasma/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• On March 22, 2021, a Soyuz rocket put 38 payloads into space. Among them was ‘The End-of-Life Services by Astroscale demonstration mission’ (Elsa-D), developed by a Japanese company called Astroscale.
• It is the world’s first commercial mission to demonstrate a space debris removal system.
• Read more>> https://www.thehindu.com/children/what-constitutes-space-debris-and-why-they-need-our-attention/article34237578.ece

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/04/07/space-debris/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:  ‘Lab on Wheels’: What is the concept?

• It will have students of the university travelling in a bus across Delhi to teach government school students and underprivileged children.
• The idea is to impart education in the fields of Mathematics and Science to those students who come from marginalised and poor economic backgrounds, in order to pique their interests in these subjects while pursuing higher education.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/04/07/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-6-april-2021-2/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• It was constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006, for strengthening tiger conservation.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority has been fulfilling its mandate within the ambit of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 for strengthening tiger conservation in the country by retaining an oversight through advisories/normative guidelines, based on appraisal of tiger status, ongoing conservation initiatives and recommendations of specially constituted Committees.
• Composition: Set up under the Chairmanship of the Minister for Environment and Forests. The Authority will have eight experts or professionals having qualifications and experience in wildlife conservation and welfare of people including tribal, apart from three Members of Parliament of whom two will be elected by the House of the People and one by the Council of States.

Refer: https://ntca.gov.in/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• As per the India state of forest report-2019, all the given options are correct.

Refer: http://164.100.117.97/WriteReadData/userfiles/ISFR2019%20Vol-I.pdf

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Dependence of fuelwood on forests is highest in the State of Maharashtra, whereas, for fodder, small timber and bamboo, dependence is highest in Madhya Pradesh. It has been assessed that the annual removal of the small timber by the people living in forest fringe villages is nearly 7% of the average annual yield of forests in the country
• Fire prone forest areas of different severity classes have been mapped. The analysis reveals that 40% of the forest cover of the country is highly to extremely fire prone.

Refer: http://164.100.117.97/WriteReadData/userfiles/ISFR2019%20Vol-I.pdf