INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 29 May 2021) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (b)

Explanation: Important works of Savarkar:

• In his book, The History of the war of Indian Independence, Savarkar wrote about the guerilla warfare tricks used in 1857 Sepoy Mutiny.
• The book was banned by Britishers, but Madam Bhikaji Cama published the book in Netherlands, Germany and France, which eventually reached many Indian revolutionaries.
• He founded the two-nation theory in his book ‘Hindutva’ calling Hindus and Muslims two separate nations. In 1937, Hindu Mahasabha passed it as a resolution.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/05/29/veer-savarkar-5/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S1: Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean; it shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east.
• S2: Being situated between the Namib and the Kalahari deserts, Namibia has the least rainfall of any country in sub-Saharan Africa.

• S3: The Tropic of Capricorn passes through a number of countries including Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, and Paraguay.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/05/29/what-germany-recognising-the-colonial-era-genocide-in-namibia-means-for-the-african-nation/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Statement 1: Arguments that Governor appoints the Chief Secretary (CS) are:
• An appointment order is:
  • Essentially an executive action published in the State gazette notification
  • It is officially taken in the name of the Governor as all executive actions of a State government ought to be.
  • He is the highest officer of the state and Governor should ideally be the appointing authority of the CS.
  • So, even if CM “de facto” appoints the Chief Secretary, “de jure” appointment is made by the Governor, which should make statement 1 correct.
  • http://himachal.nic.in/WriteReadData/personnel/pdfs/CSMar2012_A1b.pdf
  • But, clearly it’s CM who selects and appoints CS of his state.
  • We are going with Option A because, the given statement is not ‘incorrect’per se (He selects or not, he does appoint CS) If there was absolutely NO ROLE involved from the Governor, the statement would be definitely incorrect.
• Statement 2: There is no fixed tenure for the post of Chief Secretary. In this context, the Administrative Reforms Commission, in its report on State Administration in 1969, had recommended that a Chief Secretary should have a minimum tenure of three to four years.
• Refer: UPSC CSE 2016

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/05/29/rule-6i-of-the-indian-administrative-service-cadre-rules-1954/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: About the Mid-Day meal scheme:

• S2: The scheme guarantees one meal to all children in government and aided schools and madarsas supported under Samagra Shiksha.
• Students up to Class VIII are guaranteed one nutritional cooked meal at least 200 days in a year.
• S3: The Scheme comes under the Ministry of HRD.
• S1: It was launched in the year 1995 as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP – NSPE), a centrally sponsored scheme. In 2004, the scheme was relaunched as the Mid Day Meal Scheme.
• The Scheme is also covered by the National Food Security Act, 2013.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/05/29/children-under-mid-day-meal-scheme-to-get-aid/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Source: stat2: Monoclonal antibodies are used to treat many diseases, including some types of cancer.
• Stat1: A monoclonal antibody (mAb or moAb) is an antibody made by cloning a unique white blood cell.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/05/29/what-are-monoclonal-antibody-therapies/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: There have been no reports of mosquitoes or other insects transmitting Ebola Only mammals (for example, humans, bats, monkeys, and apes) have become infected with Ebola virus and spread it. Read more>>
• S2: There is theoretical plausibility for sexual transmission of Ebola virus but there has been no evidence of this occurring. Also, there is no evidence that Ebola can be spread through sex or other contact with vaginal fluids from a woman who has had Ebola. Read more>>

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/05/29/biden-orders-probe-into-virus-origins/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Jayanti has become the twelfth subgenus, or species, of cricket identified under the genus Arachnomimus Saussure, 1897.
• It was found in the Kurra caves of Chhattisgarh in April 2021 by a team of zoologists.
• It was named Jayanti after Professor Jayant Biswas, one of the leading cave explorers in the country, who assisted the team.
• Interestingly, males of the new Jayanti subgenus cannot produce sound and their females don’t have ears.
• Arachnomimus is the genus name given by Swiss Entomologist Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure in 1878 to crickets that resembled spiders.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/05/29/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-29-may-2021/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Six new sites apart from the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary were identified under Project Lion that was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2020.
• The six new sites include:
  • Madhav National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
  • Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan.
  • Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan.
  • Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh.
  • Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan.
  • Jessore-Balaram Ambaji WLS and adjoining landscape, Gujarat.
• Lion relocation has been talked about since 1995, when the Kuno Wildife Sanctuary was identified as an alternate site. What is the need for relocation?
• The population in Gir has low genetic diversity, making it vulnerable to threats of extension from epidemics.
• Lions are found in Gujarat across an area of 30,000 sq km called the Asiatic Lion Landscape (ALL).
• Besides, the 2013 Supreme Court order directed Gujarat to relocate lions to the Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary.
• About Asiatic Lions:
  • Listed as ‘Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List.
  • Its population is restricted to the state of Gujarat in India (Gir National Park).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/04/project-lion-proposal-identifies-6-relocation-sites/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• S3: Chinese pangolin has been listed as “critically endangered” and Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) has been listed as “endangered”.
• S1 and 2: Indian Pangolin is widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North-East. It can be found at elevation up to 2500 m. The species also occurs in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Read more>>

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/05/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-5-january-2021/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: Indian star tortoise:

• Found across the Indian sub-continent, more specifically, in the Central and Southern parts of India, in West Pakistan and in Sri Lanka.
• Protected under Schedule IV of Wild Life Protection Act 1972.
• Convention on International Trade inSpecies (CITES): Appendix I
• IUCN Status: Vulnerable.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/20/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-january-2021-2/