INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 20 July 2021) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• S1 and S2: Article 85(1) of the Constitution empowers the President to summon each House of Parliament to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit, but six months shall not intervene between its last sitting in one Session and the date appointed for its first sitting in the next Session.
• S3: This is correct, refer to the explanation above.
• http://legislative.gov.in/sites/default/files/coi-4March2016.pdf

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/07/20/monsoon-session-of-parliament/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• India is a founder member of the International Labour Organization, which came into existence in 1919. At present the ILO has 186 Members. A unique feature of the ILO is its tripartite character. The membership of the ILO ensures the growth of tripartite system in the Member countries.
• India also has a legal obligation to do so since the Parliament has ratified Convention No. 144 of the ILO related to strengthening the tripartite mechanism.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/07/20/indian-labour-conference-ilc/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: About Monkey B Virus:

• First identified in 1932, the virus is learnt to have infected only 50 people till 2020, of which 21 died.
• It is an alphaherpesvirus enzootic in macaques of the genus Macaca.
• B virus is the only identified old-world-monkey herpesvirus that displays severe pathogenicity in humans.
• Currently, there are no vaccines that can protect against B virus infection.
• S1: Kyasanur Forest Disease also referred to as Monkey Fever, is a tick-borne viral haemorrhagic disease, which can be fatal to humans and other primates.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/07/20/what-is-the-monkey-b-virus/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• S1: Artemis is the name of NASA’s program to return astronauts to the lunar surface.
• S2: What is Artemis I?
  • It is an uncrewed testflight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket.
  • Under the Artemis programme, NASA has aimed to land the first woman on the Moon in 2024 and also establish sustainable lunar exploration programs by 2030.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/07/20/nasas-new-spacecraft-nea-scout/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• S1: The carbon market refers to the market in which carbon credits, in other words carbon certificates, are obtained and sold within defined standards for the prevention or reduction of GHGs.
• S2: The provisions relating to setting up a new carbon market are described in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. These are enabling provisions that allow for two different approaches of carbon trading, more or less on the lines described earlier.
• Article 6.2 enables bilateral arrangements for transfer of emissions reductions, while ensuring that they do not double-count the reductions. Article 6.4 talks about a wider carbon market in which reductions can be bought and sold by anyone.
• Article 6.8 provides for making ‘non-market approaches’ available to countries to achieve targets. It is not yet very clear what these approaches would constitute, but they could include any cooperative action, like collaboration on climate policy or common taxation, that are not market-based.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/07/20/chinas-national-carbon-emissions-trading-market/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Africa has become the first continent in the world to complete the collection of accurate, comprehensive and harmonised digital land use and land use change data under the Africa Open DEAL initiative.
• DEAL stands for Data for the Environment, Agriculture and Land Initiative.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/07/20/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-20-july-2021/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: The Ganges river dolphin can only live in freshwater and is essentially blind.
• S2: The Ganges dolphin is a Schedule I animal under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, and has been included in Annexure – I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
• S3: The Indus and Ganges River dolphins are both classified as ‘Endangered’ species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Refer: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/indus-and-ganges-river-dolphins-are-two-different-species/article34290646.ece

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Strobilanthes reptans is a species of Strobilanthes native to Tropical and Subtropical Asia and the West Pacific.
• It has been described as an invasive weed around the Indo-Pacific islands region, with an ornamental appearance.
• Why in news: In 2019 it was recorded from Tipi in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Refer: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/new-plant-recorded-in-india-is-invasive-weed-elsewhere/article35133144.ece

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Raimona National Park is a national park in Assam, India, spreaded across Gossaigaon and Kokrajhar subdivision of Kokrajhar district.
• It was declared to be National Park on 5 June 2021 by the announcement of Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on the occasion of World Environment Day at Gandhi Mandap, Guwahati.

Refer: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/raimona-becomes-assams-sixth-national-park/article34736719.ece

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The dugong is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller’s sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas), was hunted to extinction in the 18th century. The dugong is the only strictly marine herbivorous mammal, as all species of manatee use fresh water to some degree.
• In India, it is found off the Gujarat Coast (Gulf of Kutch), Tamil Nadu coast (Gulf of Mannar), Palk Bay and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Refer: UPSC CSE 2015