QUIZ – 2020: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 31 July 2021

Solution: c)

Nauka, meaning “science” in Russian, is the biggest space laboratory Russia has launched to date. It was sent into orbit on July 21, and will take eight days to reach the International Space Station.

Source

Solution: a)

A space station is essentially a large spacecraft that remains in low-earth orbit for extended periods of time. It is like a large laboratory in space, and allows astronauts to come aboard and stay for weeks or months to carry out experiments in microgravity.

For over 20 years since its launch, humans have continuously lived and carried out scientific investigations on the ISS under microgravity conditions, being able to make breakthroughs in research not possible on Earth.

The ISS is a pathbreaking collaborative effort between five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe) and CSA (Canada).

Source

Solution: b)

MSP can be anything that the government considers that the farmers should fairly get. This is to help them get fair remuneration for their produce and to motivate or demotivate them to produce a particular crop. Hence it can be either lower or higher than the market price. For e.g. if the government wishes to discourage rice farming, it would lower the MSP of rice.

The procurement system decentralization was started in 1997 where states play a very important role in the supply chain. Not all procurements are done by FCI. State cooperative agencies and other state-level distribution agencies also play a crucial role.

Solution: b)

Dholavira, the archaeological site of a Harappan-era city, received the UNESCO world heritage site tag. While Dholavira became the fourth site from Gujarat and 40th from India to make the list, it is the first site of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) in India to get the tag.

Source

Solution: d)

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

• The NPT is a multilateral treaty aimed at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons including three elements: (1) non-proliferation, (2) disarmament, and (3) peaceful use of nuclear energy.
• These elements constitute a “grand bargain” between the five nuclear weapon states and the non-nuclear weapon states.
• The treaty was signed in 1968 and entered into force in 1970. As of August 2016, 191 states have adhered to the treaty.
• Though North Korea, acceded in 1985 but never came into compliance, announced its withdrawal from the NPT in 2003. Four states—India, Israel, Pakistan, and South Sudan—have never signed the treaty.

Key provisions:

• The Treaty defines nuclear weapon states (NWS) as those that had manufactured and detonated a nuclear explosive device prior to 1 January 1967. All the other states are therefore considered non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS).
• The five nuclear weapon states are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• The Treaty does not affect the right of state parties to develop, produce, and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.