[MISSION 2022] INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 27 August 2021) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (d)

Explanation: Who was Hari Singh Nalwa?

• He was a commander in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s force.
• He remained Governor of Kashmir, Hazara and Peshawar.
• He defeated various Afghans and established control over various regions along the boundary of Afghanistan.
• He, thus, prevented Afghans from entering Punjab through Khyber pass, which was the main route to enter India by the foreign invaders from 1000 AD till early 19th century.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/27/who-was-hari-singh-nalwa-the-sikh-warrior-who-won-many-battles-against-afghans/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• S1: It shortens the period of public consultation hearings to a maximum of 40 days.
  • It reduces from 30 to 20 days the time provided for the public to submit their responses during a public hearing for any application seeking environmental clearance.
• S2: It also allows the declaration of some areas as “economically sensitive areas” without a public hearing or environmental clearance, and several “red” and “orange”-classified toxic industries could now operate as close as 0-5 km from a Protected Area in “callous disregard” for forests.
• The increased validity of the environment clearances for mining projects (50 years versus 30 years currently) and river valley projects (15 years versus 10 years currently) raises the risk of irreversible environmental, social and health consequences on account of the project remaining unnoticed for long.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/27/issues-surrounding-haryanas-new-land-law/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• All of the above are key features of India’s Drone Rules 2021.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/27/indias-new-drone-rules/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: This is widely used in developed countries to save manpower.
• S2: Drones can go where volcanologists can’t, e.g. craters of volcanoes, giving researchers access to potentially life-saving data. See https://www.insightsonindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/UPSC-prelims-questions-paper-2020-GS-paper-1.pdf
• S3: See recent article on this: https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/13/16468698/drone-humpback-whale-microbiome-health-conservation
• Scientists flew a small drone over the blowhole of a few humpback whales in the US and Canada to collect the microbes living inside their breath. Sampling the community of microbes and bacteria living inside whales, called the microbiome, can help us better understand what makes a healthy whale, and what happens when a whale gets sick.

Refer: UPSC CSE 2020

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• This infrastructure project is the largest-ever by India in the Maldives.
• It involves the construction of a 6.74-km-long bridge and causeway link that will connect the Maldives capital Malé with the neighbouring islands of Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi.
• This project was funded by India in a grant of $100 million, with a line of credit of $400 million.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/27/greater-male-connectivity-project-gmcp/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S1: The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India.
• S2: Malabar began as a bilateral naval exercise between India and the U.S. in 1992, and was expanded into a trilateral format with the inclusion of Japan in 2015.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/27/the-malabar-exercise-of-quad-nations/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• It is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.
  • These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system— generate precise, three-dimensional information about the shape of the Earth and its surface characteristics.
• S2: Lidar can also be used to make digital 3-D representations of areas on the earth’s surface and ocean bottom, due to differences in laser return times, and by varying laser wavelengths. It has terrestrial, airborne, and mobile applications.
• S3: Agricultural robots have been used for a variety of purposes ranging from seed and fertilizer dispersions, sensing techniques as well as crop scouting for the task of weed control. Researchers at the Agricultural Research Service used this topographical data with the farmland yield results from previous years, to categorize land into zones of high, medium, or low yield. This indicates where to apply fertilizer to maximize yield.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/27/what-is-lidar/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Sangay Volcano: Ecuador
• Taal Volcano: Philippines
• Kilauea is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. Historically, it is the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the Big Island of Hawaiʻ

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/27/mission-2022-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-27-august-2021-3/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Ramgarh Hills Jharkhand
• Nayagarh hills: Odisha
• Nallamala hills: Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
• Javadi hills: Tamil Nadu

Refer: Major hillls/mountain ranges in India

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• The Kashmir stag (Cervus hanglu hanglu), also called hangul, is a subspecies of Central Asian red deer endemic to Kashmir, India.
• The sangai is an endemic and endangered subspecies of Eld’s deer found only in Manipur, India.
• Feral Horses are free roaming horse also known as wild horses, found only in the Dibru Saikhowa National Park of Assam. Dibru Saikhowa Biosphere reserve in north east has herd of approximately 79 bright coloured wild horses in India.
• The lion-tailed macaque, or the wanderoo, is an Old World monkey endemic to the Western Ghats of South India.
  • Silent Valley has the largest number of lion tailed macaque in South India. Other protected areas in Kerala include Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Periyar Tiger Reserve and its premises (Gavi and Konni), Eravikulam National Park, Pambadum Shola National Park, Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Annaimalai Tiger Reserve, New Amarambalam Reserved Forest, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary and Chimmony Wildlife Sanctuary and Wayanad region.

Refer: important species in news