[MISSION 2022] INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 28 August 2021) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: Sovereign gold bonds are issued by the RBI on behalf of the government.
• S2: The bonds will be denominated in multiples of gram(s) of gold with a basic unit of 1 gram. The tenor will be for a period of 8 years with exit option from the 5th year to be exercised on the interest payment dates.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/28/sovereign-gold-bond-scheme-3/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• S1: A black hole can not be seen because strong gravity pulls all of the light into the middle of the black hole. But scientists can see how the strong gravity affects the stars and gas around the black hole. Scientists can study stars to find out if they are flying around, or orbiting, a black hole.
  • When a black hole and a star are close together, high-energy light is made. This kind of light can not be seen with human eyes. Scientists use satellites and telescopes in space to see the high-energy light.
• S2: The Sun will never turn into a black hole, because it is said to have less mass than needed to turn into one. When the Sun is about to reach its end and run out of its fuel, it will automatically throw off outer layers turning into a glowing gas ring known as a “planetary nebula”.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/28/merger-of-three-jumbo-black-holes-spotted/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• AstroSat is India’s first multi-wavelength space telescope, which has five telescopes seeing through different wavelengths simultaneously — visible, near UV, far UV, soft X-ray and hard X-ray.
• Onboard the AstroSat is a 38-cm wide UltraViolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT), which is capable of imaging in far and near-ultraviolet bands over a wide field of view.
• It was launched on a PSLV-XL on 28 September 2015 by ISRO into a near-Earth equatorial orbit.
• It is a multi-institute collaborative project, involving IUCAA, ISRO, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Mumbai), Indian Institute of Astrophysics (Bengaluru), and Physical Research Laboratory (Ahmedabad), among others.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/22/astrosat/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: Einstein’s theory of relativity has important astrophysical implications. For example, it implies the existence of black holes—regions of space in which space and time are distorted in such a way that nothing, not even light, can escape—as an end-state for massive stars.
• There is ample evidence that the intense radiation emitted by certain kinds of astronomical objects is due to black holes; for example, micro quasars and active galactic nuclei result from the presence of stellar black holes and super massive black holes, respectively.
• The bending of light by gravity can lead to the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, in which multiple images of the same distant astronomical object are visible in the sky. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• S2: General relativity also predicts the existence of gravitational waves, which have since been observed directly by the physics collaboration LIGO. In addition, general relativity is the basis of current cosmological models of a consistently expanding universe. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• S3: General relativity is Einstein’s law of gravity, his Justification of that fundamental force which holds us to the surface of the Earth. Gravity, Einstein asserted, is caused by warping of space and time or space-time. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Refer: UPSC CSE 2018

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas. They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.
• The Environment Protection Act, 1986 does not mention the word “Eco-sensitive Zones”.
  • The section 3(2)(v) of the Act, says that Central Government can restrict areas in which any industries, operations or processes shall not be carried out or shall be carried out subject to certain safeguards
  • Besides the section 5 (1) of this act says that central government can prohibit or restrict the location of industries and carrying on certain operations or processes on the basis of considerations like the biological diversity of an area, maximum allowable limits of concentration of pollutants for an area, environmentally compatible land use, and proximity to protected areas.
• The above two clauses have been effectively used by the government to declare Eco-Sensitive Zones or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFA). The same criteria have been used by the government to declare No Development Zones.
• National Board for Wildlife (which replaced the Indian Board for Wildlife in 2002) decided that the “delineation of ESZs would have to be site specific and relate to regulation, rather than prohibition of specific activities”.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/28/eco-sensitive-zone-of-the-deepar-beel-wildlife-sanctuary-notified/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the eco-sensitive zone of the Deepar Beel Wildlife Sanctuary on the south-western edge of Guwahati.
• Deepar Beel is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Assam and the State’s only Ramsar site besides being an Important Bird Area.
• It is a permanent freshwater lake, in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River, to the south of the main river.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/28/eco-sensitive-zone-of-the-deepar-beel-wildlife-sanctuary-notified/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• It is a document published recently by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
• It reveals that 557 new species have been added to India’s fauna in 2020, which includes 407 new species and 150 new records.
• The number of faunal species in India has climbed to 1,02,718 species.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/28/animal-discoveries-2020/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• An innovative experiment has been undertaken by the Chhattisgarh government by setting up
• A gauthan is a dedicated five-acre plot, held in common by each village, where all the unused stubble is collected through parali daan (people’s donations) and is converted into organic fertiliser by mixing with cow dung and few natural enzymes.
• The scheme also generates employment among rural youth.
• The government supports the transportation of parali from the farm to the nearest gauthan.
• The state has successfully developed 2,000 gauthans.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/28/punjab-govt-to-give-incentives-to-industries-for-using-stubble/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• “Khorasan” refers to a historical region covering parts of modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. The group initially included Pakistan until a separate Pakistan section was declared in May 2019.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/28/mission-2022-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-28-august-2021/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Pong Dam Lake: Himachal Pradesh
• Bhoj Wetlands :Madhya Pradesh

Refer: Ramsar sites in India