[MISSION 2022] INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 31 December 2021 ) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (b)

Explanation: About ARIIA:

• It is an initiative by the Ministryof Education.
• Implemented byAICTE and the Ministry’s Innovation Cell.
• Objective:To systematically rank all major higher educational institutions and universities in India.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/12/31/atal-ranking-of-institutions-on-innovation-achievements-ariia-2/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• RCEP is a Free Trade Agreement between the ten member states of the ASEAN – Association of Southeast Asian Nations namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Brunei, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and its five partners (China, South Korea, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand).

• Significance:
  • RCEP will cover about 30% of global gross domestic product (GDP), worth $26.2 trillion (€23.17 trillion), and nearly a third of the world’s population, some 2.2 billion people.
  • Under RCEP, around 90% of trade tariffs within the bloc will eventually be eliminated.
  • RCEP will also set common rules around trade, intellectual property, e-commerce and competition.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/12/31/regional-comprehensive-economic-partnership-rcep-7/

Ans: (c)

Explanation: The Outer Space Treaty:

• It came into force on October 10, 1967.
• The principles embodied in the treaty has facilitated the orderly conduct of activities in outer space.
• India is a party to all the major international treaties/regulationsrelated to outer space, including Outer Space Treaty, the Rescue Agreement, the Liability Convention and the Registration Convention and has also signed the Moon Treaty.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/12/31/tiangong-space-station/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Micro-animals are animals so small that they can be visually observed only under a microscope.
• Tardigrades are one of nature’s smallest animals. They are never more than 1.5 mm long, and can only be seen with a microscope. They are commonly known as“water bears”.
• Tardigrades were discovered in 1773 by a German pastor named Johann August Ephraim Goeze. Three years later, the Italian clergyman and scientist Lazzaro Spallanzanidiscovered that they had superpowers.
• Spallanzani added water to sediment from a rain gutter, and looked under a microscope. He found hundreds of little bear-shaped creatures swimming around. In his book “Opuscoli di Fisica Animale, e Vegetabile”, he named them “il Tardigrado”, meaning “slow-stepper“, because they moved so slowly.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/12/31/what-is-quantum-entanglement-2/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: The Speaker of Lok Sabha automatically disqualifies from his post if:

• he is no longer the Member of Parliament.
• if he tenders his resignation to the Deputy Speaker.
• if he holds the office of profit under central government or any state government.
• if he is of unsound mind and that too declared by the court of law.
• if he is declared undischarged insolvent.
• if he is no longer the citizen of India or voluntarily accepts the citizenship of any other country.
• if he is removed from the post of Speaker by passing a resolution by majority of the members of Lok Sabha. This is to note that during resolution for removal of Speaker, the Speaker is not in position to cast his vote even if there is tie.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/07/12/electing-a-speaker-deputy-speaker/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: As part of the mission, the crew flew to the edge of space on July 11 on board the ‘Unity’ rocket ship developed by Virgin Galactic.
  • This was the 22nd mission for VSS Unity.
  • This was Virgin Galactic’s fourth crewed spaceflight.
  • It was also the first to carry a full crew of two pilots and four mission specialists in the cabin, including Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson, who will be testing out the private astronaut experience.
• S2: Objectives of the mission:
  • Unity 22 will focus on testing the cabin and customer experience.
  • Currently, two additional test flights remain before the Virgin Galactic plans to commence commercial service in 2022.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/07/12/vss-unity-spaceships-suborbital-flight/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: As part of the mission, the crew flew to the edge of space on July 11 on board the ‘Unity’ rocket ship developed by Virgin Galactic.
  • This was the 22nd mission for VSS Unity.
  • This was Virgin Galactic’s fourth crewed spaceflight.
  • It was also the first to carry a full crew of two pilots and four mission specialists in the cabin, including Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson, who will be testing out the private astronaut experience.
• S2: Objectives of the mission:
  • Unity 22 will focus on testing the cabin and customer experience.
  • Currently, two additional test flights remain before the Virgin Galactic plans to commence commercial service in 2022.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/07/12/vss-unity-spaceships-suborbital-flight/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: Bryum bharatiensis:

• Scientists in India have discovered a native moss species in Antarctica.
• It has been named Bryum bharatiensis – after India and India’s Antarctic station Bharati.
• This is the first time a plant species has been discovered in the four decades of the Indian Antarctic mission.

Refer: Facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/07/12/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-12-july-2021/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC) was established on November 10, 2000 at Vientiane at the First MGC Ministerial Meeting. It comprises six member countries, namely India, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. They emphasised four areas of cooperation, which are tourism, culture, education, and transportation linkage in order to be solid foundation for future trade and investment cooperation in the region.

Refer: UPSC CSE 2015

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Westerlies flow between latitudes 30-60 degrees North and 30-60 degrees South. The statement mentions 30N-60S. So it is wrong.
• The western cyclonic disturbances are weather phenomena of the winter months brought in by the westerly flow from the Mediterranean region. They usually influence the weather of the north and north-western regions of India. They are a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern driven by the Westerlies. (http://www.nih.ernet.in/rbis/india_information/wd.htm)

Refer: UPSC CSE 2015