[Mission 2023] Current Affairs Quiz ,22 December 2022

Solution: b)

The hippopotamus is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa.

Aside from elephants and rhinos, the hippopotamus is the largest land mammal. Hippos inhabit rivers, lakes, and mangrove swamps.

The species is included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meaning international export/import (including in parts and derivatives) requires CITES documentation to be obtained and presented to border authorities.

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Solution: a)

The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha nominates a panel of vice-chairpersons from among the members, according to the Rajya Sabha Rules. In the absence of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman, any of them can preside over the House. When presiding, he has the same powers as the Chairman.

Nominated Rajya Sabha member and athlete P.T. Usha is now on the panel of Vice-Chairman of the House. Ms. Usha is the first nominated member in the history of the Rajya Sabha to be included in the panel.

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Solution: d)

Gujarat’s Vadnagar town, the iconic Sun Temple at Modhera, and the rock cut sculptures of Unakoti in Tripura have been added to the tentative list of UNCESO World Heritage Sites.

The UNESCO tentative list is an “inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination”.

“With this, India now has 52 sites on UNESCO Tentative List. The list indicates rich cultural and natural wealth of India and shows huge diversity of our heritage.

The Sun Temple, Modhera dedicated to Surya Dev, is the earliest of such temples which set trends in architectural and decorative details, representing the Solanki style at its best.

The Sun Temple is located on the left bank of the river Pushpavati, a tributary of river Rupan in Becharaji taluka of Mehsana district. This east-facing temple is built with bright yellow sandstone.

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Solution: b)

The fifth Scorpène-class conventional submarine, Vagir, was delivered to the Navy by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai on December 20.

Six Scorpene submarines are being built under Project-75 by MDL under technology transfer from Naval Group of France. The first submarine INS Kalvari was commissioned in December 2017, second submarine INS Khanderi in September 2019, third one INS  Karanj in March 2021 and the fourth one INS  Vela joined service in November 2021.

The Navy currently has 15 conventional and one nuclear submarine in service. It includes seven Russian Kilo class submarines, four German HDW submarines, four Scorpene class submarines and the indigenous nuclear ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant.

The Navy has drawn up plans to install Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) modules on all Scorpene submarines as they go for their refit beginning with INS Kalvari in the next couple of years to enhance their endurance.

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Solution: d)

Bioterrorism agents are pathogenic organisms or biological toxins that are used to produce death and disease in humans, animals, or plants.

Bioterrorist attacks could be caused by virtually any pathogenic microorganism.

The bioterrorist agents with highest priority are the causes of anthrax (Bacillus anthracis), botulism (Clostridium botulinum), plague (Yersinia pestis), smallpox (variola major), tularaemia (Francisella tularensis) and viral haemorrhagic fevers (filoviruses and arena viruses).