[MISSION 2023] RTM(Revision through MCQs)- 19 Jan 2023

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) is biennially published by the NGO Pratham, since 2005.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/01/19/bright-spots-areas-of-concern-in-aser-2022/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• As per the National Wildlife Action Plan (2002-2016), issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, land within 10 km of the boundaries of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries is to be notified as eco-fragile zones or Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ).
• While the 10-km rule is implemented as a general principle, the extent of its application can vary. Areas beyond 10-km can also be notified by the Union government as ESZs, if they hold larger ecologically important “sensitive corridors.”
• ESZs are created as “shock absorbers” for the protected areas, to minimize the negative impact on the “fragile ecosystems” by certain human activities taking place nearby. Furthermore, these areas are meant to act as a transition zone from areas requiring higher protection to those requiring lesser protection.
• The guidelines also state that the ESZs are not meant to hamper the daily activities of people living in the vicinity, but are meant to guard the protected areas and “refine the environment around them”.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/01/19/why-has-the-creation-of-eco-sensitive-zones-provoked-protests/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Bhopal Declaration was released after discussion in the two-day meeting of Think-20 under G20 in Bhopal
• About the Declaration:
  • It was released after the Think20 (T20) meeting of G20 countries’ think tanks and research centres.
• Highlights of the declaration:
• To focus more on inclusive development
• Care for the welfare of every section of society in comparison to GDP
• Give special attention to children
• Encourage the model of development led by women
• Bridge the gap between North and South
• Work together to ensure the health of all
• Importance of localization in achieving G-20 sustainable development goals
• Triangular cooperation of government, society, and private organizations

Refer: Facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/01/19/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-january-2023/

Ans; (a)

Explanation:

• Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA): WEF launched GAEA to allow over $3 trillion of financing needed each year to reach net-zero, reverse nature loss and restore biodiversity by 2050.
• The fund is to be accumulated through Public-private and philanthropic partnerships (PPPP)
• FireAID Initiative: This project was first launched in January 2022. A recent report (released now) has highlighted its success.
• It uses Artificial Intelligence to allow better prediction of wildfires and efficient use of resources during firefighting operations
• It creates a digital twin for fire response and management and allows firefighters to test hypotheses of intervention measures

Refer: Facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/01/19/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-january-2023/

Ans: (c)

Explanation;

• The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) is a global coalition of leading financial institutions that claim to be committed to accelerating the decarbonisation of the economy.
• It was launched in 2021 by the UN Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance and COP26 along with UNFCCC Race to Zero Campaign. It has over 550 members.

Refer: Facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/01/19/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-january-2023/

Ans; (d)

Explanation:

• Loktak Lake is a freshwater lake in Northeast India.
• The lake is located at Moirang in Manipur state, India.
• It is famous for the phumdi (heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil and organic matter at various stages of decomposition) floating over it.

Refer: Facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/01/19/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-january-2023/

Ans: (b)

Explanation; About Greater Scaup:

• IUCN Status: Least Concern
• The greater scaup (Aythya marila) is a medium-sized diving duck belonging to the family
• The greater scaup species is distributed in Asia, Europe, the United States, and Canada.
• It is a rare visitor to the Indian Subcontinent.
• It is known as Scaup in Europe and Bluebill in North America, Greater Scaup breeds in Alaska, Siberia, north Canada and on the eastern side of Europe and they flock to warmer regions during the Winter season.

Refer: Facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/01/19/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-january-2023/

Ans: (a)

Explanation; About Spot Bellied Eagle Owl:

• The bold predatory bird, measuring 20-25 inches in length and weighing between 1.5 kg and 2 kg, feeds on small rodents and lizards.
• The bird makes a strange scream similar to humans and it is hence called the ‘Ghost of the Forest’ in India and ‘Devil Bird’ in Sri Lanka.
• It is a forest-inhabiting species found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia
• IUCN Status: Least Concern

Refer: Facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/01/19/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-january-2023/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Bisphenol A (BPA) – used to make certain plastics and epoxy resins
• Dioxins – a byproduct in herbicide production and paper bleaching
• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) – used in a non-stick pan, paper and textile coatings
• Phthalates – used to make plastics more flexible
• Phytoestrogens – found in plants that have hormone-like activity, such as tofu or soy milk
• Triclosan – found in some anti-microbial and personal care products
• Endosulfan – an organochlorine insecticide that caused health hazards in the state of Kerala.

Refer: Facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/01/19/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-january-2023/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Superconductivity is a set of physical properties observed in certain materials where electrical resistance vanishes and magnetic flux fields are expelled from the material. Any material exhibiting these properties is a superconductor. Unlike an ordinary metallic conductor, whose resistance decreases gradually as its temperature is lowered even down to near absolute zero, a superconductor has a characteristic critical temperature below which the resistance drops abruptly to zero.
• In 1911, while studying the properties of matter at very low temperature, the Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes and his team discovered that the electrical resistance of mercury goes to zero below 4.2 K (-269°C). This was the very first observation of the phenomenon of superconductivity.  The majority of chemical elements become superconducting at sufficiently low temperature.

Refer: Facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/01/19/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-january-2023/