UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 27 January 2024

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

Changes in the environment especially due to anthropogenic activities have limited the population of pollinators (such as Bees). In such a situation, plants evolve to self-pollinate itself.

What is Self-pollination?

It is a reproductive process in plants where pollen from a flower’s male reproductive organs (anther) fertilizes the female reproductive organs (stigma) of the same flower or another flower on the same plant.

The mechanism ensures the plant’s ability to reproduce without relying on external pollinators like insects or wind.

Mechanism of the Self-Pollination:

• Anther and Stigma Proximity: In self-pollinating plants, the anther (producing pollen) is close to the stigma (receiving pollen) within the same flower.
• Pollen Transfer: Pollen grains are transferred from the anther to the stigma, either by physical contact or through the plant’s internal mechanisms.
• Fertilization: The pollen tube grows down the style to the ovary, where fertilization takes place, resulting in the formation of seeds.
• Genetic Similarity: Since both the pollen and the ovule come from the same plant, the offspring are genetically identical to the parent, leading to limited genetic diversity.

Self-pollination ensures reproductive success, especially in environments with limited pollinators, but it can also reduce genetic variability in plant populations and risk to the plant-pollinator interaction system.

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Solution: b)

Option 1 and 3 is correct.

Solution: c)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has expanded the scope of card-on-file tokenisation (CoFT) to include card issuing banks and institutions directly, moving beyond services provided through merchants.

CoFT is a security measure for users opting for digital payments, replacing the practice of merchants storing card details with specially created tokens.

Tokenization is the process of replacing sensitive data with a non-sensitive equivalent, called a token. Tokens are random strings of characters that have no meaningful value if breached. They serve as a reference to the original data, but cannot be used to guess those values.

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Solution: c)

The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare in India, has launched the “MedTech Mitra” initiative to empower innovators and advance healthcare solutions in the country.

The initiative aims to support and collaborate with technology innovators and startups in the medical technology sector.

The goal is to harness innovation to enhance healthcare delivery and address healthcare challenges.

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Solution: b)

Statement 1 is incorrect.

About the Pong Dam Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, is a significant protected area known for its diverse flora and fauna.
• Pong Dam Lake (Maharana Pratap Sagar) is a manmade reservoir created in 1975 with construction of Pong Dam on Beas River. It is also known as Pong reservoir or Pong Dam.
• In 1983, reservoir was declared as Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Pong Dam Lake was designated a Ramsar sitein 2002. There is a Vulture café in Pong wherein cattle carcass is dumped for Vultures.

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