UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 20 July 2024

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Statements 1 and 3 are correct.
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)
  • It is a regional development bank.
  • established on 19 December 1966.
  • headquartered — Manila, Philippines.
  • official United Nations Observer.
  • The bank admits the members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East or ECAFE) and non-regional developed countries.
• It is modeled closely on the World Bank, and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions.
• As of 31 December 2019, ADB’s five largest shareholders are Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% of total shares), the People’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia (5.8%).
• Roles and functions:
  • Dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
  • This is carried out through investments – in the form of loans, grants and information sharing – in infrastructure, health care services, financial and public administration systems, helping nations prepare for the impact of climate change or better manage their natural resources, as well as other areas.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/19/upsc-current-affairs-19-july-2024/

Ans: (c)

Explanation: Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2024

• Released by UNESCO
• It is part of the ‘Education 2030 Incheon Declaration,’ highlighting the impact of climate change on education systems.
• Over the past 20 years, schools have been closed during 75% of extreme weather events, affecting over 5 million people.
• In India, rainfall shocks have harmed early vocabulary and later academic skills. Despite its importance, education’s role in addressing climate change is often overlooked, with only 2 out of 72 climate initiatives addressing SDG 4.
• Climate change destroys educational infrastructure, displaces people, and exacerbates vulnerabilities, particularly in marginalized and low-income communities, significantly harming educational outcomes.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/19/upsc-current-affairs-19-july-2024/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Nalanda, an ancient centre of learning and a revered Buddhist site was rediscovered in the 19th century.
• Founded around 427 AD by Emperor Kumaragupta-I of the Gupta dynasty, it flourished with the support of the Pala kings and the monks of Nalanda, who were patronized by the Pithipatis of Bodh Gaya.
• The university offered studies in various fields such as music, Sanskrit, astronomy, yoga, Ayurveda, and philosophy, and was home to renowned scholars of Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism, including Aryabhata and Hiuen Tsang.
• Hiuen Tsang documented Nalanda’s rigorous admission tests and scholarly environment during his five-year stay in the 7th century.
• Nalanda faced decline and was reportedly attacked and ransacked by Bakhtiyar Khalji around 1200 AD, resulting in the destruction of its vast collection of books.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/19/upsc-current-affairs-19-july-2024/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has confirmed that the existing structure at the Bhojshala complex in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district was built using remnants of an earlier temple.
• S1: Correct. The Archaeological Survey of India was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham.
• S2: Correct. The ASI operates under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
• S3: Incorrect. The ASI is responsible for the maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites across the entire country, not just North India.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/19/upsc-current-affairs-19-july-2024/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: The Chandipura virus (CHPV), a rare and potentially deadly pathogen, has been identified as the cause of recent deaths in Gujarat.
• S1: Incorrect. Viruses are not considered living organisms because they cannot reproduce on their own. They require a host cell to replicate.
• S2: Correct. Viruses contain either DNA or RNA as their genetic material, but never both.
• S3: Incorrect. Antibiotics are not effective in treating viral infections; they are only effective against bacterial infections.
• S4: Correct. A virus must infect a host cell to reproduce and carry out metabolic processes.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/19/upsc-current-affairs-19-july-2024/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S1 is Correct. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was indeed launched by NASA in June 2009. Its primary mission is to create detailed maps of the Moon’s surface.
• S2 is Correct. One of the main objectives of the LRO is to scout for potential landing sites for future lunar missions, both manned and unmanned.
• S3 is Incorrect. While the LRO has helped identify regions where water ice might be present, it itself has not directly discovered water ice on the Moon’s surface. Other missions and instruments, like those on the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), have confirmed the presence of water ice.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/19/upsc-current-affairs-19-july-2024/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: Jerdon’s Courser, a nocturnal bird endemic to Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Lankamalleswara wildlife sanctuary in Kadapa, has not been seen in over a decade.
• Jerdon’s Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus) is a critically endangered nocturnal bird species endemic to the scrub forests of Andhra Pradesh in India. It was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1986 after not being observed for over 80 years. This species is not known for bright plumage or loud calls, and it does not inhabit wetland areas or have a widespread distribution across Southeast Asia. Instead, it lives in open patches within scrub forests in the Eastern Ghats and is found exclusively in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/19/upsc-current-affairs-19-july-2024/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: The recent sighting of more than 50 Mashco Piro tribespeople, one of the largest uncontacted tribes in the world, is raising concerns.
• S1 is Incorrect. Peru has a coastline along the Pacific Ocean.
• S2 is Correct. Machu Picchu is indeed an ancient Inca city located in the Sacred Valley of Peru.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/19/upsc-current-affairs-19-july-2024/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/19/upsc-current-affairs-19-july-2024/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• The ISA was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilise efforts against climate change through the deployment of solar energy solutions.
• It was presented by the leaders of the two countries at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris in 2015.
• ISA is a coalition of solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn to specifically address energy needs by harnessing solar energy.
• The Paris Declaration establishes ISA as an alliance dedicated to the promotion of solar energy among its member countries.
• ISA brings together countries with rich solar potential to aggregate global demand, thereby reducing prices through bulk purchase.
• It facilitates the deployment of existing solar technologies at scale, and promotes collaborative solar R&D and capacity building.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/19/upsc-current-affairs-19-july-2024/