UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 25 July 2024

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Purvodaya Initiative: Develop a plan for the eastern region, including Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, focusing on human resource development, infrastructure, and economic opportunities to drive Viksit Bharat.

Rfer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/24/upsc-current-affairs-24-july-2024/

Ans: (c)

Explanation: “World’s Forests 2024 Report”

• By Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• The theme for this year is “Accelerating forest solutions through innovation.” Key highlights include a decrease in the deforestation rate to 10.2 million hectares per year in 2015-2020 from 15.8 million hectares per year in 1990-2000, with India ranking 3rd for average annual net gain in forest area from 2010-2020.
• Non-timber forest products support the livelihoods of about 275 million people in India.
• There is a pressing need for innovation in the forest sector to address climate change stress through resilient forest and land management strategies against wildfires and pests.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/24/upsc-current-affairs-24-july-2024/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• S1 and S3 is incorrect: Vishnupad Temple is an ancient Hindu temple in Gaya, Bihar, India, located on the banks of Phalgu river.
• S2 is correct: Dedicated to Lord Vishnu, this temple features a 40cm-long footprint believed to be Lord Vishnu’s.
• Built in 1787 by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar, it stands about 100 feet tall with 44 pillars and is located on the banks of the Falgu River.
• It is significant during pitra paksh, a period for rituals to remember ancestors.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/24/upsc-current-affairs-24-july-2024/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S1 is Correct: The Mahabodhi Temple is indeed a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India.
• S2 is Correct: It is widely believed that Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at this location.
• S3 is Incorrect: While Emperor Ashoka did build an earlier structure at this site in the 3rd century BCE, the temple complex as it stands today was significantly developed later.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/24/upsc-current-affairs-24-july-2024/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Context: The Government of India, under the Ministry of Culture, has launched the National Mission on Cultural Mapping (NMCM).
• The project aims to:
  • Raise awareness about cultural heritage and its role in development and identity.
  • Map 6.5 lakh villages, including their geographical, demographic profiles, and cultural assets.
  • Create National Registers of Artists and Art practices.
  • Develop a web portal and mobile app to serve as a National Cultural Work Place (NCWP).
  • The project targets all inhabited villages listed in the 2011 Census, including those in Bihar.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/24/upsc-current-affairs-24-july-2024/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Context: India’s sovereign green bonds have not received significant green premiums from private investors, affecting the financing of green transition projects, according to the Economic Survey.
• • Despite India’s green bond framework being well-rated, there is more capital potential than actual capital flow for energy transition in emerging markets.
  • The Survey highlights the need for developed countries to provide more accessible, affordable financial resources in line with UNFCCC and Paris Agreement objectives.
• Greenium is defined as the difference in yield between thematic bonds and ordinary bonds of a similar maturity, based on the logic that investors are willing to pay extra for a bond with a sustainable impac

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/24/upsc-current-affairs-24-july-2024/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Context: The NASA Curiosity rover made a remarkable discovery on Mars by accidentally cracking open a rock and revealing yellowish-green crystals of pure sulfur, a first on the red planet.
  • The discovery of pure sulfur, typically formed through volcanic processes or hydrothermal vents on Earth, has puzzled scientists.
  • The sulfur rocks, revealed through the rover’s fortuitous crushing of a rock, exhibited a crystalline texture and color, a stark contrast to Mars’ usual orange landscape.
  • This discovery echoes a similar find by NASA’s Spirit rover, which unearthed pure silica in 2007, hinting at past hot springs on Mars.
• Its scientific objectives include studying the planet’s climate and geology, but the central aim is to find evidence of past or present life. The other options—establishing a colony, testing rocket technologies, and mapping the surface—are not the primary missions of the Curiosity rover.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/24/upsc-current-affairs-24-july-2024/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1 is incorrect because lactic acid is not a byproduct of fat breakdown; it results from glucose metabolism.
• S2 is incorrect because lactic acid is not used to synthesize proteins; it is primarily involved in energy metabolism and is eventually converted back to glucose in the liver.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/24/upsc-current-affairs-24-july-2024/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• What is “Dark Oxygen”?
  • “Dark oxygen” is oxygen produced in the deep ocean, independent of sunlight, by metallic nodules on the seafloor.
• How is it being produced?
  • These naturally occurring metallic nodules act like batteries, generating electric currents that split seawater (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/24/upsc-current-affairs-24-july-2024/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Sulfur is a non-metal element that plays a crucial role in biological systems. It is essential for the synthesis of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Sulfur is not a metal (A), nor is it a noble gas (D). It is also not rare but is relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust (C).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/24/upsc-current-affairs-24-july-2024/