UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 19 August 2024

• Solution: c)

• The National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) is designed to reduce farmers’ dependence on pesticide retailers by fostering a scientific approach to pest management.
• It connects farmers with agricultural scientists, allowing them to upload photos of affected crops for expert analysis and accurate pest control advice.

This system aims to ensure the correct use of pesticides, improve crop yields, and protect soil health, ultimately empowering farmers with knowledge-based decision-making in pest control.

• Solution: d)

• Overpopulation is not a threat faced by vultures in India. In fact, vulture populations have been declining dramatically in recent decades.
• The main threats to vultures in India include habitat loss, food scarcity, exposure to harmful veterinary drugs like diclofenac, and electrocution from power lines.
• These factors have contributed to the significant decrease in vulture numbers, making them a conservation priority.
• Overpopulation would imply an excess of vultures, which is contrary to the current conservation concerns for these birds.

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

Prokaryotes are simple, single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus and other organelles. They are divided into two groups: bacteria and archaea, each with unique evolutionary lineages. They are typically small and not multicellular, making statement 3 incorrect.

Solution: b)

The study found that microwave ovens host diverse microbial communities, challenging the belief that microwave radiation kills all bacteria. In fact, bacteria like Bacillus, Micrococcus, and Staphylococcus were found to dominate these environments.

Solution: b)

EOS-08 was successfully launched using SSLV-D3, featuring advanced payloads for infrared observation, GNSS-based remote sensing, and UV radiation monitoring. However, the SSLV is designed to carry payloads ranging from 10 to 500 kg, making statement 3 incorrect.

Solution: c)

The Nandini Sahakar Yojana is designed to support women cooperatives in business model-based activities. It provides financial assistance, project formulation help, hand-holding, and capacity development to empower women-led cooperatives.

This scheme aims to improve the socio-economic status of women by fostering entrepreneurial dynamism through cooperative structures.

• Solution: a)

Chilika Lake was the first Indian wetland designated as a Ramsar site in 1981. Loktak Lake is a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. Kanwar Lake is part of the Central Asian Flyway. Vembanad Kole Wetland is located in Kerala.

• Solution: a)

• Tropicalisation is the term used to describe the mass movement of marine life where tropical marine species move from the equator towards the poles due to rising sea temperatures caused by climate change. This phenomenon is a direct consequence of global warming and its impact on ocean ecosystems.
• As waters warm, species adapted to tropical conditions extend their range towards higher latitudes, while temperate species retreat. This shift can have profound effects on marine ecosystems, altering food webs, species interactions, and potentially impacting fisheries and coastal economies.

Tropicalisation is a clear indicator of the far-reaching consequences of climate change on marine biodiversity and highlights the need for comprehensive strategies to mitigate and adapt to these changes in our oceans.

• Solution: c)

• Coral Bleaching results from the expulsion of symbiotic algae from corals.
• Prokaryote Dominance may reduce fish populations and the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon.
• Ocean Fertilization involves increasing the population of carbon-absorbing plankton.

Sedimentation hinders photosynthesis of symbiotic algae in corals.

Solution: b)

Statements 1 and 3 are correct. The Nandini Sahakar Yojana offers financial assistance with no minimum or maximum limit, and it includes components like capacity development and project formulation.

Statement 2 is incorrect because the scheme is not limited to cooperatives registered under the Companies Act; it is available to cooperatives registered under State or Central Acts.