10 PM Current Affairs Quiz #52 January 3, 2020

Explanation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that ISRO is planning to launch a satellite called Aditya L1 to study the sun. It will be India’s first satellite to study the sun. It is scheduled to be launched in 2021 aboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL) from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The mission aim is to study the Sun’s corona (outer layer of the sun) from a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point 1.

Explanation: The famous 11-day long ‘Dhanu Jatra’, considered as the largest open-air theatre of the world begins at Bargarh in western Odisha today. The Jatra is based on the mythological story of Lord Krishna and his demon uncle King Kansa. It is about the episode of Krishna and Balaram’s visit to Mathura to witness the Dhanu ceremony organized by their (maternal) uncle King Kansa. Dhanu Jatra is the annual drama-based open-air theatrical performance celebrated in and around Bargarh city is considered to be the world’s largest open-air theatrical festival that finds a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records. The play starts with the dethroning of the emperor Ugrasena by the angry prince Kansa, over the marriage of his sister Devaki with Basudeba, and ends with the death of Kansa, and Ugrasen restoring back to become the king. During Dhanu Jatra, King Kansa moves around the city and slaps fine on offenders on the streets. He also enters government offices and pulls up officials for lapses. People become his obedient subjects. Ministers, bureaucrats, and police officials appear before the demon King during the 11-day yatra and act as per the direction of the King.

Explanation: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a Central Sector Scheme with 100% funding from Government of India. It was announced in February 2019. Under the Scheme, income support of Rs.6000/- per year is provided to all farmer families across the country in three equal instalments of Rs.2000/- each every four months. The entire responsibility of identification of beneficiary farmer families rests with the State / UT Governments. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Explanation: The government has launched a web portal, ‘Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR)’, to facilitate blocking and tracing of stolen/lost mobile phones in Delhi. It is a database of the International Mobile Equipment (IMEI) numbers of blacklisted handsets. All network Operators can share blacklisted mobile devices on CEIR. Devices blacklisted in one network will not work on other networks even if the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card in the device is changed.

Explanation: Continuing a 29-year unbroken practice, India and Pakistan on Wednesday exchanged a list of their nuclear installations under a bilateral arrangement that prohibits them from attacking each other’s atomic facilities. The agreement was signed in 1988 and came into force in 1991. It mandates India and Pakistan to refrain from the undertaking, encouraging or participating in any action aimed at causing the destruction or damage to any nuclear installation or facility in the other country. And inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on the first of January of every calendar year.