10 PM Current Affairs Quiz : January 16, 2018

‘Vajra Prahar’ is a Indo-US Special Forces joint training exercise conducted alternately in India and the US.

Statement 1 is correct. It consists of an orbiter, lander and rover configuration.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The mission is planned to be launched to the  Moon by a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch vehicle(GSLV Mk II)

It is a new missile frigate commissioned recently by the People’s Liberation Army Navy. Rizhao is a 140-metre-long and 16-metre-wide missile frigate designed and made by China. the missile frigate is equipped with an advanced weapons systems and can attack enemy ships and submarines alone or in coordination with other naval forces. The frigate was named after the city of Rizhao in Shandong Province.

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is the third generation launch vehicle of India. Thus, statement 1 is incorrect.
The vehicle successfully launched two spacecraft – Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013 that later traveled to Moon and Mars respectively. Thus, statement 2 is correct.

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened with destruction. For example forests are considered as biodiversity hotspots. Thus, statement 1 is correct.
To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on Myers 2000 edition of the hotspot-map, a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation. Thus, statement 2 is incorrect.

The mandate of the Department of Financial Services covers the functioning of Banks, Financial Institutions, Insurance Companies and the National Pension System. Thus, statement 1 is incorrect.

PFRDA, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is a statutory body which also works under this department. Thus, statement 2 is correct.