10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: January 5, 2021

Statement 1 is incorrect. National Metrology Conclave 2021 is being organised by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi, which is entering into its 75th year of inception. The theme of the conclave is ‘Metrology for the Inclusive Growth of the Nation’.
Statement 2 is correct. The CSIR—NPL National Atomic Timescale launched recently generates Indian Standard Time with an accuracy of 2.8 nanosecond.

Government has created Indian National Space, Promotion & Authorization Centre (INSPACe), under Department of Space to encourage, promote and hand hold the private sector for their participation in Space Sector. Private players will also be able to use ISRO infrastructure through INSPACe.
It is to be established as a single window nodal agency, with its own cadre, which will permit and oversee the following activities of Non-Government Private Enterprises:
–Space activities including building of launch vehicles and satellites and providing space based services as per the definition of space activities.
–Sharing of space infrastructure and premises under the control of ISRO with due considerations to on-going activities.
–Establishment of new space infrastructure and facilities, by NGPEs, in pursuance of space activities based on safety norms and other statutory guidelines and necessary clearances.
–Initiation of launch campaign and launch, based on readiness of launch vehicle and spacecraft systems, ground and user segment.
–Building, operation and control of spacecraft for registration as Indian Satellite by NGPEs and all the associated infrastructure for the same.

India presently has two research stations at Antarctica namely ‘Maitri’ and ‘Bharati’ which are being operated under National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Ministry of Earth Sciences. At both the stations, research and investigations are undertaken to understand the Polar processes and phenomenon. Observations and studies are carried out in atmospheric, biological, geological, ecological sciences etc.
Maitri station has been in operation since 1989 while Bharati has been constructed and established in March, 2013.
# The 40th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica was launched recently.

Both statements are correct.
The School Bag Policy 2020 released by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education recommends that the weight of a schoolbag across classes 1 to 12 should be 10% of the body weight of the student carrying it.
Weight of school bag needs to be monitored and checked on a regular basis in the school. For this, every school needs to keep a digital weighing machine in the school premises.
In line with the National Education Policy (NEP) it also suggested that there should be no homework up to Class 2. Homework requiring a time of maximum of two hours a week is allowed for Classes 3 to 5, five-six hours a week for classes 6 to 8, and 10-12 hours a week for classes 9-12.

Statement 1 is correct. India was a founding member of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 1966 and its operations in India commenced in 1986.
# ADB, India recently signed a $100 million loan to upgrade power distribution system in Bengaluru.
Statement 2 is correct. 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%).
Statement 3 is correct. Since 1986, ADB has committed 239 sovereign loans totaling $42.26 billion for India.
India’s transport sector has received maximum assistance from the ADB. [Source: Asian Development Bank. ADB and India: Fact Sheet]

Statement 1 is incorrect. Each year the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members (out of 10 in total) for a two-year term.
Statement 2 is correct. In accordance with the General Assembly resolution 1991 (XVIII) of 17 December 1963, the 10 non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis as follows: five for African and Asian States; one for Eastern European States; two for the Latin American and Caribbean States; and two for Western European and other States.

Option 1 is correctly matched. Tehri Dam is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand.
Option 2 is correctly matched. Khindsi Lake is a lake near the city of Ramtek in the Nagpur district, Maharashtra.
Option 3 is incorrectly matched. Irai/Erai Dam is an earthfill and gravity dam on Irai River near Chandrapur and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Project in state of Maharashtra.
# Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is initiating the process of commencing operations of the Seaplane services, on the select routes, under a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) framework through prospective airline operators.
The proposed Origin-Destination pairs under Hub and Spoke model include various islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep, Guwahati Riverfront & Umranso Reservoir in Assam, Yamuna Riverfront / Delhi (as Hub) to Ayodhaya, Tehri, Srinagar(Uttrakhand), Chandigarh and many other tourist places of Punjab & HP; Mumbai (as Hub) to Shirdi, Lonavala, Ganpatipule; Surat (as Hub) to Dwarka, Mandvi & Kandla; Khindsi Dam, Nagpur & Erai Dam, Chandrapur (in Maharashtra).

Statement 1 is correct. Pangolin is understood to occur in various types of tropical forests as well as open land, grasslands and degraded habitats, including in close proximity to villages. The species can adapt well to modified habitats, provided its ant and termite prey remains abundant.
Indian Pangolin is widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North-East. It can be found at elevation up to 2500 m. The species also occurs in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Statement 2 is correct. Indian Pangolin is listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and as Endangered on IUCN Red List.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Article 155 and 156 of the Constitution mandates that the Governor of a State shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal. Further, the Governor shall hold office during the pleasure of the President.
# President exercises his/her functions through aid and advice of the Union Council of Ministers.
Statement 2 is correct. Article 158(2) states that the Governor shall not hold any other office of profit.
Statement 3 is incorrect. Article 158(3A) states that where the same person is appointed as Governor of two or more States, the emoluments and allowances payable to the Governor shall be allocated among the States in such proportion as the President may by order determine.

Avian influenza refers to the disease caused by infection with avian (bird) influenza (flu) Type A viruses. These viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species.
Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes on the basis of two proteins on the surface of the virus: hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). There are 18 known HA subtypes and 11 known NA subtypes.
# Samples of dead migratory water birds found at the Pong Dam Lake in Himachal Pradesh have tested positive for avian influenza or bird flu. It has now become the fifth state to report suspected cases of bird flu after Haryana, Rajasthan, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.