10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: July 15, 2020

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) is a bilateral trade agreement signed in 2010 by Pakistan and Afghanistan.  The APTTA agreement allows Afghan trucks to transport exports to India via Pakistan up to the Wagah crossing point, but does not allow Afghanistan to import Indian goods across Pakistani territory.

Statement 2 is correct. The successful operation of the Chabahar port in Iran would capitalize on Zaranj-Delaram highway to offer a new transit route of Afghan products to India.

Statement 1 is correct. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 states that the Bill is based on the recommendations of “Committee of Experts on Data Protection” chaired by Justice B.N. Srikrishna to examine the issues relating to data protection and the suggestions received from various stakeholders.

Statement 2 is correct. It lays down obligations on entities collecting personal data (data fiduciary) to collect only that data which is required for a specific purpose and with the express consent of the individual (data principal).

-It governs the processing of personal data by government, companies incorporated in India, and foreign companies dealing with personal data of individuals in India. Personal data is data which pertains to characteristics, traits or attributes of identity, which can be used to identify an individual.

-It aims establish an Authority to be called the “Data Protection Authority of India” to protect the interests of data principals, prevent any misuse of personal data, ensure compliance with the provisions.

The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha in December, 2019 and was referred to Standing Committee.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The first India-European Union Summit took place on 28 June 2000 in Lisbon. India-EU Summit 2020 is the 15th edition of the engagement.

Statement 2 is incorrect. EU is one of the largest trade partners of India, accounting for €80 billion worth of trade in goods in 2019, around 11 percent of India’s total trade value.

–India is the EU’s 10th largest trading partner, accounting for 1.9% of EU total trade in goods in 2019.

-EU foreign direct investment stocks in India amounted to €68 billion in 2018.

Statement 1 is correct. The Human Resource and Development Ministry has announced PRAGYATA Guidelines for Digital Education for online classes operationalized by schools amid the COVID pandemic.

Statement 2 is incorrect. These guidelines are advisory in nature and have been prepared by NCERT. States/UTs are required to come out with their own detailed guidelines by adapting/modifying these guidelines in accordance with their requirements and assessment of the local situation.

-The guidelines recommend a cap on the screen time for students depending on class.

-The PRAGYATA guidelines include eight steps of digital learning that is, Plan- Review- Arrange- Guide- Yak (talk) – Assign- Track- Appreciate.

-The Guidelines also emphasize the need to unify all efforts related to digital, online education, benefitting school going children across the country. The initiative includes DIKSHA, SWAYAM Prabha, Radio Vahini and Shiksha Vaani.

The ‘Global Employment Trends for Youth 2020: Technology and the future of jobs’ has been released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

-The number of young people currently not in employment, education or training (NEET) is rising, and young women are more than twice as likely as their male counterparts to be affected.

-Globally, one-fifth of young people currently have NEET status, which means they are neither gaining experience in the labour market, nor receiving an income from work, nor enhancing their education and skills.

-Young people (those aged 15-24) who are employed also face a greater risk than older workers of losing their jobs because of automation.

Statement 1 is correct. Sensitivity of a test means measures the proportion of actual positives that are correctly identified as such, percentage of infected people who are correctly identified as having the condition in a diagnostic test.

Statement 2 is correct. Specificity measures the proportion of actual negatives that are correctly identified as such.

Statement 3 is correct. Positivity rate refers to percentage of patients who have positive tests out of all tests conducted.

World Health Organization (WHO) advised governments that before reopening, rates of positivity in testing for COVID-19 should remain at 5% or lower for at least 14 days.

Statement 1 is correct. Cytokines are small glycoproteins that synchronize immune system responses. These are released by many different cells in the body, including those of the immune system where they coordinate the body’s response against infection and trigger inflammation.

Statement 2 is correct. Cytokine storms occurs when excessive or uncontrolled levels of cytokines are released which then activate more immune cells, resulting in hyperinflammation. A cytokine storm can occur as a result of an infection, autoimmune condition, or other disease. Sometimes, a cytokine storm may be severe or life threatening and lead to multiple organ failure also called hypercytokinemia.

Statement 1 is incorrect. C/2020 F3 is a retrograde comet with a near-parabolic orbit discovered by astronomers using the NEOWISE space telescope (hence called comet NEOWISE).

NEOWISE telescope is a NASA infrared-wavelength astronomical space telescope launched in December 2009, and placed in hibernation mode in February 2011. It was re-activated in 2013 to identify and characterize the population of near-Earth objects (NEO).

Statement 2 is incorrect. NEOWISE comet was discovered on March 27, 2020, and is a non-periodic comet.

Trivia: There is a “periodic” comet that emerges in Earth’s vicinity about every 75 years. The last time it was seen was in 1986, and is projected to return in 2061. English astronomer Edmond Halley examined reports of a comet approaching Earth in 1531, 1607 and 1682. He concluded that these three comets were the same comet returning periodically, and predicted the comet would come again in 1758. He died in 1742 and could not see the return of what later was named Halley’s Comet!

Statement 1 is correct. The Office of the Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry releases the monthly Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for India.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The index basket of the WPI covers commodities falling under the three major groups namely Primary Articles, Fuel and Power and Manufactured products.

Primary Articles have a weightage of 22.6 per cent, Fuel and Power have a weightage of 13.2 per cent and Manufactured Products have a weightage of 64.2 percent.

Statement 1 is correct. Caterpillar Fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis), known as Keeda-Jadi in Uttarakhand and Yartsa Gunbu in Tibet is endemic to the Himalayan and Tibetan plateau and is found in Tibet, India and Nepal. It has been traditionally used to treat many diseases including those related to the kidneys and lungs. Demand for the fungus has risen sharply since the 1990s.

Statement 2 is correct. In the last two decades, the fungus has become the main source of livelihoods for thousands of people where it occurs. Its populations have declined by at least 30% over the past 15 years as a result of overharvesting.

The IUCN has recently announced that the Caterpillar Fungus has entered the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable with decreasing population.