10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: June 21, 2020

All statements are correct.

The major reef formations in India are restricted to the Gulf of Mannar, Palk bay, Gulf of Kutch, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep islands.

The Lakshadweep reefs are atolls; the others are mostly fringing reefs.

Major threats for the corals: Natural: Environmental-Temperature, Sediment Deposition, Salinity, pH etc.

Anthropogenic: Mining, Bottom Fishing, Tourism, pollution, etc.

Reef Building Coral, Black Coral, Organ Pipe Coral etc. are listed under Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

Statement 1 is correct. The Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) are regarded as the fifth state of matter apart from the Gases, liquids, solids and plasmas.

Statement 2 is correct. Bose-Einstein condensates were first predicted theoretically by Satyendra Nath Bose (1894-1974), an Indian physicist. He sent his ideas to Albert Einstein who further worked on the phenomenon.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The constituent particles of BEC are at low energy state and at almost absolute zero (zero kelvin) temperature.

Bosons are named after the Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose.

Both statements are correct.

Government has recently allowed the commercial mining in the coal sector, thereby ending the monopoly of Coal India Limited.

100% FDI through automatic route allowed in the coal sector, foreign firms therefore can also bid for the mine.

There is no end-use restriction on the sale and/or utilization of coal from the coal mine.

The commercial coal mining auctions are different from earlier regime of restricted sectors, use and price. Now there are no such restrictions at all. The proposed auctions have terms and conditions which are very liberal allowing even new companies to participate in the bidding process.

Statement 1 is correct. Recession refers to contraction of economic output, a reduction in GDP for two or more consecutive quarters (negative GDP growth) is generally termed as recession.

Statement 2 is correct. A depression is a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity. It refers to a multi-year recession like that of the Great Depression (1930s) that lasted almost a decade.

Statement 3 is incorrect. India had negative GDP growth in 1957, 1965, 1972 and 1979.

Statement 1 is correct. Major threats to pangolins in India: hunting and poaching for local consumptive use (e.g. as a protein source and traditional medicine) and international trade for its meat and scales in East and South East Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Indian Pangolin is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red list and Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

World Competitiveness Rankings 2020 has been released by the Institute for Management Development (IMD). The rankings are based on four factors: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency and infrastructure.

Singapore, Denmark and Switzerland are top performers. India is ranked at 43^rd place.

Among BRICS countries India is ranked second after China (20th) followed by Russia (50th), Brazil (56th) and South Africa (59th).

Both Statements are correct.

Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), a coalition launched on 15-06-2020, aims at ensuring that Artificial Intelligence is used responsibly, respecting human rights and democratic values.

India is a founding member. The GPAI will bring together experts from industry, government, civil society and academia to conduct research and pilot projects on AI. Its objective, set out by founding members Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States, is to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI policy.

Red Sea proper is bordered by Saudi Arabia and Yemen on eastern shore; Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti on western shore.

Statement 1 is incorrect. ADIP Scheme is one of the major initiatives of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. This scheme is implemented to assist the needy disabled person in procuring durable, sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances to promote physical, social, psychological rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities

Statement 2 is correct. An Indian citizen of any age, who holds a 40% Disability Certificate and monthly income from all sources not exceeding Rs. 20,000/- per month is eligible beneficiary under the scheme given that s/he has not received assistance during the last 3 years for the same purpose from any source.

As per Food & Agriculture Organization of UN; agroforestry is a collective name for land-use systems and technologies where woody perennials (trees, shrubs, palms, bamboos, etc.) are deliberately used on the same land-management units as agricultural crops and/or animals. Major types of agroforestry are:

–Agrisilvicultural systems are a combination of crops and trees, such as alley cropping or home-gardens.

–Silvopastoral systems combine forestry and grazing of domesticated animals on pastures, rangelands or on-farm.