10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: May 4, 2020

Global Energy Transition Index is released by World Economic Forum which has rank the economies on how well they are able to balance energy security and access with environmental sustainability and affordability.

Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) is a statutory body established through an Act of Parliament, 2008.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Promoting basic research in Science and Engineering and to provide financial assistance to persons engaged in such research, academic institutions, research and development laboratories, industrial concerns and other agencies for such research and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto are the primary and distinctive mandate of the Board.

NIAB, Hyderabad is aimed to harness novel and emerging biotechnologies and take up research in the cutting edge areas for improving animal health and productivity. The Institute’s focus of research will be on Animal Genetics and Genomics, Transgenic Technology, Reproductive Biotechnology, Infectious Diseases, Bioinformatics and Nutrition Enrichment. Researchers from the National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB) have developed a biosensor named “eCovSens”. eCovSens detects the presence of novel coronavirus antigens in human saliva within 30 seconds using just 20 micro-litres of the sample.

Pulicat Lake is the second-largest brackish water lake in the country, the beautiful Pulicat Lake lies at the border of the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu on the Barricade Island of Sriharikota. Also called Pazhaverkadu, the lake is popular as a flamingo-watching site and for water activities. The prime season to visit is between October and March as during that time, over 20,000 migratory birds come to the lake for breeding purposes. The lake is also known for the Pulicat Bird Sanctuary and attracts a number of tourists. Besides flamingos, one can also sight storks and kingfishers. The Pulicat Lake is situated about 60 km from Chennai in the Tiruvallur District. Spanning an area of 159 sq km, it is surrounded by colonial buildings from the Dutch-era.

Defense Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), Pune, a deemed university supported by Defense Research and Development Organization has come up with a cost-effective solution to disintegrate corona virus. A microwave sterilizer named as ‘ATULYA’ can be operated in portable or fixed installations and helps in disintegrating the virus by differential heating in the range of 56 to 60 Celsius temperatures.

The Press Freedom Index is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders. It is based on the NGO’s own assessment of the countries’ press freedom records in the given year.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is an independent NGO with consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF). It is based in Paris, France.

Both statements are correct. National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad, has developed a biosensor ‘eCovSens’ that can detect the novel coronavirus in saliva samples. The biosensor consists of a carbon electrode and the coronavirus antibody. The antibody is capable of binding with the spike protein found on the outer layer of the virus. An electrical signal is generated when the antigen and antibody binds.

Statement 1 is correct. C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The Indian Air Force purchased C-130J-30s in 2008 at a cost of US$1.059 billion for its special operations forces in a package deal with the US government under its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

Statement 2 is incorrect. It is developed and produced by Lockheed Martin Corporation, an American aerospace company.

Statement 1 is correct. Antibody, also known as an immunoglobulin, is a large, Y-shaped protein; they are produced by specific immune cells called plasma cells in response to bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms as well as exposures to other substances that are recognized by the body as “non-self” harmful antigens.

Statement 2 is correct. IgG is the only antibody class that can cross the human placenta. Placental transfer of maternal IgG antibodies to the fetus is the mechanism that provides protection to the babies while their humoral response is inefficient.

Statement 1 is correct. The first jute mill was established atRishra (Bengal), on the river Hooghly near Calcutta in the year 1855, by Mr. George Aclend. Mr. George Ackland brought jute spinning machinery from Dundee (U.K). In 1959, the first power driven weaving factory was set up.

Statement 2 is correct. Geotextiles are permeable fabrics which, when used in association with soil, have the ability to separate, filter, reinforce, protect, or drain. Jute being eco-friendly has distinguishing features such as: High moisture absorption capacity, flexibility and drainage properties. Geo jute is used in erosion control, separation, filtration and drainage in civil engineering work, and agricultural uses.

Statement 3 is correct. The hessian, a finer quality of jute is called Burlap. Burlap bags are used to ship and store grain, fruits and vegetables, flour, sugar, animal feeds and other agricultural commodities.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Unicode Consortium is a non-profit organization with purpose to maintain and publish the Unicode Standard which was developed to replace existing character encoding schemes which are limited in size and scope, and are incompatible with multilingual environments.

Statement 2 is incorrect. India is an institutional member with voting power.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd is an independent commodity exchange based in India. It was established in 2003 and is based in Mumbai. It is a commodity derivatives exchange that facilitates online trading of commodity derivatives transactions.

Statement 2 is correct. It operates under the regulatory framework of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Earlier it was regulated by the Forward Markets Commission (FMC), which got merged with the SEBI in 2015

Statement 1 is correct. The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP and is located at Geneva, Switzerland. CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN, in 1975 CITES entered in force.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Appendix I contains about 1200 species, these are threatened with extinction and are or may be affected by trade. Commercial trade in wild-caught specimens of these species is illegal (permitted only in exceptional licensed circumstances).

Appendix II contains about 21,000 species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but may become so unless trade in specimens of such species is subject to strict regulation in order to avoid utilization incompatible with the survival of the species in the wild. No import permit is necessary for these species under CITES.

Appendix III lists about 170 species, these are species that are listed after one member country has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling trade in a species.

Statement 1 is incorrect. New Development Bank is a multilateral development bank operated by the BRICS states. The bank’s primary focus of lending is infrastructure projects. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a multilateral development bank that aims to support the building of infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region but it is not limited to BRICS nations, The bank currently has 78 members as well as 24 prospective members from around the world.

Statement 2 is correct. China, India and Russia have the largest voting powers in AIIB.

Statement 3 is incorrect. India has borrowed from AIIB for projects in Water, Roadways infrastructure in various states. AIIB also committed to invest in the National Investment & Infrastructure Fund.

The letters ‘CE’ appear on many products traded on the extended Single Market in the European Economic Area (EEA). They signify that products sold in the EEA have been assessed to meet high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements. The CE marking is also found on products sold outside the EEA that have been manufactured to EEA standards.