10 PM Current Affairs Quiz : October 29, 2018

The Amur falcon (Falco amurensis) breed in southeastern Siberia and northern China, and migrate in millions across India  to southern Africa before returning to Mongolia and Siberia, making their 22,000-kilometre migratory route one of the longest amongst all avian species.

• In the  past, hundreds of trussed up Amur falcons used to be on sale in village markets and towns, while some were sold fried or smoked.

However, its IUCN Status is  Least Concern owing to its conservation efforts by the community and government in North east, particularly Pangti village in Nagaland.

The process by which plant pollen is transferred from the male reproductive organs (stamen) to the female reproductive organs (pistil) to form seeds.

It can take place via various agents like  Anemophily (wind-pollinated), Hydrophily (water-pollinated), Entomophily (insect-pollinated), Ornithophily (bird-pollinated), Chiropterophily (bat-pollinated) and Malacophily (slug- and snail-pollinated).

India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2017, held in September last year, was a first of its kind event in the Indian Subcontinent, bringing together Mobile, Internet, and Technology companies on one platform, under the theme, “Connecting the Next Billion”.

IMC 2018, is envisaged to be an even bigger event with its theme “New Digital Horizons. Connect. Create. Innovate.”

It is organized by the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India and Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI).

The second edition of IMC expects to bring together the largest congregation of global professionals from the digital ecosystem, encompassing 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Smart Cities, Start-ups in the technology space and allied industry sectors.

The platform included participation of policy makers and regulators from partner countries in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) regions.

Ministry of Human Resource Development has launched the web portal of IMPRESS scheme with an aim to build a research ecosystem in educational institutions.

The objective of Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences (IMPRESS) is to identify and fund research proposals in social sciences with maximum impact on the governance and society.

Under IMPRESS, 1,500 research projects will be awarded for two years to support social science research in the higher educational institutions. The Indian Council of Social Science and Research (ICSSR) will be the project implementing agency.The scheme will be implemented till March, 2021.

Atmospheric aerosols can be either solid or liquid. Aerosols reflect and absorb radiation from the sun. Aerosols can affect the climate in two ways, through direct or indirect processes.  A direct process is the immediate effect on radiation absorption. If the aerosol is light in colour, it generally reflects solar radiation and causes cooling by reducing incoming energy. If the aerosol is dark it absorbs solar radiation and directly affects the climate through warming.  Some aerosols can also encourage the growth of cloud and fog droplets if they have water-attracting properties. Pure sulphates and nitrates reflect nearly all radiation they encounter, cooling the atmosphere. Black carbon, in contrast, absorbs radiation readily, warming the atmosphere but also shading the surface. Organic carbon, sometimes called brown carbon or organic matter, has a warming influence on the atmosphere depending on the brightness of the underlying ground. Dust impacts radiation to varying degrees, depending on the composition of the minerals that comprise the dust grains, and whether they are coated with black or brown carbon. Salt particles tend to reflect all the sunlight they encounter. Therefore, statement 3 is incorrect as black carbon absorbs most of the sunlight.

Ease of Living Index was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.  Andhra Pradesh topped the charts among States in terms of “Ease of Living Index” rankings, 2018 followed by Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.