10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: April 8, 2020

Venus is often called Earth’s twin sister, as the two planets are similar in many ways in terms of size, densities, composition, and gravity. Also called the morning star and evening star, the planet is 30 percent closer to the sun than Earth, and has much higher exposure to solar radiation, solar flares, and other solar phenomena, which could help ISRO study the atmosphere. Mission Shukrayaan aims to study the dense atmosphere of Venus. As per ISRO’s website, the proposed satellite would weigh around 175 kg with 500W of power, but these values will be further tuned based on the final configuration.

Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) is an interstate tiger reserve spanning across two states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The portion of the reserve that is in Madhya Pradesh is located in the Satpura ranges. The reserve comprises the Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park, the Pench Mowgli Sanctuary and a buffer. The tiger reserve is named after the Pench River that flows through. The Meghdoot dam built across Pench River falls both in M.P. and Maharashtra.

The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India was set up in March 2000 with the assistance of Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. It is India’s national initiative to strengthen the grassroots technological innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge. Its mission is to help India become a creative and knowledge-based society by expanding policy and institutional space for grassroots technological innovators. NIF scouts, supports and spawns’ grassroots innovations developed by individuals and local communities in any technological field, helping in human survival without any help from formal sector. NIF helps grassroots innovators and outstanding traditional knowledge holders get due recognition, respect and reward for their innovations. It also tries to ensure that such innovations diffuse widely through commercial and/or non-commercial channels, generating material or non-material incentives for them and others involved in the value chain.

Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s Technical Liaison Unit (ITLU) in Moscow, Russia. The establishment of this unit will help ISRO to collaborate with Space agencies/industries in Russia and neighboring countries for mutually synergistic outcomes. Further, this unit will also help in ISRO’s Gaganyaan programme which requires development of some of the key technologies and establishment of specialized facilities which are essential to support life in space. However, the establishment of ITLU is not one of its kinds. ISRO already has its ITLU units active in Washington, USA and Paris, France. The main agenda of these establishments is to collaborate with various government and space agencies in the USA and Europe.

28th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is being conducted. Indian Naval (IN) Ship Kesari and His Majesty’s Thailand Ship (HTMS) Kraburi along with Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both the navies are participating in the CORPAT. IN ships and aircraft of Andaman and Nicobar Command have been participating in the biannual Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) with the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) since 2003. The Objectives of the Indo-Thai CORPAT are to ensure effective implementation of United Nations Conventions on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) which specify regulations regarding protection and conservation of natural resources, conservation of marine environment, prevention and suppression of illegal, unregulated fishing activity/ drug trafficking/ piracy, exchange of information in prevention of smuggling, illegal immigration and conduct of Search and Rescue operations at sea.

Statement 1 is correct. The interferons are made and released by host cells & are involved in alerting the cellular immune system to viral infection of host cells.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Interferon is secreted by cells in response to stimulation by a virus or other foreign substance, but it does not directly inhibit the virus’s multiplication. Rather, it stimulates the infected cells and those nearby to produce proteins that prevent the virus from replicating within them.

Consider the following statements regarding International Criminal Police Organisation;

1. It is a specialised agency of the United Nations for policing operations.
2. CBI is designated as the National Central Bureau of India for the organisation.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

Statement 1 is correct. COVID-19 is a viral disease caused by SARS-COV-2.

Statement 2 is correct. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered virus from the coronavirus family.

Statement 3 is correct. COVID-19 affects the respiratory system of the body and causes severe difficulty in breathing.

Statement 4 is incorrect. Lancet has published that “although highly transmissible, the Case Fatality Rate of COVID-19 (3-4%) appears to be lower than that of SARS (9·5%) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (34·4%)”.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Ageusia is the loss of taste functions of the tongue, Anosmia, also known as smell blindness, is the loss of the ability to detect one or more smells.

Statement 2 is correct. Nasal congestion from a cold, allergy, sinus infection are the common causes of anosmia.

Statement 1 is correct. The mission is expected to carry three astronauts out of four currently training in Russia to a seven days space flight.

Statement 2 is correct. GSLV Mk III launcher which is ISRO’s heavy lift launcher is identified for Gaganyaan mission.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The spacecraft will be placed in a low earth orbit of 300-400 km.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister approves the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) on recommendation of Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

Statement 2 is incorrect. Fair and Remunerative Prices are determined on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and are announced by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, states announce State Advised Prices (SAP) which are generally higher than FRP.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The Government of India announces the minimum support prices (MSP) for procurement before the harvest during each Rabi / Kharif Crop season.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The statement is giving the definition of GM crops. Hybrid seeds are developed by crossbreeding of two different varieties, resulting in a seed that carries one or more favorable traits. Hybrid seeds are commonplace in commercial farming, especially to increase crop yields.

Statement 2 is correct. Hybrids are chosen to improve the characteristics of the resulting plants, such as better yield, greater uniformity, improved color, disease resistance.

Statement 1 is correct. Hydroxychloroquine is used to prevent or treat malaria caused by mosquito bites. It is also used to treat certain auto-immune diseases (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis).

Statement 2 is incorrect. ICMR and the National Task Force on COVID-19 has recommended Hydroxychloroquine as a prophylaxis (preventive drug) for SARS-COV-2 and not as a treatment drug.

Statement 1 is correct. Due to the arrest of major leaders, Aruna Asaf Ali presided over the AICC session on 9 August and hoisted the flag at Gowalia Tank maidan. She was instrumental in formation of the National Federation of Indian Women in 1954.

Statement 2 is correct. She was awarded India’s second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan in her lifetime in 1992, and finally the highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, posthumously in 1997.

Statement 1 is correct. The World Health Organization’s International Smallpox Assessment Commission declared India smallpox free in 1977. The 1974 smallpox epidemic of India was one of the worst smallpox epidemics of the 20th century. Over 15,000 people contracted and died from smallpox between January and May 1974.

Statement 2 is correct. As per WHO, there is no cure for smallpox, but vaccination can be used very effectively to prevent infection from developing if given during a period of up to four days after a person has been exposed to the virus. The vaccine’s side effect risk is too high to justify routine vaccination for people at low risk of exposure to the virus.