10 PM Daily Current Affairs Quiz | February 23 2021

Statement 1 is correct. Section 124A of the IPC, which deals with sedition, states, “Whoever, words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in India shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.”

Statement 2 is incorrect. Sedition is a non-bailable offence. Punishment under the law varies from imprisonment up to three years to a life term and fine. A person charged under this law can’t apply for a government job. They have to live without their passport and must present themselves in the court as and when required.

Statement 1 is correct. Mission Innovation (MI) is a global initiative working to reinvigorate and accelerate global clean energy innovation with the objective to make clean energy widely affordable.

MI was announced at COP21 on November, 2015, as world leaders came together in Paris to commit to ambitious efforts to combat climate change.

Statement 2 is correct. Mission Innovation (MI) is a global initiative of 24 countries, including India and the European Commission (on behalf of the European Union). These 25 members have committed to seek to double public investment in clean energy RD&D and are engaging with the private sector, fostering international collaboration and celebrating innovators.

Zoonotic diseases (also known as zoonoses) are caused by germs that spread between animals and people. Zoonotic pathogens may be bacterial, viral or parasitic, or may involve unconventional agents and can spread to humans through direct contact or through food, water or the environment.

Several zoonotic diseases of most concern are: Zoonotic influenza, Salmonellosis, West Nile virus, Plague, Emerging coronaviruses (e.g., severe acute respiratory syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome, COVID-19), Ebola viral disease, Rabies, Brucellosis, Lyme disease etc.

The liver is located in the upper right-hand portion of the abdominal cavity, beneath the diaphragm, and on top of the stomach, right kidney, and intestines.

The liver holds about one pint (13%) of the body’s blood supply at any given moment. The liver consists of 2 main lobes. Both are made up of 8 segments that consist of 1,000 lobules (small lobes).

The liver regulates most chemical levels in the blood and excretes a product called bile. This helps carry away waste products from the liver. All the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. The liver processes this blood and breaks down, balances, and creates the nutrients and also metabolizes drugs into forms that are easier to use for the rest of the body or that are nontoxic.

# Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, launched the operational guidelines for Integration of NAFLD (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) with NPCDCS (National Programme for Prevention & Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke) recently.

Statement 1 is correct. Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS) is a contagious bacterial disease caused by two serotypes of Pasteurella multocida, B2 and E2.

Statement 2 is incorrect. It affects cattle and water buffaloes with a high mortality rate in infected animals. There are no reported cases of human infection.

In many Asian countries HS disease outbreaks mostly occur during the climatic conditions typical of monsoon (high humidity and high temperatures); however, with climate change, incidences of disease may occur any month of the year.

# Six elephants have died of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia(HS) in Karlapat Wildlife Sanctuary located in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.

Statement 1 is incorrect. India shares longest border with Bangladesh followed by China.

India has 15,106.7 Km of land border: Bangladesh 4096.7 km, China 3488 km, Pakistan 3323 km, Nepal 1751 km, Myanmar 1643 km, Bhutan 699 km, Afghanistan 106 km.

Statement 2 is incorrect. China shares longest border with Mongolia followed by Russia.

China’s border countries (14): Afghanistan 91 km, Bhutan 477 km, Burma 2129 km, India 3488 km, Kazakhstan 1765 km, North Korea 1352 km, Kyrgyzstan 1063 km, Laos 475 km, Mongolia 4630 km, Nepal 1389 km, Pakistan 438 km, Russia (northeast) 4133 km and Russia (northwest) 46 km, Tajikistan 477 km, Vietnam 1297 km. Several of these border lengths are disputed, such as China’s border with Pakistan via PoK.

Dhauliganga rises in the vicinity of the Niti Pass in the border regions between Garhwal and southwestern Tibet. It flows southwards until it meets the Rishiganga on its left bank at Rini, in the vicinity of Tapovan in Chamoli district and flows westwards until it meets the Alaknanda at Vishnuprayag.

Various tributaries joining River Alaknanda are: Dhauliganga river at Vishnuprayag, Nandakini River at Nandaprayag, Pindar River at Karnaprayag, Mandakini River at Rudraprayag, and finally it meets Bhagirathi River at Devprayag.

# The Union Home Secretary reviewed the status of the artificial lake which has formed in the wake of the avalanche incident in the upper catchment of the Rishiganga River in Chamoli District of Uttarakhand.

The 3.6m Optical Telescope Facility Devasthal is in Nainital, Uttarakhand. The world-class 3.6-meter optical telescope set up at the place has assumed global importance for observing a number of time-critical cosmic explosive events such as Gamma Ray Bursts and Supernovae. It is the Asia’s largest fully steerable optical telescope.

It was set up in year 2016 by Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), an autonomous research institute of DST with support from Belgian government and established India’s role as a global player in astronomy research and is facilitating strong future collaborations with national, international institutions and industries.

The Government of India constituted the Technology Development Board (TDB) in September 1996, under the Technology Development Board Act, 1995, as a statutory body, to promote development and commercialization of indigenous technology and adaptation of imported technology for wider application.

The TDB is the first organization of its kind within the government framework with the sole objective of commercializing the fruit of indigenous research. The Board plays a pro-active role by encouraging enterprises to take up technology-oriented products.

A total of 12 companies have been selected for the National Technology Awards 2020 for commercialization of successful commercialization of innovative indigenous technologies.

They have been selected under three categories –indigenous technologies, MSME, and startups. Every year, for furtherance of its mandate, TDB seeks applications for prestigious National awards for commercialization of technologies under these three categories.

Both statements are correct.

The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) is an autonomous institute under the aegis of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India.

The NCGG has been set up to assist in bringing about governance reforms through studies, training, knowledge sharing and promotion of good ideas. It seeks to carry out policy relevant research and prepare case studies; curate training courses for civil servants from India and other developing countries; provide a platform for sharing of existing knowledge and pro-actively seek out and develop ideas for their implementation in the government, both at the National and International Level.

NCGG is governed by a Governing Body, under the Chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary. The Management Committee is chaired by Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.

# A two-day international virtual workshop on “Good Governance Practices in a Pandemic” between Civil Services Commission (CSC), Maldives and National Centre for Good Governance, DARPG, Government of India is being organized on 23rd and 24th February 2021.