Weekly Current Affairs: Quizzes 18/07/2022 to 23/07/2022

EXPLANATION-

• Glolitter Partnerships Projects was launched by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UNs and initial funding from the Government of Norway. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. It is aimed to prevent and reduce marine plastic litter from shipping and fisheries. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. Glolitter Partnerships Projects is aimed to prevent and reduce marine plastic litter from shipping and fisheries.It will also assist developing countries in reducing marine litter, including plastic litter, from within the maritime transport and fisheries sectors, and to decrease the use of plastics in these industries. (102 words)

EXPLANATION- 

• POEM (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module) is an experimental mission by ISRO which performs in-orbit scientific experiments during the fourth stage of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launch vehicle as an orbital platform. Hence, statement 1 is correct. 
• The PSLV is a four-stage rocket where the first three spent stages fall back into the ocean, and the final stage (PS4). However, in PSLV-C53 mission, the spent final stage will be utilised as a “stabilised platform” to perform experiments. POEM has a dedicated Navigation Guidance and Control (NGC) system for attitude stabilization, which stands for controlling the orientation of any aerospace vehicle within permitted limits. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• POEM will derive its power from solar panels mounted around the PS4 tank, and a Li-Ion battery. It will navigate using Four Sun Sensors, a Magnetometer, Gyros & NavIC. Hence, statement 3 is not correct. (144 words)

EXPLANATION- 

• Leprosy is a chronic, progressive bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae.
• It primarily affects the nerves of the extremities, the skin, the lining of the nose, and the upper respiratory tract. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Leprosy is also known as Hansen’s disease. Hence statement 2 is correct. 
• It produces skin ulcers, nerve damage, and muscle weakness. If it isn’t treated, it can cause severe disfigurement and significant disability. It is one of the oldest diseases in recorded history. It is common in many countries, especially those with tropical or subtropical climates including India. Clofazimine, along with Rifampicin and Dapsone, is one of the three essential drugs in the Multi-Drug Treatment of Multibacillary Leprosy (MB-MDT) cases. Hence statement 3 is correct. (125 words)

EXPLANATION-

• Recently, Scientists have spotted fossils of a small mammal resembling squirrels called treeshrew (known as Sivatupaia ramnagarensis) belonging to a new genus and species from Jammu and Kashmir. This treeshrew currently represents the oldest record of fossil tupaiids in the Siwaliks, extending their time range by 2.5-4.0 Million Years in the region. Tupaiids refers to several species of East Indian and Asiatic insectivores of the family Tupaiidæ, somewhat resembling squirrels in size and arboreal habits. The nose is long and pointed. Treeshrews are very rare elements of the fossil record, with only a few species known throughout the entire Cenozoic era. Hence, option (a) is correct. (108 words)

EXPLANATION- 

• Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB)
• Recently, the Cabinet Appointments Committee (ACC) has passed a government resolution to establish the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) in place of the Banks Board Bureau (BBB). Hence, statement (a) is not correct.
• The new framework was proposed by the Department of Financial Service, Ministry of Finance. The FSIB will select the chiefs of public sector banks and insurance companies. The FSIB will have the clear mandate to issue guidelines and select general managers and directors of state-run non-life insurers, general insurers and Financial Institutions. FSIB will be the single entity for making recommendations for appointments of WTD (Wholetime Director) and NEC (Non-executive Chairman) in Public Sector Banks, India Private Limited company and Financial Institutions. Juridiction of FSIB will be larger than BBB. Hence, statement (b) is not correct. The ACC has approved the appointment of Bhanu Pratap Sharma as Initial chairperson of FSIB for two years. He was the former Chairman of BBB.

EXPLANATION- 

• It is an informal group of 19 countries and the European Union (EU), founded in 1999, with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Hence statement 1 is correct. 
• Its members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the EU. Hence statement 2 is correct. 
• The G-20 has no fixed headquarters, and the secretariat moves by rotation between the countries hosting or assuming Presidency of the grouping each year. India will steer the international body as its President from 1st December 2022 to 30th November 2023, which will lead to the G20 summit to be hosted here. Jammu and Kashmir will be hosting the 2023 meetings of G-20. Hence statement 3 is correct. (138 words)

EXPLANATION- 

• It's published by the United Nations’ World Population Prospects (WPP) in a biennial cycle since 1951 and not by the World Economic Forum. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. 
• The report projected that India would surpass China as the world’s most populous country in
• 2023. Hence, statement 2 is correct. 
• According to the report, India’s growth rate stood at 2.3 % in 1972, which has dropped down to less than 1% now. In this period, the number of children each Indian woman has during her lifetime has come down from about 5.4 to less than 2.1 now. This means that India has attained the Replacement Fertility Rate, at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next. Hence statement 3 is correct. (127 words)

EXPLANATION- 

• Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme was formulated in 2014 under overall ambit of National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) with the aim to identify, groom and prepare potential medal prospects for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. High priority category has been created to put focus on those sports disciplines played in the Olympics in which India has won medals in the last conducted Asian Games as well as Commonwealth Games or in which India has a good chance of winning medals. Presently, nine sports disciplines have been categorized under the High priority category: Athletics, Badminton Hockey Shooting Tennis Weightlifting Wrestling Archery Boxing Hence, Option (d) is correct. (106 words)

EXPLANATION- 

• Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 was enacted for the protection of plants and animal species. It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.The Act provides for the formation of wildlife advisory boards, wildlife wardens, specifies their powers and duties, etc.It helped India become a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Hence, statement 1 is not correct. 
• The WPA act provides for the constitution of bodies to be established under this act such as the National and State Board for Wildlife, Central Zoo Authority and National Tiger Conservation Authority. Hence, statement 2 is correct. 
• The state governments are also entitled to appoint Wildlife Wardens in each district. Hence, statement 3 is correct. (128  words)

EXPLANATION- 

• Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) US-led initiative that aims to strengthen economic partnership among participating countries to enhance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. 
• The US has consistently been India’s largest market for services exports, but the recent overseas sales of merchandise goods to that country overtook China, making it the largest bilateral trading nation of India.The IPEF was launched with a dozen initial partners who together represent 40% of the world GDP. India is also part of this USA-led Initiative. Hence, statement 2 is correct. (98 words)

EXPLANATION: 

• Dark matter acts as an attractive force, a kind of cosmic mortar that holds our world together, and not a repulsive force, This is because dark matter interacts with gravity yet does not reflect, absorb, or emit light. Meanwhile, dark energy is a repulsive force, a kind of anti-gravity that slows down the expansion of the universe, hence statement 1 is not correct. Whereas Dark Energy is a type of energy that exerts a negative, repulsive force, acting in the opposite direction of gravity. It has been proposed to explain the observed features of distant types of supernovae, which reveal the universe expanding at an accelerated rate. Hence statement 2 is not correct. (113 words)

EXPLANATION- 

• Recently, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released ‘Youth in India 2022’ Report. Hence, statement 1 is correct. This report shows that the population share of the youth is starting to decline whereas the share of the elderly is expected to increase during 2021-2036. Hence, statement 3 is correct. 
• Decline in Youth Population: The youth population is expected to increase initially but will start to decline in the latter half of 2011-2036 period. Proportion of Youth and Elderly Population: Proportion of youth to the total population had increased from 26.6% in 1991 to 27.9% in 2016 and then projected to start a downward trend and to reach 22.7 % by year 2036: States such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh are projected to see a higher elderly population than the youth by 2036. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. (145 words)