Daily Current Affairs Quiz: 10 June 2021

 ANSWER: C

Why in News ?

NITI Aayog and Piramal Foundation launched ‘Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyaan’ to provide home-care support to asymptomatic covid-19 patients or patients with mild symptoms.

About:

• Surakshit Hum Surakshit Tum Abhiyan
• This campaign was launched in 112 Aspirational Districts to assist district administrations in providing home-care support to COVID-19 patients.
• It will provide covid home-care support to 20 lakh citizens.
• It is a part of special initiative in which civil societies, local leaders and volunteers will work with district administrations to address emerging problems across key focus areas of Aspirational Districts Programme.
• It will be led by district magistrates in partnership with over one thousand local NGOs. NGOs will enlist & train about one lakh volunteers to connect with patients through inbound and outbound calls.
• Campaign will also be supported by Piramal Foundation. It will work with district magistrates to support training of NGOs and volunteers.
• NGOs will mobilize local volunteers to provide home-care support to affected people and Volunteers will be trained to support 20 affected families by educating caretakers to follow COVID protocols, provide psychosocial support etc.

Significance of campaign

This is a significant initiative which will provide long-term support to India’s poorest communities in Aspirational Districts by addressing impact of COVID-19. It will play a key role in district preparedness to manage nearly 70 percent of COVID cases at home. Thus, it will reduce pressure on health system. It will also carry capacity building of citizens for correct usage of Oxygen concentrators supplied to these districts.

ANSWER: A

Why in News ?

Union government has appointed Anup Chandra Pandey, as Election Commissioner. He is a retired IAS officer if 1984 batch from Uttar Pradesh cadre. He will serve the office for around three years and will retire in February 2024.

About:

• He has been appointed to position after retirement of former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora.
• Thus, Election Commission now restores to its full strength of three members. Other members of the panel are CEC Sushil Chandra and Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
• It will now which will now oversee upcoming crucial assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Manipur and Uttarakhand in 2022.

ANSWER: A

Why in News ?
In QS World University Rankings 2020, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati was ranked at 41^st in ‘Research Citations per Faculty’ category.

About:

• IIT Guwahati has also obtained global 395th rank in World University Ranking.
• Its ranking has improved from 470 in QS World University Ranking 2021 to 395th to this edition as a result of strong improvement in ‘Citations per Faculty’ category.
• In this category, IIT Guwahati improved its score from 77.9 in 2021 to 94.8 in 2022.
• IIT Guwahati was ranked in 12 different subject categories with a break into 51-100 range in Petroleum Engineering.

ANSWER: D

Why in News ?

Two species of monals were sighted together by local wildlife enthusiasts in upper Siang district of central Arunachal Pradesh. Monals is a colour pheasant.

About:

• One discovered species is While Himalayan monal also called as Lophophorus impejanus. It is widely distributed from Afghanistan to northeast India
• While, other is Sclater’s monal which is also called as Lophophorus sclateri. It is found in southern China and northern Myanmar. It is listed as vulnerable by IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature). It was sighted near Komji Lipik at 2,850 metres.
• Birds were sighted on Mount Eko Dumbing at 4,173 metres above mean sea level.

Monal bird

Monal bird belongs to genus Lophophorus of pheasant family called Phasianidae. Male birds have colourful, iridescent plumage with plump physique. They prefer like roots, bulbs and insects as diet. Males are polygamous during mating. They mate with several females. Females only mate with selected male and enter into monogamous relationship. They are listed as vulnerable due to habitat destruction and hunting.

Why in News ?

El Salvador has become the first country to formally adopt bitcoin as legal tender.  Proposal to legalise cryptocurrency was put forward by President Nayib Bukele which was later approved by Congress.

About:

• Even though there was concern regarding potential impact of legalising cryptocurrency on El Salvador’s program of $1 billion with International Monetary Fund, proposal was passed with majority of 62 out of 84 possible votes.
• Bitcoin was approved considering its potential to help Salvadorans living abroad to send remittances back home. U.S. dollar will also continue as legal tender in country.
• It will bring financial inclusion, investment, innovation, tourism and economic development in El Salvador.

ANSWER: D

Why in News ?

Union Cabinet approved an increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Kharif crops for 2021-22, to increase farmers’ income.

About:

• Centre has increased MSP for paddy by Rs 72. It now stands at to Rs 1,940 per quintal for 2021-22 crops.
• Highest absolute increase in MSP over previous year has been recommended for sesamum, followed by tur and urad.
• MSP on groundnut and niger seed was increased by Rs 275 per quintal and Rs 235 per quintal, respectively.
• Differential remuneration was fixed with the aim of encouraging crop diversification.

ANSWER: A

Why in News ?

India and Thailand started 31st edition of Coordinated Patrols or CORPAT, with the aim of reinforcing maritime links between two countries and to keep Indian Ocean safe and secure for international trade.

CORPAT Exercise

This is the first biannual exercise in which Saryu, an indigenously built Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel called Saryu from Indian Navy and His Majesty’s Thailand Ship (HTMS) Krabi along with Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both navies are participating.

Significance of CORPAT

CORPAT biannual exercise builds up understanding and interoperability between both the navies. It facilitates institution of measures to prevent & suppress unlawful activities such as Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, maritime terrorism, drug trafficking, armed robbery and piracy. It also helps in enhancing operational synergy by exchanging information to prevent smuggling, illegal immigration and to conduct SAR operations at sea.

  ANSWER: C

Why in News ?

International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNICEF jointly published report on child labour. As per report, world has marked rise in child labour in two decades.

Key Findings of report

• Report highlights, coronavirus crisis might push millions more youngsters toward child labour.
• As of 2020, number of child labour stands at 160 million. It has increased by 8.4 million in four years.
• Number started increasing before covid-19 pandemic hit, marking dramatic reversal of downward trend where numbers decreased by 94 million in between 2000 and 2016.
• Amid the covid-19 pandemic, 1 in 10 children globally were engaged in child labour.
• Sub-Saharan Africa is the worst affected country.
• Boys are more likely to be affected. They will account for 97 million out of 160 million children engaging into child labour at start of 2020.
• Number of children, between ages 5 and 17 doing hazardous work, has increased. About 79 million children were considered to be engaged in hazardous work. This could affect child’s development, education or health.

ANSWER: B

Why in News ?

Recently, in Yogyakarta city of Indonesia, dengue fever cases have been cut by 77% through a trial that manipulates the mosquitoes spreading dengue.

About the trial

• Scientists used mosquitoes infected with “miraculous bacteria” and released across the cities. These bacteria reduce insect’s ability to spread dengue.
• Trial used mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria.
• Wolbachia doesn’t harm mosquito, but it goes in same parts of its body where dengue virus needs to get into.
• The bacteria compete for resources and make it much harder for dengue virus to replicate, so the mosquito is less likely to cause an infection when it bites again.
• According to team of World Mosquito Programme, this method can be a solution to virus that has spread worldwide.
• The technique is successful and mosquitoes have been released across whole city. This project is targeting to cover more areas with the aim of eradicating dengue.

ANSWER: B

Why in News ?

Airbnb, EaseMyTrip, OYO and Yatra have established a new industry association called “Confederation of Hospitality, Technology & Tourism Industry (CHATT)”. CHATT will help small companies and travel & hospitality technology players.

About:

CHATT association

• It will promote domestic tourism and help in digital transformation of domestic tourism.
• It will act as a thought leader to run training programmes.
• Every member will have the access to CHATT resources and benefits.
• It provides for participation in year-round programmes, access to travel-tech ecosystem, signature business events, inclusion of experts & regional leads among others.
• Members of association

CHATT association comprises of members like-

• Amanpreet Bajaj who is General Manager of Airbnb – India, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong
• Nishant Pitti who is Co- Founder & CEO of EaseMyTrip.com;
• Rohit Kapoor who is CEO of OYO India & Southeast Asia and
• Dhruv Shringi who is Co-Founder and CEO of Yatra.com.