Daily Current Affairs Quiz: 17 June 2021

ANSWER: B

Why in news ?

Recently, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare addressed the 42^nd session of Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Conference.

Food and Agriculture Organization

• FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
• World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16^thOctober to mark the anniversary of the founding of the FAO in 1945.
• It is one of the UN food aid organisations based in Rome (Italy). Its sister bodies are the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Initiatives Taken:

• Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).
• Monitors the Desert Locust situation throughout the world.
• The Codex Alimentarius Commission or CAC is the body responsible for all matters regarding the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.
• The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

Why in news ?

The Minister of Jal Shakti has urged all MPs to support the ongoing “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch The Rain” campaign in their respective constituencies and states.

• Such interventions would ensure water source sustainability in rural areas and would strengthen the ongoing Jal Jeevan Mission being implemented by the Ministry.

About:

• The Abhiyan with the theme- “Catch the Rain where it falls, when it falls’ was launched on the occasion of world water day (22^ndMarch 2021).
• It covers all rural and urban areas of all districts of the country.
  • Jal Shakti Abhiyan-I of 2019, covered only 1592 water stressed blocks out of 2836 blocks in 256 districts of the country.
• National Water Mission, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is the nodal agency for its implementation.
• A total of almost Rs. 14,000 Cr worth of water conservation related work is completed/ongoing under the MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) of Dept of Rural Development.

ANSWER: B

Why in news ?

Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos’s space company named Blue Origin has concluded the online auction for the first seat on the New Shephard rocket system. It is a rocket system meant to take tourists to space.

About:

• New Shephard is a reusable rocket system that has been designed to take astronauts and research payloads past the Karman line – the internationally recognized boundary of space.
• Built by: The rocket system has been built by Blue Origin, space company of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
• Named after: The rocket system has been named after astronaut Alan Shephard – the first American to go to space.

ANSWER: A

Why in news ?

Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar has developed a device named ‘Jivan Vayu’.

About:

• Jivan Vayu is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure(CPAP) device. It can be used as a substitute for existing CPAP machines.

Key Features of the Device:

• Firstly, it is India’s first CPAP device that functions even without electricity.
• Secondly, the device is adapted to both kinds of oxygen generation units like O2 cylinders and oxygen pipelines in hospitals.
• Thirdly, the device can deliver high flow oxygen up to 60 Litres per Minute (LPM).
• Fourthly, the device has an inbuilt viral filter which ensures that the air does not bring in any pathogens from the environment.

• Significance: This device is especially important during the present Covid-19 pandemic. Further, the power supply is the key concern for saving lives of those on medical equipment such as ventilators and oxygen concentrators.

ANSWER: C

Why in news ?

Researchers from the Indian Statistical Institute had carried out extensive studies on rocks of the Yerrapalli Formation in Telangana during the mid-20th Century. During that time, they uncovered several fossils. By studying some of these fossils, the team has now provided information on one of the reptiles(Bharitalasuchus tapani).

What information they have provided on the Bharitalasuchus tapani?

• The reptile has been named Bharitalasuchus tapani. It is a carnivorous reptile that lived 240 million years ago.
  • In the Telugu language, Bhari means huge, Tala means head, and Suchus is the name of the Egyptian crocodile-headed deity.
• Named after: The reptile has been named after palaeontologist Tapan Roy Chowdhury. For his contribution to Indian vertebrate palaeontology, and especially his extensive work at Yerrapalli Formation.
• Genus: The reptile belonged to a family of extinct reptiles named Erythrosuchidae.
• Key Features:
  • Bharitalasuchus Tapani was robust animals with big heads and large teeth, and these probably predated other smaller reptiles.
  • They were approximately the size of an adult male lion and might have been the largest predators in their ecosystems.

ANSWER: B

Why in news ?

The 10th edition of the World Giving Index (WGI) 2021 has been released.

About:

• The World Giving Index (WGI) is published by the Charities Aid Foundation(CAF).
• Parameters: The index provides combined insight into the scope and nature of giving around the world. It looks at three aspects of giving behaviour and asks: Have you done any of the following in the past month?
  • Helped a stranger or someone you didn’t know who needed help?
  • Donated money to a charity?
  • Volunteered your time to an organization?
• Data Source: The index uses data gathered by Gallup and ranks countries in the world according to how charitable they are.
  • The report includes the results of 1.6 million individuals interviewed across the globe since 2009.
    • What are the Key Findings of the World Giving Index 2021?

 India:

• India is among the top 20 generous countries in the world. It has been ranked 14th position in the Index.
  • This is a significant improvement from the 10-year global rank of 82.
• In India, at least 61% of Indians helped strangers. Meanwhile, 34% volunteered for a cause and 36% donated money.

ANSWER: D

Why in news ?

The NATO Summit was held recently in Brussels. During the summit, countries agreed to step up their collective defence against threats from all directions.

About NATO:

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) also called North Atlantic Alliance is an intergovernmental military alliance.
• Formed in: NATO was formed in 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty.
• Members: It consists of 30 countries from North America and Europe.
  • The most recent member state is North Macedonia, included in NATO in 2020.
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium.

ANSWER: C

Why in news ?

Kerala cabinet has given the approval to begin acquiring land for the SilverLine Project.

About:

• SilverLine Project is Kerala’s semi high-speed railway project that aims to reduce travel time between Kerala’s northern and southern ends.
• Distance: The railway line will be around 529 kms long, covering 11 districts through 11 stations. It will link the southern end and state capital Thiruvananthapuram with its northern end of Kasaragod.
• Implementation: The Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited(KRDCL) will execute this project.
  • KRDCL is a joint venture between the Kerala government and the Union Ministry of Railways.
• Significance of the Project: Once the project is completed, one can travel from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram in less than four hours on trains travelling at 200 km/hr. The current travel time on the existing Indian Railways network is 12 hours.
• Duration of the Project: The deadline for the project is 2025.