Daily Current Affairs Quiz: 25 May 2021

ANSWER: A

WHY IN NEWS ?

• Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chairman of WHO Executive Board, Dr Harsh Vardhan, chaired 74th World Health Assembly in virtual mode.

• About World Health Assembly

• World Health assembly is key decision-making body of WHO. Assembly is attended by delegations from Member States of WHO. It focuses on specific health agenda, prepared by Executive Board. Primary functions of the assembly include- determining policies of Organization, appointing Director-General, supervising financial policies, and reviewing & approving proposed programme budget. Health Assembly is held in Geneva, Switzerland annually.

ANSWER: A

WHY IN NEWS ?

• Union Ministry of Power has announced to set up a ‘National Mission on use of Biomass’ in coal based thermal power plants. This decision was taken to address issue of air pollution caused due to farm stubble-burning.

• National Mission on use of Biomass

• Mission will reduce carbon footprints of thermal power generation.
• It will also help in energy transition across the country and help in fulfilling the aim of establishing cleaner energy sources.
• Level of co-firing from present five percent to higher levels will also be increased in order to get higher carbon-neutral power generation from thermal power plants.
• Mission will facilitate platform to overcome constraints in supply chain of biomass pellets and agro- residue including its transportation to power plants.
• It will consider regulatory issues in biomass co-firing.
• Mission will also contribute in National Clean Air Programme

Steering Committee

• Mission will be administered by Steering Committee which is headed by Power Secretary consisting of all stakeholders, representatives from Petroleum and New & Renewable Energy Ministries.

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

• NCAP was launched by government to tackle air pollution problem across India in a comprehensive manner. It seeks to achieve 20% to 30% reduction in Particulate Matter concentrations by 2024. It has kept 2017 as base year to compare concentration.

ANSWER: D

WHY IN NEWS ?

• Microsoft recently announced that Internet Explorer 11 desktop browser will be retired on June 15, 2022, for some versions of Windows 10. However, Internet Explorer-based websites and applications will continue to work on new Microsoft Edge (Internet Explorer) mode till 2029.

• Why explorer is retiring?

Microsoft is retiring Internet Explorer (IE) because it has been working over “Microsoft Edge with IE mode” to replace Internet Explorer 11 desktop application. Microsoft edge will help in providing more secure, faster and modern browsing experience. Compatibility issues related with Internet Explorer based websites and applications will also be resolved.

Which system will be affected by retirement of IE?

According to Microsoft; MSHTML (Trident) engine, Windows 10 LTSC and Server Internet Explorer 11 desktop applications will not be affected by retirement of IE. Windows 7 Extended Security Updates, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 Server- both SAC & LTSC etc. will continue having IE 11 desktop application.

Significance of Microsoft Edge with IE mode

• It is more secure, faster, and modern.
• It is built on Chromium project.
• It provides dual-engine support for modern as well as legacy Internet Explorer-based websites.
• It extends supports to ActiveX controls.

Why Microsoft Edge is being preferred?

• It enables users to enjoy modern features such as browser tab management including Sleeping tabs feature, Vertical tabs, Edge Collections for favourites etc.
• It enhances browser security against malware or phishing attacks by issuing security patches.

About Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer was launched in 1995 by Microsoft. It is a web browsers operating on Windows.

ANSWER: C

WHY IN NEWS ?

• India has exported first consignment of GI-certified Shahi Litchi from Bihar to United Kingdom by air route.

What is GI Tag ?

• Geographical indication (GI) tag is given to an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product such as handicraft and industrial goods which are originating from definite geographical territory. The tag provides an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially linked to place of its origin. It also helps growers to get premium price of product as no other producer can misuse name to sale similar goods.

Registered GIs

• Darjeeling tea, Kangra paintings, Tirupati laddu, Nagpur orange and Kashmir pashmina are some of the examples of registered GIs in India.

About Shahi Litchi

• Shahi litchi is an agricultural product from Bihar which got the GI Tag in 2018. It was the fourth agricultural product to get GI certification from Bihar in 2018. Other 3 products from Bihar with GI Tag are Magahi Paan, Jardalu mango and Katarni rice. GI registration for Shahi Litchi registered with Muzaffarpur-based Litchi Growers Association of Bihar.

ANSWER: B

WHY IN NEWS ?

• First phase of India’s first mission mode e-governance project, MCA21 was launched on May 24, 2021 by Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Anurag Thakur. This version of MCA21 is data analytics driven.

• About MCA21 Version 3.0

• MCA21 version 3.0 was highlighted during budget 2021-2022. This project makes use of new technologies to streamline corporate compliance and experiences of stakeholders. It will be implemented in two phases for which second and third phase will be launched in October 2021. First phase of the project consists of new email services for MCA officers, revamped website, eBook and e Consultation.

Aim of the Project

Version 3.0 of MCA 21 was launched to:

• Promote Ease of Doing Business,
• Strengthen the enforcement,
• Facilitate seamless integration and
• Exchange data among regulators and
• Enhance user experience.

What is MCA21?

• It is an online portal of corporate affairs ministry. Launched in 2006, the portal has made all the information related to company, accessible to stakeholders and general public.

ANSWER: B

WHY IN NEWS ?

• Forest Department of Odisha has witnessed an adult Gharial surrounded by 28 hatchlings at Satkosia gorge in Mahanadi River which is considered as southernmost limit of gharials’ home range in India.

How is it significant ?

• Forest department has been trying for 15 years to increase the population of gharials in their natural habitat in Odisha. For long, the State Forest Department has been trying to increase the population of gharials in their natural habitat in Odisha. However, it yielded desired result. Thus, sight of mated gharials and their hatchlings becomes significant.

The Gharial

• Gharial, also called as gavial or fish-eating crocodile, is a crocodilian of family Gavialidae. It is one among longest of all living crocodilians. Mature females are 2.6–4.5 m long while and males are 3–6 m long. They are called as Gharial because they have a distinct boss at the end of snout, resembling an earthenware pot or ghara. They are well adapted to catching fish.

Background

• It is believed that gharial evolved in northern Indian subcontinent. Because, Fossil gharial remains were collected from Pliocene deposits in Shivalik Hills and Narmada River valley.

Natural Habitat

• Currently, Gharials inhabit rivers in northern plains of Indian subcontinent. They are most thoroughly aquatic crocodilian. They leave water only for basking and building nests on moist sandbanks.

Concerns

• Population of gharial is declining dramatically since 1930s. They are limited to only 2% of its historical range now. Loss of habitat is occurring because of sand mining and conversion of agriculture, decreasing fish resources etc. Though, India and Nepal started conservation programmes with focused on reintroducing captive-bred gharials. But they are listed as ‘critically endangered’ in IUCN Red List since 2007.

ANSWER: D

WHY IN NEWS ?

• Recently, India Biodiversity Awards 2021 were presented on the occasion of International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22.

• Who are the winners?

• Krishi Avam Paristhitiki Vikas Sansthan (KRAPAVIS) won the award under the category ‘Sustainable Use of Biological Resources.’
• Shaji N.M., who is also called as ‘Tuber Man’ of Kerala has won in individual category of ‘Conservation of domesticated species.
• Khonoma Nature Conservation & Tragopan Sanctuary (KNCTS) in Nagaland won the award under ‘Sustainable Use of Biological Resources’ category.

What are India Biodiversity Awards?

The India Biodiversity Awards initiative was started jointly by ministry of environment, forest & climate change; National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2012. It recognizes and honour outstanding models from grassroot level for biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources and governance.

ANSWER: D

WHY IN NEWS ?

• The report, titled Protected Planet Report 2020, underlined the progress the world has made toward the ambitious goals agreed by countries in 2010 at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

About the Protected Planet Reports:

• The reports are released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with support from the National Geographic Society, a global non-profit.
• These are biennial landmark publications that assess the state of protected and conserved areas around the world.
• The report is the first in the series to include data on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) in addition to protected areas.
• OECM are a conservation designation for areas that are achieving the effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity outside of protected areas.
• The 2020 edition provides the final report on the status of Aichi Biodiversity Target 11, and looks to the future as the world prepares to adopt a new post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
• Aichi Biodiversity Target 11 aimed to conserve 17% of land and inland water ecosystems and 10% of its coastal waters and oceans by 2020.

International Union for Conservation of Nature

• The IUCN is an international organization that works in the field of conservation of the world’s flora and fauna.
• Its members include States, non-governmental organizations, indigenous peoples’ organisations, experts, government agencies, etc.
• Headquarters- Gland, Switzerland

ANSWER: A

WHY IN NEWS ?

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered all encroachments to be removed from Gujarat’s Banni grasslands within six months.

About Banni Grassland:

Location:

• Banni is the largest grassland of Asia situated near the Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat.
• It is spread over 2,618 kilometres and accounts for almost 45% of the pastures in Gujarat.

Ecosystem and Vegetation:

• Two ecosystems, wetlands and grasslands, are mixed side by side in Banni.
• Vegetation in Banni is sparse and highly dependent on rainfall.
  • Banni grasslands, traditionally, were managed following a system of rotational grazing.
• Banni is dominated by low-growing plants, forbs and graminoids, many of which are halophiles (salt tolerant), as well as scattered tree cover and scrub.
• The area is rich in flora and fauna, with 192 species of plants, 262 species of birds, several species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians.