Daily Current Affairs Quiz: April 25, 2022

ANSWER: C

• As per Japan, the disputed islands are illegally occupied by Russia.
• Japan has called these islands – the Northern Territories – while Russia calls them the southern Kurils.
• Japan claims the Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai islands in Kuril Island chain.
• Location: Chain of volcanic island archipelago stretches north across the Pacific Ocean from the Japan’s Hokkaido to the southernmost tip of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
• It separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean.
• Other features
• Vegetation: Ranges from tundra on the northern islands to dense forest on the larger southern islands
• Kuril Islands form part of the ring of tectonic instability encircling the Pacific Ocean referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire.

ANSWER: B

• Recently, North and South Korea leaders exchanged letters with the hope to make the Korean Peninsula peaceful.
• It is located in East Asia, connected with mainland Asia and contains North Korea and South Korea (with 38th Parallel as a separation line).
• It lies in the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by Yellow Sea in West and Sea of Japan in East with Korean Strait joining the two seas.
• From the mainland, the Amnok River separates it from China and the Duman River from Russia and China.
• Other Geographical Features:
  • Tallest mountain: Mount Paektu.
  • Longest River: Amnok River.

ANSWER: A

• It has captured the solar eclipse on Mars featuring Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons (other is Deimos ).
• It was launched in 2020 under Mars 2020 Mission and landed at Jezero crater, Mars in 2021.
• The rover is on an astrobiology mission to-
  • Better understand the Mars geology and seek signs of ancient life,
  • Collect and store a set of rock and soil samples for possible return to Earth, and
  • Test new technology to benefit future robotic and human exploration of Mars.

ANSWER: A

• Authorities in Bihar are working on strategies to prevent AES as rising temperature and humidity reignite fears of an outbreak.
• AES is characterized as acute-onset of fever and a change in mental status and/or new-onset of seizures in a person of any age at any time of the year.
• It most commonly affects children and young adults and can lead to considerable morbidity and mortality.
• Viruses are the main causative agents in AES cases, although other sources such as bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, chemicals, toxins and non-infectious agents have also been reported.

ANSWER: B

• NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), an International arm of National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced that BHIM UPI is now available at NEOPAY terminals, across the UAE.
  • Globally, UPI is accepted in Bhutan and Nepal, and is likely to go live in Singapore in 2022.
• UPI is an instant real-time payment system developed by NPCI facilitating inter-bank transactions.
  • It is the most successful real-time payments systems globally, providing simplicity, safety, and security in person to person (P2P) and person to merchant (P2M) transactions.
  • BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money), pioneered and developed by NPCI, enables fast, secure, reliable cashless payments through mobile phone.
  • UPI is one of the most prominent forms of digital payments worth $1 trillion in FY 2022.
  • BHIM, launched in 2016, brings in Financial Inclusion to the nation and a digitally empowered society.
• NPCI is an initiative of RBI and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) under provisions of Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, for creating a robust Payment and Settlement Infrastructure in India.
  • It aims to create a robust Payment & Settlement Infrastructure in India and operates RuPay (Indigenously developed Payment System), IMPS, NACH (National Automated Clearing House), ABPS (Aadhaar Payment Bridge System), NFS (National Financial Switch), Bharat Bill Payment System

ANSWER: A

• In view of Improving pandemic situation, RBI decided to reduce WMA for States and UTs to ₹ 47,010 crore from ₹ 51,560 crore.
  • Considering COVID-19 related uncertainties, RBI had raised WMA limit in 2021.
• Under RBI Act 1934, WMAs are temporary advances given by the RBI to Centre and States to tide over any mismatch in receipts and payments.
  • States/Centre pay interest linked to the repo rate on WMA withdrawals.
  • WMA is not part of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) because they get paid within the year itself.
• Two types of WMA – normal and special.
  • While normal WMA are clean advances, Special WMA or Special Drawing Facility (SDF) is provided against the collateral of government securities held by state.
  • After the state has exhausted SDF limit, it gets normal WMA.
• In addition to WMA, the Over Draft facility is also provided whenever financial accommodation to a State exceeds its SDF and WMA limits.
• There is a State-wise limit for the funds that can be availed via WMA. These limits depend on factors such as total expenditure, revenue deficit and fiscal position of the State.
• Limits for WMA are decided by the government and RBI mutually and revised periodically.

ANSWER: C

• Every year on April 23, World Book and Copyright Day is observed to promote the love of reading. April 23 is significant in world literature because it commemorates the death on this date of prominent writers such as Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare.
• This date was an obvious option for UNESCO’s General Conference, which was convened in Paris in 1995, to pay a worldwide tribute to books and authors on this day, urging everyone to read.
• Guadalajara, Mexico, will be the World Book Capital in 2022, with a year-long programme focusing on the role of books and reading in inspiring social change, combating violence, and cultivating a culture of peace.
• Every year on April 23 – the anniversary of the deaths of three great authors of world literature, Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega– we honour their enthralling ability to inspire creativity, knowledge, and alter minds.