ANSWER: A

ANSWER: B

 ANSWER: B

ANSWER: A

 ANSWER: B

• Recently, Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited the historic Grishneshwar temple, which is the 12th Jyotirlinga in the country.

Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple

• Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple also known as Ghushmeshwar Temple, is one of the shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva that is referenced in the Shiva Purana.
• The word Ghrneshwara means “lord of compassion”.
• The temple houses carvings and sculptures of many Hindu gods and goddesses.
• It is an important pilgrimage site in the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, which considers it as the twelfth Jyotirlinga (linga of light).
• It is situated in the state of Maharashtra. This pilgrimage site is located in Ellora (also called Verul), less than a kilometer from Ellora Caves – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Historical background:
  • The temple structure was destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th and 14th-century.
  • It went through several rounds of rebuilding followed by re-destruction during the Mughal-Maratha conflict.
  • It was rebuilt in the current form in the 18th century by Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, after the fall of the Mughal Empire.
• Architectural Design:
  • The Grishneshwar temple is an illustration of maratha temple architectural style and structure.
  • It is built of red rocks and is composed of a five-tier shikara.
  • This 240 ft x 185 ft temple is the smallest Jyotirlinga temple in India.
  • A court hall is built on 24 pillars. There is a Nandi bull in the court hall.

 ANSWER: C

• Agnikul-Cosmos, a space-tech startup incubated in IIT-Madras, has successfully conducted the flight acceptance test for its 3D printed rocket engine “Agnilet”
• Unlike other rocket engines, Agnilet was built in a single step, eliminating thousands of parts that are typically assembled in a conventional rocket engine.
• It is a semi-cryogenic engine, which uses a mixture of liquid kerosene at room temperature and super cold liquid oxygen as fuel.
• During the test, it generated sea level thrust of 6 kilo Newton.
• Agnilet Engine will power the company’s launch vehicle, Agnibaan, which is capable of carrying payloads of up to 100kg to a low-earth orbit.
• Launch of Agnibaan will be the second by a private firm – after Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace’s Viksram-S, which took place in November 2022.
• Earlier Agnikul also unveiled India’s first privately designed and operated rocket launchpad and mission control centre (located at Sriharikota).
• It is specifically built to support liquid-stage controlled launches while also addressing ISRO’s need for monitoring key flight safety parameters during launches.

 ANSWER: A

• The findings are part of report by UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on environmental dimensions of AMR, which already is taking a serious toll on health of humans, animals, and plants, as well as the economy.
  • AMR occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi become resistant to antimicrobial treatments to which they were previously susceptible.

Key Findings of the report

• Microorganisms (particularly bacteria) can acquire resistance following contact with resistant microorganisms that may have originated or introduced in environment.
• When antimicrobials are released into environment new AMR can develop by:
  • Spontaneous mutation, acquisition and transmission by mobile genetic elements.
  • Horizontal gene transfer events between environmental and plant, animal or human associated bacteria.
• AMR challenges are closely linked to triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste.
• 3 key sectors of AMR development and spread in environment:
  • Pharmaceuticals and other chemical manufacturing,
  • agriculture and food production,
• Transmission and spread of AMR are not confined to point-sources. Transient and diffuse sources, which include water agricultural runoff, airborne transmission, wildlife migration etc can also be important.

Recommendations

• A concerted systems approach like One Health Approach.
• Integration of environmental considerations into AMR National Action Plans.
• Create robust national level governance, planning and legal framework.
• Increase global efforts to improve integrated water management.
• Environmental monitoring and surveillance.

ANSWER: B

• India, under ‘Operation Dost’ has sent its sixth plane carrying National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, essentials, and medical equipment for the earthquake-hit Turkey.
• The 6th flight carries more rescue teams, dog squads, and essential medicines. A field hospital under Operation Dost has been set up by the Indian Army in Hatay province of Turkey.
• India has also sent a transport aircraft with medical supplies to Syria.
• The earthquake of magnitude 7.7 on the Richter scale hit Turkey and Syria on 6 Feb 2023 followed by a series of aftershocks causing huge devastation, major loss of lives and damage to infrastructure in the two countries.
• Operation Dost symbolises that India is a friend of Turkey and the two must deepen their relations.
• Earlier, the NDRF was sent to two similar international operations – the 2011 Japan triple disaster (earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown) and the 2015 Nepal earthquake.

ANSWER: B

• Prey-centric approach is a must to conserve snow leopards in Himachal Pradesh, reveals a study conducted by the researcher of Ashoka University in Sonepat, Haryana.
• The snow leopard population is healthier in regions that have a higher prey base having, among others, ungulates (blue sheep, Himalayan tahr and Himalayan ibex).
• The university conducted this study in collaboration with the state Forest Department in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti.
• Snow leopards are the flagship species for conservation. The first photographic documentation of the snow leopard done in 1975 highlighted this magical beast’s rare and elusive nature. Studying the distribution and population of snow leopards remains a challenge.

About Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia):

• Snow leopards act as an indicator of the health of the mountain ecosystem in which they live, due to their position as the top predator in the food web.
• Habitat: Mountainous regions of central and southern Asia. In India, their geographical range encompasses:
  • Western Himalayas: Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh.
  • Eastern Himalayas: Uttarakhand and Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Hemis National Park is the biggest national park in India and also has a good presence of Snow Leopard.

Protection Status:

• The snow leopard is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN-World Conservation Union’s Red List of the Threatened Species.
• In addition, it is also listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).
• It is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
• It is also listed in the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), affording the highest conservation status to the species, both globally and in India.
• It is also protected by several national laws in its range countries.

ANSWER: A

• The large-scale dumping of garbage by Baijnath Municipal Council in Binwa, a tributary of the Beas, has become a cause for concern for the health authorities.
• The river is a major source of drinking water in the lower areas of Baijnath. The Jal Shakti Department lifts its water for half a dozen drinking water supply schemes feeding 50 villages.
• The civic body threw waste in the river as there was no place for garbage dumping in the townas per Executive Officer, Baijnath MC
• A new piece of land for the garbage dumping site is being identified since the existing one is embroiled in dispute and the final decision of the High Court on it can take time. Salem Aazam, SDM, Baijnath

ANSWER:  A

 ANSWER:  B

 ANSWER:  D

 ANSWER:  A

ANSWER:  C

ANSWER:  A