Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 18, 2023

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: B

• The Office of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) in Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya had recently issued a warning to residents living downstream of Umiam Dam that the water may be released any time in case there is further rise in water level in the reservoir above the safe level.

ABOUT UMIAM DAM

• The Umiam Dam, also known as the Barapani Dam, is a large reservoir located in the state of Meghalaya in northeastern India.
• It is situated on the Umiam River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra River.
• Primary purpose -To provide hydroelectric power generation and supply drinking water to the region. It serves as a major water source for Shillong and its surrounding areas.
• Umiam Dam was constructed in the early 1960s as a part of the Umiam-Umtru Hydro-Electric Project.
• It is a concrete gravity dam, standing at a height of approximately 55 meters and having a length of about 1,009 meters.
  • The Umiam Dam has a hydroelectric power station with a total installed capacity of 2×30 megawatts.
• The dam creates a reservoir known as the Umiam Lake, which covers an area of about 220 sq km.

ANSWER: B

• London is standing at risk of a major measles outbreak, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned recently.

About Measles

• It is a highly contagious viral disease and is a cause of death among young children globally.
• It is caused by a single-stranded, enveloped RNA virus with 1 serotype. It is classified as a member of the genus Morbillivirus in the Paramyxoviridae family.
• It is normally passed through direct contact and the air.
• The virus infects the respiratory tract, then spreads throughout the body, causing severe disease, complications and even death.
  • It can cause serious complications, including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea, ear infection and pneumonia.
• Unvaccinated young children and pregnant women are at highest risk of severe measles complications.
• No specific antiviral treatment exists for measles.
• Vaccine
  • MMR Vaccine gives protection against three diseases measles, mumps and rubella.
  • MMRV vaccine can prevent measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella.

ANSWER: A

• Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz has defeated Novak Djokovic in 2023 Wimbledon men’s final.
• Marketa Vondrousova (Czech) defeated Ons Jabeur (Tunisia) in the final to win the ladies’ singles tennis title.
• A Grand Slam refers to winning all four major championships of Australia, France, Britain (Wimbledon), and United States-in same calendar season.
• Career Grand Slam refers to the accomplishment of winning each of the four major championship’s durind a player’s career.

ANSWER: C

• It is a joint military exercise between India-Mongolia.
• It is the 15^th edition of bilateral joint military exercise.
• An annual training event, it is conducted alternatively in Mongolia and India.
• This year it is being held in at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
• The primary theme of the exercise will focus on counter-terrorism operations in mountainous terrain under United Nations mandate.

ANSWER: D

• Indian govt. has reimposed windfall tax on petroleum crude after two months.
• It is a higher tax levied by the government on specific industries when they experience unexpected and above-average profits.
• A Windfall Tax is imposed on an industry’s profits when it experiences a sharp increase in revenue due to unrelated external events.
• These revenues are not linked to anything the company actively pursued, such as its business strategy or expansion.

ANSWER: C

• Nigeria has declared a State of Emergency over food security as record inflation has made basic foods unaffordable for many and has increased malnutrition rates.
• It is Africa’s most populous country and is often called as Giant of Africa.

ANSWER: A

• India and UAE signed a MoU recently to establish IIT-Delhi campus in Abu Dhabi.
• It would be second IIT abroad after IIT Madras set up campus at Zanzibar in Tanzania.

ANSWER: D

• A powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake recently struck the Alaskan Peninsula.
• It is a long, narrow strip of land located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alaska.
• It extends about 800 kilometres (500 miles) in a southwest direction from the mainland of Alaska.
• It separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea.
• Aleut and Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) indigenous communities live here.