Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 29, 2023

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: B

• Amid heavy rainfall in Delhi and nearby areas over the past few weeks, conjunctivitis has become a prevalent concern.
• The humid weather offers a favourable environment for bacteria and viruses to grow and spread, contributing to increased cases of highly contagious eye infections.
• Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is the most common type of eye infection.
• It is the swelling or inflammation of the conjunctivae., a clear tissue covering the white part of your eye and the inside the eyelids.
• It can occur due to allergic or chemical reaction or due to Infectious cause caused by bacteria or virus.
  • The conjunctivitis cases are mostly caused by a virus.
• The infection is highly contagious and symptoms last for three to four days.
• However, it doesn’t affect the vision and after the disease has been treated or run its course, the eyes gets completely cured.
• Transmission/spread– direct or indirect contact with an infected person’s eye secretions, contaminated objects like door knobs, towels, tissues, or respiratory droplets.

ANSWER: B

• The report, Global Climate Litigation Report: 2023 Status Review, was published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University.
• The report provides an overview of key climate litigation cases from the past two years (2020–2022 period).
• It shows that the number of lawsuits over climate change has more than doubled since 2017, showing that climate litigation is becoming an integral part of securing climate action and justice.
  • Climate change litigation includes cases that raise material issues of law or fact relating to climate change mitigation, adaptation or the science of climate change.
• While most cases have been brought in the US, climate litigation is taking root all over the world, with about 17% of cases now being reported in developing countries, including the Small Island Developing States.
• These legal actions were brought in 65 bodies worldwide: International, regional and national courts, tribunals, quasi-judicial bodies and other adjudicatory bodies, including special procedures of the UN and arbitration tribunals.

ANSWER: A

• NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, currently on a return journey from asteroid Bennu, has made a critical course adjustment by altering its velocity by a seemingly minuscule but crucial 2.09 kilometers per hour.
• This change in speed and direction is vital for the spacecraft to get close enough to Earth to deliver its precious cargo.
• This trajectory correction maneuver is the final major adjustment required to set up OSIRIS-REx for its Earth return on September 24, 2023.
  • However, two more minor maneuvers are scheduled for September 10 and 17.
• The ultimate goal is a precise landing at the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range near Salt Lake City.
• The OSIRIS-REx mission is the first US mission to collect a sample from an asteroid.
• It was launched on Sept. 8, 2016.
• It is presently 38 million km away from earth, hurtling through space at a staggering speed of about 22,000 miles per hour.

ANSWER: C

• The Batagaika crater, the world’s largest one kilometre-long permafrost crater, is expanding at a baffling rate due to the thawing of the permafrost.
  • This has been exacerbated by global warming.
• The crater is located in the Sakha Republic in Russia and reaches depths of up to 100 metres.
• In the 1960s, after deforestation led to the melting of the underground permafrost, it caused the land to sink.
• Over the years, the crater has only expanded and is locally called ‘the cave-in’ or ‘mega-slump’ by scientists.
• This is releasing greenhouse gasses like methane stored in the thawed soil which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
• The thawing permafrost causes very tangible, immediate infrastructural damage as well such as buckling roadways, splitting houses, and disrupting pipelines.
• When a wildfire breaks out, the thawing fastens.
• Russia is warming about 2.5 times faster than the rest of the world. As a consequence, the long-frozen tundra that covers 65 per cent of the country’s landmass is melting.

ABOUT PERMAFROST

• Permafrost is any ground that remains completely frozen — 32°F (0°C) or colder — for at least two years straight.
• It is most common in regions with high mountains and in Earth’s higher latitudes — near the North and South Poles.

ANSWER: D

• PM recently launched the “Urea Gold”.
• It is a new variety of urea that is coated with Sulphur.
• It is expected to address sulphur deficiencies in the soil.
• This “innovative fertiliser” is more economical and efficient than neem-coated urea, “ensuring improved nitrogen use efficiency, reduced consumption, and enhanced crop quality“.
• Urea coated with sulphur helps in slow release of nitrogen, therefore increasing its availability and uptake.
• Urea Gold has added humic acid to enhance longevity of the fertiliser.
• It will substitute urea consumption and also reduce fertiliser use.
• It is said that 15 kg of Urea Gold is comparable to 20 kg of conventional urea.

ANSWER: D

• July 28^th is observed annually by the world as World Hepatitis Day to raise global awareness about hepatitis.
• Hepatitis virus has five commonly known strains: Type A, B, C, D and E.
• The theme for World Hepatitis Day 2023 is “One life, one liver” focusing on creating awareness about viral hepatitis.

ANSWER: A

• India’s first online gaming academy in Madhya Pradesh gets 40,000 registrations for 200 seats.
• The academy has 200 places, and the selection process will distribute 80% of these to local youths.
• The academy will provide training for competition and also career paths in coding, tournament operations, content creation, game development and more.