Daily Current Affairs Quiz: May 11, 2022

Answer: A

A controversy has erupted over a puja ceremony attended by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the premises of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected Martand Sun temple in Anantnag, with the ASI claiming that it was in violation of rules.

About Martand Sun Temple:

• The eighth-century Martand Temple is one of the oldest sun temples in India and a symbol of invaluable ancient spiritual heritage.
• Built by Lalitaditya Muktapida in the 8th Century AD, the Martand Sun Temple is said to have been an excellent specimen of Kashmiri architecture and one of the holiest shrines for the Kashmiri Pandits.
• The temple was destroyed by Sikandar Shah Miri in the 14th Century AD and the ruins are now marked as a “site of national importance” by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Answer: C

About Pantanal wetland:

• The world’s largest wetland, known as the Pantanal, in South America is at risk of collapse.
• This is due to a series of local and seemingly minor decisions that fail to account for their cumulative impact on one of Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystems.
• It is also the world’s largest flooded grasslands.
• It is fed through the Paraguay River and tributaries.
• It is designated a National Heritage by the Brazilian Constitution and a restricted-use region whose use should be ecologically sustainable.

Answer: A

• According to the portal, total outstanding dues of electricity distribution companies to power producers rose by 4.04 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,21,765 crore (Rs 1.21 trillion) in May 2022.
• DISCOMs owed a total of Rs 1,17,026 crore to power generation firms in May 2021.
• PRAAPTI stands for- Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators.
• The PRAAPTI portal was launched in May 2018 to bring transparency in power purchase transactions between generators and discoms.

Answer: C

Facts:

• Reliance Industries become the first Indian company to record annual revenue of more than a whopping $100 billion.
• The company has recorded a 22.5% rise in net profit for the quarter ended March 2022.
• Reliance has recorded strong growth in retail, digital services, and the oil & gas business.
• The company has also reported the highest-ever quarterly EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) of Rs 33,968 crores (28% up) year-on-year

Answer: B

Key points:

• The United Nations observed 10th May 2022, the second International Day of Argania.
• This celebration crowns the efforts of the Kingdom of Morocco in promoting the Argan tree as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity and an ancestral source of resilient and sustainable development.
• The day will be celebrated this year under the theme “The Argan tree, symbol of resilience” and will serve to raise international awareness around the tree, its ecosystem, and the important position it holds in Moroccan culture and heritage.

Answer: A

Context:

Recently, the Punjab government announced Rs 1,500 incentive per acre for farmers opting for Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR).

About direct seeding of rice

• Here, the pre-germinated seeds are directly drilled into the field by a tractor-powered machine.
• There is no nursery preparation or transplantation involved in this method. Farmers have to only level their land and give one pre-sowing irrigation.

Advantage of DSR:

• Water savings. The first irrigation (apart from the pre-sowing rauni) under DSR is necessary only 21 days after sowing. This is unlike in transplanted paddy, where watering has to be done practically daily to ensure submerged/flooded conditions in the first three weeks.
• Less Labour. About three labourers are required to transplant one acre of paddy at almost Rs 2,400 per acre.
• The cost of herbicides under DSR will not exceed Rs 2,000 per acre.
• Reduce methane emissions due to a shorter flooding period and decreased soil disturbance compared to transplanting rice seedlings.

Limitations:

• Non-availability of herbicides.
• The seed requirement for DSR is also high,8-10 kg/acre, compared to 4-5 kg/acre in transplanting.
• Further, laser land levelling is compulsory in DSR. This is not so in transplanting.
• The sowing needs to be done timely so that the plants have come out properly before the monsoon rains arrive.