Daily Current Affairs Quiz: May 29, 2023

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: D

• The Indian Space Research Organisation is collaborating with the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru,an autonomous research institute, to build the X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) that is scheduled to be launched later in 2023.

ABOUT X-RAY POLARIMETER SATELLITE (XPOSAT)

• It is India’s first, and only the world’s second polarimetry mission that is meant to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions.
• The other such major mission is NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) that was launched in 2021.
• XPoSat will carry two scientific payloads in a low earth orbit:
  • Primary payload POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) will measure polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of polarisation) in energy range of 8-30 keV (kiloelectron volt).
    • This is first payload in medium X-ray energy band dedicated for polarimetry measurements.
  • XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will give spectroscopic information (on how light is absorbed and emitted by objects) in energy range of 0.8-15 keV.
    • It observes several types of sources viz, X-ray pulsars, Black-hole binaries, low-magnetic field neutron star

ANSWER: B

• The Anti-Corruption Working Group meeting under the G20 India Presidency concluded recently at the Tehri, Uttarakhand.

ABOUT ANTI-CORRUPTION WORKING GROUP

• Established in 2010, the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group (ACWG) reports to G20 Leaders on anti-corruption.
• The ACWG is chaired by the Presidency of the G20 and a co-chair.
• Its primary goal is to prepare “comprehensive recommendations for consideration by leaders on how the G20 could continue to make practical and valuable contributions to international efforts to combat corruption“.
• Thematic focus areas include public and private sector integrity and transparency, bribery, international cooperation, asset recovery, beneficial ownership transparency, vulnerable sectors and capacity-building.
• The group’s work is guided by the St. Petersburg Strategic Framework and by multi-year action plans.
• The ACWG actively works with the World Bank Group, the OECD, the UNODC, the IMF, the FATF, as well as with the Business 20 (B20) and the Civil Society 20 (C20).

ANSWER: C

Union Minister for Earth Sciences engaged virtually with scientists stationed at Bharati Station in Antarctica.

About India’s research stations in-

Antarctic

• Dakshin Gangotri, 1^st permanent research station established in 1983 over Ice shelf in Central Dronning Maud Land region. (abandoned in 1990)
• Maitri, located in Schirmacher Oasis, was opened in 1989.
• Bharati, located between Thala Fjord & Quilty bay, east of Stornes Peninsula, is operational since 2012.
  • Maitri and Bharati are currently operational.

ARCTIC

• Himadri: India launched its first scientific expedition to the Arctic Ocean in 2007 and opened a research base named “Himadri” at the International Arctic Research Base at Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway in July 2008.
• Its aim is to carry out studies in disciplines like Glaciology, Atmospheric sciences & Biological sciences.
• Management and upkeep of the Indian Antarctic Research Bases “Maitri” and “Bharati”, and the Indian Arctic base “Himadri” is responsibility of National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research.

ANSWER: B

• The Secretary, Department of Land Resources recently reviewed the Implementation Support Mission of World Bank Assisted Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD) program.

ABOUT REWARD

• REWARD is a World Bank assisted Watershed development program, being implemented from 2021 to 2026.
• Aim– to strengthen capacities of National and State institutions to adopt improved watershed management for increasing farmers resilience and support value chains in selected watersheds of participating States.
• The program is being implemented to introduce modern watershed practices in the Department of Land Resources in the Ministry of Rural Development and in the States of Karnataka and Odisha.
• Karnataka has been identified as a “lighthouse partner” by the World Bank in developing the science-based watershed model.
• At the central level, the scope of the REWARD program covers management, monitoring, communication and knowledge sharing functions by DoLR.
• At the State level, the REWARD program will be contiguous in scope to the Watershed Development Component of PMKSY 2.0, and support implementation of key science-based activities and demonstrations which eventually aims at synergising broader perspective of WDC-PMKSY 2.0 in other States in India.

ANSWER: B

• SAMARTH campaign is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Rural Development.
• Its aim is to promote digital transactions at the Gram Panchayat level in rural areas.
• It seeks to empower rural communities participation in the digital economy and access the benefits of digital transactions.

ANSWER: D

• The first-ever Urban Climate Film Festival is going to take place in New Town, Kolkata in first week of June 2023.
• 16 films from 12 countries are scheduled to be screened, along with Q&A sessions with filmmakers in order to spark conversations about building climate-resilient cities and invite inputs from the public.
• It aspires to employ the powerful medium of film to enlighten audiences about the environmental, social, and economic impacts of climate change on urban settlements.

ANSWER: B

• India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations recently received the Dag Hammarksjold Medals on behalf of Head Constables Shishupal Singh and Sanwala Ram Vishnoi.
• The Dag Hammarksjold Medal is the highest honor awarded to UN peacekeepers.
• It is awarded posthumously to members of peacekeeping operations as a tribute to the sacrifice of those who have lost their lives in peacekeeping operations.
• The medal is named after the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjold.

ANSWER: C

• The empowered committee of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has cleared the transfer of 57.10 hectares of forestland in Jadrangal area of the Dharamsala Assembly constituency for the construction of the north campus of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP).