Daily Current Affairs Quiz: October 03, 2022

ANSWER: D

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally inducted the indigenously-developed Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) in the Indian Air Force at a ceremony held at Air Force Station, Jodhpur in Rajasthan. LCH would be inducted into the 143 Helicopter Unit. LCH has been named as ‘Prachanda’.
• LCH has been developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).  It is a state-of-the-art modern combat helicopter, primarily designed for deployment in high-altitude regions. LCH is the only attack helicopter in the world which can land and take-off at an altitude of 5,000 m with a considerable load of weapons and fuel.
• This helicopter is powered by two Shakti engines and is equipped with stealth features, all-weather combat capability, armour protection, night attack capability, and crash-worthy landing gear. The narrow fuselage with tandem cockpit configuration makes LCH extremely maneuverable and agile. Stealth features like low radar cross section and minimal infrared signature allow it to go behind enemy lines undetected and attack with precision.
• LCH has a range of 550 km and an operational ceiling of 6500 m.  It is armed with air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, 70 mm rockets and a 20 mm gun. It boasts of a full glass cockpit, Electronic Warfare suite and helmet-mounted display for the flying crew.
• LCH can perform a range of roles, including combat search and rescue, destruction of enemy air defence and counter-insurgency operations in the jungle and urban environments. The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the purchase of 15 indigenous LCH helicopters in March this year.
• The induction of LCH in the Indian Air Force is expected to provide further impetus to Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.
• Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, the government is encouraging indigenous design, development and manufacture of defence equipment in the country to reduce their import.

ANSWER: A

• Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is caused by lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), a virus from the family Poxviridae, genus Capripoxvirus. Sheeppox virus and goatpox virus are the two other virus species in this genus.
•  LSDV is highly host specific and causes disease only in cattle (Bos indicus and B. taurus) and water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).
  LSDV is not zoonotic, so humans cannot get affected by the disease
• The disease is characterized by viremia, nodules on the skin, sit-fast formation, weight loss, emaciation, and reduction in milk and meat production.
• Transmission occurs in a wide variety of biotypes, from semi-desert to temperate grasslands and irrigated land. It has the potential to extend its range further.
• The morbidity rates for LSD during outbreaks vary between 10 and 20% although it has been reported in some places to be as high as 45%, and mortality rates of 1 to 5% are considered usual.
• Successful control and eradication of LSD relies on early detection of the index case, followed by a rapid and widespread vaccination campaign. It is unlikely that total stamping-out (killing all clinically affected cattle and unaffected herd-mates) and partial stamping-out (killing only clinically affected cattle) alone, in the absence of vaccination, can eradicate LSD.
• There is no known carrier state. Once an animal has recovered, it is well protected and cannot be the source of infection for other animals. In infected animals that do not show clinical signs, the virus may remain in blood for a few weeks and eventually disappear.

ANSWER: C

• Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that the government plans to set up 100 labs for 5G technology across India and at least 12 of them will be used to train students and conduct experiments.
• The minister also asked companies participating in the Indian Mobile Congress to provide their input for the new telecom bill through which the government aims to simplify licensing regime.
• Vaishnaw said the government is working significantly towards simplifying the licensing regime for all telecom players. Telecom Minister said he is really happy to see the energy of startups and MSMEs, who are going to rural areas to benefit people.
• Indigenous telecom gear maker HFCL announced the launch of 5G Lab-as-a-Service to accelerate the rollout of 5G solutions and services. It will provide an automated test environment for the private sector, academia, and government to work together on product innovations from concept to reality.
• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that the launch of 5G is going to be a defining moment for not only India but for the world. He said, we are now indigenously designing, developing, and manufacturing goods and showing the world the scale and speed with which we will take 5G through the length and breadth of India.

ANSWER: B

• Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said that India’s geospatial economy is expected to cross Rs. 63100 crore rupees by 2025 at a growth rate of 12.8 percent.
• He said, geospatial technology has become one of the key enablers in socio-economic development by enhancing productivity, ensuring sustainable infrastructure planning, effective administration, and aiding the farm sector.
• The government is consistently playing an enabler’s role in expanding the scope of geospatial applications in multiple spheres to benefit every section of the society. He said, the government has been digitizing and mapping the entire rural sector to ensure better planning and implementation of the developmental schemes.
• The Second United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress is scheduled to held in Hyderabad from 10th to 14th October this year.
• The conference will be attended by over two thousand delegates including 700 plus international delegates and participants from about 120 countries.

ANSWER: C

• Since May 2021, Zhurong has been exploring Utopia Planitia, in Mars’s northern hemisphere.
• Images from the rover’s ground-penetrating radar found layered patterns under the surface, which are made of sedimentary rocks carried in by two major floods around 1.6 billion years ago.
• China’s Zhurong rover landed in the Utopia Planitia, a 2,000-miles-wide (3,300 kilometers) basin in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars, in May 2021.
• Since then, the rover has been studying local geology, chemical composition of rocks, and local weather conditions using its six scientific instruments.
• Zhurong has already completed its primary mission of 90 sols. But the rover is continuing its way to the south of its landing site, collecting data as it goes.

ANSWER: B 

• Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and the Ivory Coast to the southwest.
• It was previously called Republic of Upper Volta.
• Its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou.
• The country owes its former name of Upper Volta to three rivers which cross it: the Black Volta (or Mouhoun), the White Volta (Nakambé) and the Red Volta (Nazinon).

ANSWER: B

• This year, the theme for the International Day of Older Persons is “Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World”
• The day was introduced by the United Nations General Assembly with an aim of honouring the contribution of older persons and looking into the problems that they face.
• The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on December 14, 1990, to establish October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons.
• The day came into being after the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing initiative, which was adopted by the World Assembly on Ageing in 1982.
• The UN General Assembly in 1991 approved the United Nations Principles for Older Persons. Later in 2002, the Second World Assembly on Ageing embraced the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.
• It was done to address and understand the opportunities and challenges faced by the older generation in the 21st century and to promote the development of a society for all ages.

ANSWER: C

• Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, who is on an official visit to the Maldives, on Sunday witnessed the exchange of a $100 million Line of Credit agreement and handing over of a speed launch to the Maldives Correctional Services, under Indian grant assistance.
• Kawtra called on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and assured him of the firm commitment to the growth of India-Maldives ties.
• Kwatra also met his Maldivian counterpart, Ahmed Latheef.
• The Maldives President welcomed the Foreign Secretary and noted that this was his first visit to the Maldives. At the meeting, Kwatra stated that the Maldives is one of the most important regional partners, and that India would continue to support numerous development projects in the Maldives, stated a Maldives government release.
• Recently, Maldives had signed an agreement with an Indian company to develop Hanimaadhoo International Airport. The project worth $136.6 million was contracted to JMC Projects Limited and will be financed by India’s Exim Bank.

ANSWER: C

• Rural Development Minister Virender Kanwar inaugurated and laid stones of development works estimated at over Rs 187 crore in Kutlehar Assembly segment. These include inauguration of a water sports facility at Androuli village on the bank of Gobind Sagar reservoir of Bhakra dam in Kutlehar Assembly segment, Una.
• It is being managed by Kutlehar Tourism Development Society, chaired by the DC. Tourists will be able to take rides in speed boat, water scooter and water ski.
• Kanwar said similar facility was being developed on the other bank of the reservoir near Lathiani village.
• The minister said that two paragliding sites had already been notified by the state government on the Solasingi dhaar mountain ranges of the segment. He said that three parks, namely Eco Park, Aqua Park and Butterfly Park, were being developed in Sohari Bhanjal village.
• Himachal Pradesh has again got the top ranking in the drinking water quality.
• Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat would present the award on Gandhi Jyanti and Swachh Bharat Diwas at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
• During a comprehensive survey of tap functionality, the state had been ranked first in the quality of drinking water service delivery.
• Last year too, the state had secured the top position in water quality and tap functionality in a similar survey.
• The Centre had made a financial provision of Rs 1,344.94 crore for the state this year and released the second instalment of Rs 336.23 crore on September 30.
• The Centre and state government had provided Rs 3,820.61 crore under the JJM.
• In view of the excellent work, the Centre had also released an incentive amount of Rs 1,028.43 crore to the state in three years.
• Water connections had been provided to all households of 15,300 villages of 2,551 panchayats in 21 blocks of four districts.

ANSWER: C

• Himachal Pradesh has again got the top ranking in the drinking water quality.
• Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat would present the award on Gandhi Jyanti and Swachh Bharat Diwas at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
• During a comprehensive survey of tap functionality, the state had been ranked first in the quality of drinking water service delivery.
• Last year too, the state had secured the top position in water quality and tap functionality in a similar survey.
• The Centre had made a financial provision of Rs 1,344.94 crore for the state this year and released the second instalment of Rs 336.23 crore on September 30.
• The Centre and state government had provided Rs 3,820.61 crore under the JJM.
• In view of the excellent work, the Centre had also released an incentive amount of Rs 1,028.43 crore to the state in three years.
• Water connections had been provided to all households of 15,300 villages of 2,551 panchayats in 21 blocks of four districts.