Daily Current Affairs Quiz: October 17, 2024

Answer: B

Current Context : A 75-year-old man from Kerala, who had recently traveled to Vietnam and Cambodia, was diagnosed with murine typhus, a bacterial infection caused by Rickettsia typhi.

ABOUT MURINE TYPHUS:

• It is an infectious disease caused by the flea-borne bacteria Rickettsia typhi.
• Transmission: Spread through bites from infected fleas or contact with their feces, especially when it enters cuts or abrasions on the skin. Humans cannot transmit it directly to one another.
• Symptoms: Usually appear 7 to 14 days after exposure and include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and possibly a rash several days later.
• Common in tropical and subtropical regions. In India, it has been reported in the Northeast, Madhya Pradesh, and Kashmir.
• Treatment : No vaccine is available for murine typhus, but doxycycline is an effective antibiotic when used early.

Answer: D

Current Context : Recently, Indian suppliers rank as the third-largest providers of health and nutrition support for children globally, reflecting their major contribution to UNICEF’s efforts.

ABOUT UNICEF :

• Established: Formed in 1946by the United Nations General Assembly.
• Headquarters: Located in New York, USA.
• Mission: To promote and protect children’s rights, meet their basic needs, and help them reach their full potential.
• Global Work: Active in over 190 countries, UNICEF focuses on improving child protection, healthcare, education, and emergency assistance.
• Key Role: Works to uphold the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ensuring children’s rights are protected worldwide.
• Funding: Operates entirely on voluntary contributions from governments, organizations, and the private sector.
• Publication: Publishes the State of the World’s Children, a report analyzing the global status of children.
• Awards: UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 for its work..

Answer: C

Current Context : Recently, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, while leading an Indian Parliamentary delegation to the 149th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva, highlighted the importance of multilateralism in addressing global issues.

ABOUT THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION (IPU):

• Founded: 1889 in Paris to promote peace and representative democracy.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland (since 1921).
• Members: 180 national parliaments and 15 associate members.
• Objective: Promotes parliamentary diplomacy, gender balance, youth representation, and defends MPs’ human rights.
• Funding: It is financed primarily by its members out of public funds.

STRUCTURE OF IPU:

• IPU Assembly: Main body that discusses international issues.
• Governing Council: Sets policy and budget, led by the IPU President.
• Executive Committee: 17 members managing IPU’s administration.
• Standing Committees: Assist the Assembly in its work.

Answer: C

Current Context : Mount Adams, the largest active volcano in Washington State, has recently shown an increase in seismic activity after being dormant for thousands of years

ABOUT MOUNT ADAMS:

Location & Size:

• Mount Adams is a stratovolcanolocated in Washington State, USA.
• It stands 12,277 feet (3,742 meters)tall, making it the largest volcano by volume in the state.

Recent Seismic Activity:

• After thousands of years of dormancy, Mount Adams has shown increased seismic activity.
• The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network(PNSN) is monitoring this activity.

Volcanic Field:

• Mount Adams is part of a 1,250 sq.km volcanic fieldcontaining over 120 smaller volcanoes, including spatter and scoria cones.

Last Eruption:

• The most recent eruption occurred 3,800 to 7,600 years ago.

WHAT IS A STRATOVOLCANO?

• Stratovolcanoes, also called composite volcanoes, are tall and steep with a cone shape.
• Structure: They are made up of many layers of ash and lava.
• Magma Characteristics: The magma inside is thick and often has trapped gas, which can lead to explosive eruptions.
• Location: Stratovolcanoes are found at the edges of tectonic plates, which are large sections of the Earth’s crust that move.
• Plate Interaction: Continental plates, which are lighter, can override denser oceanic plates. When the oceanic plate sinks, magma rises through cracks to the surface, causing eruptions.
• Global Presence: Stratovolcanoes make up about 60% of all volcanoes on Earth.
• Ring of Fire: About 85% of them are located around the Pacific Ocean, an area known as the “Ring of Fire.”

Answer: B

Current Context : A hundred million tonnes of nitrogen removed from the atmosphere and converted into fertilizer via the Haber-Bosch process, adding 165 million tonnes of reactive nitrogen to the soil.

ABOUT HABER-BOSCH PROCESS:

Purpose:

• It converts nitrogen (N₂) from the airand hydrogen (H₂) into ammonia (NH₃), a key component in fertilizers.

Developers:

• Invented by Fritz Haberin the early 1900s.
• Industrialized by Carl Bosch, making it possible to mass-produce fertilizers.

Significance:

• Enabled large-scale fertilizer production, supporting global agriculture.
• Considered one of the most important technological advances of the 20th century.

Process:

• Nitrogen and hydrogen are combined under high pressureand moderately high temperatures.
• An iron-based catalystis used to facilitate the reaction.
• By continuously removing ammonia, the reaction is kept favorable for ammonia production.

Impact:

• Adds about 165 million tonnesof reactive nitrogen to soils annually, vital for plant growth.

Answer: A

Current Context : The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) announced the launch of the Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas -Electric Vehicle (MAHA- EV) Mission.

ABOUT MAHA-EV MISSION:

• Aim : to enhance the development of electric vehicle (EV) technologies to reduce import dependency and foster domestic innovation, thereby establishing India as a global leader in the EV sector.
• Part of ANRF: It is an initiative under the broader program for Advancement in High-Impact Areas (MAHA), promoting collaboration among various institutions and disciplines to address significant scientific challenges.
• Focus Areas: Concentrates on three critical technology sectors:

1. Tropical EV Batteries and Battery Cells
2. Power Electronics, Machines, and Drives (PEMD)
3. Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

The MAHA-EV Mission aligns with the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020, which aims to promote electric vehicle adoption and manufacturing in India.​

Answer: A

Current Context : The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is a sophisticated missile defense technology deployed by the United States, recently announced to be sent to Israel amid rising tensions with Hezbollah.

ABOUT THAAD MISSILE SYSTEM:

• Purpose: THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase of flight.
• Engagement Method: It utilizes a “hit-to-kill” approach, which means it destroys incoming missiles by colliding with them, relying on kinetic energy rather than explosives.
• Operational Range: The system can engage targets at distances between 150 to 200 kilometers(93 to 124 miles).
• Origin: THAAD was developed by the United States following the Persian Gulf War(1991), specifically in response to threats from Iraq’s Scud missiles.
• Deployments: THAAD has been deployed in Israel since 2008, with subsequent deployments in 2012and 2019 to enhance the country’s missile defense capabilities.

Answer: C

Current Context : Recently, the union minister inaugurated India’s first Demonstration Facility for Biopolymers in Pune.

ABOUT BIOPOLYMERS:

Biopolymers are materials derived from biological sources such as fats, vegetable oils, sugars, resins, and proteins.

Characteristics:

• More complex structures than synthetic polymers.
• Biodegradable, decomposing through oxidation, hydrolysis, or enzyme action.

BENEFITS

• Environmental Impact: Reduce pollution through natural decomposition, unlike synthetic polymers.
• Carbon Footprint: Help lower atmospheric CO2 levels, contributing to reduced carbon emissions.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA

• Demonstration Facility: India’s first facility for biopolymers inaugurated in Pune to boost research and production​
• Innovative Packaging: New biodegradable film made from chitosan and sodium alginate suitable for food packaging; decomposes in about 55 days​
• Global Bio-India 2024: Event highlighting advancements in biotechnology and the launch of 11 new biopolymer products by startups.​