Daily Current Affairs Quiz: October 18, 2024

Answer: B

Current Context : Recently, Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Labor & Employment launched the e-Migrate portal and mobile app.

• Purpose: It is an online platform designed to streamline the process for Indian workers seeking employment abroad. The aim is to ensure safer, transparent, and legal migration practices.
• It connects foreign employers, registered recruitment agents, and insurance companies, ensuring a coordinated and safe process for migration​
• It particularly supports workers with Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports, targeting employment in 18 countries that include Gulf nations and others like Malaysia and Thailand​

Answer: D

Current Context : Roopkund Lake in Uttarakhand is shrinking because of climate change, the lake is losing size and depth each year.

ABOUT ROOPKUND LAKE:

• Roopkund, also known as the ” lake of skeletons” is a glacial lake in Uttarakhand.
• Location: Situated in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of 16,500 feet near Mt. Trishul in the Garhwal Himalayas.
• Size: Small glacial lake, approximately 130 feet wide, mostly frozen throughout the year.
• Mystery of Skeletons: Known for housing human skeletons, visible when the ice melts. The skeletons are believed to date back to the 9th century AD.
• Recent Studies: A 2019 study suggests the skeletons belong to different groups, who perished over a span of 1,000 years, not in a single event.
• Impact of Climate Change: The lake is shrinking due to rising temperatures, affecting snow cover and the preservation of the remains.

Answer: C

Current Context : Recently, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), based in Hyderabad, issued advisories regarding swell waves for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep Islands, and parts of India’s coastal regions.

ABOUT SWELL WAVES:

• Swell waves are long-wavelength surface waves that travel great distances across the ocean. They form not due to local winds but from distant storms or hurricanes, where energy is transferred from the air into the water. This energy can generate waves that propagate far from the storm center.
• Formation: Generated by energy transfer from storms like hurricanes or prolonged gale-force winds. The energy moves from air to water, creating waves that travel thousands of kilometers.

Features:

• Organized, consistent heights and periods.
• Can move in different directions than local wind waves.
• Swell wavelengths can exceed 150 meters and, in rare cases, reach 700 meters.
• INCOIS Role: Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) provides early warnings (up to 7 days) for swell surges, helping prepare coastal areas for potential flooding​

Answer: C

Current Context :  Recently, the central government has extended the Samarth Scheme for two years (FY 2024-25 and 2025-26) with a budget of Rs. 495 Crore to train 3 lakh persons in textile-related skills.

ABOUT SAMARTH SCHEME:

• It is a Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector (SCBTS).
• Aim: It aims to provide skill development training in the organized textile sector to generate employment, except in spinning and weaving.
• Training Focus: Includes entry-level training, as well as upskilling and reskilling existing workers, particularly in areas like apparel and garmenting.​
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Textiles, Government of India

Answer: A

Current Context : Recently, Supreme Court hit out at the Punjab and Haryana governments for their failure to take effective action against stubble burning, which results in the deterioration of air quality in the Delhi-National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR).

ABOUT

• Stubble burning refers to setting fire to the leftover stubble after the rice harvest. This practice is common between September and November in northern India, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
• Cause: The narrow time window between paddy harvesting and wheat sowing compels farmers to use this quick, inexpensive method to clear fields.

Impacts of Stubble Burning:

1. Air Pollution:Major source of pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NOx) that worsen air quality in the Delhi-NCR region, contributing to severe smog and health hazards.
2. Climate Change:Releases greenhouse gases (GHGs), exacerbating global warming.
3. Soil Degradation:Nutrient loss from burning residues negatively impacts soil fertility.

Stubble Management Strategies:

• Incorporation into Soil:Using machinery to mix stubble into the soil, improving fertility and productivity.
• Alternative Uses:Turning crop residues into animal feed, bioethanol, biogas, and compost.

Why Delhi faces the most severe pollution due to stubble burning?

• Geographical Proximity: Delhi is close to Punjab and Haryana, where stubble burning is widespread.
• Wind Patterns: Prevailing northwesterly winds carry smoke from the fields of Punjab and Haryana directly toward Delhi. These winds combine with local pollution sources like vehicular emissions, industrial activity, and construction dust.
• Local Emissions: Vehicular traffic, industrial emissions, and construction dust compound the problem.When combined with stubble burning emissions, the overall pollution levels become hazardous.
• Meteorological Conditions: During the winter months lower wind speeds, colder temperatures, and a phenomenon called temperature inversion (where a layer of warm air traps pollutants close to the ground) create a “pollution trap” over the region. This leads to higher concentrations of particulate matter in the air, worsening the smog.
• Valley Effect: Delhi’s geography creates a “valley effect” where pollutants settle in the low-lying areas, making it difficult for polluted air to disperse. The flat plains and limited airflow during the winter months make the city more vulnerable to prolonged pollution episodes.

Answer: B

Current Context : The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM-K), Kundli, has introduced the Solar Assisted Reefer Transportation with Hybrid Controls and Intelligence (SARTHI) System.

ABOUT SARTHI

• Objective: SARTHI is designed to reduce post-harvest losses during the transportation of perishable goods like fruits and vegetables.
• It features dual compartments that cater to the different temperature and humidity needs of fruits and vegetables, optimizing their storage conditions.
• The system can maintain temperatures between 0-5°C in one compartment and 7-12°C in another, with a provision for even lower temperatures (-10°C) for specific produce.
• SARTHI uses Internet of Things (IoT) technology for real-time monitoring of temperature, humidity, ethylene, and CO2 levels. Sensors collect data, which is sent to a mobile app for easy access to quality parameters during transportation.

Answer: C

Current Context : Recently, United Kingdom, a Five Eye Alliance extended support to Canada in recent diplomatic crisis with India.

ABOUT FIVE EYE (FVEY) ALLIANCE 

• The Five Eyes (FVEY) is a multilateral intelligence-sharing alliance between five countries: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Origins : It was established post-World War II, formalized in 1948 to enhance cooperation on signals intelligence (SIGINT) during the Cold War.
• Focus Areas : Primarily deals with intelligence related to surveillance, counterterrorism, cyber threats, and monitoring geopolitical adversaries (like China and Russia).
• Each country is responsible for intelligence gathering in different regions:
• US: Russia and parts of Asia
• Canada: Polar regions
• Australia: South and East Asia
• UK & NZ: Europe and Pacific respectively.

Answer: D

Current Context : India has recently signed a deal with the United States to acquire 170 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles.

ABOUT AGM-114R HELLFIRE MISSILES

• Type: Short-range Air-to-Ground Missile (AGM).
• Range: Approximately 7 to 11 kilometers.
• Guidance: Semi-Active Laser (SAL) guided, allowing for precision strikes.
• Versatility: Designed to neutralize a variety of targets, including:
• Air defense systems
• Patrol boats
• Armored vehicles
• Enemy combatants
• Warhead: Multipurpose, enabling it to handle different types of threats.
• Launch Platforms: Can be launched from various platforms, including:
• Aircraft
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)