ANSWER: D

ANSWER: A

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: A

• A Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)-India report has pointed out 172 incidents of seizures of red sand boa between the years 2016-2021.

ABOUT RED SAND BOA

• Scientific name-Eryx johnii
• It is a non-venomous snake species belonging to the Boidae family.
• Also called a “Two-headed snake” due to its round tail that looks like a head.
• Distribution- found across the Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and parts of Bangladesh.
• These snakes are predominantly nocturnal.
• They primarily feed on small mammals like rodents, birds and their eggs.
• The red sand boa is acknowledged as one of the most traded reptile species in the illegal trade market, due to its demand in the pet trade, as well as for use in black magic.
• The red sand boa is classified as ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a ‘decreasing’ population trend in most of their habitat ranges.
• Red Sand Boas are ovoviviparous(meaning that they give birth to live young instead of laying eggs)

ANSWER: D

• A Super Blue moon was witnessed recently in August.
• Super blue moons occur on average every 10 years, according to NASA.
• The next Super Blue moon will occur in January 2037.
• A super blue moon occurs with convergence of 3 lunar occurrences – a full Moon, a Supermoon, and a blue Moon.
• Blue moon refers to the second full moon within a single month—a rare event since full moons typically occur once a month. When a season experiences four full moons, the third full moon is deemed the blue moon.
• Supermoons occur when the moon passes through its perigee, or the point that takes it closest to Earth during its elliptical orbit.
  • This makes it look about 14% bigger and 30% brighter compared to when it is at its furthest point (apogee) and a touch brighter.

ANSWER: A

• Prototype of World’s 1st BS-6 Stage-II, Electrified Flex fuel vehicle, developed by Toyota Kirloskar Motor was launched recently.
• It is based on the Innova Hycross and is engineered to adhere to India’s stricter emission standards.

ABOUT ELECTRIC FLEX FUEL VEHICLE

• An Electrified Flex Fuel Vehicle has both a Flexi Fuel engine and an electric powertrain.
• This gives it ability to provide dual benefit of higher ethanol use and much higher fuel efficiency as is in case of a Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicle (SHEV), which can provide 30-50% higher Fuel Efficiency as it can run 40-60% in EV mode with engine shut off.

ANSWER: B

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the US Department of Energy held a meeting recently to launch the new US-India Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) under Strategic Clean Energy Partnership.
• The RETAP was established to further bilateral collaboration with a result-oriented, time-bound technology focus.
• DOE and MNRE outlined an Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP). Work is guided by five themes:
  • Research and Development,
  • Piloting and Testing of Innovative Technologies,
  • Advanced Training and Skill Development,
  • Policy and Planning for Advancing RET and
  • Enabling Technologies, Investment, Incubation and Outreach programmes.
• RETAP’s initial focus is to be on green/clean hydrogen, wind energy, and duration energy storage and to explore geothermal energy, ocean/tidal energy and other emerging technologies as mutually determined in the future.

ANSWER: B

• Facebook parent Meta has shut down a so-called “Spamouflage” campaign to covertly boost China’s image on its platforms.
• Meta said it removed some 7,700 Facebook accounts plus hundreds of other pages, groups and Instagram accounts that pushed pro-China narratives online.
• The accounts typically praised China and its policies in Xinjiang, and criticized the United States, Western foreign policy, and individuals critical of Beijing, including journalists.
• Similarities were found with the Russian network that Meta first exposed in 2019 which was later dubbed “Secondary Infektion”.

ANSWER: D

• The Compacts of Free Association are a series of treaties between the United States, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).
• These treaties were partially established as compensation for the loss of life, health, land, and resources due to the numerous nuclear weapons tests on the Marshall Islands and Bikini and Enewetak Atolls issued by the U.S. from 1946 to 1958.
• The Compacts allow citizens of Micronesia to live and legally work in the U.S. without a visa, as well as have access to social and health services.
• In return, the S. has sole access and substantial amount of military and veto power over these islands that are are considered of strategic value.

ANSWER: A    

• National Nutrition Week is an annual event in India that takes place from 1^st to 7^th
• It is commemorated to raise public awareness of the importance of nutrition.
• In 1982, National Nutrition Week was first celebrated in India.
• The theme of Nutrition Month 2023, according to UNICEF, is “Healthy Diet Going Affordable for All”.
• In India, September is celebrated as the National Nutrition Month or Rashtriya Poshan Maah.

ANSWER: D

• The Himachal Government has accorded approval to the detailed project report (DPR) of the proposed Chamba-Chowari tunnel beneath Jot Pass.
• The Chamba-Chuwari tunnel would provide a better opportunity to the Aspirational Chamba district and give it much-needed fillip in terms of development activities besides empowering people economically.

ABOUT JOT PASS

• Jot Pass stands at a height of 2880 meters above the sea level.
• Jot Pass overlooks the Chuwadi Valley and it is 23 kilometers away from the top of the Pass.
• Jot is one of the highest altitude tourist destinations in Chamba and is located on the Pathankot-Nurpur-Chowari-Chamba stretch.