Daily Current Affairs MCQ / UPSC / IAS / 17-08-19 | Free PDF

MCQ 1

United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pretomanid recently. It is a

1. Drug for Ebola
2. Vaccine for Zika
3. Vaccine for dengue
4. None

MCQ 2

Components of Forex reserve are

1. Special drawing rights (SDR)
2. Reserve position with World Bank
3. Gold reserves
4. US Dollars tranche fund
5. FCA

(A) 1,2,3

(B) 1 & 3

 (C) 1,3,5

(D) All

 

India’s forex reserves at new life-time high of $430.57 bn: RBI data

• In the previous reporting week ended on 2 August, the reserves had declined by $697.2 million to $428.952 billion
• The country’s gold reserves surged by $1.591 billion to $26.754 billion
• India’s foreign exchange reserves surged by $1.620 billion to $430.572 billion in the week to 9 August on rise in foreign currency assets, according to the latest RBI data released on Friday.
• In the previous reporting week ended on 2 August, the reserves had declined by $697.2 million to $428.952 billion.
• In the reporting week, foreign currency assets, a major component of the overall reserves, increased by $15.2 million to $398.739 billion, the apex bank said on Friday.
• Expressed in dollar terms, foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation/depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the reserves.
• The country’s gold reserves surged by $1.591 billion to $26.754 billion, according to data.
• Special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund were up by $6.7 million to $1.441 billion.
• The country’s reserve position with the fund rose by $7 million to $3.636 billion.

MCQ 3

1. UNCCD, The Convention, is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21, was adopted in Paris, France on 17 June 1944.
2. Canada is the only country who is not the party 3. India will host the latest CoP14 in September 2019

Choose correct

(A) 1 & 3

(B) All

(C) 3 only

(D) None

 

• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (UNCCD) is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements.
• The Convention, the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21, was adopted in Paris, France on 17 June 1994 and entered into force in December 1996. It is the only internationally legally binding framework set up to address the problem of desertification. The Convention is based on the principles of participation, partnership and decentralization—the backbone of Good Governance and Sustainable Development. It has 197 parties, making it near universal in reach.
• To help publicise the Convention, 2006 was declared “International Year of Deserts and Desertification” but debates have ensued regarding how effective the International Year was in practice
• The UNCCD has been ratified by 190 states plus the European Union. Currently, all member states of the UN plus the Cook Islands, Niue, and the State of Palestineçao]] and Sint Maarten (Kingdom of the Netherlands), or to Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey (United Kingdom).
• On 28 March 2013, Canada became the first country to withdraw from the convention. Canada reversed its withdrawal by reacceding to the convention on 21 December 2016, which resulted in Canada becoming party to the convention again on 21 March 2017.
• The Holy See is the only state that is not a party to the convention that is eligible to accede to it.
• Acknowledging the importance of urban environmental management for improving quality of life in cities, the Environment Ministers of BRICS countries today, agreed to work together to resolve the multifaceted environmental issues faced by BRICS cities.
• These discussions and announcements were made during the 5 thBRICS Minister of Environment Meeting held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This meeting was preceded by two-days meeting of BRICS Joint Working Group on Environment.
• BRICS countries appreciated the Indian Presidency of the fourteenth session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
• Shri Javadekar invited the BRICS Ministers delegations to join at CoP-14 during 2 – 13 September, 2019 and contribute to the efforts to combat desertification and land degradation.

MCQ 4

Supreme Court has cleared decks for Chardham highway project, which will connect four holy places. Among these 4 which are in i

t 1. Haridwar

2. Badrinath
3. Kedarnath
4. Mathura

(A) All

 (B) 2 & 3

(C) 1,2,3

(D) 1,2,4

MCQ 5

1. Aadi Mahotsava is a joint initiative of Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).
2. It will be hosted in UT of Ladakh this year

Choose correct

 (A) Only 1

(B) Only 2

(C) Both

(D) None

• Theme of festival: A celebration of the spirit of Tribal Craft, Culture and Commerce.
• It is 1st such event in Ladakh since central government announced decision to make Ladakh a Union Territory. At present Ladakh is a part of Jammu and Kashmir and new UT will come into effect on 31 October 2019.
• It is a 9 day festival that will start from 17 August till 25 August 2019.
• Until 2018 Ladakh did not figure on list of places where Aadi Mahotsav is held every year.

MCQ 6

1. Tawlhlohpuan is a compactly woven fabric from Manipur.
2. Panchamirtham in Palani Town of Kerala also got GI tag with this fabric recently

Choose correct

(A) Only 1

(B) Only 2

(C) Both

 (D) None

• Four products, including Kerela’s Tirur betel and Mizoram’s Puanchei, get GI tag
• GI is an indication used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
• Four new products – Kerala’s Tirur betel, Tamil Nadu’s Palani Panchamirtham ‘prasadam’, Mizoram’s Tawlhlohpuan and Mizo Puanchei – received Geographical Indication (GI) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
• PalaniPanchamirtham from Palani Town in Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu State, Tawlhlohpuan and Mizo Puanchei from the state of Mizoram and Tirur Betel leaf from Kerala are the latest additions to the list of registered GIs,” said a release from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recently registered GIs “PalaniPanchamirtham, an abishegaPrasadam, from Palani Town is one of the main offerings in the Abisegam of Lord Dhandayuthapani Swamy, the presiding deity of ArulmiguDhandayuthapaniswamy Temple, situated in palani Hills, Palani Town in Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu,” said the ministry. The Panchamirtham ‘prasadam’ is a combination of five natural substances – banana, jaggery sugar, cow ghee, honey and cardamom in a definite proportion. It is prepared in a natural method without addition of any preservatives or artificial ingredients and is well known for its religious fervour and gaiety. This is the first time a temple ‘prasadam’ from Tamil Nadu has been bestowed with the GI tag. “Kerala’s Tirur betel vine is mainly cultivated in Tirur, Tanur, Tirurangadi, Kuttippuram, Malappuram and Vengara block panchayaths of Malappuram District. It is valued both for its mild stimulant action and medicinal properties. Even though it is commonly used for making pan masala for chewing, it has many medicinal, industrial and cultural usagesand is considered as a remedy for bad breath and digestive disorders Tawlhlohpuan, a medium to heavy, compactly woven, good quality fabric from Mizoram is known for warp yarns, warping, weaving & intricate designs that are made by hand. Tawlhloh, in Mizo language, means ‘to stand firm or not to move backward’,” added the release. Tawlhlohpuan, which holds high significance in the Mizo society, is produced throughout the state of Mizoram, Aizawl and Thenzawl town being the main centre of production. Mizo Puanchei is a colourful Mizo shawl and is considered as the most colourful among the Mizo textiles. It is an essential possession for every Mizo lady and an important marriage outfit in the state. It is also the most commonly used costume in Mizo festive dances and official ceremonies. The weavers insert the designs and motifs by using supplementary yarns while weaving to create this beautiful and alluring textile.

MCQ 7

1. Highest no. of districts in India are in UP as 52
2. AP is 7 th largest state but has only 13 districts which is lowest no. in a state

Choose correct

(A) Only 1

(B) Only 2

(C) Both

 (D)None

• Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami announced that Vellore district of state would be trifurcated into Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts.
• Vellore will be headquarters of these 2 new districts. With creation of two more districts the total number of districts in state would become 37.
• The Chief Minister also announced that starting from 2019, November 1 would be celebrated as Tamil Nadu Day to commemorate state’s creation day. Tamil Nadu was created on November 1, 1956.

MCQ 8

1. The Know India Programme (KIP) is organized by the Ministry of culture & tourism combinedly
2. is an important initiative of the Government of India with an aim to engage and make the students and young professionals of India Diaspora in the age group of 18-40 years, feel a sense of connect with their motherland and to be motivated and inspired by the transformation taking place in India.

Choose correct

(A) Only 1

(B) Only 2

(C) Both

(D) None

• The KIP is a 25-day orientation programme organized by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in partnership with one or two States including visit to States for 10 days.
• Since 2004, the Ministry has conducted 53 editions of KIP with participation of 1821 Overseas Indian youth.
• The participants are selected on the basis of nominations recommended by the Indian Missions/Posts abroad

 Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions

• Indian Origin youth visiting India under ‘Know India Programme’ call on MoS Dr Jitendra Singh
• A group of Indian Origin youth visiting India under ‘Know India Programme’ (KIP) called on the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh here today. This is the 54th Edition of “Know India Programme”.
• There are 40 participants in this edition from 9 countries, namely Fiji (07), Guyana (6), Myanmar (03), South Africa (02), Suriname (05), Trinidad & Tobago (07), Mauritius (07), Reunion Island (01), Israel (02), out of which 26 are female and 14 are male. The 54th KIP is scheduled from 1st August to 25th August, 2019 in association with the partner sates of Punjab and Haryana. The team has visited the partner states for 10 days from August 06 to August 15, 2019.
• The Know India Programme (KIP) is an important initiative of the Government of India with an aim to engage and make the students and young professionals of India Diaspora in the age group of 18-30 years, feel a sense of connect with their motherland and to be motivated and inspired by the transformation taking place in India.
• The objective of KIP is also to give them an exposure to various aspects of contemporary India’s forms of art, heritage and culture and to promote the awareness on different facets of life in India and the progress made by the country in various fields such as Industry, Education, Science & Technology, Information & Communication Technology, Climate and Power & Renewable Energy etc.

MCQ 9

1. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Award is given every year to young scientists by Ministry of science & technology
2. Kailasavadivoo Sivan has won this years award

Choose correct

(A) Only 1

(B) Only 2

(C) Both

(D) None

He is recipient of several awards including Dr Vikram Sarabhai Research Award (1999).

• Following the death of former President A P J Abdul Kalam in 2015, former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, late J Jayalalithaa, had then announced an award in his name.
• She had also announced Dr Kalam’s birthday (October 15) to be observed as-Youth Renaissance Day.

MCQ 10

Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award in Space Science, Technology and Research is announced recently by

1. ISRO
2. Ministry of earth sciences
3. NITI Aayog
4. Dept. of Space

• Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Department of Space

07-August-2019 15:44 IST

• ISRO announces Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award in Space Science, Technology and Research
• As part of centenary year celebrations of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, father of Indian space programme, ISRO institutes two categories of awards in journalism. ISRO has announced its “Vikram Sarabhai Journalism Award in Space Science, Technology and Research” to recognize and reward journalists who have actively contributed towards the field of space science, applications, and research. The nominations are open to all Indians who have a good experience in journalism. The articles published from 2019 to 2020 will be considered, says the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• There are two categories of awards, wherein the first category holds a cash price of Rs 5,00,000, a medal and a citation and two journalists or freelancers of print media will be awarded. Nominated candidates will be judged on the basis of the articles or success stories published in Hindi, English, or Regional languages in popular Periodicals, Science magazines, or Journals in India during the year 2019 to 2020.
• The second category of the award holds 3 cash prizes of Rs 3,00,000, 2,00,000 and 1,00,000 and citation each for journalists or freelancers of print media. The articles or success stories published in Hindi, English, Regional languages in popular newspapers or news magazines in India during the one year as indicated in the proposal. The names of the selected candidates will be announced on August 1st, 2020.

 

 

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