UPSC Daily Quiz | 23 October 2024

Relevance: Scientists have finally discovered a Trojan asteroid for Saturn, thereby establishing the presence of these celestial bodies alongside all giant planets in our solar system.

Explanation:

• Trojan asteroids are unique because they occupy stable positions at Lagrangian points in a planet’s orbit around the Sun. 
• Specifically, they are found around two Lagrangian points (L4 and L5), which are located 60 degrees ahead of or behind the planet in its orbit, where gravitational forces and orbital motion balance, allowing these asteroids to remain in a stable orbit.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Subject: Current Affairs | S&T

Level of Difficulty: Easy | Factual

Relevance: India's National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) has initiated its first-ever Mid-Career Training Programme for civil servants from the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) nations.

Explanation:

• BIMSTEC is a regional organization comprising seven member states lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. 
• It came into being on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration with a permanent secretariat in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct)
• It constitutes seven Member States: five deriving from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and two from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Thailand. (Hence, statement 3 is correct)
• The main aim of the BIMSTEC was the promotion of economic cooperation between countries bordering the Bay of Bengal.
• BIMSTEC has identified 14 priority areas of mutual cooperation where a member country takes lead.
• India is the lead country for Transport & Communication, Tourism, Environment & Disaster Management and Counter Terrorism & Transnational Crime. 

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Subject: Current Affairs | IR

Level of Difficulty: Easy | Factual

Relevance: The 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is set to begin in Cali, Colombia.

Explanation:

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

• CBD, with currently 196 contracting parties, is the most comprehensive binding international agreement in the field of nature conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.
• It was opened for signing at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. (Hence, statement 1 is not correct)
• It has three overarching objectives: (Hence, statement 2 is not correct)

• The conservation of biological diversity (genetic diversity, species diversity, and habitat diversity).
• The sustainable use of biological diversity.
• The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources.

• It covers biodiversity at all levels: ecosystems, species, and genetic resources. 
• The CBD’s governing body is the Conference of the Parties (COP). This ultimate authority of all governments (or Parties) that have ratified the treaty meets every two years to review progress, set priorities, and commit to work plans.
• The Secretariat is based in Montreal, Canada.
• To support implementation of the CBD objectives, two internationally binding agreements were adopted within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

• The Cartagena Protocol, which was adopted in 2000 and entered into force in 2003, regulates the transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs). (Hence, statement 3 is correct)
• The Nagoya Protocol, adopted in 2010, establishes a legally binding framework for access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from their use.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Subject: Current Affairs | Environment

Level of Difficulty: Easy | Factual

Relevance: The regional assembly of Portugal’s Azores Islands approved the creation of the largest protected marine area in the North Atlantic to reach international conservation goals well ahead of time.

Explanation:

• The Azores Archipelago is a group of nine islands in the North Atlantic region and constitute an autonomous region of Portugal. (Hence, statement 1 is not correct)
• Origin: The islands and islets are of volcanic origin, some of which have been inactive since they were formed. The archipelago is part of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. 
• These are volcanic islands that lie above the Azores Triple Junction, a junction where three of the world’s main tectonic plates (Eurasian, North American, and African) meet. (Hence, statement 2 is correct)
• Mount Pico, located on Pico Island, is the highest point on the archipelago. 

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Subject: Current Affairs | Geography

Level of Difficulty: Easy | Factual

Relevance: India could be at the threshold of eliminating Kala-azar as a public health problem, with the country having managed to keep the number of cases under one in 10,000 as per the WHO parameters for elimination certification for two consecutive years now.

Explanation:

• Kala-azar is a severe form of leishmaniasis caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani. (Hence, statement 1 is not correct)
• It is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected female sandfly, primarily Phlebotomus argentipes in India.
• The disease affects some of the world’s poorest people and is associated with malnutrition, population displacement, poor housing, a weak immune system and lack of financial resources.
• People with HIV and other conditions that weaken their immune system, are more likely to get sick from a Leishmania infection.
• The disease is characterized by irregular bouts of fever, substantial weight loss, swelling of the spleen and liver, and severe anaemia if left untreated, which can lead to death within two years. (Hence, statement 2 is correct)
• There are several anti-parasitic medications available that treat leishmaniasis.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Subject: Current Affairs | S&T

Level of Difficulty: Easy | Factual