UPSC Daily Quiz | 24 October 2024

Relevance: Russia's increased attacks on the Black Sea ports in Ukraine are delaying vital aid reaching Palestinians and stopping crucial grain supplies from being delivered to the global south, the British Prime Minister said recently.

Explanation:

• Black Sea is a large in-land sea located at the southeastern extremity of Europe.

• It is one of the marginal seas of the Atlantic Ocean. (Hence, statement 1 is correct)
• The sea is bordered to the north by Russia and Ukraine, Turkey to the south, Bulgaria to the west, and Georgia to the east. 
• Romania also has an opening to the Black Sea. The Crimean Peninsula extends into it from the north.
• Russia has the longest coastline on the sea (2,300 km), followed by Turkey (1,329 km) and Ukraine (1,282 km). (Hence, statement 2 is not correct)
• It is connected with the Aegean Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea) through the Bosporus Strait, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles Strait, and with the Sea of Azov by the Kerch Strait.
• The Black Sea receives freshwater inflows all around the basin. It is a meeting point for many rivers, such as the Danube, Southern Bug, Dnieper, Rioni, and Dniester.
• It is the largest meromictic basin, which means the movement of water between the lower and upper layers of the Sea is rare.
• It is one of the world's largest anoxic basins, meaning it has areas with very little dissolved oxygen. (Hence, statement 3 is correct)
• It contains several islands, with the largest ones being Snake Island (Ukraine), Giresun Island (Turkey), and St. Ivan Island (Bulgaria).

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Subject: Current Affairs | Geography

Level of Difficulty: Moderate | Factual

Relevance: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare may amend the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994, to facilitate retrieval of cornea from all Indian patients who die in hospitals, without consent from the family.

Explanation:

• • The cornea is the clear outer layer at the front of the eye. It covers the pupil (the opening at the center of the eye), iris (the colored part of the eye), and anterior chamber (the fluid-filled inside of the eye). (Hence, statement 1 is not correct)

• The cornea’s main function is to refract, or bend light. The cornea is responsible for focusing most of the light that enters the eye. (Hence, statement 2 is correct)

• Its specific shape plays a key role in how our eyesight works and filters some ultraviolet (UV) rays.
• Except at its margins, the cornea contains no blood vessels, but it does contain many nerves and is very sensitive to pain or touch. 
• Since there are no nutrient-supplying blood vessels in the cornea, tears and the aqueous humor (a watery fluid) in the anterior chamber provide the cornea with nutrients.
• As light passes through the cornea, it is partially refracted before reaching the lens.
• The curvature of the cornea, which is spherical in infancy but changes with age, gives it its focusing power.
• When the curve becomes irregular, it causes a focusing defect called astigmatism, in which images appear elongated or distorted.
• Because corneas are the first line of defense for the surface of our eye, they’re also prone to injuries and damage. (Hence, statement 3 is correct)
• The cornea tends to repair itself quickly from minor abrasions.
• However, deeper abrasions may cause scars to form on the cornea, which causes the cornea to lose its transparency, leading to visual impairment.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Subject: Current Affairs | S&T

Level of Difficulty: Moderate | Factual

Relevance: Even after five decades have passed since thousands of families were uprooted to make way for the construction of Pong Dam, the cases of 6,736 families who await rehabilitation are still pending.

Explanation:

• The Pong Dam, also known as the Beas Dam, is an earth-fill embankment dam constructed on the river Beas. (Hence, statement 1 is not correct)
• It is located in the wetland of Shivalik hills in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. (Hence, statement 2 is correct)
• The purpose of the dam is water storage for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.
• The raised water level created an artificial lake called the Maharana Pratap Sagar, after the great ruler of Mewar. (Hence, statement 3 is correct)
• It was declared a bird sanctuary in 1983 due to its waterfowl diversity. It received the designation of Ramsar Wetland in 2002.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Subject: Current Affairs | Geography

Level of Difficulty: Moderate | Factual

Relevance: A huge Giant salmon carp fish in the Mekong River thought to be extinct has been spotted three times in recent years.

Explanation:

Mekong River

• It is the longest river in Southeast Asia, the 7th longest in Asia, and the 12th longest in the world. (Hence, statement 1 is correct)
• It originates from the Tibetan Plateau in southeastern Qinghai province, China. (Hence, statement 2 is correct)
• It is the river with the most large fish species, including giant freshwater stingrays, giant pangasius, Mekong giant catfish, and giant barb. (Hence, statement 4 is correct)
• It creates a huge delta, or triangular piece of land, in southern Vietnam. (Hence, statement 3 is not correct)

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Subject: Current Affairs | Geography

Level of Difficulty: Moderate | Factual

Relevance: Global growth is expected to remain stable, yet underwhelming, at 3.2% in 2024 and 2025, according to the IMF's recent dispatch of its World Economic Outlook (WEO).

Explanation:

World Economic Outlook (WEO)

• It is a comprehensive report published twice a year by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). (Hence, statement 1 is not correct)
• The WEO is usually published in April and October, followed by the less comprehensive WEO updates in July and January.
• It includes the IMF's estimates and forecasts for global output growth and inflation as well as for real gross domestic product (GDP) growth, consumer prices, current account balances, and unemployment in the IMF’s 190 member countries, grouped by region and development status. (Hence, statement 2 is correct)
• The WEO also includes several chapters on selected pressing economic issues.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Subject: Current Affairs | Economy

Level of Difficulty: Easy | Factual