Daily Quiz | 20 March 2024

Explanation:

• Bugun Liocichla is a small babbler (only 20 cm) with olive-grey plumage and black cap.
• The bird is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. 
• Bugun liocichla was the first bird discovered since India’s Independence. 
• The bird was identified by Ramana Athreya, a Pune-based astrophysicist and a birder.
• The bird is seen in select pockets of Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area of India in the Himalayan foothills of West Kameng District, Arunachal Pradesh. 
• IUCN: Critically Endangered.

Explanation:

• The Indian and US navies recently held a bilateral tri-service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise, Tiger Triumph - 24 on the Eastern Seaboard.
• Aim: The HADR exercise represents the robust strategic partnership between India and US, with the drill aimed at sharing best practices and standard operating procedures (SoPs).

Explanation:

• The High-level Committee (HLC) on One Nation, One Election submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu.
• Simultaneous elections, popularly referred to as “One Nation, One Election”, means holding elections to Lok Sabha, all state Legislative Assemblies, and urban and rural local bodies (municipalities and panchayats) at the same time.

• Amending the Constitution: The Constitution should be amended to enable simultaneous elections in two steps:

• In the first step, simultaneous elections will be held to Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. For this, no ratification by the states will be required for the constitutional amendment.

• In the second step, elections to municipalities and the panchayats will be synchronised with elections to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies in such a way that local body elections are held within 100 days of the elections to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. This will require ratification by not less than one-half of the states.

• Single electoral roll and Election ID: The Constitution should be amended to allow the Election Commission of India to prepare a single electoral roll and electoral photo identity cards for use in elections to all three levels of government in consultation with state election commissions. These amendments will require ratification by at least half of the states.

• In case of hung house, etc: In the event of a hung House, a no-confidence motion, or any such event, fresh elections should be held to constitute the new Lok Sabha or state Assembly for the unexpired term of the House.

• Meeting Logistics Requirements:The committee has recommended that for meeting logistical requirements, the Election Commission of India will plan and estimate in advance, in consultation with the State Election Commissions, and take steps for the deployment of manpower, polling personnel, security forces, EVMs/VVPATs, etc., so that free and fair simultaneous elections are held in all the three tiers of the government.

Explanation: 

• A biogas plant requires fresh manure, which contains both methane and water.
• —Bovines make methane in their rumen (the first of four stomach compartments), where bacteria ferment or break down the plant material they eat before it is further digested.

• Carbohydrate fermentation produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen.
• Archaea (bacteria-like germs in the rumen) consume them to make methane, which the animal then expels as gas or manure.
• Anaerobic digestion is a process by which the complex organic matter in dung is broken down in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas.
• The digestion, taking place in a 3,000 cubic-meter sealed vessel reactor, involves four successive stages:

• Hydrolysis (break-down of organic matter into simple molecules),
• Acidogenesis (their conversion into volatile fatty acids),
•  Acetogenesis (production of acetic acid, CO2 and hydrogen) and
• Methanogenesis (biogas generation).

Explanation: 

• India and Brazil explored ways to expand cooperation in areas of energy, critical minerals, technology and counter-terrorism at their first ‘2+2’ defence and foreign ministerial dialogue.
• Defence, space, energy, vital minerals, technology, counterterrorism, and other mutually beneficial problems were among the topics discussed.
• The dialogue took place in Delhi.
• It was co-chaired by G V Srinivas, additional secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Vishwesh Negi, joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence.
• The Brazilian delegation was led by Rear Admiral Fernando de Luca Marques de Oliviera and Director of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Marcelo Camara.
• India is having 2+2 dialogue with United States, Russia, Japan, Australia and United Kingdom.