UPSC Daily Quiz | 13 May 2024

Explanation:

• Definition: In police terminology, a history sheet refers to an individual with an extensive criminal record, having been involved in multiple criminal offenses.
• History: The term history sheet appeared for the first time in the Punjab Police Rules of 1934. 
• Criteria for History Sheeting: 
  • Multiple Offenses or Continuous Criminal Activity: An individual can be "history sheeted" based on their involvement in multiple criminal cases or their consistent engagement in criminal activities.
  • Assessment of Societal Danger: Additionally, the police may initiate history sheeting based on an ongoing assessment of the individual's potential threat to society.
• Contents of a History Sheet: Include individual's appearance, his associates, property ownership and  mode of earning a livelihood.
• Types of History Sheets:
• Known Depredators (KD) Sheets: These are created for criminals convicted of serious crimes like dacoity, robbery, or burglary, helping in tracking their activities and associations.
• Rowdy Sheets: Rowdy sheeters are individuals known for habitually committing or aiding in offenses related to breaching peace, facilitating monitoring and preventive actions.
• Suspect Sheets: Created for individuals previously convicted of offenses such as burglary or theft, aiding in keeping track of their activities and potential involvement in similar crimes.

Explanation:

• Geographical Location: Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area located in the state of Assam in India.
• It is located along the foothills of the Great Himalayan Range. The area was declared as a sanctuary in 1998.
• The rivers Gabharu, Gelgeli, Sonai and Rupai flow through the Sanctuary.
• It is known as the “Jewel of Assam”.
• During the rainy season, several wetlands known as “bheels” can also been seen.

Explanation:

•   Distinctive Appearance: The sperm whale is easily recognizable by its massive square head and slender lower jaw, making it the largest of the toothed whales.  
•  Size and Brain: Sperm whales have the biggest brains of any animal on the planet – as much as six times the size of an average human brain.
• Scientific Identification: Known scientifically as Physeter macrocephalus, these whales derive their name from the waxy substance, spermaceti, housed within their heads.

Explanation:

•  What Is Ambergris?
•   Ambergris is a solid, waxy material produced in the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and also in the pygmy sperm whale.
•   Ambergris is often described as one of the world’s strangest natural occurrences.
•   One of the clearest identifying traits of ambergris is its odour.
•   Ambrein, an odourless alcohol, is extracted from ambergris and used to make a perfume’s scent last longer.
•   Black ambergris is the least valuable because it contains the least ambrein.
• Early Arab civilisations named it anbar and used it as incense, an aphrodisiac and medicine to cure many ailments, including those of the brain, heart and senses

Explanation:

• The world’s biggest carbon removal plant called Mammoth has come online in Iceland. Functionality: 
• DAC+S plants are specialized facilities engineered to extract carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the surrounding atmosphere. 
• This method differs from traditional carbon capture processes, which typically target emissions at the source. 
•    Once fully operational, Mammoth will be capable of capturing u 36,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year using a technique known as air capture (DAC).