Daily Current Affairs MCQ - August 16, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide. It is used primarily as a cooling agent. Its advantages include lower temperature than that of water ice and not leaving any residue (other than incidental frost from moisture in the atmosphere). It is useful for preserving frozen foods where mechanical cooling is unavailable.

This extreme cold makes the solid dangerous to handle without protection due to burns caused by freezing (frostbite). While generally not very toxic, the outgassing from it can cause hypercapnia (abnormally elevated carbon dioxide levels in the blood) due to build-up in confined locations.

Dry ice can be used to arrest and prevent insect activity in closed containers of grains and grain products, as it displaces oxygen, but does not alter the taste or quality of foods. For the same reason, it can prevent or retard food oils and fats from becoming rancid.

When dry ice is placed in water, sublimation is accelerated, and low-sinking, dense clouds of smoke-like fog are created. This is used in fog machines, at theatres, haunted house attractions, and nightclubs for dramatic effects.

One of the largest mechanical uses of dry ice is blast cleaning.

Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a large system of ocean currents. It is the Atlantic branch of the ocean conveyor belt or Thermohaline circulation (THC), and distributes heat and nutrients throughout the world’s ocean basins.

AMOC carries warm surface waters from the tropics towards the Northern Hemisphere, where it cools and sinks. It then returns to the tropics and then to the South Atlantic as a bottom current. From there it is distributed to all ocean basins via the Antarctic circumpolar current.

What happens if AMOC collapses?

Gulf Stream, a part of the AMOC, is a warm current responsible for mild climate at the Eastern coast of North America as well as Europe. Without a proper AMOC and Gulf Stream, Europe will be very cold.

Modelling studies have shown that an AMOC shutdown would cool the northern hemisphere and decrease rainfall over Europe. It can also have an effect on the El Nino.

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):

It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.

Headquarters: Rome, Italy

Founded: 16 October 1945

Goal of FAO: Their goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.

Every two years, FAO publishes the State of the World’s Forests.

APEDA in collaboration with Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation Ltd (HPMC) exported the first consignment consisting of 5 unique varieties of apples – Royal Delicious, Red Velox, Dark Baron Gala, Scarlet Spur & Golden Delicious to Bahrain. The apple promotion programme is also being held to familiarise consumers in Bahrain about varieties of apples in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared that 14th August will be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in memory of the struggles and sacrifices of the people of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned that partition’s pains can never be forgotten as millions of our sisters and brothers were displaced and many lost their lives due to mindless hate and violence.

On August 12, 2021, through videoconferencing the 6th meeting of Agriculture Ministers of the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was organized under the chairmanship of Tajikistan in Dushanbe. Narendra Singh Tomar, Agriculture Minister, addressed the 6th SCO Meet of Agriculture Ministers.

The U.S. Navy-led Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) military exercise took place in Singapore. Maritime forces from 21 Indo-Pacific partner nations including the U.S. Navy, U.S interagencies, and international organizations took part in the exercise. The maritime exercise aimed at enhanced cooperation between Southeast Asian countries by including standardized training, tactics, and procedures to fight illegal activities in the maritime domain.

In India, the Constitution gives the government the right to levy taxes on individuals and organisations, but makes it clear that no one has the right to levy or charge taxes except by the authority of law. Any tax being charged has to be backed by a law passed by the legislature or Parliament.

Taxes in India come under a three-tier system based on the Central, State and local governments, and the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution puts separate heads of taxation under the Union and State list. There is no separate head under the Concurrent list, meaning Union and the States have no concurrent power of taxation.

International Finance Corporation (IFC)

• It is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset management services to encourage private sector development in developing countries.
• It is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States.
• It was established in 1956 as the private sector arm of the World Bank Group to advance economic development by investing in strictly for-profit and commercial projects that purport to reduce poverty and promote development.
• The IFC is owned and governed by its member countries, but has its own executive leadership and staff that conduct its normal business operations.
• It is a corporation whose shareholders are member governments that provide paid-in capital and which have the right to vote on its matters.
• Since 2009, the IFC has focused on a set of development goals that its projects are expected to target. Its goals are to increase sustainable agriculture opportunities, improve healthcare and education, increase access to financing for microfinance and business clients, advance infrastructure, help small businesses grow revenues, and invest in climate health.
• It offers an array of debt and equity financing services and helps companies face their risk exposures while refraining from participating in a management capacity.

Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched ‘SonChiraiya’ – (A brand and logo)- for marketing urban Self-Help Group (SHG) products. DAY-NULM, under the aegis of MoHUA, has aimed to provide the urban poor women with adequate skills and opportunities and to enable them to promote sustainable micro-enterprises.