Daily Current Affairs MCQ - August 19, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

The Union Cabinet has approved ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer for phase down of Hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) by India, adopted by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on October, 2016 at 28th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol held at Kigali, Rwanda.

• National strategy for phase down of Hydrofluorocarbons as per the applicable phase down schedule for India will be developed after required consultation with all the industry stakeholders by 2023.
• Amendments to the existing legislation framework, the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules to allow appropriate control of the production and consumption of Hydrofluorocarbons to ensure compliance with the Kigali Amendment will be done by mid-2024.
• India will complete its phase down of HFCs in 4 steps from 2032 onwards with cumulative reduction of 10% in 2032, 20% in 2037, 30% in 2042 and 80% in 2047.
• The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, is an international environmental treaty for protection of the Ozone Layer by phasing out the production and consumption of man-made chemicals referred to as ozone depleting substances (ODS).
• Under the Kigali Amendment; Parties to the Montreal Protocol will phase down production and consumption of Hydrofluorocarbons, commonly known as HFCs.
• Hydrofluorocarbons were introduced as non-ozone depleting alternative to Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). While HFCs do not deplete the stratospheric ozone layer, they have high global warming potential ranging from 12 to 14,000, which have adverse impact on climate.
• Recognizing the growth in use of HFCs, especially in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning sector the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, reached agreement at their 28th Meeting of the Parties (MOP) held in October 2016 in Kigali, Rwanda to add HFCs to the list of controlled substances and approved a timeline for their gradual reduction by 80-85 per cent by the late 2040s.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Pineapple-based agroforestry, traditionally practiced by ethnic “Hmar” tribe in southern Assam, can be a sustainable alternative to jhum cultivation for the North East India.

• This traditional practice can provide twin solutions for climate change and biodiversity loss, according to a new study.
• Jhum cultivation, also called swidden agriculture, the dominant agricultural practice in the region, has become unsustainable primarily due to the reduced fallow cycle resulting in depletion in soil fertility, severe soil erosion, and low agronomic productivity.
• Hence, North East India and many south Asian countries are shifting to agroforestry and high-value cropping systems from traditional jhum practices over the past decades, which are considered sustainable and profitable alternatives.
• Pineapple agroforestry systems (PAFS) are dominant land use in the Indian Eastern Himalayas and other parts of Asia and are mostly grown in association with multipurpose trees.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

The contentious issue of whether banks should disclose inspection reports by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is back in the reckoning once again after a division bench of the Supreme Court referred writ petitions filed by banks to a bench led by Justice L Nageswara Rao.

• The writ petitions had been filed by different banks challenging the Right to Information (RTI) notices issued by the RBI.
• In 2015, the Supreme Court had come down on the RBI for trying to keep the inspection reports and defaulters list confidential, paving the way for the public disclosure of such reports of the RBI, much against the wishes of the banking sector.
• The SC had said the RBI has no legal duty to maximize the benefit of any public sector or private sector bank, and thus there is no relationship of ‘trust’ between them. It added that the RBI was duty-bound to uphold the public interest by revealing these details under RTI.
• The central bank then allowed making such reports public following the Supreme Court order.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Union Cabinet has approved a MoU between National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), India and Bangladesh on cooperation in the field of Disaster Management, Resilience and Mitigation.

• Extend cooperation in the field of advanced information technology, early warning systems, remote sensing & navigation services and expertise for disaster preparedness, response and mitigation and more towards real time data sharing.
• Support training of officials in the field of Disaster management.
• Conduct Joint Disaster Management Exercises bilaterally between both the countries.
• Exchange publications and materials as textbooks, guidelines in the field of Disaster Management and may conduct joint research activities in the field of Disaster management, Risk Reduction and Recovery.

Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

The Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing the MoU between Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines and United States of America on cooperation in the field of Geology.

The identified area of cooperation between the two Participants will be as follows:

• Development of the geological knowledge, research regarding geologic and tectonic environment of post collisions magmatism in India-Asia collisional margin, geologic history and tectonics of the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis.
• Developing cooperative projects in the fields of regional geological, geochemical, petrological and multi-isotopic studies related to the evolution of post collisional magmatic belts (Ladakh Plutons).

Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

On August 15, 2021, a 15-year-old young Indian Grandmaster Raunak Sadhwani won the 19th Spilimbergo Open chess tournament in Italy. The 4th-seeded Sadhwani, who hails from Nagpur, remained undefeated in the tournament, with 7 points from 9 rounds, in which claimed 5 wins and 4 draws. In the 9th and final round, Sadhwani and Italian GM Pier Luigi Basso finished level on 7 points, but Sadhwani was declared the winner on the basis of a better tie-break score.

On August 16, 2021, Muhyiddin Yassin, Prime Minister of Malaysia, resigned following months of political turmoil in the country. He and his cabinet resigned after losing his majority. He resigned after 17 months in office. Thus, it is the shortest stint of a Malaysian leader. His resignation also impacts the efforts towards rebooting the economy and controlling the resurgence of Covid infections. Malaysia: It is a Southeast Asian country occupying parts of the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo.

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Tabar arrived at Portsmouth in England to undertake the annual bilateral drill ‘Exercise Konkan 2021’ between the Indian Navy and Britain’s Royal Navy. HMS Westminster of the Royal Navy participated from Britain’s side. About exercise Konkan 2021: The bilateral naval exercise Konkan has been held every year since 2004, to enhance the interoperability, synergy and cooperation between both navies. INS Tabar: It is the third of the Talwar-class frigate of the Indian Navy.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the public sector undertaking of the Defence Ministry, has successfully carried out ground tests for making a civilian aircraft named ‘Hindustan-228’. About the Trial: Ground run and low-speed taxi trials (LSTT) of the aircraft were carried out at the HAL facility at Kanpur. About Hindustan-228: It is a 19-seat multi-role utility aircraft. It has been constructed on the basis of the existing frame of military plane Dornier 228.

Visceral leishmaniasis is also known as kala-azar. It is the most severe form of leishmaniasis and, without proper diagnosis and treatment, leads to high fatality. It is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Why in the News? Indian researchers have developed a non-invasive, cost-effective, easy to administer and patient compliant potential therapeutic strategy against Visceral Leishmaniasis. Their strategy is based on nano carrier-based oral drugs coated with Vitamin B12 to enhance oral bioavailability and efficacy of the therapy by more than 90%.