Daily Current Affairs MCQ - May 21, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

A giant slab of ice bigger than the Spanish island of Majorca has sheared off from the frozen edge of Antarctica into the Weddell Sea, becoming the largest iceberg currently afloat in the world, the European Space Agency said.

• The newly calved berg, designated A-76 by scientists, was spotted in recent satellite images captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission. Its surface area spans 4,320 square km (1,668 square miles) and measures 175 km long by 25 km wide.
• By comparison, Spain's popular tourist island of Majorca in the Mediterranean occupies 3,640 square km (1,405 square miles). The U.S. state of Rhode Island is smaller still, with a landmass of just 2,678 square km.
• The enormity of A-76, which broke away from Antarctica's Ronne Ice Shelf, ranks as the largest existing iceberg on the planet, surpassing the now second-place A-23A, about 3,380 square km (1,305 square miles) in size and also floating in the Weddell Sea.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

In a new advisory, the government has warned that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be transported through air as well in the form of aerosols, and infect people up to 10 metres away.

• The warning, included in an updated general advisory on Covid-19 issued by the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor, is in line with the latest evidence that suggests that airborne transmission of the virus, especially in enclosed spaces, cannot be ruled out.
• It was initially suggested that the virus spreads predominantly through large droplets that come out when a person is talking, sneezing or coughing. These droplets, because of their large size, were supposed to travel only short distances before falling on the ground. A person 6 feet (2 metres) away was considered safe from infection.
• Over the months, however, scientists have been finding increasing evidence of the virus travelling through aerosols as well.
• Aerosols are small solid particles suspended in the air. Relatively light, aerosols can carry the virus to much larger distances. Also, they can remain suspended in the air for several minutes, or even hours, thereby greatly increasing the chance of the infecting a nearby person.
• Hence both statements are correct.

China alleged that the USS Curtis Wilbur, a US warship had illegally entered its territorial waters near the Paracel islands in the South China Sea, an assertion the United States denied.

• The Paracel Islands archipelago is a collection of 130 islands and coral reefs and is located in the South China Sea, almost equidistant from China and Vietnam.
• Since 2012, China, Taiwan and Vietnam have attempted to reinforce their claims on the territory by engaging in construction of government administrative buildings, tourism, land reclamation initiatives and by establishing and expanding military presence on the archipelago.
• Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

INS Rajput will be Decommissioned on 21 May 2021 at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.

• INS Rajput is the first destroyer of the Indian Navy.
• INS Rajput, the lead ship of the Kashin-class destroyers built by the erstwhile USSR was commissioned on 04 May 1980
• INS Rajput was constructed in the 61 Communards Shipyard in Nikolaev (present-day Ukraine) under her original Russian name ‘Nadezhny’ meaning ‘Hope’. The keel of the ship was laid on 11 Sep 1976 and she was launched on 17 Sep 1977. The ship was commissioned as INS Rajput on 04 May 1980 at Poti, Georgia by IK Gujral.
• Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), is a statutory body under the union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has said India is following guidelines of international organizations and adhering to quality, food safety and environment management systems regarding Buffalo meat.

• Top Indian buffalo meat importing countries are Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Philippines and UAE. The Buffalo meat is prepared and exported in accordance with OIE guidelines for any risk mitigation. Only boneless buffalo meat is allowed for export from India which is safe and risk free.
• There have been several interventions by the Government of India to control and eradicate various livestock diseases. The Launching of National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) in June, 2019 to control Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis by 2025 with vaccination and eradication of disease by 2030 is one of the flagship scheme of GOI.
• International organizations such as OIE, WHO and FAO have issued guidelines which categorically mention that it is highly unlikely that people can contact Covid -19 from food or food packaging.
• Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Only statement 2 is correct. Statement 1: Recently, United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched an Atlas V rocket into space. It carried a missile-warning satellite, SBIRS Geo-5, for the U.S. Space Force. Statement 2: It is a two-stage rocket that blasted off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Key Points: Atlas V is an expendable launch system and the 5th version in the Atlas rocket family. It was initially planned by Lockheed Martin, presently being operated by United Launch Alliance, a joint endeavour between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. It is fitted with sophisticated infrared scanning and staring sensors that will enable the military to track missiles that might threaten the U.S. and its allied forces.

The United Nations recognised International Tea Day is observed annually on May 21 by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

China was the largest insurance-technology market accounting for around 43% of the total investment.

Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan chief minister Jagannath Pahadia has passed away due to COVID-19. He was 89.

The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is held every year on May 21.