Daily Current Affairs MCQ - May 8, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

• Methane is gas that is found in small quantities in Earth's atmosphere. Methane is the simplest hydrocarbon, consisting of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms (CH4). Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas. It is flammable, and is used as a fuel worldwide.
• Methane is produced by the breakdown or decay of organic material and can be introduced into the atmosphere by either natural processes–such as the decay of plant material in wetlands, the seepage of gas from underground deposits or the digestion of food by cattle–or human activities–such as oil and gas production, rice farming or waste management. Hence, statement 1 is correct but statement 2 is not correct.
• Methane is 84 times more potent than carbon and doesn’t last as long in the atmosphere before it breaks down. This makes it a critical target for reducing global warming more quickly while simultaneously working to reduce other greenhouse gases. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
  • It is responsible for creating ground-level ozone, a dangerous air pollutant.

• Venus, the second planet from the sun, is similar in structure but slightly smaller than Earth (Earth’s Twin).
• It has a thick and toxic atmosphere that consists primarily of carbon dioxide, with clouds of sulfuric acid droplets.
  • Presence of phosphine was detected in the atmosphere of Venus.This indicates the possibility of the presence of lifeforms on Venus. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• According to a study published in Nature Geoscience, Venus is still geologically active. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
  • The study identified 37 active volcanoes, in the form of ring-like structures known as coronae, on the surface of Venus.
• Missions Related to Venus:
  • ISRO Shukrayaan: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is also planning a mission to Venus, tentatively called Shukrayaan
  • Akatsuki (Japanese 2015)
  • Venus Express (European Space Agency 2005)
  • NASA’s Magellan (1989). Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

• The Group of Seven (G7) countries is an intergovernmental organisation that was formed in 1975.
  • The bloc meets annually to discuss issues of common interest like global economic governance, international security and energy policy.
• The G7 does not have a formal constitution or a fixed headquarters. The decisions taken by leaders during annual summits are non-binding. Hence, statement 2 is not correct but statement 3 is correct.
  • The leaders of important international organizations like European Union, IMF, World Bank and the United Nations are also invited.
• Each member nation takes over the G7 presidency for a year on a rolling basis and hosts the annual centrepiece two-day summit meeting. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
  • The 47^th G7 Summit will be held in June 2021 and the UK is the host country.
  • The 2020 G7 summit (46^th summit) was to be hosted by the USA but could not take place due to the pandemic.
  • The 45^th summit of G7 was held in Biarritz, France, in August 2019.

While El Niño (Spanish for ‘little boy’), the expression heard more commonly in India, is the abnormal surface warming observed along the eastern and central regions of the Pacific Ocean (region between Peru and Papua New Guinea), La Niña (Spanish for ‘little girl’) is an abnormal cooling of these surface waters.

Together, the El Niño and La Niña phenomena are termed as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). These are large-scale ocean phenomena which inflence the global weather — winds, temperature and rainfall. They have the ability to trigger extreme weather events like droughts, floods, hot and cold conditions, globally.

While La Niña conditions enhance the rainfall associated with the Southwest monsoon, it has a negative impact on rainfall associated with the Northeast monsoon.

The first large-scale Afro–Asian Conference—also known as the Bandung Conference was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, which took place on 18–24 April 1955 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

The conference’s stated aims were to promote Afro-Asian economic and cultural cooperation and to oppose colonialism or neocolonialism by any nation. The conference was an important step towards the eventual creation of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The first Africa-India Summit was held in 2008 in New Delhi.

Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) also known as the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT), is a geological fault along the boundary of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The Kopili Fault is a 300-km northwest-southeast trending fault from the Bhutan Himalaya to the Burmese arc.

A fault is “a fracture along which the blocks of crust on either side have moved relative to one another parallel to the fracture”. When an earthquake occurs on one of these faults, the rock on one side of the fault slips with respect to the other. The fault surface can be vertical, horizontal, or at some angle to the surface of the earth.

The Northeast is located in the highest seismological zone.

The collision zone between India and Eurasia along the tremendous Himalayan mountain range has one of the highest seismic hazards in the world.

In recent, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the issue in ‘Re: Distribution of Essential Supplies and Services During Pandemic’.

Under Article 139A of the Constitution, the Supreme Court does have the power to transfer cases from the High Courts to itself if cases involve the same questions of law.

The power of the High Court under Article 226 is wider than the Supreme Court’s under Article 32, for in the former, a writ can be issued not only in cases of violation of fundamental rights but also “for any other purpose”.

World Thalassemia Day is celebrated on May 8 every year to commemorate Thalassemia victims and to encourage those who struggle to live with the disease.

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is about to release her first children’s book titled ‘The Bench’ in June 2021.

Theme 2021 World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day: ‘Unstoppable’