Daily Current Affairs MCQ - September 3, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Ladakh adopted snow leopard and black-necked crane, as State animal and State bird, two years after it was carved out as a separate Union Territory (UT) from the erstwhile State of J&K.

• The snow leopard (Panther unica), whose numbers are dwindling wordwide, has been categorised as “vulnerable” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
• Black-necked cranes (Grus nicricollis), considered loyal couples, are only found in Ladakh’s Changthang region in India. It was the State bird of J&K before August 5, 2019. It is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Despite the unprecedented worldwide expansion of social protection during the COVID-19 crisis, more than 4 billion people around the world remain entirely unprotected, a new International Labour Organization (ILO) report says.

• Social protection includes access to health care and income security, particularly in relation to old age, unemployment, sickness, disability, work injury, maternity or loss of a main income earner, as well as for families with children.
• In 2020, only 46.9% of the global population benefitted from at least one such protection, according to the report — ILOs first on the subject since 2017.
• The pandemic response was uneven and insufficient, deepening the gap between countries with high and low income levels and failing to afford the much-needed social protection that all human beings deserve.
• Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Union Minister of Education launched the Fit India Quiz, which is the first-ever quiz on fitness and sports.

• The nation-wide quiz is aimed at creating awareness about fitness and sports among school-going children, while giving them a chance to compete on a national platform and an opportunity to win a total cash prize of more than Rs 3 crores for their schools.
• The Fit India Quiz will inculcate mental alertness at a very early age and the quiz is a perfect way to simultaneously enhance sports knowledge.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Scientists of Indian Institutes of Technology, Ropar have developed a living-plant based air purifier “Ubreathe Life”.

• It amplifies the air purification process in the indoor spaces (such as hospitals, schools, offices and your Homes).
• IIT Ropar’s startup company, Urban Air Laboratory, that has developed the product claims it to be world’s first, state-of-the art ‘Smart Bio-Filter’ that can make breathing fresh.
• It has been incubated at IIT Ropar, which is a designated iHub - AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub) by the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India.

Working

• The technology works through the air-purifying natural leafy plant.
• The room-air interacts with leaves and goes to the soil-root zone where maximum pollutants are purified.
• The novel technology used in this product is ‘Urban Munnar Effect’ along with patent pending “Breathing Roots” to exponentially amplify the phytoremediation process of the plants.
• Phytoremediation is a process by which plants effectively remove pollutants from the air.
• According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report the indoor air spaces are five times more polluted than outdoor air space.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a special commemorative coin on the occasion of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Ji.

• Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami (1896 – 1977) or Srila Prabhupada, born Abhay Charan De, was an Indian spiritual teacher and the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the "Hare Krishna movement".
• Members of the ISKCON movement view Bhaktivedanta Swami as a representative and messenger of Krishna Chaitanya.
• His mission was to propagate throughout the world Gaudiya Vaishnavism, a school of Vaishnavite Hinduism that had been taught to him by his guru, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.
• His translation of and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, titled Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, is considered by ISKCON adherents and many Vedic scholars as the finest, bonafide translation of Vaishnava literary works.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Scientists of Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and Faculty of Management Studies of Delhi University have launched the world’s 1st Plant-based smart air-purifiers called “Ubreathe Life”. Highlights of “Ubreathe Life”: It amplifies the air purification process in indoor spaces like schools, hospitals, offices, and homes. This product is being developed by Urban Air Laboratory, which is a start-up company of IIT Ropar.

Since 2009, World Coconut Day is observed on 02 September every year. About the Day: It is celebrated to promote this tropical fruit and bring awareness about its health benefits. The day also commemorates the formation of the Asian Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), which aims to promote, coordinate and harmonize all activities of the coconut industry. The theme of World Coconut Day 2021: ‘Building a Safe Inclusive Resilient and Sustainable Coconut Community Amid COVID-19 Pandemic & Beyond’.

The Indian Navy signed a contract with Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the availability of the primary indigenously developed Naval Anti Drone System (NADS). The NADS, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by BEL, is the primary indigenously developed anti-drone system to be inducted into the Indian armed forces, it mentioned. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL): It is an Indian Government-owned aerospace and defence electronics company. It manufactures advanced electronic products for ground and aerospace applications. It is one of nine PSUs under the Ministry of Defence of India.

President of India Ram Nath Kovind will award the President’s Colour to Indian Naval Aviation at the ceremonial parade to be held at INS Hansa, Goa on September 6, 2021.

• The President’s Colour is the highest honour bestowed on a military unit in recognition of its exceptional service to the nation.
• The Indian Navy was the first amongst the Indian Armed Forces to be awarded the President’s Colour on 27 May 1951 by Dr Rajendra Prasad, the then President of India.
• Subsequent recipients of the President’s Colour in the Navy include Southern Naval Command, Eastern Naval Command, Western Naval Command, Eastern Fleet, Western Fleet, Submarine Arm, INS Shivaji and the Indian Naval Academy.
• Indian Naval Aviation came into being with acquisition of the first Sealand aircraft on January 13, 1951 and commissioning of INS Garuda, the first Naval Air Station, on May 11, 1953.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Union Women and Child Development Minister inaugurated NUTRI GARDEN at All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi to mark the beginning of Poshan Maah – 2021.

• She highlighted the nutritional and medicinal importance of few Ayurvedic herbs like Shigru, Shatavari, Ashwagandha, Amala, Tulasi, Haldi and importance of promoting evidence-based Ayurveda nutrition practices for holistic wellbeing of mother and child.
• Ayurvedic classical nutritious recipes representing various states like Sattu drink, Sesame Laddoo, Jhangore Ki Kheer, Niger seeds Laddoo, Amalaki Panaka etc. were also displayed during the event.
• Hence both statements are correct.