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

• Lomas Rishi caves: Located in the Barabar and Nagarjuni hills of Jehanabad district in Bihar, this rock-cut cave was carved out as a sanctuary (man made). It was built during the Ashokan period of the Maurya Empire in the 3rd century BC, as part of the sacred architecture of the Ajivikas.

• Rock-cut Elephant at Dhauli was created during Ashoka's reign (272-231 BC). It is the earliest Buddhist sculpture of Odisha.

• Udayagiri Caves: It is a Hindu cave and was made during the Gupta reign. It contains the famous Varaha sculpture.

• The Badami cave temples are a complex of Hindu and Jain cave temples located in Bagalkot district in northern part of Karnataka, India. The caves are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya architecture, which dates from the 6th century.

• Virupaksha Temple is located in Hampi in the Ballari district of Karnataka, India. It is part of the Group of Monuments at Hampi, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lakkan Dandesha built the temple, a nayaka (chieftain) under the ruler Deva Raya II also known as Prauda Deva Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire.

• Hampi, capital of the Vijayanagara empire, sits on the banks of the Tungabhadra River.

• The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, known here as Virupaksha, as the consort of the local goddess Pampadevi associated with the Tungabhadra River.

• Architectural edifices in the Indian sub-continent, as elsewhere in the world, were constructed by wealthy people. They were, in descending order, rulers and nobles and their families, merchants, merchant guilds, rural elite and devotees of a cult.

• By the twelfth century India was already familiar with monumental constructions in grandiose settings. Certain techniques and embellishments were prevalent and popular, such as trabeation, brackets, and multiple pillars to support a flat roof or a small shallow dome. While arches were shaped in wood and stone, these were unable to bear the weight of the top structure. Now, however, the arcuate form of construction was introduced gradually in which arches could support the weight of the domes.

• Despite the obvious Saracenic, Persian and Turkish influences, Indo-Islamic structures were heavily influenced by prevailing sensibilities of Indian architectural and decorative forms.

• The chief feature of the architecture of Akbar's time was the use of red sandstone.

• Humayun's garden-tomb is an example of the charbagh (a four quadrant garden with the four rivers of Quranic paradise represented), with pools joined by channels.

• Mangroves are the plant communities occurring in inter-tidal zones along the coasts of tropical and subtropical countries.

  • Among the states and Union Territories, West Bengal has the highest percentage of area under total Mangrove cover followed by Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 

• The Sundarbans is a vast contiguous mangrove forest ecosystem in the coastal region of Bay of Bengal spread over India and Bangladesh on the delta (world’s largest) of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers.

  • The Sunderbans Delta is the only mangrove forest in the world inhabited by tigers. 

• Cyclone Amphan badly damaged Sunderbans region in 2020.

  • Cyclone Gati affected Somalia in November, 2020 by causing landfall in the region. 

• The Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 provided for the establishment of Lokpal for the Union and Lokayukta for States.

  • Thus, the institution of Lokpal is a statutory body without any constitutional status. 

• Jurisdiction of Lokpal includes Prime Minister, Ministers, members of Parliament, Groups A, B, C and D officers and officials of Central Government.

  • However, the jurisdiction of the Lokpal included the Prime Minister except on allegations of corruption relating to international relations, security, the public order, atomic energy and space.

The Lokpal does not have jurisdiction over Ministers and MPs in the matter of anything said in Parliament or a vote given there.

• The Sixth Schedule was originally intended for the predominantly tribal areas (tribal population over 90%) of undivided Assam, which was categorised as “excluded areas” under the Government of India Act, 1935 and was under the direct control of the Governor.

• The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution provides for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram to safeguard the rights of the tribal population in these states. 

  • This special provision is provided under Article 244(2) and Article 275(1) of the Constitution.

• The Sixth Schedule provides for autonomy in the administration of these areas through Autonomous District Councils (ADCs). These councils are empowered to make laws regarding areas under their jurisdiction, which cover the land, forest, cultivation, inheritance, indigenous customs and traditions of tribals, etc. and to collect land revenues and certain other taxes.

• ADCs are like miniature states with specific powers and responsibilities regarding all the three arms of governance: Legislature, executive and judiciary.

• Shigmo is the celebration of a ‘rich, golden harvest of paddy’ by the tribal communities of Goa. 

  • Agricultural communities including the Kunbis, Gawdas and Velips celebrate the festival, which also marks spring.

• Two Variants of the Festival:

  • Dhakto Shigmo: It is celebrated by the rural population, farmers and the labour class.

  • Vhadlo Shigmo: It is of greater importance and is celebrated by everyone.

• Shigmo celebrations last over a fortnight in Phalgun-Chaitra months of the Hindu calendar that correspond with March-April every year.

• The festival begins with ‘Naman’ that is the invocation of the local folk deities on the village ‘maand’ or the village stage to the beats of percussion instruments like the Ghumat, Dhol, Mhadle and Tashe by the male folk.

  • It is called the ‘romta mell’ that moves from one village to another.

  • Folk dances like Ghode Modni (a dance of equestrian warriors), Gopha and Phugadi are performed during this festival. 

• Shigmo is celebrated all over India but in different names:

  • North India - Holi.

  • Assam and Bengal - Dolyatra.

  • South India - Kamadahan.

  • Maharashtra - Shimga

The National climate vulnerability assessment report released today has identified Jharkhand, Mizoram, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, and West Bengal as states highly vulnerable to climate change.

• In the eastern part of the country, these states require prioritization of adaptation interventions, the report pointed out.

• The report titled ‘Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework’, which identifies the most vulnerable states and districts in India with respect to current climate risk and key drivers of vulnerability, was released by Department of Science & Technology (DST).

• A total of 94 representatives from 24 states and 2 Union Territories participated in the nation-wide exercise jointly supported by the DST and the Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC).

• DST has been implementing 2 national missions as part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change. These are National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) and National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC).

India has undertaken various steps for the conservation of migratory species.

• In February last year, India hosted the 13th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

• India successfully listed Asian Elephant, Great Indian Bustard and Bengal Florican to the Appendix I of CMS for cooperative action from the range countries of these species.

• India is currently the President of CMS Conference of Parties. For the first time, India has been elected as a Chair of the CMS Standing Committee.

• 'The Marine Mega Fauna Stranding Management Guidelines' have been launched which is the first of its kind in the country.

• 'National Marine Turtle Action Plan for the period extending from 2021 to 2026 has also been launched.

• A new National programme, 'Project Dolphin' was announced last year for more focussed conservation of both riverine and marine Dolphins.

• The government has also launched a five-year Action Plan for Vulture Conservation in India.

• Last year on International Snow Leopard Day, Himal Sanrakshak Community Volunteer Programme was launched.

• India and Bangladesh have signed a Protocol on Trans-boundary Elephant Conservation. It aims to conservation of Elephants, including their safe natural migration across international Borders and the mitigation of Human-Elephant Conflicts.