Daily Current Affairs (MCQ) | Date 04.03.22

Q1. Which of the following is/are correctly matched?

Select the correct answer from the codes given below

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1 and 3 only
d. 1, 2 and 3

Answer : c

Why is the Question ?

Planned Towns
Harappa (Punjab, Pakistan), Mohenjo-Daro (Sindh, Pakistan), Dholavira, Lothal, and Surkotada (Gujarat, India), Kalibangan (Rajasthan, India), Banawali and Rakhigarhi (Haryana, India) are the major cities in the Harappan period.

Q2. Which of the following practices were prevalent during the mature phase of Harappan civilization?

1. Grid pattern and drainages in street planning
2. Houses with more than one floor
3. Fortification
4. Use of burnt bricks

Select the correct answer from the codes given below

a. 1 and 4 only
b. 2, 3 and 4 only
c. 1, 2 and 3 only
d. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer : d

Why is the Question ?

Fortification, well-planned streets and lanes and drainages are noticed
in the Harappan towns. A civic authority perhaps controlled the planning of the towns. The Harappans used baked and unbaked bricks, and stones for construction. The towns had a grid pattern and drainages were systematically built. The houses were built of mud bricks while the drainages were built with burnt bricks. Houses had more than one floor.

Q3. Consider the following statements about Harappan Agriculture

1. Ploughed fields have been found at Kalibangan

2. Harappans cultivated diverse crops such as wheat, barley and various millets
3. They used both canal and well irrigation

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1 and 3 only
d. 1, 2 and 3

Answer : d

Why is the Question ?

Subsistence and Economic Production
Agriculture was an important source of subsistence for the Harappans. The Harappans cultivated diverse crops such as wheat, barley, lentil, chickpea, sesame and various millets. The agricultural surplus was an important stimulus for a number of developments. They adopted a double cropping system.
The Harappans used ploughs. They perhaps ploughed the land and then sowed the seeds. Ploughed fields have been found at Kalibangan. They used both canal and well irrigation.

Q4. Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu And Shikoku are major islands of country of

a. Canada
b. Japan
c. Philippines

d. Indonesia

Answer : b

Why is the Question ?

How the India-Japan friendship can help global peace, prosperity
India-Japan relationship brief:
1. The year 2022 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and India. Formal relations between Japan and India began in 1952.
2. After the Second World War, instead of signing the multilateral San Francisco Peace Treaty, India opted for concluding a bilateral peace treaty with Japan, considering that honour and equality should be ensured for Japan to rejoin the international community.
3. This is the cornerstone of our long-standing friendship. But even before the establishment of diplomatic relations, the goodwill between the people of the two countries was deeply rooted through business, academic and cultural exchanges.
4. In 1951, when India hosted the first Asian Games in New Delhi, it invited Japanese athletes. This was one of the first occasions where the Japanese flag was hoisted after WWII. This experience soothed the minds of Japanese people who were struggling to rebuild their country.
5. After 70 years of multi-layered exchanges, the relationship between our two countries grew into a “Special Strategic and Global Partnership”. Our partnership is based on a deep respect for each other’s contributions in promoting peace, stability and development in Asia and beyond.
6. We recognise each other as natural partners to work together for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)” and various other global issues.

Four major islands of Japan

Q5. Asia-Africa Growth Corridor is a partnership between

a. USA and Japan
b. Japan, USA and France
c. India and Japan
d. India and South Africa

Answer : c

Why is the Question ?

Q6. Which of the following states has the highest forest cover in the Northeast?

a. Arunachal Pradesh
b. Assam
c. Mizoram
d. Nagaland

Answer : a

Why is the Question ?

Top 3 States
1. An increase in forest cover has been observed in the open forests followed by very dense forests. The top three states showing an increase in forest cover are Andhra Pradesh (647 sq. km) followed by Telangana (632 sq. km) and Odisha (537 sq. km)
2. Madhya Pradesh had the largest forest cover, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra.
Forest report’s conclusion of an increase in cover should not lead to complacency. Loss of natural forests is worrying
Highlights:
1. For the better part of the past 35 years, the Forest Survey of India’s State of Forest Reports (ISFR) has been showing a steady increase in the country’s forest cover.
2. The 17th edition of the biennial report released last week showed that India’s forests have increased by more than 1,500 sq km between 2019 and 2021 and 17 states have a forest cover of more than 33 per cent.
3. A closer reading of the report, however, shows areas of serious concern. The country has lost more than 1,600 sq km of natural forests in this period. The loss has been compensated by an improvement in the health of some of the protected areas and reserve forests.

4. But a large part of the increase is due to more areas coming under plantations, which experts rightly argue are no substitute for natural forests when it comes to providing critical ecological services.