Daily Current Affairs (MCQ) | Date 04.12.21

Q1. Which of the following is the leading cause of death of elephants in India?

a. Electrocution
b. Train Hits
c. Poaching
d. Poisoning

Answer : a

Why is the Question ?

Corridors of death
Elephants are victims of train collisions and electric fences in rising man-animal conflicts
Elephants collisions:
Elephant deaths in railway accidents are not new in India. The Reasons other than natural causes has led to the killing of 1,160 elephants over 11 years ending December 2020; 741 deaths were due to electrocution; railway accidents accounted for 186 cases; poaching 169 and poisoning 64.

Q2. Which of the following states has the highest population of elephants in Northeast
India?

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

Answer : a

Why is the Question ?

Q3. Consider the following statements

1. The Bay of Bengal is more cyclone-prone than the Arabian sea

2. All cyclones have a fully developed eye in the centre

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer : a

Why is the Question ?

Extra-tropical cyclones may not always have an eye, whereas mostly mature storms have well-developed eyes. Rapidly intensifying storms may develop an extremely small, clear, and circular eye, sometimes referred to as a pinhole eye.
Cyclone Jawad to bring heavy rain to Odisha, Bengal and A.P.
1. Cyclone Jawad has formed in the Bay of Bengal and is expected to reach Paradip, on the Odisha coast, by Sunday with winds expected to touch 90 kmph as well as heavy rains in Odisha, West Bengal, and north Andhra Pradesh over the weekend.
2. The India Meteorological Department said the cyclone will briefly gain in strength and become a ‘severe’ cyclonic storm but is unlikely to make a conventional landfall. It is expected to skirt the coast near Paradip and plot a trajectory towards West Bengal.
3. Jawad currently lies about 650 km away from Paradip and is expected to reach the north Andhra Pradesh coast by Saturday noon.

Q4. The new species of butterfly, named the Chocolate-bordered Flitter, carries the scientific name Zographetus dzonguensis. It is found in the state of

a. Sikkim
b. Kerala
c. TamilNadu
d. Uttarakhand

Answer : a

Why is the Question ?

Shutterbug leads to a pretty find in Sikkim

1. The new species of butterfly, now named the Chocolate-bordered Flitter, also carries the scientific name Zographetus dzonguensis, after Dzongu in North Sikkim, the place where it was discovered.
2. Its closest relatives are Zographetus pangi in Guangdong, and Zographetus hainanensis in Hainan, both in southeastern China, close to Hong Kong.

Q5. Consider the following statements about the Biological Diversity Act, 2002

1.People Biodiversity Register (PBR) under the law are formulated by the state government
2. It can be used by local committees to register traditional varieties grown by farmers under the PPVFRA (Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority)

Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer : a

Why is the Question ?

Biodiversity and Food: Pithorabad Gram Panchayat Conserving Agrobiodiversity
A situation where 110 indigenous varieties of paddy are on the verge of extinction can only be described as alarming. That’s what the Pithorabad Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) fought against when it was set up in 2013. Many strains had already been lost. Hybrid varieties were taking over the fields. Along with the disappearing traditional varieties, their intrinsic medicinal value, and even the knowledge of these values, was being lost. Appreciating the seriousness of the issue, the seven-member Committee swung into action. Today,in-situ conservation of all 110 threatened traditional varieties of paddy has been achieved. And that’s not all. Farmers are being encouraged to cultivate the traditional varieties, and are being helped to market their produce.

The BMC, in Satna District of Madhya Pradesh, has initiated the process of registering 86 traditional varieties grown by farmers under the PPVFRA (Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority) New Delhi through the MP State Biodiversity Board. A seed bank has been set up for the community, where seeds are kept viable for up to four years. As many as 150 medicinal plants, herbs and tuber species have also been conserved. But before embarking on the campaign to preserve the natural resources, the BMC had to meet the challenge of educating the community and making the people aware of the importance of biodiversity. Farmers had to be trained in changing crop patterns and educated about the consequences of the loss of traditional medicines.
Starting from scratch, the BMC worked consistently towards overall betterment. The compilation of an exhaustive People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) was a major step in the struggle. It resulted in highlighting the importance of traditional varieties which naturally adapted to local climatic conditions and had the ability to survive climate change. The BMCs are constituted under Sec. 41 of the Biodiversity Act. PBR compilation is the duty of BMC at the local level, not the state government.

The act envisaged a three-tier structure to regulate the access to biological resources:
1. The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)
2. The State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs)
3. The Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) (at the local level)
Any grievances relating to the determination of benefit sharing or order of the National Biodiversity Authority or a State Biodiversity Board under this Act, shall be taken to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) According to Section 41 of the Act, every local body shall constitute the BMC within its area for the purpose of promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity including
 Preservation of habitats
 Conservation of Landraces
 Folk varieties and cultivars

 Domesticated stocks And breeds of animals
 Microorganisms And Chronicling Of Knowledge Relating To Biological Diversity
Structure
It shall consist of a chairperson and not more than six persons nominated by the local body. Out of total members of a BMC, not less than one third should be women and not less than 18% should belong to the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes. The Chairperson of the Biodiversity Management Committee shall be elected from amongst the members of the committee in a meeting to be chaired by the Chairperson of the local body. The chairperson of the local body shall have the casting votes in case of a tie.
Functions
The main function of the BMC is to prepare the People’s Biodiversity Register in consultation with the local people. The register shall contain comprehensive information on availability and knowledge of local biological resources, their medicinal or any other use or any other.

Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS)
Under Section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 the State Government in consultation with local bodies may notify the areas of biodiversity importance as Biodiversity Heritage Sites.