Daily Current Affairs (MCQ's) | 25-07-2022

Q1. The Satender Kumar Antil v. Central Bureau of Investigation (2022) case is related to

1. Misuse of arrest and bail law
2. Domestic violence
3. Capital punishment
4. LGBTQs property rights

Answer (a)

Explanation:

A shot in the arm for rule of law

The Supreme Court’s recent observations on indiscriminate arrests and the reluctance to give bail are pertinent.

Indiscriminate arrests:

• In Satender Kumar Antil Central Bureau of Investigation (2022), the Supreme Court expressed its unhappiness with the current state of India’s criminal justice system.
• The court said there was scant regard for the violation of basic human rights. It was categorical that indiscriminate arrests are indicative of a colonial mindset and create the impression of India being a “police state”.
• The highlights of the court’s observations were the accent on safeguarding basic human rights, the emphasis on quickening the pace of trials and the suggestion for a new Bail Act, analogous to an existing U.K. legislation.

Q2. Equator passes through following african countries

1. Democratic republic of Congo
2. Gabon
3. Kenya
4. Somalia

Select the correct answer from the codes given below

1. 2, 3 and 4
2. 2 and 4
3. 1, 3 and 4
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer (d)

Explanation:

Q3. Consider the following statements

1. Monkeypox is a zoonotic virus
2. It is similar to smallpox

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (c)

Explanation:

A recap of the monkeypox outbreak

• Ever since the first case of monkeypox in humans was identified in 1970, in the present Democratic Republic of the Congo, the virus has become endemic in parts of Central and West Africa.
• The designation of monkeypox as a PHEIC entails accelerating international efforts to contain the spread of the disease before it escalates into a This would mean promoting countries to devise efforts to control transmission and coordinate sharing of key resources.
• There are no specific treatments available for Clinical management of monkeypox includes relieving symptoms and managing complications and preventing long- term effects.

What is monkeypox and what causes the disease?

• First discovered in 1958, in monkeys at the Statens Serum Institute in Denmark, monkeypox is a zoonotic virus that can infect humans as well as other animals, including rodents and other primate species.
• Despite being denoted as ‘monkeypox’, the actual origin and source of the disease are unknown and therefore a misnomer in many ways. The virus belongs to the same family of viruses as variola — the virus that causes smallpox.
• The disease presents with symptoms that are similar to those previously seen in smallpox patients, although it is less contagious and less severe.

• Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle pain, and lethargy along with rashes and blisters commonly on the face, palms, feet, mouth, eyes or These symptoms generally appear within two weeks since infection but can last for two to four weeks, with severe cases occurring mostly among children. In most cases, monkeypox is a self- limited disease that resolves spontaneously without any specific treatment. However, newborns, young children and people with underlying immune deficiencies may be at a higher risk of developing more severe symptoms.

  

How is the virus transmitted?

• The virus can be transmitted from both animals to humans and between humans. Animal-to-human transmission of the virus can result from close contact with blood, fluids or skin lesions of infected Human-to-human transmission could happen through close contact, and through body secretions, skin lesions or contaminated articles of individuals infected with monkeypox.
• Close human contact during sexual activities is believed to be a driver of the current spread of the disease, as evidenced by its predominant spread in gay, bisexual and MSM communities.

Q4. Consider the following statements about the Public Health Emergency of International Concern

1. The WHO defines a PHEIC as a disease outbreak that “constitutes a public health risk through the international spread of disease”
2. Since 2009, the WHO has made seven PHEIC declarations including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (c)

Explanation:

What does declaring monkeypox a health emergency entails?

• The WHO defines a PHEIC as a disease outbreak that “constitutes a public health risk through the international spread of disease” which may require an immediate and coordinated international response.
• Since 2009, the WHO has made seven PHEIC declarations including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This designation entails accelerating international efforts to contain the spread of the disease before it escalates into a pandemic.
• This would mean promoting countries to devise efforts to control transmission and coordinate sharing of key resources such as vaccines and therapeutics apart from heightened contact tracing, diagnosis and vaccination.

High alert as Delhi reports monkeypox

• Delhi confirmed its first case of monkeypox, a day after the infection was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization.
• Further public health interventions such as the identification of the source of the infection, enhanced contact tracing, testing, and sensitisation of private practitioners are being carried out.
• The WHO called upon countries in Southeast Asia to strengthen surveillance and public health measures for monkeypox.

Q5. Consider the following statements

1. India has committed to installing 60,000 MW of wind power projects by 2022
2. Land acquisition is one of the major challenge to wind energy

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1. 1 only
   2. 2 only
   3. Both 1 and 2
   4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (c)

Explanation:

Wind power rates may bottom out

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) said it would be doing away with the practice of reverse auctions — when companies bid to offer the lowest price — while awarding contracts for setting up wind energy projects.
• However, wind industry experts say this alone will not necessarily improve the sector’s fortunes. The cost of large tracts of land required to install wind turbines is among the reasons cited for the dwindling health of the sector.
• India has committed to installing 60,000 MW of wind power projects by 2022 but has met only two-thirds of the target.
• While reverse auctions were the norm for all renewable energy projects, including solar and wind projects since 2015, the government’s change of stance signals that the rock- bottom prices associated with clean energy projects — per unit of solar power costs have fallen to ₹2.40 a unit — do not reflect the true costs of renewable energy.

Q6. Consider the following statements about the snow leopards

1. Snow leopards use rugged mountainous areas or non-forested areas covering an altitude between 3,200-5,200 metres
2. Its prey species Siberian ibex and blue sheep Which of the above is/are correct?
   1. 1 only
   2. 2 only
   3. Both 1 and 2
   4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (c)

Explanation:

Study on snow leopard and its prey

• A recent study by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) on snow leopards (Panthera uncia) has thrown up interesting insights into the elusive mountain cat and its prey species.
• The study under the National Mission on Himalayan Studies revealed a strong link between habitat use by snow leopard and its prey species Siberian ibex and blue sheep.
• Scientists used camera traps and sign surveys to evaluate the co-occurrence patterns of snow leopards and their prey species in the Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh.
• Snow leopards use rugged mountainous areas or non-forested areas covering an altitude between 3,200 metres to 5,200 metres.
• Classified as ‘Vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and listed in Schedule-I species of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, snow leopards are elusive mountain cats.