Daily Current Affairs (MCQ's) | 25-10-2022

Q1. Coal based thermal power plants are required to environmental norms for

1. Particulate Matter
2. SO2
3. NOx
4. Mercury
5. Water use

Select the correct answer from the codes given below.

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 1, 2 and 3 only
3. 1, 3 and 4 only
4. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Answer (d)

Explanation:

EXTENSION TO THERMAL POWER PLANT

• MoEFCC has given a two-year extension to all categories of the thermal power plant on Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) norms (however, the deadlines remain the same for meeting the Particulate matter (PM) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) norms)
• Coal power plants are responsible for over 50% of the SO2 pollution.
• MoEFCC has in 2015 set environmental norms for PM, SO2, NOx, Mercury and water use for coal-based Thermal power plants to be met by 2017 but later extended to These norms require retrofitting and the use of Flue Gas Desulphurisation (for removal of SO2), Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology (for removal of NOx)
• An SCR system uses an aqueous urea solution known as AdBlue which, when injected in a specific way into an SCR catalytic converter, is converted into Flue gases are exhaust gas

Q2. The Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS) is situated in the state of

1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Rajasthan
4. Gujarat

Answer (a)

Explanation:

RANIPUR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (RWS)

The Uttar Pradesh (UP) cabinet approved the notification of the state’s fourth tiger reserve in the Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS) in Chitrakoot district, the state government stated in a statement. RWS has no tigers of its own. But pugmarks of the animals are frequently seen there as tigers from nearby Panna frequent it. The two protected areas are just 150 km from each other.

RWS is an important corridor for the movement of tigers, according to the Status of tigers, co-predators and prey in India report by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Camera trapping had been conducted by the forest department in RWS during the last estimation of tigers by the NTCA in 2018. The 12 tiger photo-captures showed that there were three tigers — one male and two females — in Ranipur.

The UP cabinet approved the notification of Ranipur Tiger Reserve under Section 38(v) of the Wild life (Protection) Act of 1972. The tiger reserve will span across 529.89 square kilometres (sq km), with a 299.58 sq km buffer zone and 230 sq km core area, which was already notified as the RWS in 1977.

The Ranipur Tiger Reserve has tropical dry deciduous forests and is home to fauna such as tigers, leopards, sloth bears, spotted deer, sambhar, chinkara and a number of birds and reptiles, the statement added.

Q3. Which of the following species is/are Cetacean?

1. Whales
2. Dolphins
3. Snake

Select the correct answer from the codes given below.

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

Answer (a)

Explanation:

A bottlenose dolphin found dead in a Florida canal in the spring tested positive

for a highly virulent strain of bird flu (Eurasian H5N1). It has also been found in other marine mammals such as Porpoises and whales (called Cetaceans)

Cetaceans are called sentinels of ocean health as it provides insights into marine ecosystem health. While experts emphasize that the risk to humans remains low, the spread of the virus to new species poses potential risks to wildlife and provides the virus with new chances to mutate and adapt to mammalian hosts.

Cetacea is an infraorder of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively carnivorous diet. They propel themselves through the water with powerful up-and-down movement of their tail which ends in a paddle-like fluke, using their flipper-shaped forelimbs to maneuver.

While the majority of cetaceans live in marine environments, a small number exclusively reside in brackish water or freshwater. Having a cosmopolitan distribution, they can be found in some rivers and all of earth's oceans, and many species inhabit vast ranges where they migrate with the changing of the seasons.

Cetaceans are famous for their high intelligence and complex social behavior as well as the enormous size of some of its members, like the blue whale reaching a maximum confirmed length of 29.9 meters (98 feet) and weight of 173 tonnes (190 short tons), making it the largest animal known to have ever existed.

Q4. 60 years after they were last seen, tigers are being reintroduced to Madhav National Park. Madhav National Park is situated in the state of

1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Bihar
4. Gujarat

Answer (b)

Explanation:

MADHAV NATIONAL PARK (MNP)

• 60 years after they were last seen, tigers are being reintroduced to Madhya Pradesh’s Madhav National It is situated in the Shivpuri District, Madhya Pradesh.
• It was the hunting ground of Mughal emperors and Maharaja of Gwalior.
• It has a diverse ecosystem consisting of lakes (Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar), dry deciduous & dry thorn forests.

• It is part of the Ranthambhore-Kuno-Madhav (Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan) Tiger Corridor of Central India & Eastern Ghats landscape.
• Home to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)s like Saharia.

Q5. The Martand Sun Temple dedicated to Vishnu-Surya, the Martand Temple has three distinct chambers—the mandapa, the garbhagriha, and the antralaya— probably the only three-chambered temple in Kashmir. The temple is built in a unique Kashmiri style, though it has definite Gandhar influences. The temple was built by

1. Chandela dynasty
2. Utpala dynasty
3. Karkota dynasty
4. Kushana dynasty

Answer (c)

Explanation:

MARTAND TEMPLE IN KASHMIR

• ASI had objected to the ‘Navgrah Ashtamangalam Puja’ on the premises of Martand Temple as it is a heritage site.
• The Martand Temple was built by the Karkota dynasty king Lalitaditya Muktapida, who ruled Kashmir from 725 AD to 753 AD. Dedicated to Vishnu-Surya, the Martand Temple has three distinct chambers—the mandapa, the garbhagriha, and the antralaya— probably the only three-chambered temple in Kashmir. The temple is built in a unique Kashmiri style, though it has definite Gandhar influences.

Q6. Consider the following statements about the Dara Shikoh

1. He translated the Upanishads and other important sources of Hindu religion and spirituality from Sanskrit to Persian
2. He was eldest son of Shah Jahan

Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?

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

Answer (d)

Explanation:

Vice president released the Arabic Version of “Majma Ul-Bahrain” of Dara Shikoh recently. Majma-ul-Bahrain (which means ‘Confluence of Two Oceans’) throws invaluable light on the similarities between religions and helped bring stronger unity among the people of India. In this book ‘Majma-ul-Bahrain’, Dara Shikoh listed one by one, all the commonalities between Hinduism (Vedanta) and Islam (Suf ism) and came to the conclusion that the difference between Islam and Hinduism is only verbal.

Eldest son of Shah Jahan, he is described as a “liberal Muslim” who tried to find commonalities between Hindu and Islamic traditions. He is known as a pioneer of the academic movement for interfaith understanding in India. His most important works, Majma-ul-Bahrain (Mingling of Two Oceans) and Sirr-i-Akbar (Great Mystery) are devoted to the cause of establishing connections between Hinduism and Islam. He translated the Upanishads and other important sources of Hindu religion and spirituality from Sanskrit to Persian.