QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 02 OCTOBER 2017

Solution: c.
In the twelfth century, Ramanuja preached Visishtadvaita. According to him God
is Sagunabrahman (God with attributes). The creative process and all the objects in creation are real but not illusory as was held by Sankaracharya. Therefore, God, soul, matter are real. But God is inner substance and the rest are his attributes.

Pg 137, TN Class 11 History
Improvisation: http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=171303;
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Solution: a.
A mains-oriented question.
• ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a concept of weekly or fortnightly virtual clinics that use teleconferencing to bridge the gap in healthcare resources by using the best specialists to reach out to underserved areas. But unlike telemedicine, ECHO clinics do not provide care directly to patients. Instead, they equip primary healthcare clinicians — doctors, nurses and other health workers — in remote areas with the knowledge and support to manage complex cases. Essentially, it brings specialist care and knowledge to areas where there is none.
• Project ECHO began in 2003 in New Mexico when Dr Sanjeev Arora, a liver disease specialist in Albuquerque, US, realised that there were thousands of people in the state of New Mexico with Hepatitis C but with no access to treatment because there were no specialists where they lived. It’s then that Dr Arora began ECHO, bringing together local clinicians and specialists through weekly virtual clinics.
• India’s first ECHO clinic began in 2008 as a collaboration between the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) and Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) on managing HIV AIDS patients. Since then, ECHO clinics in the country have tackled addiction and substance use disorders, mental health, tuberculosis, hepatitis C, liver diseases, cancer screening and prevention, among others.
http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/change-agents-echo-travels-taking-specialist-doctors-to-places-where-there-are-none-4870265/;

Solution: c.
There are five BPM points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/no-bpm-between-india-china/article19781548.ece;

Solution: d.
Gypsum is used as a fertiliser; it is a moderately soluble source of the essential plant nutrients, calcium and sulphur, and can improve overall plant growth. Gypsum amendments can also improve the physical and chemical properties of soils, thus reducing erosion losses of soils and nutrient concentrations (especially phosphorus) in surface water runoffs . Gypsum is the most commonly used amendment for sodic soil reclamation and can be included as a component in synthetic soils used in nursery, greenhouse, and landscape applications. These multiple uses of gypsum represent potential benefits to agricultural and horticultural users.

PoP is made by heating gypsum at temperatures in the range of 300°F. When it comes in contact with water, the material regains the form of gypsum. Since gypsum is a naturally occurring substance, and is used as a soil-conditioner to reclaim saline-sodic soils, it has been argued by idol-makers’ associations that it is harmless to the environment. This argument, however, is trashed by activists who argue that PoP idols are non-biodegradable. A test carried out at the Centre for Environmental Science and Engineering at IIT-Mumbai, showed that these idols remain intact for several months in still water, as compared to clay idols which dissolve within 45 minutes.

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/how-harmful-is-pop-to-the-environment-42241;
Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/yamuna-in-distress-after-immersions/article19781685.ece;
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Solution: a.
Copernicus
• Is an EU project that is being procured with European Space Agency help
• Pulls together all Earth-monitoring data, from space and the ground
• Will use data from a range of spacecraft – some already up there, others yet to fly
• Expected to be invaluable to scientists studying climate change
• Important for disaster response – earthquakes, floods, fires etc
• Data will also help design and enforce EU policies: fishing quotas etc
• It will also help ensure civil security (ex: border and maritime surveillance)

ESA coordinates the delivery of data from upwards of 30 satellites. ESA is also developing a new family of satellites, called Sentinels, specifically for the operational needs of the Copernicus programme. We earlier had posted a question here on one of the applications of one of the Sentinel satellites.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41435223;
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Overview3;
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