QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz,24 May 2018

Solution: d.

There has been lots of negative press about artificial sweeteners. Some studies have claimed they might make people more hungry and upset blood-sugar levels, but there is no convincing evidence of harm.

There are some people who cannot or should not consume artificial sweeteners, however. Children up to the age of three should not have them, but pregnant women can. People born with a rare genetic condition called phenylketonuria should avoid aspartame because it can be harmful to them (This condition stops their body from properly breaking down the amino acid phenylalanine – one of the building blocks of proteins, which is also found in aspartame. In such persons, high levels os phenylalanine can cause nerve damage and mental retardation). For the rest of us, it is worth noting that consuming lots of them may cause flatulence and diarrhoea.

FSSAI Labelling regulations;

Improvisation: BBC;

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Solution: c.

The word retrograde literally means ‘moving backwards’.

All of the planets in our solar system orbit the Sun in the same direction (anti-clockwise, if you’re viewing from a position floating somewhere above the Sun’s North pole). These general-consensus orbits are known as ‘prograde’ orbits (literally ‘moving forwards’). Most of the objects in our solar system are in prograde orbits around their parents (for earth, ‘parent’ is sun, for our moon, ‘parent’ is earth), but a handful are on retrograde orbits.

This simply means that, when viewed from our imaginary vantage point ‘above’ the solar system, these objects orbit their parents in a clockwise direction, instead of the more mainstream anti-clockwise choice.

In the news (BBC): An asteroid in Jupiter’s orbit may have come from outside our Solar System, according to a new study. Unlike ‘Oumuamua, the interstellar object which briefly visited the Solar System earlier this year, 2015 BZ509 (known as BZ) seems to have been here for 4.5 billion years. This makes it the first known interstellar asteroid to have taken up residence orbiting the Sun. It is not yet known where the object came from. BZ is in a retrograde orbit, moving around the Sun in the opposite direction to the eight planets, and the majority of other objects in the Solar System.

This immediately makes it stick out, as almost everything which formed from the disk of gas and debris around the Sun follows the direction of the star’s rotation.

Solution: a.

Riverine islands of the Brahmaputra are known locally as ‘saporis’ or ‘chars’. About 8% of Assam’s population call these islands home.

BBC;

Solution: d.

The SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, established by the member states of the Shanghai Convention to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism in 2001 and located in Bishkek (the Kyrgyz Republic) shall be a standing SCO body.

The Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is the permanent body of the SCO RATS based in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

In the news (TH): India is likely to send senior representatives to discuss legal modalities of counter-terrorism for a meeting that Pakistan will host along with the members of the SCO. The event will be the first such time Pakistan will host India and other members of SCO to discuss a response to terrorism.

IDSA: Insurgency, militancy and extremism;

IDSA: Terrorism and militancy;

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Solution: d.

General question, relevant for prelims.

For households located in remote and inaccessible areas, solar power packs of 200 to 300 Watt and battery back with 5 LED light, 1 DC Fan, 1 DC power plug along with repair and maintenance for 5 years would be provided.

FAQs on Saubhagya Yojana;

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