INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS (29 January 2020) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Indonesia and Malaysia together produce 85% of the world’s palm oil, and India is among the biggest buyers. Both Indonesia and Malaysia produce refined palm oil; however, Malaysia’s refining capacity equals its production capacity — this is why Malaysia is keen on exporting refined oil.
• India is the world’s largest importer of palm oil, driving 23 per cent of total global demand from plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. This trade is a major contributor to deforestation, species loss and land use change in one of WWF’s global priority conservation areas.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/29/import-duty-on-palm-oil-cut/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Bhuvan Panchayat is part of ISRO’s Space-based Information Support for Decentralised Planning Update project.
• Bhuvan system available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/29/bhuvan-panchayat-3-0/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Spitzer Space Telescope (SST), formerly the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), is an infrared space telescope.
• It was launched in 2003 and is planned to be retired on 30 January 202

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/29/spitzer-telescope-2/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had previously told the Supreme Court that African cheetahs would be translocated in India from Namibia and would be kept at Nauradehi wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/29/cheetah-reintroduction-project-2/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• It is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands.
• It is named after the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the Caspian Sea, where the treaty was signed on 2 February 1971.
• Known officially as ‘the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat’ (or, more recently, just ‘the Convention on Wetlands’), it came into force in 1975.
• Currently, two wetlands of India are in Montreux record: Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) and Loktak Lake (Manipur).
• Chilka lake (Odisha) was placed in the record but was later removed from it.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/29/ramsar-sites-in-india/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Operation Vanilla – INDIAN NAVY
• Operation Clean Art – Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
• Operation Bambi Bucket – IAF (during Bandipur forest fire)

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/29/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-29-january-2020/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• As close neighbors, India and Nepal share unique ties of friendship and cooperation characterized by an open border and deep-rooted people-to-people contacts of kinship and culture. There has been a long tradition of free movement of people across the border.
• Nepal shares a border of over 1850 km with five Indian states –Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• Government of India initiatives to promote people-to-people contacts in the area of art & culture, academics and media include cultural programmes, symposia and events organized in partnership with different local bodies of Nepal, as well as conferences and seminars in Hindi.
• The Governments of India and Nepal have signed three sister-city agreements for twinning of Kathmandu-Varanasi, Lumbini-Bodhgaya and Janakpur-Ayodhya.
• The ‘Indo-Nepal Battalion-level Joint Military Exercise SURYA KIRAN’ is conducted alternately in India and in Nepal. The 13th Surya Kiran exercise was held in Pithoragarh (India) in May-June 2018.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/25/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-25-january-2020/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Namdapha National Park is the largest protected area in the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot and is located in Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India.
• The area is also known for extensive Dipterocarp forests, comprising the northwestern parts of the ecoregion of Mizoram-Manipur-Kachin rain forests.
• The habitat changes with increasing altitude from tropical moist forests to Montane forests, temperate forests and at the higher elevations, to Alpine meadows and perennial snow. The park has extensive bamboo forests and secondary forests in addition to the primary forests.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/09/24/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-24-september-2019/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• The government of India launched Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Program (AIBP) in 1996-97. This program was launched to give loan assistance to the states to help them a few major irrigation projects which were in advanced stage of completion.
• The Command Area Development Programme was launched as a Centrally-sponsored scheme in 1974-75 with the main objectives of improving utilization of irrigation potential and optimizing agricultural productivity and production from the irrigated areas by integrating all functions related with irrigated agriculture.

Refer: https://archive.india.gov.in/sectors/water_resources/index.php?id=10

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC) was established on November 10, 2000 at Vientiane at the First MGC Ministerial Meeting.
• It comprises six member countries, namely India, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
• They emphasised four areas of cooperation, which are tourism, culture, education, and transportation linkage in order to be solid foundation for future trade and investment cooperation in the region

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2018/04/27/prelims-booster-2018-himalayan-monal-impeyan-monal-impeyan-pheasant-and-mekong-ganga-cooperation-mgc/