ENGLISH QUIZ 31.01.2020

1. An annual event the ‘World Sustainable Development Summit 2020’, organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) held in which city of India for the first time?

A. New Delhi

B. Mumbai

C. Jaipur

D. Lucknow

2. What is the theme of the World Sustainable Summit 2020 organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi?

A. ‘Forward to 2030: Making the Decade Sustainable’

B. ‘Towards 2030: Making the Decade Count’.

C. ‘2020: Making Future of the Decade

D. ‘Attaining the 2030 Agenda: Delivering on our Promise’

3. Who among the following has won the gold medal in the men’s Keirin individual event of the Six-Day Berlin Tournament?

A. Tomas Babek

B. Maximilian Lev

C. Esow Alben

D. Deborah Haroldb

4. Which of the following countries has created a new Guinness World Record for organizing highest altitude Fashion Show on the earth?

A. India

B. China

C. Chile

D. Nepal

5. Name the University that conferred Honorary D.Lit. Degree to Nobel Laureate Prof. Abhijit Binayak Bandyopadhyay at its Annual Convocation?

A. Kolkata University

B. University of Delhi

C. Jawaharlal Nehru University

D. Mumbalai University

6. After approval of European Union Parliament which becomes the first country to leave the European Union?

A. France

B. United Kingdom

C. Germany

D. Norway

7. Name the Indian environmentalist who won the Tyler Prize 2020 for his groundbreaking “green economy” work?

A. Vandana shiva

B. Sunat Narayan

C. Pawan Sukhdev

D. Maneka Gandhi

8. Which of the following theater artists awarded the French honour of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) for her outstanding contribution to the field of theater?

A. Ratan Pathak Shah

B. Dolly Thackeray

C. Shabana Azmi

D. Sanjana Kapoor

9. The 71st edition of International Boxing Tournament “Strandja”2020 was held in which country?

A. Sofia, Bulgaria

B. Bangkok, Thailand

C. Wuhan, China

D. Bucharest, Romania

10. Which Day is being celebrated every year on 30th January?

A. National Youth Day

B. Martyr’s Day

C. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas

D. Army day

11. Consider the following statements:

1. Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed resolution for the abolition of the Legislative Council.

2. 143 members, voted for it and none opposing it. The Opposition Telugu Desam Party had made it clear that it would boycott the proceeding.

Which of the above statement/statements are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

12. Consider the following statements related to African cheetah:

1. Supreme Court allowed NTCA to introduce African cheetah in India.

2. The Court also set up a Four-member committee.

3. The word ‘cheetah’ is derived from the Sanskrit chitraka, which means ‘spotted’. The earliest visual evidence of the Asiatic cheetah, dating back to 2500 to 2300 BCE, is found in cave paintings in Kharvai and Khairabad, and in the upper Chambal valley, in Madhya Pradesh.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 are correct

B. 1 and 3 are correct

C. 2 and 3 are correct

D. All of the above

13. Consider the following statements:

1. IISc builds tiny radar to pierce walls.

2. The team of scientists was led by Gaurab Banerjee, associate professor at the Department of Electrical Communication Engineering.

Which of the above statement/statements are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

14. Consider the following statements related to 4th state to Ramsar site tag:

1. Ten more wetlands from India get the Ramsar site tag.

2. The Ramsar Convention signed on February 2, 1971 in Iran, is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord signed by members countries to preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance.

3. India is a member of this agreement since 1982.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 are correct

B. 1 and 3 are correct

C. 2 and 3 are correct

D. All of the above

15. Consider the following statements related to Oldest solid material on Earth:

1. Oldest solid material on Earth discovered.

2. This stardust provides evidence for a ‘baby boom’ of new stars that formed 9 billion years ago.

Which of the above statement/statements are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

ANSWERS:-

Answer: 1) A

Explanation

The World Sustainable Development Summit 2020 is being organised in New Delhi for the first time between 29th and  31st January 2020. It is an annual event organized by TERI every year. The theme of the event is ‘Towards 2030: Making the Decade Count’. In its 2020 edition, the Summit will be addressing the broad themes of- circular economy, water, energy, industry transitions, and e-mobility.

About the 2020 Summit

• The Summit includes Sustainable Action Dialogues, Regional dialogues, corporate conclaves, IFAT Delhi 2020 (Exhibition of Clean Technologies), Youth Volunteer Programmes.
• The concept of Sustainable Development has its roots in sustainable forest management during 17th and 18th century.
• The Global Movement for Sustainable Development began in 2005.

Energy and Resources Institute

• The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is a research institute in New Delhi that specializes in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development.
• Established in 1974, it was formerly known as the Tata Energy Research Institute.
• As the scope of its activities widened, it was renamed The Energy and Resources Institute in 2003.

Answer: 2) B

Explanation

The World Sustainable Summit is an annual event organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). It is being organized since 2001. The event has become a premier international event focusing on developing actions. The event was held between January 29, 2020 and January 31, 2020. The theme of the event is ‘Towards 2030: Making the Decade Count’.

Answer: 3) C

Explanation

Indian cyclist Esow Alben has bagged a gold in the men’s Keirin individual event of the Six-Day Berlin Tournament. The 18-year-old finished on top of the podium, earning 20 classification points. Czech Republic’s Tomas Babek came in second while Maximilian Lev of Germany took home the bronze. Earlier in the competition, the teenager had won a bronze on day two followed by a silver medal on the fourth day in the individual Keirin event.

Answer: 4) D

Explanation

Nepal creates a Guinness World Record for the highest altitude fashion show event ever held. The Mount Everest Fashion Runway, organized by RB Diamonds and KASA Style in support of Nepal Tourism Board, was held at 5340 metres at Kala Patthar, near the Everest base camp. The event was part of the Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign.  Models from various parts of the world, including Finland, Italy, Sri Lanka and Singapore, participated in the show.

Answer: 5) A

Explanation

The Calcutta University conferred Honorary D.Lit. Degree to Nobel Laureate Abhijit Binayak Benerjee at its Annual Convocation. The Vice-Chancellor of the University Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee presented the Degree to him. Abhijit was awarded Nobel Prize in 2019 for “Experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”. He is one of the directors of Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, the USA founded in 2003.

University of Calcutta

• University of Calcutta (informally known as CU) is a collegiate public state university located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
• t was established on 24 January 1857, and was one of the first institutions in Asia to be established as a multidisciplinary and Western-style university.
• Within India it is recognized as a “Five-Star University” and accredited “A” Grade by National Assessment and Accreditation Council.
• University of Calcutta was awarded the status of “Centre with Potential for Excellence In Particular Area”(CPEPA Status) and “University with potential for excellence”(UPE Status) by the UGC.

Answer: 6) B

Explanation

The European Parliament overwhelmingly approved Britain’s departure terms from the EU. The vote was 621 to 49 in favour of the Brexit deal that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson negotiated with the other 27 EU leaders. Britain is the first country to leave the EU. with this its members reduced to 27.The EU Parliament backed Britain’s departure in the wake of the country’s vote to leave in a referendum in June 2016.

Answer: 7) C

Explanation

Indian environmental economist Pavan Sukhdev won Tyler Prize 2020 for his groundbreaking “green economy” work. Tyler Prize is regarded as the “Nobel Prize for the Environment”. He is also Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).Also, conservation biologist Gretchen C. Daily has also won the Tyler Prize 2020. The duo will receive the award at a private ceremony on May 1 in New York.

What is Tyler Prize?

• The Tyler prize is one of the first international premier environmental awards, often described as the ‘Nobel Prize for Environment’. It was constituted in 1973 by the late John and Alice Tyler.
• The global environmental prize aims to recognises individuals who have made outstanding contribution to preserve and enhance the global environment.
• The Tyler Prize 2020 recognized two remarkable individuals, who are both pioneers in illuminating and quantifying the economic value of our natural environment- Conservation Biologist Gretchen C. Daily and Environmental Economist Pavan Sukhdev.

Answer: 8) D

Explanation

Famous theatre artist Sanjana Kapoor conferred with the French honour of ‘Chevalier dans lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres’ (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) for her outstanding contribution to the theatre. Kapoor was felicitated by Franck Riester, the French Minister of Culture.  She is the daughter of Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal. She is a co-founder of ‘Junoon’, an organisation that works towards increasing the reach of theatre.

Answer: 9) A

Explanation

The 71st edition of International Boxing Tournament “Strandja”2020 was held in Sofia, Bulgaria. India won three medals in the tournament and ranked 9th in the medal tally. With 10 medal the list was topped by Ukraine (4 Gold, 1 silver, 5 Bronze). The Tournament was jointly organized by International Boxing Association & European Boxing Confederation in which more than 300 boxers from 30 countries have participated.

Answer: 10) B

Explanation

Five days are declared as Martyrs Day in India to honour those who laid down their lives for the nation. The first fall accordingly on January 30, the day when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse in 1948.Mahatma Gandhi played a significant role in India’s struggle for Independence. He brought forth the awe-inspiring method of non-violent protests, Satyagraha and spread the word of peace and harmony even in dissent.

The other 4 Martyr’s observed in India are:

• 23 March: Day to remember the deaths of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru.
• 21 October: Police Martyrs Day. This day marks the ambush of a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) patrol party at the Indo-Tibetan border in Ladakh by the Chinese forces.
• 17 November:  The death anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai.
• 19 November: It celebrates the birthday of Rani Lakshmibai and honours those who gave their lives in the rebellion of 1857.

Answer: 11) A

Explanation

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has cleared the decks for the abolition of the Legislative Council. 133 members, voted for it and none opposing it. The Opposition Telugu Desam Party had made it clear that it would boycott the proceeding.

About Legislative Council

• India has a bicameral system i.e. two Houses of Parliament.
• At the state level, the equivalent of the Lok Sabha is the Vidhan Sabha or Legislative Assembly and that of the Rajya Sabha is the Vidhan Parishad or Legislative Council.

Constitutional Provision

• The Constitution provides for the abolition or creation of legislative councils in states.
• Accordingly, the Parliament can abolish a legislative council (where it already exists) or create it (where it does not exist), if the legislative assembly of the concerned state passes a resolution to that effect.
• Such a specific resolution must be passed by the state assembly by a special majority i.e. majority of the total membership of the assembly and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of the assembly present and voting.

Creation of Legislative Council

• Under Article 169 of the constitution, Parliament may by law create or abolish the second chamber in a state if the Legislative Assembly of that state passes a resolution to that effect by a special majority.

Strength of Legislative Council

• As per article 171 clause (1), the total number of members in the legislative council must not have more than a third of the total membership of the Assembly of that state and in no case fewer than 40 members.

Election of Legislative Council

• 1/3rd of members are elected by the members of the Assembly.
• 1/3rd by electorates consisting of members of municipalities, district boards and other local authorities in the state.
• 1/12th by an electorate consisting of teachers.
• 1/12th by registered graduates.
• The remaining members are nominated by the Governor from among those who have distinguished themselves in literature, science, art, the cooperative movement, and social service.

Background

• Andhra Pradesh got the legislative council created in 1957 and got the same abolished in 1985.
• The Legislative Council in Andhra Pradesh was again revived in 2007, after the enactment of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council Act, 2005.

Answer: 12) B

Explanation

The Supreme Court has lifted its seven-year stay on a proposal to introduce African cheetahs from Namibia into the Indian habitat on an experimental basis. The Court also set up a three-member committee, comprising former Director Wildlife of India Ranjit Singh, Director General of Wildlife of India Dhananjay Mohan and Deputy Inspector General, Wildlife, Ministry of Environment and Forests to guide the NTCA in taking a decision on the issue.

Reasons for Delay?

• In May 2012, the top court had stalled the plan to initiate the foreign cheetahs into the Palpur Kuno sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, fearing that they may come into conflict with a parallel and a much-delayed project to reintroduce lions into the same sanctuary.
• The court was also worried whether the African cheetahs would find the sanctuary a favourable climate as far as an abundance of prey is concerned.

About Asiatic Cheetah

• The word ‘cheetah’ is derived from the Sanskrit chitraka, which means ‘spotted’. The earliest visual evidence of the Asiatic cheetah, dating back to 2500 to 2300 BCE, is found in cave paintings in Kharvai and Khairabad, and in the upper Chambal valley, in Madhya Pradesh.
• The cheetah is the only large carnivore that has been extirpated, mainly by over-hunting in India in historical times.
• In 1947, Maharaja Ramanuj Pratap Singh of Deoghar of Koriya, Chhattisgarh reportedly killed the last known Asiatic cheetah in India. In 1952, the cheetah was officially declared extinct from India.
• Cheetahs are an endangered species, according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).
• The Asiatic cheetah is classified as a “critically endangered” species by the IUCN Red List, and is believed to survive only in Iran.
• Only 7,100 cheetahs are left in the wild, almost all of them in Africa.

Conservation Status:

• The cheetah has been classified as endangered by the IUCN.
• It is listed under Appendix I of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).

Answer: 13) C

Explanation

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in a significant breakthrough, have developed a “through-the-wall” radar (TWR), built on a chip smaller than a grain of rice. The team of scientists was led by Gaurab Banerjee, associate professor at the Department of Electrical Communication Engineering.

Developed using Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology, this radar has a single transmitter, three receivers, and an advanced frequency synthesizer capable of generating complex radar signals, all packed together into a tiny chip.

Fact

• Its small size, researchers said, can enable mass production at a low cost. “Such radars can have wide-ranging applications in the defence sector, as well as areas such as healthcare, transportation and agriculture,” a statement IISc shared with TOI, reads.
• Developed using complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CIMOS) technology, the radar features a transmitter, an advanced frequency synthesizer, and three receivers, which can generate complex radar signals.
• All these electronic components are mounted on a small chip.
• Researchers say that due to its small size, it can be easily produced on a large scale.
• Radars work on the principle of returning signals collided with something and the time it takes for signals to return when using them is estimated.
• Based on such signals, a blueprint of the object or person can be drawn and it can also help to determine at what speed the object is moving.
• TWR technology is one step ahead of the common radar, which works on the principle of piercing walls by radio waves, which cannot be detected by rays of light.

Answer: 14) D

Explanation

Union Environment Minister has announced that India has added 10 more wetlands to sites protected by the Ramsar Convention.

The New Ramsar Sites

1. Nandur Madhameshwar: Maharashtra ( Maharashtra gets its first Ramsar site)
2. Keshopur-Miani-Punjab
3. Beas Conservation Reserve- Punjab
4. Nangal – Punjab
5. Nawabganj-Uttar Pradesh
6. Parvati Agra- Uttar Pradesh
7. Saman- Uttar Pradesh
8. Samaspur- Uttar Pradesh
9. Sandi- Uttar Pradesh
10. Sarsai Nawar- Uttar Pradesh

About Ramsar Convention

• The Ramsar Convention signed on February 2, 1971 in Iran, is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord signed by members countries to preserve the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance.
• The aim of the Ramsar list is to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits.
• Wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines of the convention.
• India is a member of this agreement since 1982.
• Most of the wetlands of India are directly or indirectly connected to major river systems like Ganga, Kaveri, Krishna, Godavari and Tapti.
• There are currently 37 Ramsar wetlands in India.
• The estimated area of ​​wetlands in India is 4.1 million hectares (excluding irrigated agricultural land, rivers and streams), of which 1.5 million hectares are natural and 2.6 million hectares man-made.
• The wetland constitutes 4.7 percent of the total geographical area.
• Currently there are 158 contracting parties in this conference.

Answer: 15) A

Explanation

Scientists have discovered the oldest solid material ever found on the Earth, in the form of stardust trapped inside a meteorite that crashed into Australia 50 years ago.

Related Information

• This stardust provides evidence for a ‘baby boom’ of new stars that formed 7 billion years ago.
• These are the oldest solid materials ever found, and they tell us about how stars formed in our galaxy.
• The materials the researchers examined are called presolar grains-minerals formed before the Sun was born.
• These bits of stardust became trapped in meteorites where they remained unchanged for billions of years, making them capsules of the cosmic time before the solar system.
• However, presolar grains are very tiny and rare, found only in about five per cent of meteorites that have fallen to the Earth.

About Presolar grains

• They are interstellar solid matter in the form of tiny solid grains that originated at a time before the Sun was formed.
• Presolar stardust grains formed within outflowing and cooling gases from earlier presolar stars.