ENGLISH QUIZ 16.06.2020

1.Consider the following statements:

1.US State Dept releases International Religious Freedom Report.

2.It highlighted the developments that took place in 2017 i.e. the status of Jammu and Kashmir, the             Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Which of the above statement/statements are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

2.Consider the following statements related to Asiatic lion:

1.The Asiatic lions’ Census was released recently which show an increase by 29% over five years to an           estimated 674 in the Gir forest region and other revenue areas of coastal Saurashtra.

2.As per the data released by Gujarat Forest Department, the number of Asiatic lions in the state has            increased by about 29% as compared to the census done in the year 2014.

3.According to the new census by the Forest Department, at present the total number of Asiatic lions           in the state has been stated to be 674 as compared to only 523 in the year 2015.

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

3.Consider the following statements related to Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS):

1.Union Finance Minister has recently said that the COVID Emergency Credit Facility covers all                     companies and not just Micro, Small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

2.Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme is the biggest fiscal component of the Rs 20-lakh crore              Self-Reliant India Mission package announced by Finance Minister last month.

Which of the above statement/statements are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

4.Who has been awarded the 2020 Medal of the Order of Australia?

A. Shobha Shekhar

B. Ratan Lal

C. C.Bora

D. Tk Sengupta

5.Dr. Rattan Lal has been awarded the World Food Prize 2020 for achievement in which field?

A. Plant genetics

B. Soil Science

C. Organic fertilizer

D. Micro irrigation

6.Which state started the Panchavati scheme for senior citizens?

A. Uttar Pradesh

B. Madhya Pradesh

C. Himachal Pradesh

D. Rajasthan

7. Who among the following has been appointed as Brand Ambassador of Gargo International?

A. Akshay Kumar

B. Ranveer singh

C. Sara Ali Khan

D. Sonu Sood

8.What is India’s rank in the recently COVID-19 regional safety assessment report?

A. 56th

B. 66th

C. 76th

D. 86th

9.World Blood Donor Day was celebrated on:

A. 13 June

B. 14 June

C. 15 June

D. 16 June

ANSWERS:-

Answer: 1)A      

Explanation

US State Department has launched annual International Religious Freedom (IRF) Report 2019. It describes the status of religious freedom in every country. The report describes change in the J&K status, CAA and NRC in India. It also makes detail description of mob lynching’s, cow vigilantism and laws depicting lawmakers failure to combat the situation. The report outlines the U.S. engagement and restrictions on India to be imposed by Trump administration.

American Commission on International Religious Freedom ’(USCIRF):

• USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan US Federal Commission established under the ‘International Religious Freedom Act-IRFA’ – 1998.
• The USCIRF monitors violations of religious freedom globally based on international standards and recommends the US President, Secretary of State, and the US Parliament to make necessary policies.
• It recommends that the Secretary of the US State Department recommend the reductions to countries of Particular Concern-CPC and Special Watch List- SWL based on violations of religious freedom.

The Country Report for India:

• It highlighted the developments that took place in 2019 i.e. the status of Jammu and Kashmir, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
• It discussed in detail about mob lynchings, anti-conversion laws, cow vigilantism and related issues.
• Taking note of the alleged attacks and discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities in India, the report emphasised the need to ensure full protection to minorities in the country as guaranteed under the Constitution.
• It also outlines the U.S. engagement with India on these issues.

Religious Freedom in the US:

• The US government has signed an executive order which included a move to formally prioritise religious freedom in the U.S. foreign policy.
• The order also directed the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to allocate $50 million in its yearly budget towards programmes that sought to promote religious freedom.
• Recently, the US faced domestic protests in response to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man at the hands of a white police officer.

Difference between USCIRF and State Department proceedings:

• The USCIRF and the US State Department both issue annual reports on international religious freedom, but each have different objectives.
• The State Department report documents the violation of religious freedom in each country of the world, while USCIRF’s annual report recommends by law to designate various countries as ‘countries of special concern’ on which the relevant executive branch views Does.

Answer: 2)B

Explanation

The Asiatic lions’ Census was released recently which show an increase by 29% over five years to an estimated 674 in the Gir forest region and other revenue areas of coastal Saurashtra.

Key points:

• As per the data released by Gujarat Forest Department, the number of Asiatic lions in the state has increased by about 29% as compared to the census done in the year 2015.
• According to the new census by the Forest Department, at present the total number of Asiatic lions in the state has been stated to be 674 as compared to only 523 in the year 2015.
• Currently there are 260 female, 161 male, 45 male sub-adult, 49 female sub-adult, 22 (unknown sex) and 137 cubs among the state’s total of 674 Asiatic lions.
• Along with this, the migration area of ​​Asiatic lions in the state has also increased by 36%, currently the migration area of ​​Asiatic lions in the state is 22,000 sq km in the year 2015. Increased from 30,000 sq km. has reached.

Asiatic lion

• They are also known as Indian Lion.
• The scientific name is Panthera leo persica.
• Its current range is restricted to the Gir National Park and environs in the Indian state of Gujarat.

Conservation status

• It is listed in Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
• It is listed in Appendix I of CITES
• It is listed as Endangered as per IUCN Red List.

Start of census of lions:

• The first lion census was conducted in the year 1936 by the then Nawab of Junagadh.
• Since 1965, the Forest Department has been regularly performing census of lions every five years.
• Earlier, the 6th, 8th and 11th census was delayed by one year due to various reasons.

Reason for cancellation of census:

• This census, which takes place regularly every fifth year, could not be conducted on the scheduled date due to the COVID-19 epidemic spreading in the country this year.
• After the nationwide lockdown was announced by the Prime Minister on 25 March, more than 1500 Forest Guard, Range Forest Officer and some other employees of the Forest Department were deployed to implement the lockdown properly.

Importance of census of year 2020:

• The number of Asiatic lions rose from 411 (year 2010) to 523 in the 2015 census.
• But a month after this census, 12 lions died in the sudden flash floods in Amreli (Gujarat).
• After this, in the year 2018, more than 20 lions died due to the outbreak of ‘Canine Distemper Virus-CDV’ and ‘Babesiosis’.
• In the summer of this year too, there were reported outbreaks of ‘Babesiosis’ in the forests of Gir and about 23 Asiatic lions died.

Due to the increase in the number of Asiatic lions:

• The Gir forests have seen a steady increase in the population of Asiatic lions in recent years.
• According to forest department officials, migration management, hunting and food arrangements and human-animal conflicts have been reduced through the use of technology and other important efforts by the department for the conservation of Asiatic lions.
• In addition, vaccine was also imported to deal with ‘Canine Distemper Virus’.
• In 2018, the ‘Asiatic Lion Conservation Project’ was launched by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Answer: 3)C      

Explanation

Union Finance Minister has recently said that the COVID Emergency Credit Facility covers all companies and not just Micro, Small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS)

• It is the biggest fiscal component of the Rs 20-lakh crore Self-Reliant India Mission package announced by Finance Minister last month.
• Under the scheme, 100 per cent guarantee coverage will be provided by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) for additional funding of up to Rs 3 lakh crore to eligible companies and borrowers, in the form of a guaranteed emergency credit line (GECL) facility.
• For this purpose, a corpus of Rs 41,600 crore was provided by the government, spread over the current and next three financial years.

Objective

• The main objective of the scheme is to provide an incentive to member lending institutions to increase access and enable the availability of additional funding facility to borrowers, in view of the economic distress caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

Answer: 4)A

Explanation

Indian Musician & founder of Kalakruthi music organisation in Australia, Shobha Sekhar will be conferred the “Medal of the Order of Australia”. The Montreal-based artiste and lecturer, University of Melbourne, figures in the Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List. She has been chosen for the Medal of the Order for her service to the community and the country.

Medal of the Order of Australia

• The medal of the order of Australia is awarded to the individuals contributing to their community or to Australia globally or domestically.
• The recipients are nominated and assessed independently as worthy of recognition.

Answer: 5)B

Explanation

Indian American soil scientist Dr Rattan Lal has won the World Food Prize for mainstreaming and developing soil centric approach in order to increase food production. He has been awarded for developing and mainstreaming a soil-centric approach to increasing food production that conserves natural resources and mitigates climate change. He will receive USD 250,000 as prize money. Lal serves as Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science and founding Director of the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at The Ohio State University (OSU).

Techniques of Dr Lal

• Dr Lal has transformed and explored techniques such as no-tillage, over cropping, mulching and agro forestry.
• These techniques improved long term sustainability of agro ecosystems and minimized risks of floods, drought and effects of climate change.
• Through his research works, Dr Lal had proved that atmospheric carbon can be sequestered in soils.
• The scientist has also invented several conservation practices that are used by farmers today effectively.
• This includes building nutrients in the soil, eliminating tilling to leave the soil and the carbon it contains undisturbed and agroforestry (an approach of raising livestock and growing trees along with crops).

World Food Prize:

• The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world.

Answer: 6)C

Explanation

Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur has launched “Panchvati Yojana” for senior citizens. Under the yojana parks & gardens will be established in every development block with mandatory facilities under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act(MGNREGA) 2005, Scheme of Rural Development Department. About 100 such parks will be developed in different parts of the state during FY 2020.

Key Points

• The parks & gardens will be developed in at least one bigha(a traditional unit of measurement of land) along with MGNREGA, Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) and 14th Finance Commission.
• Ayurvedic and medicinal plants will be grown, recreational equipment, walking tracks and other basic facilities for elderly people will be provided.
• Every park will have a 500 to 1,000 metre concrete trek. Women self-help groups will be allowed to sell their products in these parks
• The 1st phase of these parks was inaugurated through video conference in Gohar Development Block of District Mandi and Bangana Development Block of Una district, among 15.
• The work on these parks has been started with the help of local labourers who receive daily wages under MGNREGA.

Answer: 7)D

Explanation

Gargo International (Delhi based lubricant company) has appointed Sonu Sood as its brand ambassador. The company praised Sonu Sood for his support works to migrant workers through the “Ghar Bhejo” and KhaanaChahiye initiative which raised Rs.57 lakhs. He also offered his Juhu hotel for quarantine facility. He is providing daily food for more than 45,000 needy through the “Shakti Annadanam” after his father Shakti Sagar Sood.

MD: Rajan Goel

Answer: 8)A

Explanation

Deep Knowledge Group releases COVID-19 regional safety assessment report of 200 countries dividing them into 4 tiers. The first tier is for safest countries and 4th is for riskiest nation for COVID-19.The report positioned India on 56th rank with a score of 532.  Switzerland with a score of 752 was the most safe place for COVID-19 , followed by Germany, Israel, Singapore, Japan. China secured 7th rank, USA is ranked 58th and Pakistan has secured 148th.

Answer: 9)A

Explanation

Every year on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day (WBDD). The significance of this event is to celebrate and thank all the blood donors in the world who have selflessly donated blood and thus saved a life unknowingly. It also helps to raise awareness and thus gather more donors to be part of the good deed. 2020 theme: Save Blood Save Lives