July 31-2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The NIPUN (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) Bharat Mission aims to ensure that children get basic literacy and numeracy skills as part of the National Education Policy 2020.
• Its targets are set at different stages, starting from pre-primary classes.
• It aims to ensure proficiency in reading, understanding, and numeracy for children aged 3 to 9 years.

Statement 2 is correct

• It will be implemented across all types of schools to achieve universal FLN by 2026-27.

Statement 3 is correct

• The Department of School Education and Literacy will oversee its implementation.
• A five-tier implementation mechanism will be established at the National, State, District, Block, and School levels across all States and UTs, under the Samagra Shiksha scheme.
• NCERT is developing a special Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) package under NISHTHA.
  • NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement) is the largest teacher training program in the world for capacity building.

Answer: (d) None; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Statements 1 and 2 are correct but Statement 3 is incorrect

• They are native to East Asia and grows well in warm and moist climates.
• It is a Kharif crop, which requires an average rainfall of 90 cm and temperature between 26 ^o and 30 ^o C and is grown in fertile, well-drained, loamy soils.
• Leading Producer: Brazil. India is 5th in production.
• Major Producers: MP > Maharashtra > Rajasthan > Chhattisgarh > Andhra Pradesh
• MACS 1407: Soybean variety which is pest resistant and best suited for the rain fed regions of North East India.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Pair 1 is correct

• Australia has banned uranium mining in the Jabiluka region following protests by the Mirrar people.
• They are an Aboriginal Australian group from the Northern Territory, recognized for their cultural heritage and advocacy for land protection.
• The Jabiluka region, one of the world’s largest high-grade uranium deposits, is located within Kakadu National Park.
• Australia extended the park’s heritage listing to include the Jabiluka site, ensuring its protection from mining activities.

Pair 2 is incorrect

• An expert has warned that the ancient site on the Greek island of Delos is “at risk of vanishing” within decades due to rising sea levels and geological processes.
• Delos, a rocky island in the Cyclades archipelago in the Aegean Sea, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its exceptional archaeological remains, influence on Greek architecture, and sacred significance in Ancient Greece.
• Located in the East Mediterranean Basin, it lies between the Greek peninsula to the west and Anatolia (Asian Turkey) to the east.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Pair 3 is correct

• A recent Russian missile attack on Dnipro, a significant city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine, injured several people and damaged civilian infrastructure. Dnipro is located along both banks of the Dnieper River.

Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) have given their approval to the Odisha government’s proposal for the World’s First Melanistic Tiger Safari.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct but statement 2 is incorrect

• Melanistic tigers are a rare variant of tigers with an overproduction of melanin, resulting in a darker coat colour.

• They come under the same species as that of the Bengal Tiger, but a rare colour morph.
• They are endemic to Simlipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• It is a fast-growing evergreen tree species native to Northeast India, often referred to as the “Wood of the Gods” for its aromatic properties.
• It has anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, analgesic, and antioxidant properties, and is used in the aroma industry, water-based perfumes, medicine preparations, and in the preparation of air fresheners and purifiers.
• It is cultivated in various parts of India, especially in Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura.
• Agar formation occurs when some fungi infect a tree, often following damage caused by stem borer larvae.
• Major Export destinations: UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.
• It is listed as Critically Endangered and is also included in CITES: Appendix II.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• India has successfully prevented inclusion of Aquilaria malaccensis (agarwood) in the Review of Significant Trade (RST) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
• The CITES also notified a new export quota of highly valuable and aromatic resinous wood and oil of Aquilaria malaccensis (agarwood) from India from April 2024.
• The Review of Significant Trade Management System:
  • It tracks the progress of country/species combinations selected for review, through the four stages of the Significant Trade Review.
  • Species/country combinations currently subject to review are included, as well as those that have been eliminated from review, following satisfactory reports from the range State.

Answer: (a) 1 only; Difficulty Level: Easy