June 05-2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

• After a 42-year gap, India will host the International Air Transport Association (IATA) ‘s annual general meeting (AGM) next year. The decision was taken at the 80th IATA AGM in Dubai.

Statement 1 is correct

• The headquarters of both IATA and ICAO are located in Montreal, Canada.

Statement 2 is not correct

• The IATA AGM will be held in India after a 42-year gap with IndiGo as the host airline.
• This upcoming meeting will be only the third time IATA has convened in India, not the fourth.
• The previous meetings were held in 1958 and 1983, making the upcoming meeting the third occasion in India’s history.

Statement 3 is correct

• It is an intergovernmental specialized agency affiliated with the United Nations (UN), established by the Convention on International Civil Aviation of 1944 (Chicago Convention).
• The organization sets legal standards for the aviation sector and facilitates discussions on civil aviation issues.

Answer: (a) Only one; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

• Recently, In Indore, the “None Of The Above” (NOTA) option received 2,18,674 votes (2nd place), the highest number of NOTA votes in any constituency to date.

Statement 1 is correct

• Maharashtra, Haryana, Puducherry, Delhi, and Chandigarh have declared NOTA as a “Fictional Electoral Candidate” for local elections, and fresh elections are held if NOTA receives more votes than any candidate.

Statement 2 is not correct

• The NOTA option was introduced in 2013 by the ECI following a Supreme Court directive.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• IGZP is located amidst Seethakonda Reserve Forest in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
• This ex-situ facility is surrounded by the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal.
• The first and only conservation breeding centre for Asiatic Wild Dog/Dhole was built at the IGZP in 2014.

Statement 2 is not correct

• Striped hyaenas are one of the three hyaena species in the world.
• Distribution: They are found in North and East Africa, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and Central Asia.
• Habitat: They inhabit a range of environments (arid and semi-arid, savannas, scrublands, and mountains).
• Diet: Striped hyaenas are primarily scavengers. They are also known to hunt small animals and consume fruits and vegetables.
• Behaviour: They are mostly nocturnal and solitary but can sometimes be seen in small family groups. They are known for their strong jaws and ability to crush bones.
• Reproduction: They have a gestation period of 90-92 days. Females give birth to 1-6 cubs per litter.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: NT | WPA: Schedule I

Statement 3 is correct

• Asiatic wild dogs are the only endangered wild pack-living canid in the tropical Indian forests and are considered at high risk of extinction.
• Distribution: Central, South, East and SE Asia. In India, it is not very common in Western India.
• Habitat: They inhabit a range of environments (arid and semi-arid, savannas, scrublands, and mountains).
• Diet and behaviour: They are dog-like carnivorous mammals who are highly social animals and live in large clans without rigid hierarchical dominance.
• Reproduction: Typically, one dominant monogamous pair within the pack will mate. The gestation period is 60-62 days.
• Conservation Status: IUCN: EN | WPA: Schedule I

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

Explanation

Pair 1 is not correct

• Elephants are the largest terrestrial mammals. They are keystone species.
• They are matriarchal, meaning they live in female-led groups.
• The elephant’s gestation period is 18 to 22 months, and the calf is nursed for 2 to 4 years.
• The lifespan of elephants is 60-70 years in the wild.
• There are three species of elephants: African Forest Elephant (CR), African Savanna Elephant (EN), and Asian Elephant (EN).

Pair 2 is correct

• Sperm whales (also called cachalot) are the largest of the toothed whales.
• They are named after spermaceti, a waxy substance found in their heads.
• The spermaceti is an oil sac that helps the whales focus on sound.
• Distribution: They have one of the broadest global distributions and are found in all marine regions.
• Habitat: deep marine waters (>1000 m depth).
• Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Vulnerable CITES: Appendix I
• Gestation Period: 14-16 months.

Pair 3 is correct

• Camels have a gestation period of 12-14 months.

Pair 4 is correct

• Rhinoceroses typically have a gestation period of 14-18 months.

Answer: (a) Only one; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

• ISRO has developed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software named Parallel RANS Solver for Aerospace Vehicle Aero-thermo-dynamic Analysis (PraVaHa).
• CFD is a tool that predicts aerodynamic (force) and aerothermal (heating) loads by numerically solving equations of mass, momentum, energy conservation, and the equation of state.

Statement 1 is correct

• This software was developed in ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).
• It can simulate external and internal flows on launch vehicles and winged and non-winged re-entry vehicles.

Statement 2 is correct

• Currently, the PraVaHa code is operational to simulate airflow for Perfect Gas & Real Gas conditions.
  • A perfect gas is an idealised model where gases obey the ideal gas law (which assumes that gas particles have zero volume and experience no intermolecular forces) under all conditions.
  • Real gases deviate from ideal behaviour due to particle volume and intermolecular forces, leading to deviations from ideal gas law predictions, especially at high pressures and low temperatures.

Statement 3 is correct

• It has been used extensively in the Gaganyaan Mission (1st human space flight programme of ISRO) for aerodynamic analysis of human-rated launch vehicles, viz, HLVM3, Crew Escape System (CES), and CM.
• Besides, this software is expected to aid academia and institutions designing missiles, aircraft, and rockets in solving complex aerodynamic problems.

Answer: (c) All three; Difficulty Level: Medium