[MISSION 2022] INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS (10 May 2022 ) REVISION THROUGH MCQS – INSIGHTSIAS

Ans: (c)

Explanation: About Wheat:

• This is the second most important cereal crop in India after rice.
• Wheat is a rabi crop that requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening.
• Temperature: Between 10-15°C (Sowing time) and 21-26°C (Ripening & Harvesting) with bright sunlight.
• Rainfall: Around 75-100 cm.
• Soil Type: Well-drained fertile loamy and clayey loamy (Ganga-Satluj plains and black soil region of the Deccan).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/05/10/low-wheat-procurement-causes-and-effects/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The eighth-century Martand Temple is one of the oldest sun temples in India and a symbol of invaluable ancient spiritual heritage.
• Built by Lalitaditya Muktapidain the 8th Century AD, the Martand Sun Temple is said to have been an excellent specimen of Kashmiri architecture and one of the holiest shrines for the Kashmiri Pandits.
• The temple was destroyed by Sikandar Shah Miri in the 14th Century AD and the ruins are now marked as a “site of national importance” by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/05/10/mission-2022-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-10-may-2022/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The world’s largest wetland, known as the Pantanal,in South America is at risk of collapse.
• This is due to a series of local and seemingly minor decisions that fail to account for their cumulative impact on one of Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystems.
• It is also the world’s largest flooded grasslands.
• It is fed through the Paraguay River and tributaries.
• It is designated a National Heritage by the Brazilian Constitution and a restricted-use region whose use should be ecologically sustainable.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/05/10/mission-2022-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-10-may-2022/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Xenotransplantation is the process of grafting or transplanting organs or tissues between members of different species.
• It has been pursued by modern medical science for decades, but experts have found it difficult to surmount the challenge presented by the immune system’s rejection of an alien organ, ending in deadly outcomes for patients.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/01/14/pig-heart-transplant/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: States with maximum forest cover:

• Area-wise,Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra.
• 17 states/UTs have above 33 per cent of the geographical area under forest cover.
• Out of these states and UTs, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya have more than 75 per cent forest cover.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/01/14/state-of-forest-report-2021/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• S3: The constructions at Ellora, also locally known as Verul, were done under the patronage of kings and wealthy merchants and traders.
• S1: The Elephanta Caves are located in Western India on Elephanta Island (otherwise known as the Island of Gharapuri), which features two hillocks separated by a narrow valley.
  • The island has 5 Hindu caves, two Buddhist caves, a few stupas and some water cisterns. These were made in the period from 2nd century BCE to 7th century CE.
• S2: The first construction was done by the Hinayana Buddhists. They built stupas for worship, living cells and water reservoirs for the convenience of the Buddhist monks who lived here. A few portico pillars, pilasters, friezes, and a threshold with lion figures have survived.
  • The next construction were the Hindu caves. The sculptures of Hindu deities at Elephanta are made in the Pallava style of South India. These sculptures and a series of reliefs, are mainly dedicated to the Shaivism mythology. The most famous is the colossal, monolithic 6.1 metre sculpture of the Trimurti Sadashiva or the three-faced Shiva. The other notable ones depict Shiva as Nataraja or the Lord of the dance, as Yogishvara or the Lord of Yoga, and also as Ardhanarishvara or the Lord depicting the fusion of male and female energies. Other panels depict Shiva as Gangadhar, Shiva slaying the demon Andhaka, the wedding of Shiva, Shiva and his consort Parvati on Mount Kailash, and Ravana trying to lift Mount Kailash. The cave also houses a Linga shrine.

Refer: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/244/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid.
• It served as the imperial capital before it was shifted to Lahore. A series of structures were built predominantly using the locally quarried red sandstone (called Sikri sandstone) including palaces, gateways, tombs, mosques etc. in the new city by the Emperor.
• Akbar was spiritually inclined to the Chishti Sufi order which strengthened after Shaikh Salim Chishti predicted the birth of Akbar’s eldest son Salim and future Emperor Jahangir. In gratitude, Akbar ordered the construction of his capital at Sikri, where his pir, Shaikh Salim resided.
• The construction at Sikri commenced in 1569, the year of Jahangir’s birth. Initially, a religious compound for Shaikh Salim was built which included a khanqah (hospice) and a mosque, Jami Masjid, the largest mosque at that time. A colossal southern gate called Buland Darwaza was added to the religious compound to commemorate Akbar’s successful campaign in Gujarat in 1573. From then on, Sikri became Fatehpur Sikri or the City of Victory. After Shaikh Salim’s death in 1572, an all white marble tomb was constructed in the compound with intricate and ornamental jali work. It was completed in 1580-1.

Refer: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/255/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• The Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve is located in the southernmost end of the Western Ghats and incorporates peaks towering 1,868 m above sea level.
• The reserve includes three wildlife sanctuaries, Shendurney, Peppara and Nayar, as well as the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve.
• The reserve is home to Kani tribes from both Tamil Nadu and Kerala, which number in total approximately 30,000 inhabitants.

Refer: https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/aspac/agasthyamala

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• The Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve is an interstate reserve located in central India. Spread across the two states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, it occupies an ecologically diverse and the least disturbed biogeographic region of the country.
• The position of the biosphere reserve on a junction of three major mountain ranges (Maikal, Satpura and Vindhya) has made the landscape dotted with hills, shallow valleys, and plains. The mountains form a major source for several streams, and three major rivers, the Narmada, Johilla and the Son. The area was made into a biosphere reserve in 2005 and was declared a part of UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2012.

Refer: https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/aspac/achanakmar-amarkantak

Ans: (c)

Explanation: Similipal Biosphere Reserve

• Located in northeast India, the Similipal Biosphere Reserve lies within two biogeographical regions: the Mahanadian east coastal region of the Oriental realm and the Chhotanagpur biotic province of the Deccan peninsular zone. Volcanic sedimentary rocks are aligned in three concentric rings and accentuate the area’s geologic formations. The highest peak in the Similipal hill range is Khairiburu (1,168 metres). Numerous waterfalls and perennial streams flow into major rivers, such as the Budhabalang, Baitarani and Subarnarekha.
• Approximately 73% of all inhabitants are Aboriginals. Two tribes, the Erenga Kharias and the Mankirdias, inhabit the reserve’s forests and practise traditional agricultural activities (the collection of seeds and timber). Other dominant tribes include the Ho, Gonda and Munda, among others. Similipal’s cultural significance is characterized by stories and paintings that date back to the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas, many of which mention local sites linked with specific mythological stories. For example, a sacred grove called Shami Vrikhya is said to have been the secret hiding place of the bow and arrow of the hero Arjuna. Other writings allude to certain domiciles of the Goddess Ambika, or mention a sacred bathing place of Lord Shri Ram.

Refer: https://en.unesco.org/biosphere/aspac/similipal