[MISSION 2022] INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS (21 May 2022 ) REVISION THROUGH MCQS – INSIGHTSIAS

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• S2: India was declared polio-free in January 2014, after three years of zero cases, an achievement that is widely believed to have been spurred by the successful Pulse Polio campaign.
• S1: There are three variants of the poliovirus, numbered 1 to 3. For a country to be declared polio-free, the wild transmission of all three kinds has to be stopped. For eradication, cases of both wild and vaccine-derived polio infection have to be reduced to zero.
• S3: As of today, wild poliovirus is endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Refer:  https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/05/21/mozambique-confirms-first-wild-poliovirus-case-in-30-years/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEFhave released the first Global Report on Assistive Technology (GReAT).
• What is Assistive Technology(AT)?
  • Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software programme, or product systemthat is used to help people with disabilities increase, maintain, or improve their functional abilities.
  • Examples:Prosthetics, braces, walkers, customised switches, special-purpose computers, screen readers, and specialist curricular software.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/05/21/global-report-on-assistive-technology/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• What are World Governance Indicators?
  • Released by the World Bank.
  • WGI provide a ranking of 215 countries based on six dimensions of governance:
    • ‘Voice and Accountability’.
    • ‘Political Stability and Absence of Violence’.
    • ‘Government Effectiveness’.
    • ‘Regulatory Quality’.
    • ‘Rule of Law’.
    • ‘Control of Corruption.’
  • India’s WGI score is much below the BBB Median on all six indicators.
    • While BBB is an investment-grade rating issued by global rating agencies such as S&P and Fitch.
    • A WGI score below BBB Median would suggest that India falls below the middle when the scores of countries are arranged in a descending order.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/05/21/world-governance-indicators/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: What is the Starlink project?

• SpaceX recently launched a rocket carrying 53 satellites for the Starlink internet constellation from California Onboard Falcon 9 rocket.
• The Starlink network is one of several ongoing efforts to start beaming data signals from space.
• Under the project, the company intends to evolve into a constellation of nearly 12,000 satellites.
• The aim is to provide low-cost and reliable space-based Internet services to the world.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/05/21/spacex-launches-53-starlink-satellites-from-california/

Ans: (c)

Explanation: About Voyager mission:

• Launched in the 1970’s, and the probes sent by NASA were only meant to explore the outer planets – but they just kept on going.
• Voyager 1 departed Earth on 5 September 1977, a few days after Voyager 2 and left our solar system in 2013.
• The mission objective of the Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM) is to extend the NASA exploration of the solar system beyond the neighborhood of the outer planets to the outer limits of the Sun’s sphere of influence, and possibly beyond.
  • The Voyager spacecraft are the third and fourth human spacecraft to fly beyond all the planets in our solar system. Pioneers 10 and 11 preceded Voyager in outstripping the gravitational attraction of the Sun but on February 17, 1998, Voyager 1 passed Pioneer 10 to become the most distant human-made object in space.
• The primary mission of Voyager 1 was to explore Jupiter, Saturn, and Saturn’s moon, Titan. Voyager 2 was also to explore Jupiter and Saturn, but on a trajectory that would have the option of continuing on to Uranus and Neptune, or being redirected to Titan as a backup for Voyager 1.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/05/21/nasa-voyager-missions/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Metre Convention:
  • It was signed in Paris on 20 May 1875 by representatives of 17 nations.
  • The treaty created the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM),an intergovernmental organization under the authority of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) and the supervision of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM).
  • The Convention was signed in Paris on 20 May 1875 by representatives of seventeen nations.
  • It aims to set the framework for collaboration in science and measurements globally.
• Metrologyis called the scientific study of measurement.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/05/21/mission-2022-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-21-may-2022/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Recently, the ‘State of Inequality in India’ Report was released by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).
• Highlights of the Report:
  • The share of the top 1% accounts for 6-7% of the total incomesearned while the top 10% accounts for one-third of all incomes earned.
  • In 2019-20, among different employment categories,the highest percentage was self-employed workers followed by regular salaried workers and casual workers.
  • The country’s unemployment rate is 4.8% (2019-20),and the worker population ratio is 46.8%.
  • In the area of health infrastructure,there has been a considerable improvement in increasing the infrastructural capacity with a targeted focus on rural areas.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/05/21/mission-2022-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-21-may-2022/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S1: PGNRB was constituted in 2006, and therefore S1 cannot be correct. A number of regulatory bodies have existed before.
• S2:The board has several functions such as to provide, by regulations, and enforce, retail service obligations for retail outlets and marketing service obligations for entities; monitor transportation rates and take corrective action to prevent restrictive trade practice by the entities etc. This clearly indicates that is ensures a competitive market for gas. See http://www.pngrb.gov.in/Functions-of-Board.html
• S3:This is correct. The Appellate Tribunal established under section 110 of the Electricity Act, 2003 (36 of 2003) shall be the Appellate Tribunal for PGNRB. See http://www.pngrb.gov.in/the-act.html#bm9

Refer: UPSC CSE 2019

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Option A and D are examples of human capital and option B is physical capital.
• Straight from Wikipedia: “Social capital broadly refers to those factors of effectively functioning social groups that include such things as interpersonal relationships, a shared sense of identity, a shared understanding, shared norms, shared values, trust, cooperation, and reciprocity.” Option D is the correct answer.

Refer: UPSC CSE 2019