Daily Quiz 20 June 2024

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Global Economic Prospect Report is published by the World Bank.
• The report projected a global growth to hold steady at 2.6% in 2024, with a slight increase to an average of 2.7% in 2025-26.
• This growth rate remains below the pre-COVID-19 decade’s average of 3.1%.
• For India, it is projected that it will remain the fastest-growing major economy with an expected steady growth rate of 6.7% over the next three years, including the current financial year.
• For fiscal year 2023/24, India’s growth is estimated at 8.2%, which is an increase of 1.9 percentage points from previous estimates made in January.

Answer: C

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is Correct: Heavy metals are metallic elements with a high density relative to water.
  • These metals are naturally found in the Earth’s crust and are released into the environment through industrial processes, mining, and the burning of fossil fuels.
    • Example: Metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury are naturally occurring chemical compounds.
  • Statement 2 is Correct: Heavy metals cannot be broken down through biological degradation.
    • Depending on the type and concentration, heavy metals can be either essential or toxic to living organisms.
      • Essential Heavy Metals: Certain heavy metals like copper, zinc, and iron are vital as micronutrients for various biochemical and physiological functions, such as oxygen transport in haemoglobin (iron) and enzymatic reactions (zinc).
      • Toxic Heavy Metals: Other heavy metals, including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and chromium, are toxic even at low concentrations and can cause health issues like:
        • Cancer
        • Neurological damage
        • Kidney and liver damage
        • Reproductive and developmental problems
      • Sources of Heavy Metals:
        • Natural sources include weathering of rocks and soils, volcanic eruptions, and forest fires.
        • Human activities include mining, industrial wastewater, agricultural runoff, and urban stormwater runoff.
      • Statement 3 is Correct: The contamination arises naturally from the sediments deposited by the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) river system. These sediments contain minerals that release arsenic under the reducing conditions of the groundwater.
        • The situation is exacerbated by the use of this contaminated groundwater for irrigation, which establishes a cycle of arsenic recycling between the soil and water, further sustaining the problem.
        • The average concentration of dissolved arsenic in the groundwater of both active and inactive parts of the delta has been reported to be around 55 µg/L, which is above the World Health Organization’s standard for safe drinking water.
        • Moreover, the arsenic levels in the groundwater of the Ganges River Basin have been found to be alarmingly high, with concentrations up to 4730 µg/L. This poses a severe health risk to the population, leading to various arsenic-related health issues and even deaths

Answer: D

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is Incorrect: The UNSC, established in 1945, is one of the United Nations’ five principal organs, responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
• Composition: UNSC is composed of 15 member states, including five permanent members (P5) with veto power and ten non-permanent members.
  • The 5 permanent members are: United States, Russian Federation, France, China and the United Kingdom.
  • The 10 non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the UNGA (United Nations General Assembly).
• Statement 2 is Incorrect: Japan has been elected to the UNSC as a non-permanent member 11 times since 1946.
  • This is followed by Brazil and Argentina, with Brazil being elected 10 times and Argentina 9 times respectively.
  • India has been elected 8 times as a non-permanent member of the UNSC.

Answer: A

Explanation:

• The United Nations will declare the year 2025 as the ‘International Year of Quantum Science and Technology’.
• Past Declarations:
  • International Year of Camelids: 2024
  • International Year of Millets: 2023

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Pairs 1 and 2 are Correct:
  • Clouded Leopard National Park
    • Location: Clouded Leopard National Park is a unique national park located within the Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary in Tripura, India.
    • Established: The park was established in 2007 with the aim of protecting and conserving the clouded leopard and its habitat.
    • Area: It covers an area of approximately 5.08 square kilometers (1.96 sq mi)1.
    • Wildlife: It is home to four species of primate monkeys, including Phayre’s langur, and provides a sanctuary for the clouded leopard, which is a vulnerable species due to habitat loss and poaching.
  • Ghughua Fossil Park:
    • Location: The park is situated in the Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh.
    • Area: It spans an area of about 75 acres.
    • Establishment: The site was discovered in the 1970s and was declared a National Park in 1983.
    • Fossils: The park is renowned for its extensive collection of plant fossils, which belong to 31 genera of 18 families. Some of these fossils date back to as far as 65 million years. Notably, it houses the oldest fossil of a eucalyptus species, supporting its origins from Gondwana, and a dinosaur egg fossil has also been discovered here.

• Pair 3 is Incorrect:
• Location: Marine National Park, located in the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat, India.
• Established: The park was established in 1982 under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India.
• Area: It covers an area of 162.89 square kilometers (62.89 sq mi).
  • There are 42 islands on the Jamnagar coast within the park, most of them surrounded by reefs. The best-known island is Pirotan.
• Biodiversity: The park is home to a variety of species, including 70 species of sponges, 52 species of coral, nearly 90 species of birds, and various other marine life such as prawns, crabs, lobsters, octopuses, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, puffer fishes, sea horses, sting rays, mudskippers, whale sharks, and endangered sea turtles.