Daily Quiz 21 October 2024

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is not correct: Despite their common name, horseshoe crabs are not really crabs (crustaceans), but are more closely related to spiders and scorpions. They have been called “living fossils” because they predate the dinosaurs by more than 200 million years. Their smooth, hard shell (exoskeleton) is shaped like a horseshoe (thus the name). They use their long tails as rudders in the water and to flip themselves if they get overturned on the beach. They are tremendous reworkers of sediments and feed on a variety of marine worms and invertebrates, including some commercially important fish.
• There are four species of horseshoe crab: the mangrove (Carcinoscorpiusrotundicauda), which inhabits the coastal waters of South and Southeast Asia; the Atlantic or American (Limulus polyphemus), found along the Atlantic coast of the United States and the southeastern Gulf of Mexico; the coastal (Tachypleus gigas), also native to South and Southeast Asia; and the tri-spine (Tachypleustridentatus), found in Southeast and East Asia. India has two species: Carcinoscorpiusrotundicauda and Tachypleus gigas, both found along the Odisha coast.
• Statement 2 is correct: The crab’s blue blood is used to produce a rapid diagnostic reagent, limulus amebocyte lysate, essential for testing the toxicity of injectable drugs. One litre of horseshoe crab blood can fetch a few lakh rupees due to its biomedical applications in America.

Statement 3 is not correct: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) also slots horseshoe crabs in the ‘data deficient’ category, highlighting the lack of comprehensive information about the species.

Answer: B

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is not correct: Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (Tele-MANAS) initiative has been launched by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare during October 2022. Acknowledging the mental health crisis in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and an urgent need to establish a digital mental health network that will withstand the challenges amplified by the pandemic, Government of India announced National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP) in the Union Budget 2022-23. It was not introduced under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.
• Statement 2 is correct: It aims to provide free tele-mental health services all over the country round the clock, particularly catering to people in remote or under-served areas. A toll-free, 24/7 helpline number (14416) is now available as part of the initiative.

Statement 3 is not correct: It comprises two tiers: trained counselors at State Tele-MANAS cells who provide immediate care, and mental health professionals (psychologists, clinicians, psychiatrists) at District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) who provide specialist care. NIMHANS, Bengaluru, serves as the nodal centre while the International Institute of Information Technology (IIITB) in Bengaluru is tasked with providing the technical know-how for the helpline.

Answer: C

Explanation:

• The Charter of the United Nations (UN) is the foundation document for all the UN work. The UN was established to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” and one of its main purposes is to maintain international peace and security. Peacekeeping, although not explicitly provided for in the Charter, has evolved into one of the main tools used by the United Nations to achieve this purpose.
• Statement 1 is correct: The Charter gives the United Nations Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. In fulfilling this responsibility, the Security Council may adopt a range of measures, including the establishment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation.
• Statement 2 is not correct: UN peace operations are deployed on the basis of mandates from the United Nations Security Council (not on the basis of any resolution by the UN General Assembly).

Statement 3 is correct: UNSC resolution 1701 (2006), calls for “the immediate cessation by Hizbollah of all attacks and the immediate cessation by Israel of all offensive military operations” in Lebanon.

Answer: B

Explanation:

• The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) has been established with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) 2023 Act. It aims to seed, grow and promote research and development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories. It has recently announced the launch of first two of its initiatives– the Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PMECRG) and the Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas -Electric Vehicle (MAHA- EV) Mission.
• Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PMECRG): The Grant is designed with a flexible budget and incorporates progressive initiatives to facilitate ease of research. It will foster high quality innovative research, enable researchers to expand knowledge boundaries, drive technological progress and contribute to positioning India as Global leader in S&T.

Mission Electric Vehicle (EV) under Mission for Advancement in High-Impact Areas (MAHA) Scheme: The MAHA-EV mission focuses on the development of key EV technologies to reduce dependency on imports, promote domestic innovation, and position India as a global leader in the EV sector.

Answer: A

Explanation:

• Jupiter has 95 moons that have been officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Jupiter’s four largest moons were the first moons discovered beyond Earth. They are called the Galilean satellites after Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, who is credited with their discovery in 1610.
  • Ganymede is Jupiter’s largest moon, and the largest moon in our solar system. It’s even bigger than Mercury, and Pluto.
  • Callistois Jupiter’s second largest moon and the third largest moon in our solar system.
  • Io is Jupiter’s third largest moon, and the most volcanically active world in our solar system.

Europa is Jupiter’s fourth largest moon. It’s about 90% the size of Earth’s Moon.