17 MAY CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. Consider the following statements-

1. China has become the 4th country to successfully land on the mars surface after India, US and Russia.
2. China is the first country to successfully land on Moon’s Far Side.
3. India’s the first country to reach Mars in its maiden attempt. Select the correct answer using the code below-

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 only
d) 3 only

Solution: b)
Explanation:
China is the 3rd country to land on Martian Surface. India’s MOM(Mars Orbiter
Mission ) is an orbiter which will orbit the planet not settle on surface.
In year 2020, China became the first country to land on Moon’s Far side.
India’s Mangalyaan was first attempt to reach Mars and it was successful which
makes it memorable as many developed nations like U.S and Japan failed in their
first attempt to reach. India’s Mangalyaan Mission is also considered as Cheapest
Inter-planetary mission costing government only $76 Million; on the other hand,
Mavern (US Mars Mission) costs more than $600 Million to its government. Even
movies like Ra.One was costlier than Mangalyaan.

Q2. With reference to Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Consider the following
statements-

1. It was signed between Permanent five members of UNSC and Iran.
2. The deal puts an obligation on Iran to cut down it’s uranium enrichment program and lessen the number of centrifuges.
3. It was signed by U.S President Donald Trump and Iranian Prime Minister Hassan Rouhani.
   Select the correct answer using the code below-

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 2 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Solution: c)
Explanation:
The deal was signed by P5 members Plus one (Germany) and Iran and International
Atomic Energy Agency. It was signed between Former American President Barack Obama and Iranian PM Hassan Rouhani.
The JCPOA obliged Iran to accept constraints on its enrichment program verified by an intrusive inspection regime in return for a partial lifting of economic sanctions.
However, faced with a hostile Republican Senate, President Obama was unable to get the nuclear deal ratified but implemented it on the basis of periodic Executive Orders to keep sanction waivers going.
When Donald Trump became president, he withdrew from the deal and called it a “horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made”.
The U.S. decision was criticized by all other parties to the JCPOA (including the European allies) because Iran was in compliance with its obligations, as certified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Q3. With reference to PM-KISAN scheme, consider the following statements-

1. It’s a centrally sponsored scheme.
2. It’s implemented by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
3. It transfers 6000 Rupees to every farmer every quarter regardless of their land holding.
   Which of the statement(s) is/are incorrect?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) 1 and 3 only
   d) None of the above

Solution: c)
Explanation:
Under the scheme, the Centre transfers an amount of Rs 6,000 per year, in three equal instalments, directly into the bank accounts of all landholding farmers irrespective of the size of their land holdings.
It was launched in February 2019. Funding and Implementation:
It is a Central Sector Scheme with 100% funding from the Government of India.
It is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Identification of Beneficiaries:
The entire responsibility of identification of beneficiary farmer families rests with
the State / UT Governments.
Objective:
To supplement the financial needs of the Small and Marginal Farmers in procuring
various inputs to ensure proper crop health and appropriate yields, commensurate
with the anticipated farm income at the end of each crop cycle.
To protect them from falling in the clutches of moneylenders for meeting such
expenses and ensure their continuance in the farming activities.
PM-KISAN Mobile App:
The PM-KISAN Mobile App developed and designed by the National Informatics
Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
has been launched.
The farmers can view the status of their application, update or carry out corrections
of their Aadhaar cards and check the history of credits to their bank accounts.

Q4. “Sharana Movement” is related which of the following?
a) Kabir
b) Vallabhacharya
c) MeeraBai
d) Basavanna

Solution: d)
Explanation:
Basavanna spread social awareness through his poetry known as Vachanaas.
Several important Lingayat works are credited to Basavanna, including Vachana
such as the Shat-sthala-vachana, Kala-jnana-vachana, Mantra-gopya, Ghatna
Chakra-vachana and Raja-yoga-vachana.
Basavanna, like Gautama Buddha, taught people how to live happily in a
rational social order which later came to be known as the Sharana movement.
The Sharana movement attracted people from all castes, and like most strands of
the Bhakti movement, produced a corpus of literature, the vachanas, that unveiled
the spiritual universe of the Veerashaiva saints.
Basava fought against the inhuman practice of the caste system, which
discriminated against people based on their birth.
The Anubhava Mantapa established by Basava laid down the foundation of social
democracy.
Basava believed that man becomes great not by his birth but by his conduct in the
society.
He taught the dignity of manual labour by insisting on work as worship.

Q5. With reference to “Global Remittances Report” released by World Bank,
consider the following statements-

1. India maintained its 1st position receiving the most remittances from the
   world.
2. Remittance outflow was maximum from China.
3. U.S received most remittances after Mexico and India.

Select the correct answer using the code below-
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 3 only
d) 1 only

Solution: d)
Explanation:
According to the latest edition of the World Bank’s Migration and Development
Brief, despite Covid-19, remittance flows remained resilient in 2020, registering a
smaller decline than previously projected.
Remittance Inflow of India:
India being at top, received over USD 83 billion in remittances in 2020, a drop of
just 0.2 per cent from the previous year, despite a pandemic that devastated the
world economy.
India’s remittances fell by just 0.2% in 2020, with much of the decline due to a
17% drop in remittances from the United Arab Emirates, which offset resilient flows
from the United States and other host countries.
In 2019, India had received USD 83.3 billion in remittances.
Global Remittances
China is second in terms of global remittances in 2020.
China received USD 59.5 billion in remittances in 2020.
India and China are followed by Mexico, the Philippines, Egypt, Pakistan , France
and Bangladesh.
Remittance outflow:
Remittance outflow was the maximum from the United States (USD 68 billion),
followed by UAE, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Germany, and China.

Q6. In which of the following “Anti-Body Conjugates” could be applied?

1. Western Blot
2. ELISA
3. Flowcytometry
4. Immunocytochemistry
5. Immunohistochemistry

Select the correct answer using the code below-
a) 1,3 and 5 only
b) 2,4 and 5 only
c) 3 and 4 only
d) All of the above

Solution: d)
Explanation:
Conjugated antibodies are used in a wide range of applications including flow
cytometry, immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, western blot, and
ELISA. There are two types of detection methods used with antibodies, direct and
indirect.Immunohistochemistry is the most common application of immunostaining. It
involves the process of selectively identifying antigens in cells of a tissue section by
exploiting the principle of antibodies binding specifically to antigens in biological
tissues.
Flow cytometry (FC) is a technique used to detect and measure physical and
chemical characteristics of a population of cells or particles. In this process, a sample containing cells or particles is suspended in a fluid and injected into the flow cytometer instrument.
ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) is a plate-based assay technique
designed for detecting and quantifying soluble substances such as peptides,
proteins, antibodies, and hormones. Other names, such as enzyme immunoassay
(EIA), are also used to describe the same technology.
The western blot (sometimes called the protein immunoblot), or western blotting,
is a widely used analytical technique in molecular biology and immunogenetics to
detect specific proteins in a sample of tissue homogenate or extract.

Q7. With reference to Mucormyosis, consider the following statements-

1. It is caused by Diabetes mellitus.
2. Mucor mould is found in soil, manure and decaying fruits.
3. Increase in Mucormycosis cases could be attributed to steroidal drugs which
   spikes blood sugar level.
   Select the correct answer using the code below-

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1, 2 and 3
d) 3 only

Solution: c)
Explanation:
Mucormycosis (previously called zygomycosis) is a serious but rare fungal infection
caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes. These molds live throughout the
environment. It is caused by exposure to mucor mould which is commonly found
in soil, plants, manure, and decaying fruits and vegetables. “It is ubiquitous and
found in soil and air and even in the nose and mucus of healthy people
Doctors believe mucormycosis, which has an overall mortality rate of 50%, may be
being triggered by the use of steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and
critically ill Covid-19 patients.
Steroids reduce inflammation in the lungs for Covid-19 and appear to help stop
some of the damage that can happen when the body’s immune system goes into
overdrive to fight off coronavirus. But they also reduce immunity and push up
blood sugar levels in both diabetics and non-diabetic Covid-19 patients.
It’s thought that this drop in immunity could be triggering these cases
of mucormycosis.

Q8. Which of the following are the members of G-7 or ‘Group of Seven’ countries?

1. Canada
2. France
3. Germany
4. India
5. United States
   Select the correct answer using the code given below
   a) 1, 2, 3 and 4
   b) 2, 3, 4 and 5
   c) 1 and 5 only
   d) 1, 2, 3 and 5

Solution: d)
Explanation:
The G-7 or ‘Group of Seven’ are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United
Kingdom, and the United States.
The G-7 nations meet at annual summits that are presided over by leaders of
member countries on a rotational basis. The summit is an informal gathering that
lasts two days, in which leaders of member countries discuss a wide range of global
issues.
The G-7 does not have a formal constitution or a fixed headquarters.
The decisions taken by leaders during annual summits are non-binding.
Timeline:
It is an intergovernmental organization that was formed in 1975 by the top
economies of the time as an informal forum to discuss pressing world issues.
Canada joined the group in 1976, and the European Union began attending in
1977.
The G-7 was known as the ‘G-8’ for several years after the original seven were joined
by Russia in 1997. The Group returned to being called G-7 after Russia was
expelled as a member in 2014 following the latter’s annexation of the Crimea region
of Ukraine.

Q9. With reference to Taiwan, consider the following statements:

1. It is a state in East Asia with neighboring states include the People’s Republic of
   China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the north-east, and the Philippines to the south.
2. The Taiwan Strait separates the island of Taiwan from mainland China.
3. Taiwan is a member of the UN.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 1 and 2 only
   c) 3 only
   d) 1, 2 and 3

Solution: b)
Explanation:
Taiwan is officially known as the Republic of China (ROC).
It is a state in East Asia with Neighbouring states include the People’s
Republic of China (PRC) to the west, Japan to the north-east, and the
Philippines to the south.
The East China Sea lies to its north, the Philippine Sea to its east, the Luzon
Strait directly to its south and the South China Sea to its southwest.
The Taiwan Strait separates the island of Taiwan from mainland China. The strait
is currently part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the
north.
Taipei is the capital.
Taiwan is no longer a member of the UN, having been replaced by the PRC in

1971. Taiwan is claimed by the PRC, which refuses diplomatic relations with
      countries that recognise the ROC.
      Taiwan maintains official ties with 14 out of 193 UN member states and the
      Holy See.
      The bilateral relations between India and Taiwan have improved since the 1990s
      despite both nations not maintaining official diplomatic relations.

Q10. With reference to the Northeast monsoon, consider the following statements:

1. About 75 per cent of the country’s annual rainfall is received from the Northeast
   monsoon between June and September.
2. While La Niña conditions enhance the rainfall associated with the Southwest
   monsoon; it has a negative impact on rainfall associated with the Northeast
   monsoon.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: b)
Explanation:
The Northeast monsoon has remained subdued last year. Rainfall over the
Southern peninsular region has been deficient so far. The reason is a prevalent La
Niña condition
India receives rainfall during two seasons. About 75 per cent of the country’s
annual rainfall is received from the Southwest monsoon between June and
September.
The Northeast monsoon, on the other hand, occurs during October to December,
and is a comparatively small-scale monsoon, which is confined to the Southern
peninsula.
Also called the winter monsoon, the rainfall associated with the Northeast monsoon
is important for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam, coastal Andhra
Pradesh, Kerala, north interior Karnataka, Mahe and Lakshadweep.
How is La Niña linked with the Northeast monsoon?
While La Niña conditions enhance the rainfall associated with the Southwest
monsoon, it has a negative impact on rainfall associated with the Northeast
monsoon.
during La Niña years, the synoptic systems — low pressure or cyclones — formed
in the Bay of Bengal remain significantly to the north of their normal position.
Besides, instead of moving westwards, these systems recurve. As they lie to the
north of their normal position, not much rainfall occurs over southern regions like
Tamil Nadu.