Current Affairs Questions

Explanation :

• On 4th August, 2020, Tourism Ministry virtually inaugurated the state-of-the-art Thenzawl Golf Resort project in Mizoram.
• The project was implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
• It was sanctioned under the Integrated Development of New Eco-Tourism under Swadesh Darshan-North East Circuit at Thenzawl and South Zote, District Serchhip and Reiek, Mizoram.
• The Golf Course is designed by Graham Cooke and Associates, one of the top-ranked Canada based Golf Course architectural firm.

Explanation :

• The Indian Council for Cultural Relations(ICCR) is an autonomous body under the administrative control of the Ministry of External Affairs.
• It was founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad who was the first Education Minister of independent India.
• Its objectives are to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India’s external cultural relations; to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries; to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people, and to develop relations with nations.
• ICCR has also been assigned the responsibility of facilitating the celebration of the International Day of Yoga by Indian Missions/Posts abroad since 2015.
• It publishes six quarterly journals in five different languages:

Explanation :

• Loya Jirga is a mass national gathering that brings together representatives from the various ethnic, religious, and tribal communities in Afghanistan.
• In Afghanistan, loyajirgas have been reportedly organized since at least the early 18th century when the Hotaki and Durrani dynasties rose to power.
• It is a highly respected centuries-old consultative body that has been convened at times of national crisis or to settle national issues.
• According to the Afghan Constitution, it is considered the highest expression of the Afghan people.
• However, it is not an official decision-making body and its decisions are not legally binding.

Explanation :

• Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG) of India is the apex authority responsible for external and internal audits of the expenses of the National and state governments.
• Part V of the Indian Constitution describes the role and responsibilities of this office in Chapter V.
• The CAG is mentioned in the Constitution of India under Article 148 – 151.
• The Comptroller and Auditor General is one of the few offices directly appointed by the President of India.
• He is the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department.
• CAG is the guardian of the public purse and controls the entire financial system of the country at both the levels- the centre and state.
• It audits all expenditure from the Contingency Fund of India and the Public Account of India as well as the Contingency Fund and Public Account of each state.
• He submits his audit reports relating to the accounts of the Centre and State to the President and Governor, who shall, in turn, place them before both the houses of Parliament and the state legislature respectively.
• He submits 3 audit reports to the President: audit report on appropriation accounts, audit report on finance accounts and audit report on public undertakings.

Explanation :

• Ammonium Nitrate (NH4NO3) is a nitrogen-rich white, crystalline chemical which is soluble in water.
• It is a common chemical ingredient of agricultural fertilisers.
• It is used as an ingredient for the production of anaesthetic gases and cold packs.
• It is also the main ingredient in the manufacture of commercial explosives used in mining and construction.
• Pure ammonium nitrate is not an explosive on its own. It is classified as an oxidiser (Grade 5.1) under the United Nations classification of dangerous goods.
• If mixed with ingredients like fuel or some other contaminants, or because of some other external factors, it can be very explosive.

Explanation :

• The Nagara style of temple architecture is found in northern India.
• In the Nagara style, the temple is generally constructed on a upraised platform called jagati.
• Mandapas are present in front of the Garbhagriha. These are adorned with the Shikhara, the tallest one being above the Garbhagriha.
• Unlike the temples in south India, Nagara style doesn’t usually have elaborate boundary walls or gateways (South Indian temples often sport magnificent Gopurams).
• Generally, there is no water tank in the temple premises and the pradakshinapatha is covered.
• NagaraSchool is further subdivided into different schools based on region like Odisha, Khajuraho, Solanki, etc.
• Three subtypes of Nagara temple depending upon the shape of Shikhara- Rekha Prasad / Latina, Phamsana and Valabhi.
• Some of the best examples of the north Indian style (Nagara style) of temple architecture are the Khajuraho Group of temples, Sun temple (Konark), Sun temple at Modhera, Gujarat and Ossian temple, Gujarat.

Explanation :

• The Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River,located on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District of Kerala, SouthIndia.
• The dam is situated at the confluence of the Mullayar and Periyar rivers.
• It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by John Pennycuick and also reached in an agreement to donate water eastwards to the Madras Presidency area (present-day Tamil Nadu).
• The Periyar National Park in Thekkady is located around the dam’s reservoir.
• Although the dam is located in Kerala, it is operated by Tamil Nadu following an 1886 lease indenture for 999 years (the Periyar Lake Lease Agreement) that was signed between the Maharaja of Travancore and the Secretary of State for India for the Periyar Irrigation works.
• The agreement was renewed in 1970.
• Tamil Nadu was given rights to the land and the water from the dam as well as the authority to develop hydro-power projects at the site, and Kerala would receive rent in return.

Explanation :

• The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) defined the EEZ as a zone in the sea over which a sovereign nation has certain special rights with respect to the exploration and usage of marine resources, which includes the generation of energy from wind and water, and also oil and natural gas extraction.
• The EEZ is an area that is adjacent to and beyond the territorial sea.It can extend to a maximum of 200 nautical miles from the baseline. The baseline is normally measured as the low-water line along the coast as indicated on large-scale charts officially approved by the coastal state.
• The EEZ does not include the territorial sea and the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.
• The EEZ includes the contiguous zone.

Rights of a country in the EEZ

• Explore and exploit, conserve and manage the natural resources (living or non-living).
• Produce energy from wind, currents and water.
• Establish and use artificial islands, structures and installations.
• Conduct marine scientific research.
• Protect and preserve the marine environment.

Explanation :

• The Hoolock Gibbons are three primate species of genus Hoolock in the Gibbon family and are native to Eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India, Myanmar and Southwest China.
• North-eastern India is home to two ape species: eastern and western Hoolock Gibbons.
• Gibbons are diurnal (active during the day) and arboreal (live on trees).
• They live together in monogamous pairs.

Eastern Hoolock Gibbons

• Inhabits specific pockets of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India, and southern China and north-east Myanmar.
• Eastern Uoolock is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List.

Western Hoolock Gibbons

• Found in all the states of north-east India, restricted between the south of the Brahmaputra River and east of the Dibang River.
• Also found in Bangladesh and north-west Myanmar.
• Western Hoolock is listed as ‘Endangered’ in the IUCN Red List.

Explanation :

• China has completed its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System constellation, coming up with a product that can potentially rival the US Global Positioning System (GPS).
• China initiated BeiDou in 1994 with aims to integrate its application in different sectors, including fishery, agriculture, special care, mass-market applications, forestry and public security.
• The name BeiDou comes from Chinese word for the Big Dipper or Plough constellation.
• It consists of 27 satellites in medium Earth orbit, five in geostationary orbit and three more in inclined geosynchronous orbits.
• The navigation satellite system was completed in three steps: BDS-1 which provided services to China, BDS- 2 to provide services to the Asia-Pacific region and BDS-3 which provides services worldwide.
• China’s navigation system uses a network of satellites and can provide positional accuracies of under ten meters (GPS provides positioning accuracies of under 2.2 meters).
• BeiDou offers services including accurate positioning, navigation and timing as well as short message communication.

Other Countries’ Navigation Systems

• The GPS is owned by the US government and operated by the US Air Force.
• Apart from this, Russia has its navigation system called GLONASS, the European Union (EU) has Galileo, while India’s is called Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC).