Daily Current Affair Quiz: 29th July 2020

1. Which of the following statements are true?

1. Global Innovation and Technology Alliance was launched by India.

2. It is an industry-led collaboration, with the government as an equal partner.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: c

Justification:

• It was launched by India a few years ago.

• GITA has provided an enabling platform for frontline techno-economic alliances.

• It is an industry-led collaboration, with the government as an equal partner.

• It is aimed at supporting the last phase of technology-based high-end, affordable product development — which can connect to both global and domestic markets.

• Under GITA, enterprises from India are tying up with their counterparts from partner countries.

• Partnering countries include Canada, Finland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, and the UK.

2. SUPRA scheme is associated with

(a) CSIR

(b) ICAR

(c) NITI Ayog

(d) SERB

Ans: d

Justification:

• The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has proposed a new scheme, Scientific and Useful Profound Research Advancement (SUPRA) with the objective of funding exploration of new scientific and engineering breakthroughs with global impact.

• The scheme will fund disruptive ideas that can lead to new areas of study, new scientific concepts, new products and technologies.

• The focus is not on incremental or short-term advances in understanding, but new science or truly disruptive technologies.

• The scheme is designed to attract high quality research proposals consisting of new hypotheses or challenge existing ones and provide ‘out-of-box’ solutions.

3. Which of the following statement/s is/are true?

1. Goldschmidtite is newly discovered mineral

2. Goldschmidtite has high concentrations of niobium, potassium and the rare earth elements lanthanum and cerium.

(a) 1 only

(b)  2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: c

Justification:

• A new, curious mineral has been discovered inside a diamond unearthed from a mine in South Africa.

• The mineral has been named goldschmidtite, after Victor Moritz Goldschmidt, the Norwegian scientist acknowledged as the founder of modern geochemistry.

• Goldschmidtite has an unusual chemical signature for a mineral from Earth’s mantle

• While the mantle is dominated by elements such as magnesium and iron, goldschmidtite has high concentrations of niobium, potassium and the rare earth elements lanthanum and cerium.

4. Which of the following statement/s is/are true?

1. Microdot technology involves spraying the body and parts of the vehicle or any other machine with microscopic dots, which give a unique identification.

2. The microdots and adhesive will become permanent fixtures/affixation which cannot be removed without damaging the asset, that is the vehicle itself.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: c

Justification:

• The Ministry of Road Transport has issued a draft notification to amend Central Motor Vehicle Rules, allowing motor vehicles and their parts to be affixed with permanent and nearly invisible microdots.

• Microdot technology involves spraying the body and parts of the vehicle or any other machine with microscopic dots, which give a unique identification.

• The microdots and adhesive will become permanent fixtures/affixation which cannot be removed without damaging the asset, that is the vehicle itself.

• These nearly invisible microdots can only be read physically with a microscope and identified with ultra violet light source.

5. 51 Pegasi b is

(a) Comet

(b) Exoplanet

(c) Asteroid

(d) Kuiper Belt Object

Ans: b

Justification:

• It is an exoplanet and the first planet discovered around a Sun like star. (2019 Nobel for Physics)

• This planet is about half the size of Jupiter and orbits its star in about 4 days.

• 51 Pegasi b is 50 light years away from earth.

• It is 47% less massive but 50% larger than the Jupiter.

• It is 11% more massive and 23% larger than our sun.

• Hot Jupiter’s were not thought to be possible 20 years ago. But this discovery challenged existing theories of planet formation. Astronomers now believe that large planets may form far from their stars and migrate closer to their stars over millions of years