UPSC 2022: Weekly GK and Current Affairs Quiz Apr 23 - Apr 29

• Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited (TISCO) was the very first iron and steel company in India.
• Steel sector is not regulated by the government.

• Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank headquartered in Mandaluyong, Philippines.
• ADB is modeled closely on the World Bank, and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions.
• South Asia Economic Focus Report is released by World Bank.

• Meghdoot App was launched to provide the location, and crop and livestock-specific weather-based agro advisories to farmers in local languages.
• Damini Lightning Alert app is designed for giving warning to the user about lightning on the basic of user location.
• Mausam App is designed to communicate the weather information and forecasts in a lucid manner.

• Jaivik Kheti portal is a unique initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Department of Agriculture (DAC) to promote organic farming globally.

• Biochar is charcoal that is produced by pyrolysis of biomass, in the absence of oxygen and is used as a soil ameliorant for both carbon sequestration and soil health benefits.
• Biochar can be used as a part of the growing medium in vertical farming.
• When biochar is a part of the growing medium, it promotes the growth of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms.
• When biochar is a part of the growing medium, it enables the growing medium to retain water for a longer time.

Entire northeastern India, parts of the UTs Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rann of Kutch, parts of North Bihar and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are classified as Zone-V.

• Remdesivir drug prevents the virus from producing a particular enzyme RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) that is necessary for the virus to replicate itself.
• The drug has also been shown to shorten the duration of patient hospital stays.

• Red Herring Prospectus is the preliminary registration document prepared by merchant bankers for prospective IPO-making companies in the case of book building issues.
• It does not disclose the details of price, the number of shares being offered, the coupon of the issue, or the size of the issue.
• It has the details regarding the company’s operation and financial position and standing.

• Python is a family of air-to-air missiles (AAMs) built by the Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
• Now, India’s indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas has added the 5th generation Python-5 Air-to-Air Missile in its air-to-air weapons capability.
• Python 5 is the newest member in the range of Python AAMs.

• The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) system consists of a constellation of seven satellites and a supporting ground segment.
• Out of the seven satellites of the space segment; four satellites are in geosynchronous orbit and three satellites are in geostationary orbit.
• IRNSS covers an area of about 1,500 km around India.

• There are no restrictions on publishing the results of opinion polls.
• However, it cannot be published during the period of Election silence, i.e, 48 hours before the close of voting.
• In the case of a multi-phase election, results of exit polls can be published only after the voting is over in the last phase.

China has launched the main module of its first permanent space station that will host astronauts for the long term. It is called Tianhe, or the “Heavenly Harmony”.

• Competition Commission of India and the National Human Rights Commission are both statutory bodies.
• Competition Commission of India is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 and promoting competition throughout India and preventing activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.
• The National Human Rights Commission of India is a Statutory public body responsible for the protection and promotion of human rights.
• The NITI Aayog is a public policy think tank of the Government of India. It is not a statutory body.
• Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities is a constitutional office entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the various provisions related to linguistic minorities in India. Article 350 B of the Constitution provides for the appointment of a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities by the President.

• Competition Commission of India is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 and promoting competition throughout India and preventing activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.
• It is noted that the mandate of the Commission is to eliminate practices having an adverse effect on competition, promote and sustain competition, protect the interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade carried on by other participants, in markets in India.

Amnesty International is a global Human Rights Movement.

• The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), constituted under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is the primary fund available with State Governments for responses to notified disasters.
• The Central Government contributes 75% of SDRF allocation for general category States/UTs and 90% for special category States/UTs (NE States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir).
• The annual Central contribution is released in two equal installments as per the recommendation of the Finance Commission.
• SDRF shall be used only for meeting the expenditure for providing immediate relief to the victims.
• The allocation to each State depends on its population and utilization of such funds in the previous financial year.

• Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh.
• Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed territory, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.
• In September 2020, a new war erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories, which saw armed conflict between the forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

• The National Building Code of India does not mandate heavy fire liability insurance for public buildings.

• Remdesivir, sold under the brand name Veklury, is a broad-spectrum antiviral medication.
• Remdesivir was originally developed to treat hepatitis C, and was subsequently investigated for Ebola virus disease and Marburg virus infections before being studied as a post-infection treatment for COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, remdesivir was approved or authorized for emergency use to treat COVID‑19 in around 50 countries.
• It is administered via injection into a vein.
• Remdesivir is a prodrug.
  • A prodrug is a medication or compound that, after administration, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug.
• The GS-441524 monophosphate form of Remdesivir subsequently biotransforms into GS-441524 triphosphate, a ribonucleotide analogue inhibitor of viral RNA polymerase.

• The Gandhi–Irwin Pact was a political agreement signed by Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin, Viceroy of India, in 1931.
• While Gandhiji agreed to suspend the Civil Disobedience Movement and participate in the Second round table conference, the British agreed to withdraw ordinances promulgated in connection with the Civil Disobedience Movement and release prisoners who were not charged with violence.
• Despite the demand for an enquiry into police excesses during the Civil Disobedience Movement, this demand was not accepted by the British administration, while the other three demands were accepted.

G-7 countries consist of the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan.

• Karen and Kachin states are both located in Myanmar.
• Kachin is bordered by China to the north and east; India to the west.

• The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for the administration of the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961 and the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961.
• It is responsible for facilitating the smooth transaction of business in Ministries/Departments of the Government.
• It provides secretarial assistance to the Cabinet and its Committees, and also assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring Inter-Ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst Ministries/Departments and evolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing/ad-hoc Committees of Secretaries.
• Through this mechanism, new policy initiatives are also promoted.

• Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) is an independent verification printer machine and is attached to electronic voting machines.
• With an intent to have the fullest transparency in the system and to restore the confidence of the voters, the SC had asked the Election Commission to introduce paper trails in EVMs in 2013.
• VVPAT machines cannot be accessed by voters. The VVPAT machines can only be accessed by the polling officials.

While Hepatitis B and HIV-AIDS can be transmitted from one person to another through exposure to body fluids such as blood, semen or vaginal fluids, Chikungunya is a viral disease that is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. Therefore, Hepatitis B and HIV-AIDS can be transmitted from one person to another through tattooing.

• The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was created in 1950 to address the refugee crisis that resulted from World War II.
• It is a member of the United Nations Development Group, a consortium of organizations dedicated to sustainable development.
• UNHCR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has received the Nobel Peace Prize twice, in 1954 and 1981. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been honoured three times, in 1917, 1944 and 1963.

• NHRC is an independent statutory body established in 1993 in conformity with the Paris Principles.
• NHRC has the power to interfere in any judicial proceedings involving any allegation of violation of human rights.
• NHRC is a standalone entity of the Government of India with the mission of promoting and protecting human rights.
• NHRC has a special wing to investigate allegations of human rights violations.

• Only when a candidate belonging to a recognised political party dies before the commencement of the poll the election to that constituency is adjourned.
• However, if a candidate belonging to a registered political party or an independent candidate dies before the commencement of the poll, the election to that constituency is conducted as per schedule.
• In case the polling in a particular constituency is adjourned, the Model Code of Conduct is revoked only after the results of the polls being conducted in that particular state are declared.

• The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent, intergovernmental organization, created at the Baghdad Conference in 1960.
• Qatar terminated its membership on 1 January 2019. Ecuador is the latest country to suspend its membership of OPEC effective 1 January 2020.
• Currently, OPEC has 13 member countries. Algeria, Angola, UAE, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Congo, Libya, Nigeria, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

• Karl Marx explained the process of class struggle with the help of dialectical materialism.
• Dialectical materialism is a philosophy of science, history, and nature developed in Europe and based on the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.