Daily Quiz

Solution (b)
Explanation:
• National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) is a National level organization set up under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of IndiaOrgan donation in India is regulated by the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994. The law allows both deceased and living donors to donate their organs. It also identifies brain death as a form of death.
• According to the Health Ministry’s own data, the number of donors (including deceased) only grew from 6,916 in 2014 to about 16,041 in 2022. According toIndian Society of Organ Transplants, India’s deceased organ donation rate has been under one donor per million population for a decade now. India needs to increase this to 65 donations per million population and for that to happen, public sector healthcare must step up. (Statement 1 is incorrect)
• The need of the hour is to train trauma and ICU doctors to help patients’ families to come forward and donate. In India living donors comprise 85% of all donors. (Statement 2 is correct)
• Further the, Statistics indicate around 70%-75% of donors are female. Wives, mothers, and sisters have emerged as most prevalent sources of donation. (Statement 3 is incorrect)
• All cases of organ transplants, whether from a living or deceased donor, will be allocated a unique National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO)-ID for both the donor and the recipient. It must be generated by the hospital from the NOTTO website (www.notto.mohfw.gov.in). The Union Health Ministry has issued the directive to eliminate commercial dealing in organs, especially those involving foreign citizens. (Statement 4 is incorrect)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/poor-identification-of-brain-death-cases-impacting-organ-donations-health-ministry/article68135522.ece

Solution (a)

Explanation:

• The Spices Board is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Govt. of India), constituted under the Spices Board Act 1986 and the Board is functioning under Ministry of Commerce & Industry. (Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect).
• It is a flagship organization for the development and worldwide promotion of Indian spices. The board is responsible for the export promotion of the 52 scheduled spices and the development of Cardamom (Small & Large), with a mandate to promote the export of spices and spice products from India. (Statement 3 is correct)
• India is the world’s largest spice producer. It is also the largest consumer and exporter of spices. The production of different spices has been growing rapidly over the last few years. During 2022-23, the single largest spice exported from India was chilli followed by cumin. (Statements 4 is incorrect)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/why-are-indian-spices-facing-the-heat-explained/article68133297.ece

Solution (c)

Explanation:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed standalone primary dealers (SPDs) to borrow in foreign currency from their parent companies and entities it has authorised. They may access overdraft facilities in nostro accounts. Nostro is a bank account held in another country by a domestic bank, but in the currency of the foreign country.
• A primary dealer (PD) is an RBI registered entity that is authorized in buying and selling government securities. There are two types of primary dealers in India. Standalone primary dealers and bank primary dealers. (Option c is correct)
• The standalone primary dealers are either subsidiaries of scheduled commercial banks or Indian subsidiaries of entities incorporated abroad or companies incorporated under companies act 1956 and are registered as Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).
• The bank primary dealers are the banks who wish to undertake PD business and do not have any subsidiaries doing PD business already.

Source: https://www.business-standard.com/finance/news/rbi-allows-standalone-primary-dealers-to-borrow-in-foreign-currency-124050300537_1.html

Solution (d)

Explanation:

• The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that always faces away from Earth, opposite to the near side, because of synchronous rotation in the Moon’s orbit. Tidal forces from Earth have slowed the Moon’s rotation to the point where the same side is always facing the Earth—a phenomenon called tidal locking. (Statement 1 is correct)
• It has one of the largest craters in the Solar System, the South Pole–Aitken basin.
• The hemisphere has sometimes been called the “dark side of the Moon”, where “dark” means “unknown” instead of “lacking sunlight” – each location on the Moon experiences two weeks of sunlight while the opposite location experiences night. (Statement 2 is incorrect)
• China recently launched an uncrewed spacecraft on a nearly two-month mission to retrieve rocks and soil from the far side of the moon, the first country to make such an ambitious attempt. Chang’e-6 is tasked with landing in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon, which perpetually faces away from the Earth, after which it will retrieve and return samples (Statement 3 is incorrect)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/china-launches-lunar-probe-mission-to-collect-samples-for-first-time-from-far-side-of-moon/article68135303.ece

Solution (d)

Explanation:

“Terra,” “Aqua,” and “Aura” are three key satellites part of NASA’s Earth Observing System (EOS), designed to provide extensive, long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, atmosphere, and oceans of Earth. Here’s a detailed look at each:

1. Terra: Launched in December 1999, Terra was the flagship of NASA’s Earth Science missions. It carries five major instruments that study the Earth’s atmosphere, land, and water, capturing data vital for understanding climate change, pollution, and natural disasters.
2. Aqua: Launched in May 2002, Aqua focuses mainly on Earth’s water cycle, including the evaporation from the oceans, water vapor in the atmosphere, clouds, precipitation, and sea ice, snow cover on the land, and land ice.
3. Aura: Launched in July 2004, Aura focuses on the Earth’s atmosphere, studying the air quality, ozone layer, and climate.

These satellites have been pivotal in enhancing our understanding of environmental changes and have provided invaluable data that has contributed to better forecasting and mitigation strategies regarding natural phenomena and human-induced changes. However, after years of service, they are nearing the end of their operational lifespan, facing issues like aging instruments and depleting fuel, which will eventually render them defunct.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/03/climate/nasa-satellites-data.html