Current Affairs - 2019-20

Notes:
The world’s highest railway bridge will come up over Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir (J& K), which is expected to be completed in 2019. The bridge will form a crucial link in the 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal, which is part of the Udhampur- Srinagar-Baramu rail link project. It will be constructed at a cost of around Rs 1,100 crore in hostile terrain, will use over 24,000 tonnes of steel and will rise 359 m above the river bed. It will be designed to withstand wind speeds of upto 260 km per hour, the 1.315 km long engineering marvel” will connect Bakkal (Katra) and Kauri (Srinagar). Once completed, it will surpass the record of the Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge (275 m) in China.

Notes:
India and Switzerland have signed two pacts for technical cooperation in the field of Railways after delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting President of Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard in New Delhi. The aim of pacts is to cooperate in the areas of traction rolling stock, EMU and Train sets, traction propulsion equipments, freight and passenger cars, etc. To boost bilateral ties, Swiss president, Doris Leuthard is on a 3-day visit to India. The visit is significant as Switzerland is the chair of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) where India has been seeking membership. The main theme of the presidential visit is the Treaty of Friendship signed between Switzerland and India in 1948, in which the two countries gave assurances of “perpetual peace” and “unalterable friendship”.

Notes:
Based on the given information, the fauna in question is the Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta).

Explanation for each point:

1. Recently declared vermin in Himachal Pradesh: In some regions of Himachal Pradesh, India, the Rhesus Macaque has been declared vermin, meaning it is considered a pest and can be hunted or killed to control its population.
2. Listed as least concern in the IUCN Red List: The Rhesus Macaque is listed as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, indicating that its overall population is stable and it is not at significant risk of extinction.
3. Regular swimmer: Rhesus Macaques are known to be good swimmers and are often observed swimming in rivers or crossing water bodies.
4. Native to Asia: The Rhesus Macaque is native to various countries in South and Southeast Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and China.
5. Diurnal: Rhesus Macaques are diurnal animals, which means they are primarily active during the day and rest during the night.

Taking all these characteristics into account, the fauna being described is the Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta).

Notes:
The pangolin is world’s most trafficked animal. They are believed to possess magic or charms. They are hunted for their magical properties. Their scales when mixed with bark from certain trees; the scales are thought to neutralize witchcraft and evil spirits. In recently held global wildlife summit, a total trade ban in all species of pangolin was imposed by CITES. More than a million wild pangolins have been killed in the last decade, to feed the huge and rising appetite in China and Vietnam for its meat and its scales, a supposed medicine. The 182 nations of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) unanimously agreed a total ban on international trade on all species at the summit in Johannesburg.

Notes:
Second option is the correct answer. The pollen seeds of this tree are said to cause respiratory problems.

Notes:
Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP) in Sikkim has been named a world heritage site by the World Heritage Committee (WHC) of UNESCO. This is a National Park and a Biosphere reserve located in Sikkim, India. It was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list on July 17, 2016, becoming the first "Mixed Heritage" site of India.

Notes:
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has introduced a new star rating methodology called Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) for air conditioners. Keeping the performance of air conditioners during higher temperature in mind, ISEER will address the different climatic zones in India and higher temperature. ISEER measures energy efficiency of air conditioners based on a weighted average of the performance at outside temperatures between 24 and 43 degree C based on Indian weather data.

Notes:
As per the recently Index by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Gujarat topped the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) index, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh took the second and third positions, respectively. LEADS (Logistics Ease Across Different States) is a first-ever sub-national logistics performance index. The LEADS index is based on various parameters such as rail and roads network, warehouses, efficiency of regulatory processes, logistics services, unscheduled stoppages etc. The recent report on LEADS has been prepared by consultancy firm Deloitte.

Notes:
Recently, Madhya Pradesh Government announced to shift its financial year format to January-December from the present April-March cycle. With this, it became the first state in the country to do so.

Notes:
The above given information is about NASA’s InSight Mission. InSight is the first mission dedicated to investigating the deep interior of Mars. The findings will advance understanding of how all rocky planets, including Earth, formed and evolved. The InSight mission draws upon a strong international partnership led by Principal Investigator Bruce Banerdt of JPL. The prime objective of the mission is to place a stationary lander equipped with a seismometer and heat transfer probe on the surface of Mars and to study the planet’s early geological evolution. The secondary objective of the mission is to conduct an in-depth study of geophysics, tectonic activity and the effect of meteorite impacts on Mars. This mission could bring new understanding of the Solar System’s terrestrial planets —Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars — and the Earth’s Moon. The mission will be powered by solar panels and it will land near the equator. The spacecraft is scheduled to be launched on 5 May 2018 for a Mars landing on 26 November.