1. Which of the following has started an initiative 'SUKOON' - COVID-19 Beat the Stress”?
a. Andhra Pradesh
b. Jammu and Kashmir
c. Madhya Pradesh
d. Assam
S-b
EXPLANATION-
• In order to spread awareness about psychological impact of lockdown and measures to be adopted to overcome them, Department of Information and Public Relations, J&K has started an initiative 'SUKOON' - COVID-19 Beat the Stress".
• The programme will be telecast on Doordarshan Kashir Channel every Tuesday at 9.00 PM during which psychiatrists, eminent doctors and scientists will share their knowledge on psychological health and how to keep the mind anxiety free and the measures which people can adopt to keep stress level under control.
• The aim is to ensure that people stay mentally fit and cope with the fears related to COVID-19 with a sound mind.
• This initiative is in line with the growing concern that COVID-19 pandemic and the prolonged lockdown has resulted in tremendous stress among various sections of the society.
• Parents, care givers and children are the greatest victims of lockdown as they grapple with restricted movement and not being allowed to meet with friends and socialize.
• J&K is also looking at telecasting such programmes on a daily basis to reach out to the people of the UT.
2. For which of the following historical place has the solarisation scheme launched by the Government of India ?
a. Konark Sun temple
b. Qutub Minar
c. Taj Mahal
d. Red Fort
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• The central government has launched a scheme for solarisation of Konark Sun Temple and Konark town in Odisha.
• The scheme aims for 100 per cent solarisation of Konark sun temple and Konark town.
• The scheme envisages a 10-megawatt (MW) grid-connected solar project and various solar off-grid applications such as solar trees and solar drinking water kiosks.
• The MNRE has taken up the complete solarisation of Konark Sun Temple and Konark town in Odisha.
• The Government of India launched the scheme with an objective to take forward Prime Minister (Narendra Modi)’s vision to develop the historical Sun temple town of Konark in Odisha as ‘Surya Nagri’, to convey a message of synergy between the modern use of solar energy and the ancient Sun Temple and the importance of promoting solar energy.
• The scheme envisages setting up of the 10-MW grid connected solar project and various solar off-grid applications such as solar trees, solar drinking water kiosks and off-grid solar power plants with battery storage, with a 100 per cent central financial assistance (CFA) support of around Rs. 25 crore from the Government of India through the MNRE.
• Implementation of this project will be done by the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA).
• The scheme will meet all the energy requirements of Konark town with solar energy.
3. Which of the following has launched a new Artificial Intelligence-powered mobile app called the ‘National Test Abhyas' for mock tests for JEE Main, NEET 2020?
a. Union HRD Ministry
b. UGC
c. AICTE
d. Niti Aayog
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched a new Artificial Intelligence-powered mobile app called the ‘National Test Abhyas' for mock tests for JEE Main, NEET 2020.
• NTA has developed the AI-powered app to allow the aspiring candidates to take mock tests for upcoming exams under the purview NTA.
• The app has been launched to facilitate candidates’ access to high quality mock tests in the safety and comfort of their homes since there was a demand for making up the loss to students due to closure of educational institutions and NTA’s Test-Practice Centers (TPCs) due to the continuing lockdown.
• With this facility for the students, India has taken the lead in restoring a semblance of normalcy in one more crucial area –test preparations – even as we tackle these unprecedented times that have led to significant changes in life around the world.
• The free of cost app can be used by students across the country to access high quality tests. The tests are easily downloadable and can be completed off-line too.
4. Which country has announced that it will exit the Open Skies Treaty (OST) due to continuous violation of the treaty by Russia and changes in the security environment?
a. United States
b. Belgium
c. Denmark
d. Canada
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• United States of America (USA) has announced that it will exit the Open Skies Treaty (OST) due to continuous violation of the treaty by Russia and changes in the security environment.
• It blamed Russia for restricting US flyovers in neighbour Georgia and its military enclave in Kaliningrad (Russia).
• Russia misused its flights over the US and Europe to identify critical infrastructure for potential attack in a time of war.
• Russia intends to annex the Crimean peninsula and has designated an Open Skies refueling airfield in the region.
• Russia has denied the allegations and warned that the withdrawal will affect the interests of all of 35 participating countries.
• Open was signed in 1992 and came into effect in 2002.
• USA expects to formally pull out of Open Skies in six months.
5. Which of the following has become the first in the world to show positive results by generating immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 Virus (COVID-19)?
a. Moderna Coronavirus
b. Pfizer
c. Zydus Cadila
d. Cipla
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• Moderna Coronavirus Vaccine becomes the first in the world to show positive results by generating immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 Virus (COVID-19).
• The 'mRNA-1273' vaccine has been developed by US-based Biotechnology firm Moderna Inc in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• It injects mRNA into the human body to generate immune response against the virus.
• The people, who were injected with mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine, produced antibodies that were able to stop the reproduction of virus, one of the key requirement for a promising coronavirus treatment. The levels of these neutralising antibodies in volunteers was similar to the levels found in patients who recovered from the Coronavirus.
