IAS Prelims GS Questions and Answers - June 18, 2016

ANSWER: Windhoek

Explanation:

• Recently President of India visited Namibia.
• The visit to Namibia was the second by an Indian President and after a gap of 21 years.
• Two MOUs were signed, between the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM) and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA) and on the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology in Namibia.
• Namibia is located in Southern Africa.
• It got independence from South Africa in 1990.
• The Government of India accorded full diplomatic recognition to the SWAPO office in New Delhi even before Namibian independence.
• South West Africa People's Organization, officially known as SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former national liberation movement in Namibia.

ANSWER: Abidjan

Explanation:

• Abidjan is the economic capital of Ivory Coast.
• During the visit of the president to three African nations, a headquarters agreement for opening of a regional representative office of EXIM Bank of India in Abidjan was signed.
• Exim Bank’s Representative Office in Abidjan is the eighth overseas regional office.
• The overseas offices of the Bank are located in Addis Ababa, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Singapore and Washington DC.

ANSWER: Chandigarh

Explanation:

• The ministry of AYUSH will organize an event titled "The National Event of Mass Yoga Demonstration" at Chandigarh, which will be attended by the Indian Prime Minister.
• It will be held at Capitol Complex in Chandigarh.
• The live broadcast of the International Day of Yoga will be done by Doordarshan and All India Radio from Chandigarh. The Common Yoga Protocol will begin at 7.00 am and last for 45 minutes.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:

• Namibia applied for Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership in 2016.
• The world's fourth largest producer of uranium. With a considerable investment, Namibia is set to become largest exporter of uranium.
• During the President of India’s visit to Namibia recently, issue of supply of Uranium to India was raised and was assured by President of Namibia that Namibia would explore ways to supply the same.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:

• Korea Plus is a special initiative to promote and facilitate Korean Investments in India.
• Korea Plus, operationalized on June 18, 2016 comprises of a representative from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy, Government of the Republic of Korea and representative from Korea Trade Investment and Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and three representatives from Invest India.
• The mandate of Korea Plus covers the entire investment spectrum including supporting Korean enterprises entering the Indian market for the first time, looking into issues faced by Korean companies doing business in India and policy advocacy to the Indian Government on their behalf.
• Korea Plus will act as a mediator in arranging meetings, assisting in public relations and research/evaluation and provide information and counselling in regard to Korean companies’ investing in India.

ANSWER: Odisha

Explanation:

• Bateshwar Temple is one of the historical sites in Odisha that hold archaeological importance.
• Historians opine that the sculpture and artifacts of Bateshwar Temple date back to 8th and 9th century.
• Another specialty of the temple is the ‘Uma Maheswar’ image in the interiors of the temple in which Lord Shiva is seen sitting on the right lap of Goddess Uma (Parvati). It depicts the creation of ‘Sristi’ (world) with Shiva and Prakruti coming together. The niches in the inner walls of the temple also have archaeological significance.
• The inscriptions found on the temple site are written on “Devanagari’ and ‘Kutila’ scripts used in the 10th century, during the reign of Ganga dynasty.
• During the renovation, remnants of a Parvati temple were discovered from under the sand on the periphery of the Bateswar temple.
• The temple is located on the coastal sand dunes around eight kms from the Kolkata-Chennai Highway near Humma.
• According to Odisha State Archaeology department, with financial support of the World Bank, a Rs.1.64-crore renovation work was taken up at the Bateswar temple under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP).

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Some of the overall and specific objectives are –

• Developing innovative bio-technological wastewater treatments for enhancing wastewater agricultural reuse.
• Co-creating innovative combinations of bio-treatment, recycling of water and high-value products, and bio-productions for the development of biotechnologies and agri-business in Europe and India towards a “green growth”.
• Selection and optimization of fungal consortium to remove contaminants from municipal wastewater for re-use in agriculture
• Increasing saline wastewater use efficiency through Integrated Mangrove-Fishery Farming System
• Improving water use efficiency through improved agronomics, plant breeding and new irrigation technologies.

ANSWER: Acute Flaccid Paralysis

Explanation:

• India continues to maintain a highly sensitive surveillance system for polio
• All cases of paralysis with sudden onset in children up to 15 years (which is called Acute Flaccid Paralysis or AFP) are picked up by the polio surveillance network.
• Each of these cases is followed up and their stool samples tested for poliovirus in WHO accredited laboratories. In addition, sewage samples are collected from over 30 sites spread across the country for poliovirus detection at regular intervals.
• The term acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is often used to describe a sudden onset, as might be found with polio.
• AFP is the most common sign of acute polio, and used for surveillance during polio outbreaks. AFP is also associated with a number of other pathogenic agents including enteroviruses, echoviruses, West Nile virus, and adenoviruses, among others.
• There have been some media reports that polio virus (P2 strain) has resurfaced in India for the first time in 5 years. However, it is not true as detected polio virus strain is vaccine derived poliovirus (VDPV) in a sewage sample.
• The detection of vaccine derived polio virus (VPDV) does not change the polio free status. It only indicates the robustness of the surveillance system and willingness of the country to detect any kind of polio virus even from the environment (sewage).
• Vaccine derived polioviruses are rare strain of the polioviruses that have genetically mutated from the strain contained in the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).