Prelims 2021 Current Flash Cards 23rd Oct 2020 - IASToppers
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Prelims 2021 Current Flash Cards 23rd Oct 2020
By IAS Toppers | 2020-10-23 00:00:00
# Question 1
Where is Sultanpur National Park situated?
Answer:
Haryana
Detailed Answer:
Enrich your learning:
Sultanpur National Park:
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Sultanpur National Park (formerly Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary) is located in Gurugram district, Haryana.
The status of the park was upgraded to National Park under Section 35 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972 on July 5th, 1991.
In order to set a buffer of 5 km in the surrounding areas, the park was declared as an eco-sensitive zone
in 2010.
The National park receives every year 300 species of birds mainly between mid of October and mid of
March when birds migrate the sanctuary.
The migratory birds include Amur falcons, Egyptian vultures, Siberian crane, Greater flamingo, black-
winged stilt, Eurasian teal, black-tailed godwit, long-billed pipit etc.
# Question 2
Mention the earliest surviving paintings in the Indian subcontinent.
Answer:
Ajanta paintings
Detailed Answer:
Enrich your learning:
Mural paintings of India and its Characteristics:
The word mural is derived from the Latin word ‘murus’ which means wall.
It can be defined as any piece of artwork painted or applied directly onto a wall, ceiling or other larger
permanent surfaces.
It is associated with Modern man, who first appeared in Africa around 200,000 BC, and began migrating
northwards into Europe and Asia sometime after 100,000 BC.
Characteristics of Mural Paintings:
Oldest human art form.
Depict the activities of a particular civilization’s people.
Ranges from scenes of hunting, gathering, and family life to religious and funerary scenes.
Combination of wide variety of artistic style.
Expression of emotions through various postures.
Reflects changes in the social & political culture through depiction of subjects.
Created public awareness of certain issues & performed the function of socio-political critique.
Reinforcing political and community identities.
Popular Mural paintings of India:
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India has a rich tradition of mural wealth.
The history of Indian murals starts in ancient and early medieval times from 2nd century BC to 8th – 10th
century AD.
The highest achievements are the caves of Ajanta, Bagh, Sittanavasal, Armamalai Cave (Tamil Nadu),
Ravan Chhaya rock shelter, Kailasanatha temple in Ellora Caves.
The important murals include:
1. Ajanta paintings:
The earliest surviving paintings in the Indian subcontinent are those of Ajanta (Aurangabad district,
Maharashtra).
Made in two phases. The oldest date to around the 2nd century B.C. The latter phase was around the 5th
century AD, under the patronage of the Vakatakas who ruled the Deccan.
The subjects are scenes from the life of the Buddha and the Jatakas, stories of his previous births.
The sophisticated ancient tradition of painting was inherited by the artists of Ajanta, was documented as
the Chitrasutra of the Vishnudharmottara Purana (verbal tradition and sophisticated grammar in the
hands of the painter).
2. Pitalkhora: There are fragments of paintings of the time of Ajanta which survive at many Buddhist cave sites,
including Pitalkhora near Ellora, in Maharashtra.
3. Badami paintings in Karnataka: Very little of the paintings survive in the 6th century Hindu caves of Badami
in Karnataka.
4. Paintings in the temples of Panamalai and Kailashanatar in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu.
5. The Shiva paintings in the Brihadeeswara temple in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, protected by massive walls of
stone. Towards the end of the 10th century, King Rajaraja Chola expressed his devotion and also his power and
grandeur by commissioning murals on a spectacular scale.
6. The dhoti of an Avalokitesvara statue in the three-storeyed temple of Alchi, Ladakh has some of the most
gorgeous paintings.
7. The ceiling of the Virupaksha temple in Hampi is covered with paintings of the 15th century with a sense of
movement and energy caught in the painted figures.
8. Bhimbetka rock shelters, Madhya Pradesh feature prehistoric cave paintings and the earliest are about
10,000 years old. These cave paintings show themes such as animals, early evidence of dance and hunting & the
oldest-known rock art in India.
# Question 3
Glycine has been discovered in Venus a) near equator OR b) near poles?
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Answer:
Glycine concentrations were detected in the mid-latitudes near the equator.
Detailed Answer:
Enrich your learning:
Glycine discovered in Venus:
Researchers have discovered glycine (an amino acid molecule that forms proteins in living organisms) in
the atmosphere of Venus.
They used the Atacama Large Millimeter/ submillimeter Array (ALMA) to detect glycine in the
atmosphere of Venus using spectroscopy.
Findings of the study:
Glycine concentrations were detected in the mid-latitudes, near the equator, where the signal was
strongest & no glycine was found near the poles.
The upper atmosphere of Venus may be going through nearly the same biological method as Earth
billions of years ago.
There are about 500 known amino acids, only 20 percent are present in the genetic code of which
glycine is the simplest form.
This is not the first time that researchers found a biosignature on Venus, as they have reported finding
phosphine in the upper atmosphere of Venus.
Significance:
The detection of glycine in the atmosphere of Venus will help towards understanding the formation of
mechanisms of prebiotic molecules in Venus' atmosphere.
What is Glycine?
Glycine is a non-essential amino acid that is produced naturally by the body.
It is one of 20 amino acids in the human body that synthesize proteins.
It plays a key role in the creation of several other important compounds and proteins.
The primary function glycine takes on in the body is to synthesize proteins, but it is also essential for the
healthy development of the skeleton, muscles, and tissues.
# Question 4
Why are the Flue gas Desulphurization systems used?
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Answer:
The FGD systems have been used to limit the release of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from coal-fired power plants.
Detailed Answer:
Enrich your learning:
Flue gas Desulphurization:
Fossil fuels such as coal and oil can contain a significant amount of sulfur.
When fossil fuels are burned, about 95 percent or more of the sulfur is generally converted to sulfur
dioxide (SO2).
Flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) is a set of technologies used to remove sulfur dioxide (SO2) from
exhaust flue gases of fossil-fuel power plants, and from the emissions of other sulfur oxide emitting
processes such as waste incineration.
The FGD systems have been used to limit the release of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from coal-fired power
plants.
The solids produced by FGD systems represent the second-largest coal combustion product (CCP)
stream by volume, exceeded only by fly ash.
Flue-Gas Desulfurization Material:
Flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) material is a product of a process typically used for reducing SO2
emissions from the exhaust gas system of a coal-fired boiler.
The physical nature of these materials varies from a wet sludge to a dry, powdered material depending
on the process.
The wet sludge from a lime-based reagent wet scrubbing process is predominantly calcium sulfite.
The dry material from dry scrubbers consists of a mixture of sulfites and sulfates.
This powdered material is referred to as dry FGD ash, dry FGD material, or lime spray dryer ash. FGD
gypsum consists of small, fine particles.
Uses:
Calcium sulfite FGD material can be used as an embankment and road base material.
Calcium sulfate FGD material can be used in wallboard manufacturing and in place of gypsum for the
production of cement.
# Question 5
What is National Council of Applied Economic Research?
Answer:
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National Council of Applied Economic Research is a New Delhi based non-profit think tank of economics or
economic policy research institute.
Detailed Answer:
Enrich your learning:
National Council of Applied Economic Research:
NCAER is India’s oldest and largest independent, non-profit, economic policy research institute.
NCAER was started in 1956 as a public-private partnership, both catering to and funded by the
government and private industry.
Functions:
NCAER’s work falls into four thematic areas:
Growth, Macro, Trade, and Economic Policy
Investment Climate, Industry, Infrastructure, Labour, and Urban
Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources, and Environment
Poverty, Equity, Human Development, and Consumers
Organizational Structure:
Director-General is the chief executive of the Council.
Members include state governments, public sector corporations, corporate houses and other associations
and institutions.
The Governing Body is elected by the members and includes prominent persons from the government,
industry and academia.
The bulk of the Council’s revenues comes from studies done under contract for clients in the
government, the development community and the private sector.
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