UPSC EXAM QUIZ 09.08.2024

Explanation:

• Ministry of AYUSH and the World Health Organization signed a Donor Agreement at a signing ceremony held at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva in July 2024.
• The agreement outlines the financial terms for the activities of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
• The Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) is acknowledged as the leading source of knowledge for evidence-based Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) that aims to promote the health and well-being of individuals and the planet.

Explanation:

• Indian government for the first time allowed the commercial cultivation of two non-transgenic varieties of herbicide-tolerant (HT) basmati rice: Pusa Basmati 1979 and Pusa Basmati 1985.
• These varieties of Basmati rice have been developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).The main objective is to promote sustainable rice farming practices that encourage water conservation and reduction of carbon emissions.
• Transgenic refers to a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) or cell whose genome has been altered by the introduction of one or more foreign DNA sequences or genes from another species by artificial means.
• GMO is an organism that contains a genetically modified genome.All transgenic organisms are GMOs.Non-Transgenic does not involve inserting any foreign DNA.

Explanation:

• India recently celebrated the 10th National Handloom Day on 7 August 2024. This day is celebrated to commemorate the beginning of the Swadeshi movement on 7 August 1905, which was part of India's freedom struggle to promote domestic handloom products.
• In India, 7 August is being celebrated as National Handloom Day every year since the year 2015.

Status of Handloom Industry in India

• The handloom industry of India is an integral part of India's cultural heritage and preserves the traditional embroidery and weaving art of the country. This industry provides employment to millions of artisans and contributes significantly to the rural economy.
• Unique Handloom Products The handloom industry of India is famous for its diversity and traditional handicrafts.

Explanation:

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its Earth Observation Satellite-08 (EOS-08) on 15 August 2024, its 55th foundation day. ISRO was formed on 15 August 1969 as the premier space agency of the government of India.
• The EOS-08 satellite will be launched by ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)-D3. Here, D stands for Developmental. The satellite will be launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Earth Observation Satellite-08 (EOS-08)

• The EOS-08 is a remote-sensing microsatellite with a mass of around 175.5 kg. It will be placed in a Circular Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 475 km.
• The life of the satellite is around 1 year.
• The satellite has the capability to capture images both during the day and night in the Mid-Wave and Long-Wave infrared bands for applications such as satellite-based disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, surveillance, industrial and power plant disaster monitoring and volcanic activity observation,
• The satellite will help with ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection.

Explanation:

• Indian women's national volleyball team has won the 4th CAVA(Central Asian Volleyball Association) Women’s Volleyball Nations League by defeating the host Nepal by 3-2 sets in the final. The final was played at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 7 August 2024. This was the second CAVA title for the Indian women.

Participating team in the 4th CAVA Women’s Nations League

• Five women's national teams from India, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Iran participated in the week-long CAVA Women’s Nations League tournament.
• In the league stages India won all its matches except against Nepal. The victory of the Nepalese team against India in the league stage was their first-ever victory against India.
• In the semi-finals, India defeated Sri Lanka, and Nepal beat Iran.
• In the final, the Indian team took revenge for its earlier defeat and beat the Nepalese team 23-25, 25-14, 22-25, 25-21, 15-5 in front of a packed stadium supporting the home team.
• In the third position playoff, Iran defeated Sri Lanka to gain the third spot.
• Maldives was at the fifth spot in the 4th edition of the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Nations League.