UPSC EXAM QUIZ 22.07.2024

Explanation:

• Recently, the leader of the Opposition (LoP) and president of Biju Janata Dal (BJD), has formed a 'shadow cabinet' comprising 50 BJD Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in Odisha. This development comes in the wake of the Bharatiya Janata Party's recent electoral successes in the state and marks a significant shift in legislative dynamics.

Shadow Cabinet

• A shadow cabinet consists of opposition MLAs/MPs who mirror the portfolios of government ministers. Led by the LoP, the shadow cabinet monitors and critiques the actions of the ruling government across various departments and ministries.
• In parliamentary democracies around the world, the concept of a shadow cabinet plays a pivotal role in the dynamics of governance and opposition.
• Originating from the Westminster system and prominently used in countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, the concept of a shadow cabinet offers a structured framework for opposition MPs to scrutinise and challenge the policies of the ruling government.

Explanation:

• An international team of researchers led by the University of Bristol has shed more light on LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor).
• LUCA is the hypothesized common ancestor from which all modern cellular life evolved, from single-celled microbes such as bacteria to giant redwood trees (as well as us humans).
• LUCA is the node on the Tree of Life from which the original prokaryotic domains (Archaea and Bacteria) diverge.

Highlights of the Research

• Researchers believe all three branches of life namely bacteria, archaea, and eukarya originated from a single cell, called the last universal common ancestor (LUCA).
• LUCA had a small genome with about 2.5 million bases and 2,600 proteins, sufficient for survival in its unique environment.
• LUCA's metabolites might have created a secondary ecosystem for other microbes to emerge, and it possibly had immunity genes to fight off viruses.

Explanation:

• Scientists have discovered a cave on the moon for the first time. Lorenzo Bruzzone and Leonardo Carrer at the University of Trento in Italy discovered the cave near a rocky plain called Mare Tranquillitatis, or Sea of Tranquility.
• It is visible from Earth with the naked eye. It is not far from the spot where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11) landed in 1969.The researchers analyzed radar measurements by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and compared the results to lava tubes on Earth.
• The radar data shows only the initial part of the cave in the moon's lowlands. Scientists estimate it is at least 130 feet (40 meters) wide and tens of yards (meters) long, possibly more.
• Scientists believe the cave was formed millions or billions of years ago when lava flowed on the moon, creating a tunnel. Mare Tranquillitatis, or the Sea of Tranquility, was the location where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin of Apollo 11 first landed on the Moon in 1969.

Explanation:

• Government of India (GOI) released the first tranche of USD 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
• This payment is part of India’s annual contribution of USD 5 million for the fiscal year 2024-25.
• India has contributed a total of USD 35 million to UNRWA’s core programs up to 2023-24.
• These programs include education, healthcare, relief, and social services for Palestinian refugees.
• At the UNRWA Pledging Conference 2024 in New York, the USA and India pledged to provide medicines as per UNRWA’s specific requests.

UNRWA

• UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) supports Palestinian refugees' relief and development.
• It covers Palestinians displaced during the Nakba, the 1948 Palestine War, and later conflicts, along with their descendants and legally adopted children.
• As of 2019, over 5.6 million Palestinians are registered with UNRWA.

Explanation:

• Indian Scientists Prahlad Chandra Agrawal and Anil Bhardwaj Honored with COSPAR Awards at 45th COSPAR Assembly in Busan, July 13-21, 2024.
• Prahlad Chandra Agrawal received the COSPAR Harrie Massey Award.
• Anil Bhardwaj was honored with the Vikram Sarabhai Medal, a joint award from COSPAR and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Anil Bhardwaj

• He is the Director of the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, since 2017.
• His expertise includes planetary space sciences and solar system exploration.
• He has significantly contributed to ISRO's missions, including Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, and Aditya-L1.
• This is the 2nd time the Vikram Sarabhai Medal has been awarded to an ISRO scientist; (Late) Prof. U. R. Rao received it in 1996.

Prahlad Chandra Agrawal

• Former Senior Professor, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).
• Awarded a medal, citation, and a minor planet named (20064) Prahladagrawal by IAU.
• Noted for contributions to X-ray astronomy and was Principal Investigator for India's AstroSat (2015).
• Member of ISRO's Lunar Task Force for the Chandrayaan-1 mission.

COSPAR Harrie Massey Award

• Named after Sir Harrie Stewart Wilson Massey, an Australian mathematical physicist.
• Recognizes outstanding contributions and leadership in space research.

COSPAR Awards

• Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) presents various medals and awards annually, recognizing exceptional contributions to space research across all fields covered by COSPAR.
• Some awards are presented jointly with other institutions or space agencies.
• Award recipients are honored by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) with the attribution of minor planets designated by the IAU Working Group on Small Bodies Nomenclature.
• COSPAR is the world's first scientific body for global cooperation in space research.