UPSC Quiz – 2024 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 13th June 2024

·       While nitrous oxide is not flammable, it will support combustion to the same extent as oxygen.

·       It leads to a state of euphoria, explaining its nickname, ‘laughing gas.’

·       It is soluble in water. Its vapors are heavier than air.

·       It is commonly used by dentists and medical professionals to sedate patients undergoing minor medical procedures.

·       The gas is also used as a propellant in food aerosols.

·       It is used in the automotive industry to enhance engine performance.

·       Nitrous Oxide (N2O) emissions grew by 40 percent between 1980 and 2020, with China being the largest emitter, followed by India and the US.

·       The top 10 emitters are China, India, the US, Brazil, Russia, Pakistan, Australia, Indonesia, Turkey, and Canada.

·       The biggest human sources of N₂O are agriculture, industry, and the burning of forests or agricultural waste.

·       74 percent of the nitrous oxide emissions over the last decade originated from agricultural practices, specifically the use of nitrogen fertilizers and animal manure.

·       In India, the Disaster Management Act, 2005, defines a disaster as a “catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence” arising from natural or man-made causes that results in substantial loss of life, destruction of property, or damage to the environment.

·       The Act includes 12 categories of notified disasters, which are: Cyclone, Drought, Earthquake, Fire, Flood, Tsunami, Hailstorm, Landslide, Avalanche, Cloudburst, Pest attack, Frost and cold waves

·       These notified disasters are eligible for relief assistance under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

·       However, heatwaves are not currently included as a notified disaster under the Act. Although heatwaves are a significant concern in India, particularly in certain regions, the Finance Commission has not been convinced to expand the list of notified disasters.

·       States can use up to 10% of their SDRF allocation for local disasters, including heatwaves, which some states have done.

·       It contains an element like caesium or calcium and a source of microwave radiation.

·       India also uses a Cs-133 atomic clock to define the second for timekeeping within its borders.

·       Cs-133 is a highly stable atom and is found naturally, which is why it is so commonly used in atomic clocks.

·       The Traditional optical atomic clocks, while extremely accurate, are typically large, power-hungry, fragile, and expensive.

·       Optical atomic clocks – Are those that use strontium (Sr) or ytterbium ions, operate at even higher frequencies in the optical range, including visible, ultraviolet and infrared light.

·       Optical atomic clocks are even more accurate than the traditional atomic clocks.

·       It is the largest island in Greece and the fifth largest one in the Mediterranean Sea.

·       It is located in the southern part of the Aegean Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea).

·       It is bordered by the Sea of Crete in the north, the Libyan Sea in the south, the Myrtoan Sea in the west, and the Carpathian Sea in the east.

·       It covers an area of 8,336 sq. km.

·       It is relatively long and narrow, stretching for about 260 km east-west and about 60 km at its widest point.

·       The island is dominated by rugged mountains that crisscross from west to east.

·       The highest point on the island is Mt. Ida, also known as Psiloritis, at 2,456 m.

History:

·       The island of Crete has been inhabited since the Paleolithic Age by early hominids.

·       The earliest advanced European civilization, the Minoan Civilization, started on the island around 2700-1420 BCE.

·       The Minoan civilization ended after a major earthquake, and thereafter, the island’s rule was taken over by the Mycenaean civilization.

·       The island was then subsequently ruled by the Romans, the Byzantines, the Andalusians, the Venetians, and the Ottomans.

·       After the island’s independence from Ottoman rule, Crete became a part of Greece.

·       During the Second World War, the island was occupied by the Nazi German forces and also served as the battleground of the famous “Battle of Crete.”

·       An uprising to establish Munda Raj or Munda sovereignty in this region was known as the Ulgulan, also known as “the Great Tumult.”

·       In 1874, the British replaced the historic Khuntkari system used by the Munda tribe with the Zamindari system.

·       The Zamindari system was put into place by creating the zamindars (landlords) classes and ryots (tenants).

·       After the economy was privatized, the tribal people were left with no choice but to rely on currency to cover their living expenses. As a result, they were dependent on the moneylenders.

Birsa Munda:

·       He was a folk hero and a tribal freedom fighter who played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement, particularly in the tribal regions of British India.

·       He belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chhotanagpur Plateau area.

·       He spearheaded an Indian tribal mass movement that arose in the Bihar and Jharkhand belts in the early 19th century under British colonisation.

·       Birsa also played a crucial religious role among the Munda people.

·       He founded the faith of Birsait, a blend of animism and indigenous beliefs, which emphasized the worship of a single god.

·       He became their leader and was given the nickname, ‘Dharti Aba’ or the father of the earth.

·       He died on June 9, 1900, at age 25.

·       In recognition of his impact on the national movement, the state of Jharkhand was created on his birth anniversary in 2000.

·       November 15, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, was declared ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas by the Central Government in 2021.