UPSC Quiz – 2024 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 9th August 2024

·       It is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests of the Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia into South China.

·       There are two species of clouded leopards: the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) and the Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi).

Habitat and Distribution:

·       It is found across Southeast Asia and the Himalayas in the following countries: southern China, Bhutan, Nepal, northeast India, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, and Bangladesh.

·       Throughout its range, the clouded leopard spends most of the time in the tropical evergreen rainforests but can also be found in dry tropical forests and mangrove swamps.

·       It has been found at relatively high altitudes in the Himalayas.

·       In India, it is found in Sikkim, northern West Bengal, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

·       It is the State animal of Meghalaya.

Features:

·       It is a medium-sized cat, 60 to 110 cm long and weighing between 11 and 20kg.

·       It is named after the distinctive ‘clouds’ on its coat – ellipses partially edged in black, with the insides a darker colour than the background colour of the pelt.

·       The base of the fur is a pale yellow to rich brown, making the darker cloud-like markings look even more distinctive.

·       It has an exceptionally long tail for balancing, which can be as long as the body itself, thick with black ring markings.

·       It has a stocky build and, proportionately, the longest canine teeth of any living feline.

·       It has relatively short legs and broad paws which make it excellent at climbing trees and creeping through thick forest.

·       It can climb while hanging upside-down under branches and descend tree trunks head-first.

·       It is a solitary animal.

·       Conservation status: Both the species are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ under the IUC Red List.

·       It is capable of causing invasive infections in the human body.

·       It can cause a range of infections, from superficial (skin) infections to more severe, life-threatening infections, such as bloodstream infections.

·       It can cause infection in different parts of the body, like the blood, wounds, and ears.

·       It was first identified in Japan in 2009.

·       There are two ways C. auris can affect the body,

·       The fungus can either live on a specific region, such as the skin, rectum, or mouth, in a process called “asymptomatic colonization,” where a patient has no symptoms but can spread it to other people.

·       It can enter the bloodstream or wounds, where it can cause severe invasive infections.

·       Its symptoms are often similar to those of other common diseases, and hence diagnosis is difficult.

·       The most common symptoms of C. auris include fever and chills that don’t go away after treatment with antibiotics.

·       Mortality Rate: It is estimated to be between 30-60%.

Treatment:

·       Most C. auris infections are treatable with antifungal drugs called echinocandins.

·       However, some C. auris infections are resistant to the main types of antifungal medications, making them more difficult to treat.

·       In this situation, multiple antifungals at high doses may be required to treat the infection.

·       It is a new set of awards introduced by the Government of India in the field of Science, Technology, and Innovation.

·       Objective: To recognize the notable and inspiring contributions made by scientists, technologists, and innovators individually or in teams in various fields of science, technology, and technology­-led innovation.

·       It is one of the highest recognitions in the field of science, technology, and innovation in India.

·       The awards shall be given in following four categories:

·       Vigyan Ratna (VR) award will recognize lifetime achievements and contributions made in any field of science and technology.

·       Vigyan Shri (VS) award will recognize distinguished contributions in any field of science and technology.

·       Vigyan Yuva-Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (VY-SSB) award will recognize and encourage young scientists up to the age of 45 years who made an exceptional contribution in any field of science and technology.

·       Vigyan Team (VT) award to be given to a team comprising three or more scientists/researchers/innovators who have made an exceptional contribution working in a team in any field of science and technology.

Eligibility:

·       Scientists/ technologists/innovators working in government, private sector organizations, or any individual working outside any organization who have made distinguished contributions in terms of path-breaking research, innovation, or discovery in any field of science, technology, or technology- led innovation shall be eligible for the awards.

·       People of Indian origin staying abroad with exceptional contributions benefiting Indian communities or society shall also be eligible for the awards.

·       Scientists will be selected across 13 domains

·       The ISRO- Chandrayan 3 Team will be awarded theVigyan Team award for their contribution in the field of Space Science and Technology.

·       Celebrated biochemist Govindarajan Padmanabhan has been selected as the first recipient of the Vigyan Ratna Puraskar.

·       The system records any landform disturbances up-to 500m beyond the lease boundary and generates trigger.

·       The generated trigger is investigated by the State Government and necessary action is taken by them.

·       Almost all mining leases of major minerals in the country have been mapped on MSS.

·       The State Governments were also requested to extend the MSS for the mining leases of minor minerals.

·       Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG), Gandhinagar and

·       The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY).

·       It is located in the northern part of the state Chhattisgarh, bordering Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

·       This will be the fourth Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh, after the Udanti-Sitanadi, Achanakmar, and Indravati Reserves.

·       It is spread across the combined areas of the Guru Ghasidas National Park and Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh.

·       Fauna: This area is home to various mammal species, including tigers, leopards, hyenas, jackals, wolves, sloth bears, barking deer, chinkara, and chital.

·       Rivers: It serves as the origin of significant rivers such as Hasdeo Gopad and Baranga and a catchment area for rivers like Neur, Bijadhur, Banas, Rehand, and numerous smaller rivers and rivulets.

Guru Ghasidas National Park

·       It connects Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh and provides a corridor for tigers to move between the Bandhavgarh and Palamau Tiger Reserves.

·       It was originally part of the Sanjay Dubri National Park, Guru Ghasidas Park was created as a separate entity in Chhattisgarh’s Sarguja region after the formation of the state in 2001.