Daily Quiz – 30th Jan 2024

Explanation:

⇒ Statement 1 is correct: It is an attached office of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with full functional autonomy.

⇒ Statement 2 is not correct: NHA is governed by a Governing Board chaired by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare. It is headed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), an officer of the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, who manages its affairs. The CEO is the Ex-Office Member Secretary of the Governing Board.

⇒ Statement 3 is correct: It is an apex body for implementation for AB PM-JAY and National Digital Health Mission.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is a statutory body under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. It is a statutory body under Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India.

Statement 2 is correct: It functions as the nodal body for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions.

Statement 3 is not correct: CARA is designated as the Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993, ratified by Government of India in 2003.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: It is an Indian statutory body established by an Act of Parliament, the Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005. The Commission works under the aegis of Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Statement 2 is incorrect: NCPCR emphasizes the principle of universality and inviolability of child rights and recognizes the tone of urgency in all the child related policies of the country. For the Commission, protection of all children in the 0 to 18 years age group is of equal importance.

Statement 3 is correct: The Commission is further mandated to monitor the proper and effective implementation of

1. Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
2. Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
3. Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Panchayat Development Index (PDI) is a Multi-domain and multi-sectoral index that is intended to be used to assess the overall holistic development, performance & progress of panchayats. It is released by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

Statement 2 is correct: Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been anchoring the process of the localization of Sustainable Development Goals to achieve the Agenda of Sustainable Development by 2030, adopting 9 Themes.

Statement 3 is correct: It ranks panchayats on the basis of scores and categorize them into four grades. Grades include A (75 to 90%), B (60-75), C (40-60%) and D (under 40%).

Explanation:

⇒ Article 280 of the Constitution of India provides for a Finance Commission as a quasi-judicial body.

⇒ It is constituted by the President of India every fifth year or at such earlier time as he considers necessary.

⇒ The Finance Commission consists of a chairman and four other members to be appointed by the president. They hold office for such period as specified by the president in his order. They are eligible for reappointment.

⇒ The Constitution authorizes the Parliament to determine the qualifications of members of the commission and the manner in which they should be selected.

⇒ K.C. Neogy was the chairman of the 1st Finance Commission of India.

Explanations:

A Lok Adalat shall have jurisdiction to determine and to arrive at a compromise or settlement between the parties to a dispute in respect of:

(i) any case pending before any court; or

(ii) any matter which is falling within the jurisdiction of any court and not brought before such court. Thus, the Lok Adalat can deal with not only the cases pending before a court but also with the disputes at pre-litigation stage.

(iii) But, the Lok Adalat shall have no jurisdiction in respect of any case or matter relating to an offence not compoundable under any law. In other words, the offences which are non-compoundable under any law fall outside the purview of the Lok Adalat.

Explanation: Option b is the correct answer.

Glacial valleys and river valleys are two distinct landforms shaped by different geological processes. The formation and characteristics of these valleys are a result of the erosional forces exerted by glaciers and rivers, leading to unique topography.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Glaciated valleys are trough-like and U-shaped with broad floors and relatively smooth, and steep sides. Erosion and compression are two main forces that give U-shape to glacier valleys- compression due to the sheer mass of the glacier that results in even distribution of the load, and erosion that excavates huge amounts of loose soil and rock. Other factors that contribute to the formation of U-shaped valleys include abrasion, freeze-thaw weathering effect, movement of glaciers, etc.

River valleys generally exhibit a V-shaped profile. The erosive action of rivers, characterized by processes like abrasion and hydraulic action, carves a narrower, deeper channel with more gently sloping sides.

Statement 2 is correct: Hanging valleys are associated with glacial valleys. Hanging valleys are smaller valleys that intersect a main glacial valley at a higher elevation.

While one of the landforms found in river valley is a „meander‟. Meanders are the sinuous bends in the river's course formed by lateral erosion.

(U-shaped Valley and a Hanging Valley)

Explanations:  Option d is the correct answer.

The Ekman spiral is named after Swedish scientist Vagn Walfrid Ekman (1874-1954) who first theorised it in 1902.

Statement a is correct: Ekman spiral is a consequence of both the friction force of wind and Coriolis force on ocean water. It occurs when ocean surface waters are influenced by the friction force acting on them via the wind. However, due to the influence of the Coriolis effect, the ocean water moves at a 90° angle from the direction of the surface wind.

Statement b is correct: Each layer of water molecules is moved by friction from the shallower layer, and each deeper layer moves more slowly than the layer above it, until the movement ceases at a depth of about 100 metres (330 feet).

Statement c is correct: When surface water molecules are moved by the wind, they drag deeper layers of water molecules below them. Like surface water, the deeper water is deflected by the Coriolis effect—to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

As a result, each successively deeper layer of water moves more slowly to the right or left, creating a spiral effect. Thus it has reduced action of wind with increasing depth of ocean water.

Statement d is incorrect: Ekman spiral(transport) leads to both increased and decreased biological activity which depend on the upwelling (Ekman suction) and downwelling of the ocean (Ekman pumping). Downwelling leads to nutrient poor waters, therefore reducing the biological productivity of the area and Upwelling leads to nutrient rich water thus increasing the biological productivity of the area.

Explanations:  Option d is the correct answer.

Fjords are long, narrow, deep inlets of the sea that are typically framed by steep cliffs or mountains. These distinctive geographical features are formed through the complex interaction of glacial and marine processes. The formation of a fjord typically involves the following processes:

1) Glacial Erosion: Fjords are often created by the erosion of valleys by glaciers. As glaciers move downhill, they exert tremendous pressure on the underlying rocks, carving out U-shaped valleys. This glacial erosion creates deep and steep-sided troughs.

2) Glacial Retreat: Over time, as climate conditions change, glaciers may begin to retreat. As the glacier withdraws, it leaves behind the U-shaped valley it carved.

3) Sea Inundation: The U-shaped valley, now open to the sea, becomes inundated with seawater. The ocean fills the depression left by the retreating glacier, creating a deep, narrow inlet with steep sides, known as fjord. Fjords are found mainly in Norway, Chile, New Zealand, Canada, Greenland, and the U.S. state of Alaska.

Explanations: Option b is the correct answer.

Coastal upwelling is an oceanographic phenomenon that involves the upward movement of nutrient-rich deep waters towards the ocean's surface, providing a vital source of sustenance for a diverse array of marine life.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Coastal upwelling facilitates the movement of nutrient-rich deep water to the surface, fostering an environment conducive to the growth of phytoplankton, seaweed, and other primary producers. These primary producers form the foundation of the marine food web, supporting the growth of zooplankton and other marine organisms.

Statement 2 is correct: Nutrient-rich waters resulting from coastal upwelling create highly productive fishing grounds. The increased availability of food resources supports a thriving community of fish, marine mammals, and birds. This phenomenon is exemplified by regions like the west coast of Peru, where continual coastal upwelling contributes to one of the richest fishing grounds globally. Overall, coastal upwelling regions only cover 1 percent of the total area of theworld’s oceans, but they provide about 50 percent of the fish harvests.