9 December : Daily Current Affairs Quiz

Answer:  Option B -  The complete separation of economic growth from environmental degradation

Explanation:

• "Decoupling" refers to the process of breaking the link between economic growth and environmental degradation.
• In the context of India, it is seen when the economy grows without a proportional increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
• There are two types of decoupling: absolute decoupling, where economic growth occurs alongside a decline in emissions, and relative decoupling, where both GDP and emissions grow, but emissions increase at a slower rate.

Answer:  Option A - Syria

Explanation:

• Hama, Homs, Deraa, and Manbij are cities in Syria, which have been in the news recently due to ongoing civil war-like conditions.
• These regions have witnessed intense military operations, control shifts between government forces and militant groups like HTS, and territorial advances.
• The conflict has led to significant humanitarian crises and geopolitical implications, making these areas focal points in the broader Syrian civil war.

Answer:  Option D - Vulnerable (VU)

Explanation:

• The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) is listed as "Vulnerable" (VU) on the IUCN Red List, reflecting its risk of extinction in the wild.
• This status highlights threats such as habitat loss due to urbanization and agriculture, poaching for the exotic pet trade, and accidental deaths from road mortality.
• The species' conservation is crucial, as it faces significant pressures from human activities and environmental changes.

Answer:  Option B - It demonstrated how moths use acoustic signals to decide where to lay their eggs

Explanation:

• Recent research on the Egyptian cotton leafworm discovered that moths can detect and interpret ultrasonic clicks emitted by stressed plants.
• These acoustic signals influence the moths' egg-laying decisions, as they prefer to lay eggs on plants emitting distress sounds.
• This finding unveils a novel ecological interaction between insects and plants, highlighting the role of sound in shaping insect behaviour and opening new avenues for understanding plant-insect communication.

Answer:  Option B - National Informatics Centre’s national cloud services initiative

Explanation:

• MeghRaj is an initiative by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to provide cloud services to various government departments at the central and state levels.
• It aims to enhance e-Governance services by promoting the use of cloud computing, ensuring cost-effective, scalable, and secure IT infrastructure.
• The initiative supports the digital transformation of government services, including digital payments, identity verification, and consent-based data sharing, thereby improving public service delivery.