Correct Answer: A [World Bank]

Notes:
The World Bank has issued the world’s first carbon removal bond to support Amazon reforestation. The bond is worth $225 million and has a nine-year term. Investors’ returns are tied to the amount of carbon removed by new trees, not just emission reductions from preventing deforestation. This bond aims to protect the Amazon by financially incentivizing reforestation efforts.

Correct Answer: D [New Delhi]

Notes:
The EU and India’s external affairs ministry are organizing a regional conference in New Delhi on August 21-22 to address online radicalization. The event, in collaboration with the Global Counter-Terrorism Council, will involve experts from India, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Europe. The conference aims to enhance counter-terrorism partnerships and align with the EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy. Expected outcomes include strategies to tackle the challenges of technology and terrorism and explore collaboration opportunities to combat violent extremism online.

Correct Answer: C [Gujarat]

Notes:
India’s second 700 MW nuclear reactor at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS-4) in Gujarat began full-capacity operation on August 21, 2024. KAPS-4, an indigenous design, reached full power after operating at 90% capacity. The successful operation of KAPS-4 follows its twin unit, KAPS-3. India plans to build 14 more reactors of the same design by 2031-32. Currently, NPCIL operates 24 reactors and has eight more under construction. By 2031-32, India’s nuclear power capacity is expected to reach 22,480 MW.

Correct Answer: A [A rotating column of air and mist over water]

Notes:
A luxury yacht sank off Sicily, Italy, during a violent storm, causing one death and six people missing, possibly due to a waterspout. Waterspouts are rotating columns of air that form over water, resembling tornadoes but are usually weaker. They last 5-10 minutes, with an average diameter of 50 meters and wind speeds up to 100 km/h. Fair-weather waterspouts form when cool air moves over water, while tornadic waterspouts are linked to thunderstorms and can start as tornadoes on land before moving over water.

Correct Answer: A [Caesium]

Notes:
An international group has proposed a lunar time standard to address time discrepancies on the Moon due to its unique gravity. Atomic clocks, crucial for precision in GPS, telecom, and research, are the most accurate timekeeping devices. These clocks measure time using the stable resonant frequencies of atoms like cesium-133. One second is defined by the vibration of a cesium atom 9,192,631,770 times. Atomic clocks work by introducing a microwave signal to cesium atoms, detecting emitted radiation, and adjusting timekeeping for continuous precision.