Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 11th September 2024 - UPSC MCQ

1. In 1972: India and the UAE officially started their relationship when they set up diplomatic ties. - Correctly matched. India and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1972.

2. In 2017: The relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to India. - Correctly matched. In 2017, during the visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the relationship was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

3. In 2019: India was the Guest of Honour at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. - Correctly matched. India was the Guest of Honour at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair in 2019.

4. In 2022: India and the UAE signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). - Correctly matched. India and the UAE signed a CEPA in February 2022.

All four pairs are correctly matched.

Both statements are factually correct. Statement-I highlights the development of the RT-PCR kit for Mpox detection in India, and Statement-II correctly mentions the WHO declaring Mpox a public health emergency of international concern in May 2022 and August 2024. Statement-II provides additional context and supports the significance of Statement-I, making it an explanatory statement. Therefore, Option A is the correct answer.

The primary objective of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) is to electrify over 400,000 villages across India. This initiative aims to provide a reliable 24x7 electricity supply to rural regions, thereby supporting the government's larger mission of ensuring energy access for all. By electrifying these villages, the program seeks to enhance the quality of life, promote economic development, and improve living standards in rural areas.

1. India and the UAE established diplomatic ties in 1972. This statement is correct. India and the UAE officially began their diplomatic relationship in 1972.

2. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and the UAE was signed in 2017. This statement is incorrect. The CEPA was signed in February 2022, not in 2017.

3. The UAE is the second-largest trading partner of India. This statement is incorrect. The UAE is the third-largest trading partner of India.

Thus, only the first statement is correct, making Option A: 1 Only the correct answer.

The primary objective of the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) is to provide a reliable 24x7 electricity supply to rural regions, thereby supporting the government's larger mission of ensuring energy access for everyone. This initiative aims to bring about significant improvements in the quality of life in rural areas by enhancing access to electricity and promoting economic development through improved power supply.

Statement-I correctly mentions that the UAE and India signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), leading to a 15% increase in bilateral trade within its first year, as per the provided information. However, Statement-II is incorrect as the UAE is actually India's third-largest trading partner, not the largest, as stated. The primary source of investment from the UAE is mentioned, but it does not hold the position of the largest trading partner. Hence, the correct answer is (C).

- Statement 1 is correct: The study indicated that larger villages with around 2,000 people experienced significantly higher economic benefits from electrification compared to smaller villages. Larger villages saw a return of 33% and a 90% chance that the economic benefits would exceed the costs of electrification.
- Statement 2 is incorrect: Smaller villages did not show a substantial rise in per-capita monthly expenditure. In fact, the study highlighted that smaller villages exhibited only slight changes after getting electricity, suggesting limited economic improvement.
- Statement 3 is correct: The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) is indeed responsible for implementing the RGGVY, working under the overall guidance of the Ministry of Power.
Thus, the correct statements are 1 and 3, making Option B the correct answer.

The visit of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to India in 2017 marked the beginning of a new strategic partnership between India and the UAE. This visit led to the relationship being upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, signifying a deeper level of engagement between the two nations. Such high-level visits and agreements play a crucial role in shaping bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation in various sectors.

1. Siemens Healthcare - Developed a homegrown RT-PCR kit for Mpox
This pair is correctly matched. Siemens Healthcare is one of the companies that developed the RT-PCR kits for detecting Mpox.

2. Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) - Approved the new RT-PCR kits
This pair is correctly matched. The CDSCO approved the new RT-PCR kits.

3. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) - Launched in 2014
This pair is correctly matched. Government of India launched Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) in  2014 for strengthening the electricity distribution system. 

4. Saubhagya Scheme - Nodal agency is the Ministry of Power
This pair is incorrectly matched. The nodal agency for the Saubhagya Scheme is the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), not directly the Ministry of Power.

Thus, three pairs are correctly matched.

• Statement 1 is correct. The new RT-PCR kits developed in India for detecting Mpox indeed provide results in 40 minutes, which is significantly faster than traditional methods.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The RT-PCR kits can detect both clade I and clade II variants of the Mpox virus, not just clade I.
• Statement 3 is correct. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern twice, first in May 2022 and again in August 2024.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option C.