Daily Current Affairs MCQ- April 7, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the Prime Minister of India visited the Kalaram Mandir on the banks of the Godavari in the Panchavati area of Nashik, Maharashtra.

• The Kalaram temple derives its name from a black statue of the Lord — Kala Ram translates literally to “Black Ram”.
• It was built in 1792 with the efforts of Sardar Rangarao Odhekar.
• It is located on the banks of Godavari in the Panchavati area of the city.
• Features
• The sanctum sanctorum has statues of Ram, Sita, and Lakshman, and a black idol of Hanuman at the main entrance.
• The main temple has 14 steps, which represent the 14 years of Ram’s exile. It has 84 pillars, which represents the cycle of 84 lakh species that one has to complete in order to be born as a human.

Hence both statements are correct.

Researchers from Mizoram University’s zoology department have discovered a new species of coral snake in Mizoram.

• It has been named Sinomicrurus gorei after British India doctor Gore.
• The reptile is locally known as 'Rulṭhihna' due to its striking resemblance to a Mizo traditional amber necklace called 'Ṭhihna'.
• There are a total of nine species of Sinomicrurus coral snakes have been discovered worldwide, and out of these, only one species called Sinomicrurus macclellandi is found in Northeast India.
• It has unique patterns and different scales, hemipenis, DNA, and skull.
• Until this research, Sinomicrurus gorei was considered the same species as Sinomicrurus macclellandi due to their close resemblance.
• The new study also revealed that while Sinomicrurus macclellandi can lay 6-14 eggs at a time, Sinomicrurus gorei lays up to three eggs.
• In Mizoram, Sinomicrurus macclellandi is primarily found in hilly or elevated areas, while Sinomicrurus gorei is found in both low-lying and hilly areas.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

Kachchhi Kharek, the indigenous variety of dates of Kutch, has become the second fruit of Gujarat to get a geographical indication (GI) tag from the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDT) of India.

• The presence of dates in Kachchh (Kutch) is believed to be around 400-500 years old.
• It is believed that date palm groves along the north-western border of India have developed from the seeds thrown by the settlers, who used to visit Middle-East countries for Haj.
• It is also probable that the Arab gardeners working in the palaces of the former rulers of Kachchh might also have contributed to the import of the date seeds and offshoots from Arab countries.
• Features
• Dates grown in Kutch are harvested at the khalal stage, the stage when fruits have matured, accumulated sucrose, and have turned red or yellow but are still crisp.
• The Kutch date season typically commences on June 15 each year, and the trees are known for their tolerance to salinity and adaptability to extreme drought and heat conditions.
• In other countries, they are allowed to ripen further till they become soft and dark brown or black in colour.
• Kachchh is the only place around the globe where fresh dates are economically cultivated, marketed, and consumed.
• There are around two million date palms in Kutch today and around 1.7 million of them are seedling-origin palms of deshi (indigenous) varieties.
• They are seedling propagated palms, each of them is a unique palm in itself, representing a vast range of diversity in characteristics.
• The area is accounting for more than 85 % of total dates palm cultivation in India.
• These dates in Kutch have to be harvested at khalal stage as they can’t withstand moist weather.

Hence only statements 1 and 3 are correct.

Cultural celebrations are held across many states of India under different names – Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Magh Bihu, etc. on January 14. 

• It marks the Sun changing directions and shifting its trajectory towards the north, therefore, entering the Makara or Capricorn zodiac sign.
• The day is a marker for a change of season – warmer months are close and we are moving away from winter, which is seen as a period of inactivity in many ways.
• It is said that the northward journey of the sun (Uttarayan) begins on this day.
• Unlike most festivals that follow the lunar cycle, Makar Sankranti follows the solar cycle and thus, is celebrated almost on the same day every year.
• Astronomically, the Earth revolves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit that requires about 365 1/4 days to complete, as it continues to rotate on its own axis.
• The earth’s spin axis is tilted with respect to its orbital plane. This, along with its distance from the Sun, determines the change in seasons for life on Earth.”
• For the Northern Hemisphere, the axis points most toward the sun in June (specifically around June 21), and away from the sun around December 21.
• This corresponds to the Winter and Summer Solstice (solstice is Latin for “the sun stands”). For the Southern Hemisphere, this is reversed.”

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The nominations for Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2024 awards are invited on Award Portal of Ministry of Home Affairs from 14th January 2024 to 28th February 2024.

• The Government of India has announced the “Rastriya Vigyan Puraskar” in the field of Science, Technology and Innovation.
• The National Award recognizes outstanding and inspiring scientific, technological and innovation contributions of researchers, technologist and innovators.
• The awards shall be given in following four categories:
• Vigyan Ratna (VR): Maximum of three awards to be bestowed to recognize life time achievements & contributions made in given field of Science and Technology.
• Vigyan Shri (VS): Maximum of 25 awards to be given to recognize the distinguished contributions in given field of Science and Technology.
• Vigyan Yuva: Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (VY-SSB) award: Maximum of 25 awards to be given to recognize and encourage young scientists who made an exceptional contribution in given field of Science and Technology.
• Vigyan Team (VT) award: Maximum of three awards may be awarded to a team comprising of three or more scientists/researchers/innovators who have made an exceptional contribution working in a team in given field of Science and Technology.
• It shall be given in the following 13 domains, namely: Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Mathematics & Computer Science, Earth Science, Medicine, Engineering Sciences, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, Technology & Innovation, Atomic Energy, Space Science and Technology, and Others.
• The awards this year are being coordinated by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• The awards shall be announced on National Technology Day (11th May).
• The Award Ceremony for all categories of awards will be held on National Space Day (23rd August).

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, India’s Uma Sekhar was elected to the governing council of the Rome-based International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) with in the first round at the elections held in Rome.

• It is an independent intergovernmental Organisation.
• It was set up in 1926 as an auxiliary organ of the League of Nations, following the demise of the League it was re-established in 1940 on the basis of a multilateral agreement, the UNIDROIT Statute.
• Members: It consists of 65 Member States are drawn from the five continents and represent a variety of different legal, economic and political systems as well as different cultural backgrounds.
• Funding: The Institute is financed by annual contributions from its Member States which are fixed by the General Assembly.
• Structure
• It has an essentially three-tiered structure, made up of a Secretariat, a Governing Council and a General Assembly. 
• The Secretariat is the executive organ of UNIDROIT responsible carrying out its Work Programme from day to day.
• It is headed by a Secretary-General appointed by the Governing Council on the nomination of the President of the Institute.
• The Secretary-General is assisted by a team of international civil servants and supporting staff.
• The Governing Council supervises all policy aspects.
• The General Assembly is the ultimate decision-making organ of UNIDROIT. 
• Languages: The official languages are English, French, German, Italian and Spanish; its working languages are English and French.
• India is a member of this organization since 1950.

Hence only statement 1 and 2 are correct.

Recently, scientists have discovered a new species of sea spider called Austropallene halanychi.

• The spider with a strange yellow body colour was found off the Antarctica Ocean and has four near-black eyes and large bulbous claws.
• Features:
• It is a distant relative to horseshoe crabs and arachnids.
• The sea spider also has a peculiar way of eating in which it does not use its mouth but a straw-like proboscis to consume food.
• Another bizarre function found in the species was its way of respiration - it breathes through its legs. 
• In addition, the new species has large claws that look like "boxing gloves," which it likely uses to grab hold of soft foods like anemones and worms
• It was pulled from the ocean floor in the Ross Sea, about 1,870 feet (570 meters) below the surface. 

Key points about Ross Sea

• It is a giant bay just 320 kms from the South Pole.
• A large portion of the sea is covered by the Ross Ice Shelf, the largest ice shelf in Antarctica. The sea is remote and positioned south and slightly east of New Zealand.
• It is the first protected area in Antarctica, and home to most of the world’s penguins and many species of whale.
• It is strongly influenced by the coastal East-Wind Drift that sets up a vast clockwise gyre accompanied by deepwater upwelling. 
• It is one of the last intact marine ecosystems in the world, home to penguins, seals, Antarctic tooth fish, and whales.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

In a move towards eco-friendly maritime transportation, the Barracuda, India’s fastest solar-electric boat, was ceremoniously launched at the Navgathi Panavally Yard in Alappuzha.

• It is named after the swift, long fish, Barracuda.
• It can be deployed even in the rough seas as a workboat to ferry up to 12 passengers and cargo.
• Features: This vessel can attain a top speed of 12.5 knots (23 kmph) and has a range of seven hours on a single charge.
• It has twin 50 kW electric motors, a marine-grade LFP battery, and 6 kW solar power, epitomising efficient and clean energy usage.
• This cutting-edge vessel was jointly developed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders and Navalt.

Key facts about Barracuda fish

• It is any of about 20 species of predacious fishes of the family Sphyraenidae.
• Barracudas are primarily fish eaters, preying on such smaller fishes as mullets, anchovies, and grunts.
• Distribution: These fishes are found in all warm and tropical regions; some also range into more temperate areas.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out a flight trial of Autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator in Karnataka’s Chitradurga. 

• It is an indigenous high-speed flying-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
• It is designed and developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment.
• The maiden flight of this aircraft was demonstrated in July 2022.
• These flight-tests led to achievements in development of robust aerodynamic and control system; integrated real-time and hardware-in-loop simulation, and state-of-the-art Ground Control Station.
• The team had optimised the avionic systems, integration and flight operations towards the successful seventh flight in final configuration.
• The aircraft prototype, with a complex arrowhead wing platform, is designed and manufactured with light-weight carbon prepreg composite material developed indigenously.
• Also, the composite structure, impregnated with fibre interrogators for health monitoring, is a showcase of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in the aerospace technology.
• The autonomous landing of this high-speed UAV, without the need for ground radars/infrastructure/pilot, showcased a unique capability demonstration, allowing take-off and landing from any runway with surveyed coordinates.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, India has been chosen as the Partner Administration for the Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) programme and will provide Tax Experts for this programme.

• It is a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
• It was launched in 2015.
• It aims to strengthen developing countries' auditing capacity and multinationals' compliance worldwide.
• Duration: This programme is expected to be of 12-18 months’ duration.
• In this, India in collaboration with the TIWB Secretariat and support of the UNDP Country Office, Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean aims to aid Saint Lucia in strengthening its tax administration by transferring technical knowledge and skills to its tax administration, and through sharing of best practices.
• The focus of the programme will be on effective use of automatic exchange of information under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) framework.
• This programme complements the broader efforts of the international community to strengthen co-operation on tax matters and contribute to the domestic resource mobilisation efforts of developing countries.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.