Daily Current Affairs MCQ- August 11, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India submitted the report on the performance audit of the National Social Assistance Programme from 2017-18 to 2020-21.

• It was launched on 15th August, 1995.
• Objective
• It is is a social security and welfare programme to provide support to aged persons, widows, disabled persons and bereaved families on death of primary bread winner,
  belonging to below poverty line households.
• Eligibility
• For getting benefits under NSAP the applicant must belong to a Below Poverty Line (BPL) family according to the criteria prescribed by the Govt. of India.
• The other eligibility criteria and the scale of central assistance under the sub - schemes of NSAP are as follows
• Presently NSAP comprises of five schemes, namely –
• Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS): The eligible age for IGNOAPS is 60 years. The pension is Rs.200 p.m. for persons between 60 years and 79 years. For persons who are 80 years and above the pension is Rs.500/ - per month.
• Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS): Widow aged 40 years will get pension is Rs.300 per month. After attaining the age of 80 years, the beneficiary will get Rs.500/ - per month.
• Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS): An individual aged 18 years and above and the disability level has to be 80% wil get Rs.300 per month and after attaining the age of 80 years, the beneficiary will get Rs 500/ - per month . 
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Rural Development

Hence only statements 1 and 3 are correct.

Recently, the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed important details about Earendel, the far away celestial body.

• It is a star discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2022 and it is the most distant and earliest known star.
• It is a massive B-type star that is more than twice as hot as our Sun and about a million times more luminous.
• It is located in the Sunrise Arc Galaxy and is around 12.9 billion years away.
• Both Webb and Hubble were only able to detect it due to a natural phenomenon called gravitational lensing.
• The star happened to be aligned behind a wrinkle in space-time created by the galaxy cluster WHL0137-08, which is located between us and Earendel.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) has embarked on an ambitious journey by formulating its inaugural 'five-year-plan' to safeguard turtles, conduct species identification and estimate their populations both within and outside the reserve.

• It is located in Pilibhit District, Lakhimpur Kheri District and Bahraich District of Uttar Pradesh.
• It lies along the India-Nepal border in the foothills of the Himalayas and the plains of the ‘terai’ in Uttar Pradesh.
• The river Gomati originates from the reserve, which is also the catchment of several others like Sharda, Chuka and Mala Khannot.
• The Sharda Sagar Dam extending up to a length of 22 km (14 mi) is on the boundary of the reserve. 
• Vegetation: North Indian moist deciduous type.
• Flora:
• It is characterized by sal forests, tall grasslands and swamps, maintained by periodic flooding from rivers.
• The sal woodland is very dense with good natural regeneration, amounting to almost 76% of the reserve area.
• The forest patches are interspersed with grass meadows with several species like Sacchrum, Sclerostachya, Imperata, Themeda, Bothriochloa, Vetiveria, Apluda, Dichanthium, Digitaria and Cyperus.
• Fauna: It is home to a myriad of wild animals including the endangered tiger, swamp deer, Bengal florican, hog deer, leopard, etc.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Takakia that has survived for millions of years is now threatened by climate change.

• It is a rare genus of moss that adapted over millions of years to life at high altitudes. 
• Appearance: When seen from a distance, it looks like a later of moss or green algae on the rocks where it grows. But closer inspection would reveal slender turf around one centimetre in length with an arrangement of short, finger-like leaves.
• It is a genus that only has two species (T. lepidozioides and T. ceratophylla ) and both of them are found together only in the Tibetan Plateau. 
• It has developed the ability to survive frost, life-threatening UV radiation and other hazardous conditions.
• It combines features found in mosses, liverworts and green algae.
• It is a moss that separated from other mosses 390 million years ago, not long after the first land plants evolved.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently asked Indian banks to set aside a larger share of incremental deposits under the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR).

About Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR):

• Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) is the share of a bank’s total deposit that is mandated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to be maintained with the latter as reserves in the form of liquid cash.
• The bank cannot use this amount for lending and investment purposes and does not get any interest from the RBI.
• CRR applies to scheduled commercial banks, while the regional rural banks and NBFCs are excluded.
• Key objectives of the Cash Reserve Ratio:
• CRR helps control inflation. In a high-inflation environment, RBI can increase CRR to prevent banks from lending more.
• CRR also ensures banks have a minimum amount of funds readily available to customers even during huge demand.
• CRR serves as the reference rate for loans. Also known as the base rate for loans, the banks cannot offer loans below this rate.
• Since CRR regulates the money supply, it boosts the economy whenever required by lowering the CRR.
• How is CRR Calculated?
• CRR is calculated as a percentage of Net Demand and Time Liabilities (NDTL).
• This percentage is fixed by the RBI and is changed from time to time by the central bank itself.
• NDTL for banking refers to the aggregate savings account, current account and fixed deposit balances held by a bank. 
• Currently, the CRR is fixed at 4.50%. This means that for every Rs 100 worth of deposits, the bank has to keep Rs 4.5 with the RBI.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recently launched the Indian Web Browser Development Challenge (IWBDC).

About India Web Browser Development Challenge (IWBDC):

• The challenge is spearheaded by MeitY in collaboration with the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) and the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Bangalore. 
• The Challenge seeks to inspire and empower technology enthusiasts, innovators, and developers from all corners of the country to create an indigenous web browser. 
• The desired browser will have its own trust store, use a root certificate from India's CCA, and offer cutting-edge functionalities and enhanced security & data privacy protection features.
• As part of the challenge the government has announced a cash prize of Rs 3.4 croresfor the developers.
• Qualifications for Participants:
• The Indian Tech Start-ups, MSMEs, Companies, and LLPs registered in India under the Companies Act 2013 can apply.
• The entity must have at least 51% shareholding with Indian citizens or persons of Indian origin.
• The applicant's entity should not be a subsidiary company of any foreign corporation.
• Participants can apply either as “individuals” or “organization”. Members applying as “individuals” should have a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 7 members in their Group.
• All other applicants (Startups, MSME, etc.) should apply under the “organization” category only.
• Desired features in an Indian web browser: The ministry has also laid down the features desired in an Indian web browser.
• It must be compatible with all platforms, including iOS, Android and Desktop.
• It should offer built-in accessibility support.
• The browser should also have the ability to digitally sign the documents using a crypto token.
• It should also have parental control and a web filter for child-friendly browsing.
• It should come with support for Web3 and compliance with W3C standards.
• Lastly, it should also support all the official Indian languages.

Key Facts about Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA):

• The Information Technology Act 2000 (IT Act) providesforthe CCA.
• Function: To license and regulate the working of Certifying Authorities (CAs). 
• The CAs issue digital signature certificates for electronic authentication of users.
• The CCA also maintains the National Repository of Digital Certificates (NRDC), which contains all the certificates issued by all the CAs in the country.
• Its aim is to promote the growth of e-Commerce and e-Governancethrough a wide use of digital signatures.
• The Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) is appointed by the Central Government under section 17 of the IT Act.

Hence both statements are not correct.

Union Health & Family Welfare Minister recently said India is committed to eradicating Lymphatic Filariasis by 2027, surpassing the global target by three years.

About Lymphatic Filariasis:

• Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease.
• Infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes. This impairs the lymphatic system and can lead to the abnormal enlargement of body parts, causing pain, severe disability and social stigma. 
• Cause: It s caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea. There are 3 types of these thread-like filarial worms:
• Wuchereria bancrofti, which is responsible for 90% of the cases.
• Brugia malayi, which causes most of the remainder of the cases.
• Brugia timori, which also causes the disease.
• Adult worms nest in the lymphatic vessels and disrupt the normal function of the lymphatic system. The worms can live for approximately 6–8 years and, during their lifetime, produce millions of microfilariae (immature larvae) that circulate in the blood.
• Transmission: Mosquitoes are infected with microfilariae by ingesting blood when biting an infected host. Microfilariae mature into infective larvae within the mosquito. When infected mosquitoes bite people, mature parasite larvae are deposited on the skin, from where they can enter the body. 
• Symptoms: About two in every three people who have lymphatic filariasis don’t have severe symptoms. But filariasis usually leads to a weakened immune system. Some people may experience:
• Inflammation: An overactivated immune system.
• Lymphedema: Fluid buildup in your lymphatic system.
• Hydrocele: Swelling and fluid buildup in the scrotum.
• Edema: Swelling and fluid buildup in your arms, legs, breasts and female genitals (vulva).
• Treatment:
• Elimination of lymphatic filariasis is possible by stopping the spread of the infection through preventive chemotherapy.
• The WHO-recommended preventive chemotherapy strategy for lymphatic filariasis elimination is mass drug administration (MDA).
• MDA involves administering an annual dose of medicines to the entire at-risk population.
• The medicines used have a limited effect on adult parasites but effectively reduce the density of microfilariae in the bloodstream and prevent the spread of parasites to mosquitoes.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Foreign investors from Mauritius, Cyprus and Singapore have been on the receiving end of a number of notices for gains from investment in Compulsorily Convertible Debentures (CCDs) issued by Indian companies.

• It is a type of bond which must be converted into stock by a specified date.
• It is classified as a hybrid security, as it is neither purely a bond nor purely a stock.
• A debenture comes in two forms
• Non-convertible debenture: It cannot be converted into equity shares of the issuing company. Instead, debenture holders receive periodic interest payments and get back their principal at the maturity date, just like most bondholders.
• The interest rate attached to them is higher than for convertible debentures.
• Convertible debentures: May be converted into the company’s equity after a set period of time. That convertibility is a perceived advantage, so investors are willing to accept a lower interest rate for purchasing convertible debentures.

What is a debenture?

• A debenture is a medium- to long-term debt security issued by a company as a means of borrowing money at a fixed interest rate.
• Unlike most investment-grade corporate bonds, it is not secured by collateral.
• It is backed only by the full faith and credit of the issuing company.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Union Minister of State for Ministry of Textiles informed Lok Sabha about Cott-Ally App.

• The Cotton Corporation of India Limited has developed a mobile app - “Cott-Ally” exclusively for the cotton farmers.
• Objective:
• To maximise the use of the digital media among the farmers to increase the reach of all government schemes especially in the cotton farming sector.
• To have direct interaction and outreach with the cotton farmers in their regional languages.
• The various features of “Cott-Ally” are as follows:
• Easy to operate in regional languages.
• MSP cotton rates state-wise, variety-wise and quality-wise can be seen.
• Farmers can track real time payment status of their kapas sold to CCI under MSP.
• Contact details of procurement centers opened by the CCI.
• Direct interaction with CCI through Live chat to resolve doubts & grievances, if any.
• General information on quality management of cotton crop and other related information.
• Can be downloaded from google play store for android mobile/app store for Apple mobile.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Indian Navy and United Arab Emirates to conduct bilateral exercise ‘Zayed Talwar from 8th to 11 August 2023.

• Two ships of the Indian Navy, INS Visakhapatnam, and INS Trikand are participating in the exercise.
• During the visit, the ships will undertake professional interactions with UAE Naval Force on multiple elements of maritime operations.
• They will further share best practices to enhance cooperation and strengthen ties between the two navies.
• This exercise will boost the maritime partnership between the two navies and foster a common understanding of the security challenges in the region.

Hence, option d is the correct answer.