Daily Current Affairs MCQ- August 2, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

There has been a gradual increase in the population of Western Tragopan at Himachal Pradesh’s Sarahan pheasantry, the conservation breeding centre, bringing a glimmer of hope for its survival and growth.

• It is also known as the western horned tragopan, is amongst the rarest of all living pheasants.
• Due to its beautiful plumage and large size, this bird is locally known as ‘jujurana’ or ‘king of birds’.
• It is the state bird of Himachal Pradesh.
• Distribution: It is endemic to the northwest Himalaya, within a narrow range from Hazara in north Pakistan through Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, to the western part of Garhwal.
• The upper part of Great Himalayan National Park’s (GHNP) forest zone holds the world’s largest known population of western tragopan.
• It prefers a habitat of ringal (dwarf) bamboo beneath dense forest.
• Diet: It feeds mostly on leaves, shoots and seeds, but also consumes insects and other invertebrates.
• Threats: Habitat loss, hunting pressure and anthropogenic disturbances which includes livestock grazing, minor forest produce collection like medicinal herbs etc.
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Vulnerable

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, A constable of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) allegedly shot and killed four people on board the Mumbai-bound Superfast Express train.

• The history of the RPF dates back to 1882 when various Railway companies appointed their own guards for protection of Railway property.
• It was declared as statutory force in the year 1957 by an enactment of Parliament and subsequently declared as an armed force of the Union of India in the year 1985.
• In 2003, the RPF partially took up the duties of escorting of passenger trains and access control at the railway stations”.
• It is led by a director-general.
• It is an armed force under the operational and administrative control of the Union Ministry of Railways.
• It is tasked with protecting and securing railway property, the passenger areas, and the passengers themselves.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Computer Emergency Response Team of India issued an alert for ransomware dubbed Akira.

• It is designed to encrypt data, create a ransomware note and delete Windows Shadow Volume copies on affected devices.
• The ransomware gets its name due to its ability to modify filenames of all encrypted files by appending them with the “.akira” extension.

How does Akira Ransomware work?

• The ransomware is designed to close processes or shut down Windows services that may keep it from encrypting files on the affected system.
• It uses VPN services, especially when users have not enabled two-factor authentication, to trick users into downloading malicious files.
• The ransomware also terminates active Windows services using the Windows Restart Manager API, preventing any interference with the encryption process.
• It is designed to not encrypt Program Data, Recycle Bin, Boot, System Volume information, and other folders instrumental in system stability.
• It also avoids modifying Windows system files with extensions like .syn. .msl and .exe.
• Once sensitive data is stolen and encrypted, the ransomware leaves behind a note named akira_readme.txt which includes information about the attack and the link to Akira’s leak and negotiation site.
• Each victim is given a unique negotiation password to be entered into the threat actor’s Tor site.
• Unlike other ransomware operations, this negotiation site just includes a chat system that the victim can use to communicate with the ransomware gang.
• The ransomware found to target both Windows and Linux devices.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently performed the TransLunar Injection (TLI) to slingshot Chandrayaan-3 towards the moon.

About TransLunar Injection (TLI):

• It is a critical maneuver performed during space missions to send spacecraft from Earth's orbit to a trajectory that will take them to the Moon.
• It is a key step in lunar missions, enabling spacecraft to escape Earth's gravitational pull and travel to the Moon.
• When is it performed? The TLI is performed when the spacecraft is at a specific point in its orbit known as the ‘perigee’ or the closest point to Earth.
• How is it done?
• During a TLI, the spacecraft's propulsion system fires its engines to accelerate the spacecraft.
• The spacecraft gains enough speed to break free from Earth's gravitational pull and embark on its journey toward the moon.
• The amount of thrust and duration of the TLI burn depends on various factors, including the spacecraft's mass, its velocity in Earth's orbit, and the specific mission objectives.
• What happens next?
• Once the TLI is successfully completed, the spacecraft is put on a lunar trajectory, and it will continue its journey to the Moon without further propulsion from Earth.
• After the TLI, the spacecraft typically enters a transfer orbit, which is an elliptical path that intersects with the Moon's orbit.
• The spacecraft continues to travel in its highly eccentric orbit until it reaches the Moon's surface.
• As the spacecraft approaches the Moon, it may perform additional maneuvers, such as lunar orbit insertion (LOI), to enter into lunar orbit or land on the lunar surface, depending on the mission's goals.
• The TLI burn has been performed successfully on many missions to the Moon, including the Apollo missions, the Chang'e missions, and the Artemis missions.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A UNESCO heritage committee recently stopped short of listing Australia’s Great Barrier Reef as a site that is “in danger” but warned the world’s biggest coral reef ecosystem remained under “serious threat” from pollution and the warming of oceans.

About Great Barrier Reef:

• Location: It lies in the Pacific Ocean off the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia, in the Coral Sea.
• It is the longest and largest coral reef system in the world. 
• Size:
• It extends in roughly a northwest-southeast direction for more than 2,000 km, at an offshore distance ranging from 16 to 160 km, and its width ranges from 60 to 250 km. 
• It has an area of some 350,000 square km.
• It is composed of over 2,500 individual reefs of varying sizes and shapes and over 900 islands.
• It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.
• Much of the Great Barrier Reef is a marine protected area, managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority of Australia.
• Biodiversity: It is estimated that the reef is home to around 1,500 species of fish and around 600 different coral species.

Hence both statements are correct.

A new report has shown that Metaverse users will surpass 600 million by 2026 due to generative artificial intelligence (AI).

About Metaverse:

• It refers to a virtual or digital universe where people can interact with each other and digital objects in a shared online space.
• Origin of the term: The term “metaverse” first appeared in author Neal Stephenson’s 1992 science-fiction novel Snowcrash, which describes a future where millions of people use virtual avatars to participate in a cyberspace realm. 
• The metaverse is essentially an interconnected network of virtual worlds, augmented reality, and virtual reality environments accessible through the internet.
• In this digital realm, users can create avatars, socialize with others, engage in various activities, explore virtual landscapes, and even conduct business or trade virtual goods and services.
• Elements of the metaverse include virtual reality (VR) platforms, augmented reality (AR) experiences, online games, social media, virtual commerce, and virtual art galleries, among others.
• The metaverse aims to offer a seamless and immersive experience, blurring the lines between the physical and digital worlds.
• Companies such as Meta (formerly Facebook), Microsoft, and Roblox are all investing heavily in the metaverse, and it is seen as a potential major driver of growth in the technology industry in the coming years.

What is Augmented Reality (AR)?

• It is an enhanced version of the real physical world that is achieved through the use of digital visual elements, sound, or other sensory stimuli and delivered via technology.
• It overlays digital content onto real-life environments and objects. 
• AR works by superimposing digital information onto real-world objects to create a 3D experience that allows users to interact with both the physical and digital worlds. 
• Unlike Virtual Reality (VR), which creates its own cyber environment, AR adds to the existing world as it is.

What is Virtual Reality (VR)?

• It is a simulated 3D environment that enables users to explore and interact with virtual surroundings in a way that approximates reality as it is perceived through the users' senses. 
• The environment is created with computer hardware and software, and the users need to wear devices such as helmets or goggles (Virtual Reality headsets or helmets) to interact with the environment. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

According to a report by the least developed countries Group at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the Duty-free quota-free (DFQF) scheme remains unutilized by the LDC nations.

• What it is? The decision to provide duty-free quota-free (DFQF) access for LDCs was first taken at the WTO Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting in 2005. 
• India became the first developing country to extend this facility to LDCs in 2008, providing market access to 85 per cent of India’s total tariff lines.
• The scheme was expanded in 2014 providing preferential market access on about 98.2 per cent of India’s tariff lines to LDCs. 

Key facts about World Trade Organisation (WTO)

• It was set up on 1st January 1995 and was born out of the 1986-94 Uruguay Round of Negotiations.
• It is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations.
• It is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
• The main function of the WTO is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible.

Hence both statements are not correct.

The Indian Army generated a unique ecosystem for peaceful co-existence with wild elephants in Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary.

• It is located in the state of Assam.
• It comprises three Reserve forests-Khanapara, Amchang, and South Amchang.
• It stretches from the Brahmaputra River in the north to the hilly forests of Meghalaya in the south, forming a continuous forest belt through Meghalaya's Maradakdola Reserve Forests.
• Flora: Khasi Hill Sal Forests, East Himalayan Mixed Deciduous Forest, Eastern Alluvial Secondary Semi-evergreen Forests and East Himalayan Sal Forests.
• Fauna: Flying fox, Slow loris, Assamese macaque, Rhesus macaque, Hoolock gibbon, Porcupine. White-backed Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture.
• Tree yellow butterflies (gancana harina) are found at the Amchang wildlife sanctuary which is indigenous to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and northeast India

Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

Researchers have developed a smart bandage which can help treat chronic wounds.

• What it is? It is a soft stretchable polymer that helps the bandage maintain contact with and stick to the skin.
• The bioelectronics system consists of biosensors that monitor biomarkers in the wound exudate.
• Data collected by the bandage is passed to a flexible printed circuit board, which relays it wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet for review by a physician.
• A pair of electrodes control drug release from a hydrogel layer as well as stimulate the wound to encourage tissue regrowth.
• Biosensors determine the wound status by tracking the chemical composition of the exudates, which changes as the wound heals.
• Additional sensors monitor the pH and temperature for real-time information about the infection and inflammation.
• A pair of electrodes, the same electrodes that stimulate the tissue, control the release of drugs from a hydrogel layer.
• The wireless nature of the device sidesteps the problems of existing electrical stimulation devices, which usually require bulky equipment and wired connections, limiting their clinical use.

Hence both statements are correct.

World Environment Day is being celebrated across the globe on June 5 every year.

• United Nations Environment Programme is the leading global authority on the environment.
• Mission: To inspire, inform, and enable nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
• It is driving transformational change by drilling down on the root causes of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss and pollution.
• Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.
• Reports published by UNEP: Emission Gap Report, Global Environment Outlook, Frontiers, Invest into Healthy Planet.
• It provides secretariat functions for numerous multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and other entities as follows:
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora(CITES)
• Minamata Convention on Mercury
• Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions
• Vienna Convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol
• Convention on Migratory Species

Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.