Daily Current Affairs MCQ- December 6, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

From civilians to the military, from precision scientific studies to urban planning and disaster risk estimation, Global Positioning System has significantly changed our expectations of where we are and our sense of place.

• The U.S. Department of Defence started the GPS programme in 1973 and launched the first satellite in 1978.
• The modern GPS satellite constellation consists of 24 satellites moving around the earth in six orbits.
• Each satellite completes two orbits in a single day.
• The overall programme has three main components:
• Space segment: It consists of the 24 satellites. The six orbits they occupy are all 20,200 km above the earth, and each orbit has four satellites at all times. In this configuration, anyone on the earth will be able to ‘see’ at least four satellites at a time.
• Control segment: It consists of a global network of ground-brd control stations and antennae that track the 24 satellites, make sure their performance is as expected at all times, and transmit commands.
• User segment: It pertains to the use of GPS in various sectors and applications. The major sectors include agriculture, construction, surveying, logistics, telecommunications, power transmission, search and rescue, air travel, meteorology, seismology, and military operations.

How does GPS work?

• Each GPS satellite continuously broadcasts a radio signal containing information about its location in orbit, operational status, and the time at which the signal is emitted.
• The signals are transmitted at the L1 (1,575.42 MHz) and the L2 (1,227.6 MHz) frequencies at 50 bits/second.
• The signals are encoded with code-division multiple access.
• This allows multiple signals to be transmitted in the same channel and for a receiver to be able to disentangle them.
• There are two encoding types: the coarse/acquisition mode, which civilians can use to access coarse GPS data, and the precise mode, which is encrypted and is for military use.
• Being an electromagnetic signal, the radio waves travel at the speed of light.
• If the receiver has access to signals from four satellites, it will have the information required to calculate its location in four dimensions (three of space plus one of time relative to the satellite clock) – and can thus accurately triangulate its location on the ground.
• This informs the need for every point on the earth being able to ‘see’ four satellites at a time.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, Meghalaya's Lakadong turmeric has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

• It is considered to be one of the world's best varieties of turmeric, with a curcumin content of around 6.8 to 7.5 per cent.
• It is darker in colour and is grown organically without the use of fertilisers.
• It is found in Lakadong area of Jaintia Hills, has high curcumin content.
• Other GI products from Meghalaya: Garo Dakmanda (traditional dress), Larnai pottery and Garo Chubitchi (alcoholic beverage) were also awarded the GI tag, 

What is Curcumin?

• It is a polyphenol which has been shown to target multiple signaling molecules while also demonstrating activity at the cellular level.
• It has been shown to benefit inflammatory conditions, metabolic syndrome, pain, and to help in the management of inflammatory and degenerative eye conditions.
• In addition, it has been shown to benefit the kidneys.
• The most of these benefits are due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

Recently, the Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj informed Lok Sabha about the Panchayat Development Index.

• It is a multi-domain and multi-sectoral index that is intended to be used to assess the overall holistic development, performance & progress of panchayats.
• It takes into account various socio-economic indicators and parameters to gauge the well-being and development status of the local communities within the jurisdiction of a panchayat.
• It would play a significant role for performance evaluation and progress assessment in achieving the localization of Sustainable Development Goals in rural area.
• Under this the Local Indicators Framework on nine themes of Localization of Sustainable Development Goals was prepared.
• The nine themes taken into account are poverty free and enhanced livelihood in village, healthy village, child friendly village, water sufficient village, clean and green village, village with self-sufficient infrastructure, socially just and socially secured villages, village with good governance, and women friendly village.
• Ranks: This Index ranks panchayats on the basis of scores and categorises them into four grades.
• Those with score under 40 per cent fall in grade D, 40-60 per cent in grade C, 60-75 per cent in grade B, 75 to 90 per cent in category A, while those scoring above 90 per cent will be categorised as A+.
• Significance
• It shall provide valuable insights into the areas that require attention for improvement within the rural areas under the jurisdiction of the panchayats.
• It helps in identifying disparities, achievement of development goals, and formulating targeted policies and interventions to enhance the overall well-being and quality of life of rural communities.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj informed the Lok Sabha about Gram Manchitra application.

• In order to encourage the Spatial Planning by the Gram Panchayat, Ministry of Panchayati Raj had launched the Geographic Information System (GIS) application “Gram Manchitra”
• This application facilitates and supports Gram Panchayats to perform planning at Gram Panchayat level using geo-spatial technology.
• It provides a single/ unified Geo Spatial platform to better visualize the various developmental works to be taken up across the different sectors and provide a decision support system for Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).
• Further, Ministry has launched mActionSoft, a mobile based solution to help in capturing photos with Geo-Tags (i.e. GPS Coordinates) for the works which have asset as an output.
• Geo-tagging of the assets is done in all three stages viz. (i) before start of the work, (ii) during the work and (iii) on completion of work. 
• This would provide a repository of information on all works and assets related to natural resource management, water harvesting, drought proofing, sanitation, agriculture, check dams and irrigation channels etc.
• Assets geo-tagged using the m-ActionSoft application is available on Gram Manchitra, enhancing the visualization of various developmental works in the Gram Panchayats.
• The assets created under the finance commission funds are geotagged with the photographs of assets by the Panchayats.
• Significance
• It will help Gram Panchayat officials develop realistic and achievable development plans.
• These tools provide a decision support system in the preparation of development plans viz. tools for identifying potential sites for development projects, asset tracking, estimating the costs of projects, and assessing the impact of projects.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Supreme Court recently clarified that for Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code to be applicable, there must be a common intention among all co-accused individuals, indicating a shared purpose and design.

About Section 34 of the IPC:

• Section 34 IPC states the acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention.
• The section explains that “When a criminal act is done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all, each of such persons shall be liable for that act in the same manner as if it were done by him alone.
• This provision, which creates ‘joint culpability’ for an act, deviates from a basic concept of criminal law, which states that a person is only responsible for crimes committed by himself and not for the actions of others.
• Section 34 does not state a specific offence. It only lays down the rule of evidence that if two or more persons commit a crime in order of common intention, each of them will be held jointly liable. 
• The punishment for this offence will be consistent with the crime they committed. For example, if the offence of murder has been committed in furtherance of a common purpose, each one of them will be held liable under Section 302 and Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code,1860.  
• Section 34 helps in ascertaining individual accountability in cases where it is difficult to prove individual liability for activities done in support of the common objective of all persons engaged in a criminal act conducted by a group.
• It is crucial to note that Article 34 does not require each accused to actively participate in every aspect of the criminal act. As long as there is a shared intention and active participation in the overall commission of the crime, each individual will be held equally responsible.
• For Article 34 to apply, the following essential ingredients must be present:
• A criminal act committed by multiple people.
• There must be a common intention of all to commit that criminal act. In reference to this principle, In the case of Hari Om v. State of Uttar Pradesh, it was held that “it is not necessary that there must be a prior conspiracy or pre-meditation; the common intention can be formed in the course of the occurrence as well.”
• Active participation of each accused: Each accused must have actively participated in the commission of the criminal act. A mere presence at the scene of the crime is not sufficient.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Protests were staged against a proposed dam project on the Painganga river in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra recently.

About Painganga River:

• The Painganga River (also known as the Penganga River) is the chief river of the Yavatmal district in Maharashtra state and flows along the south-east boundaries of the district in a winding, meandering course.
• Origin: It originates in the Ajanta ranges in Aurangabad district in Maharashtra.
• It is a major tributary of the Wardha River, the other major river in the district. The Wardha River flows into the Wain Ganga River to form the Pranhita River, which finally joins the Godavari River.
• It is acutely deep-rooted and difficult to be navigated.
• The total length of the river is 676 km.
• Major Tributaries: Include the Adan, Kas, Arunavati, Kayadhu, and Pus Rivers.
• The Penganga River gets flooded in the rainy and winter seasons and partially flooded in the summer.
• It provides irrigation to the Washim and Yavatmal districts in Maharashtra.
• There are two dams being constructed on the river, namely Upper Painganga and Lower Painganga. This dam is also known as Isapur Dam.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) recently organised the 40th Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) Deep-Dive training programme under the Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative.

About Cyber Surakshit Bharat Initiative:

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.
• It was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cybercrime and build the capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials across all government departments.
• It is an initiative to fortify the cyber security system in India with regard to the Government’s vision of a Digital India. 
• It was launched in cooperation with the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and various industry partners in India.
• It can be entitled as the first public-private enterprise of its kind.
• The partners involved in the origination of this scheme include chief IT companies like Intel, Microsoft, etc.
• Operation:
• It will be operated on three principles: education, awareness, and enablement.
• It will comprise a program of awareness on the importance of cybersecurity.
• The scheme will also include a number of workshops on the best enablement and practices of the officials with cybersecurity health tool kits for the management and mitigation of cyber threats.
• It will also conduct a number of training programs all over the country from time to time, which will be attended by CISOs and technical officials from the central government, state governments, PSBs, UTs, PSUs, defense PSUs and technical arms of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• Deep-Dive training programme:
• It specifically aims at educating and enabling CISOs to understand cyber attacks and get the necessary exposure to the latest technologies for safeguarding e-infrastructure.
• The training focuses on providing a holistic view of legal provisions, enabling CISOs to formulate policies for cybersecurity and build concrete cyber crisis management plans.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

A recent video of giant ancient salamanders living inside caves in southwest China has sparked awe and concern within the scientific community.

About Salamanders:

• A salamander is an amphibian with a slender body and a long tail.
• They encompass approximately 500 species of amphibians.
• Most salamanders look like a cross between a lizard and a frog. They have moist, smooth skin, like frogs, and long tails, like lizards.
• Distribution:
• Salamanders range in North America, Europe, Asia, the northern parts of South America, and North Africa. 
• The highest population of this genus concentrates in the Appalachian Mountains in North America. Almost one-third of their global population lives in North America.
• Habitat: They live in or near water or find shelter on moist ground and are typically found in brooks, creeks, ponds, and other moist locations, such as under rocks. 
• Features:
• Body: Their bodies are usually cylindrical in shape with almost flattened undersides. The body starts right after the head and is not separated by the neck.
• They have triangular-shaped heads with a wide mouth and two eyes on the sides of their heads. 
• Size: Their size varies with different species, ranging from 2.5 cm to 20 cm. The largest salamander in the world is the Chinese Giant Salamander, which can grow up to a length of 5 feet.
• They are cold-blooded and their temperature changes with their habitat.
• Regeneration: They are capable of regenerating lost limbs within a few weeks, including tails and toes, allowing them to survive attacks from predators.
• They are nocturnal.
• Some salamander species can be poisonous, and some even have teeth.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, a "super rare" creature Leopard Toby Puffer Fish that roams in the depths of ocean has been spotted off the coast of Australia.

• It is a deepwater reef species, which lives in deep water caves and reef slopes at an average depth of 50 to 100 meters.
• Scientific name: Canthigaster leoparda
• Appearance: It is characterized by clusters of black dots along the flanks of its pale body.
• It is also known as blowfish.
• Habitat: It is believed to have a thriving population in their deep-sea habitat.
• Puffer fish in general are known for their unique morphological appearance and features, especially their defensive mechanism of inflating and deflating.
• These small sea creatures pump water into their stomachs until they turn into the shape of a ball, larger than their normal body size, to evade predators.
• Distribution: It is usually found in the waters of the Philippines, Indonesia, Guam and Micronesia.
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Least Concern

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Gir indigenous cow breed is being promoted under Rashtriya Gokul Mission.

About Gir cow:

• It is an excellent dairy cattle breed well-known among the milk producers.
• It is known for its milk producing ability, good fertility, heat tolerance, easy maintenance, resistance to diseases and longevity.
• The name of the breed is derived from its place of origin, the “Gir” forest of Gujarat.
• It has the ability to adapt to the entire central belt and northern and southern stretches.

Key points about Rashtriya Gokul Mission

• It is being implemented for the development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds since December 2014.
• It is continued under the umbrella scheme Rashtriya Pashudhan Vikas Yojana from 2021 to 2026.
• Objectives
• To enhance the productivity of bovines and increase milk production in a sustainable manner using advanced technologies.
• To propagate the use of high genetic merit bulls for breeding purposes.
• To enhance artificial insemination coverage through strengthening the breeding network and delivery of Artificial insemination services at farmers' doorstep.
• To promote indigenous cattle & buffalo rearing and conservation in a scientific and holistic manner.

Hence both statements are correct.