Daily Current Affairs MCQ- January 16, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, The Association of Man-made Fibre Industry of India (AMFII) has appealed to the Union Finance Ministry to accept the recommendations of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) on the levy of anti-dumping duty (ADD) on imports of Viscose Staple Fibre from Indonesia.

• Viscose is a type of rayon. Originally known as artificial silk, in the late 19th century, the term “rayon” came into effect in 1924.
• The name “viscose” is derived from the way this fibre is manufactured; a viscous organic liquid used to make both rayon and cellophane.
• Viscose is made from tree wood pulp, like beech, pine, and eucalyptus, but can also be made from bamboo
• As a manufactured regenerated cellulose fibre, it is neither truly natural (like cotton, wool or silk) nor truly synthetic (like nylon or polyester) – it falls somewhere in between.
• Chemically, viscose resembles cotton, but it can also take on many different qualities depending on how it is manufactured.
• It is versatile, Highly absorbent and Inexpensive fibre.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, Researchers from the University of Cambridge, the United Kingdom have developed a system that can transform polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic waste and greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels and other valuable products using solar energy.

• The researchers developed an integrated reactor with two separate compartments: One for plastic and one for greenhouse gases.
• The reactor uses a light absorber based on perovskite - a promising alternative to silicon for next-generation solar cells.
• Tests of the reactor under normal temperature and pressure conditions showed the reactor could efficiently convert polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles and CO₂ into different carbon-based fuels such as CO, syngas or formate, in addition to glycolic acid.
• The reactor produced these products at a rate that is also much higher than conventional photocatalytic CO₂ reduction processes.

What is Polyethylene terephthalate?

• It is a condensation polymer of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid.
• The by-product of the reaction is water so it is an example of condensation or step-growth polymerization.
• PET Plastic is a thermoplastic synthetic substance which malleable under heat and can be placed into nearly any shape.

Hence both statements are correct.

Prime Minister of India will inaugurate the 26th National Youth Festival in Hubballi, Karnataka on 12 January 2023.

• The National Youth Festival is being held on National Youth Day, which is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, to honour and cherish his ideals, teachings, and contributions.
• Since 1985, the Indian Government is celebrating the birthday of Swami Vivekananda as National Youth Day.
• Theme of the festival 2023: Viksit Yuva Viksit Bharat.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Government has sanctioned ₹154.84 crore to National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) for mineral exploration and boosting capabilities.

• What is it? NMET is a Trust set up as a non-profit body by the Central Government for the purposes of regional and detailed exploration of minerals using the funds accrued to it and in such manner as prescribed by the Central Government.
• Act: The Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015, (MMRDA) mandated the setting up of the NMET.
• Structure: NMET has a two tier structure.
• The apex body is the Governing Body, chaired by the Hon’ble Minister of Mines. It holds the overall control of the Trust.
• The Executive Committee, chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Mines, administers and manages its activities.
• Funding: To implement mandated activities an NMET Fund has been established. The NMET Fund receives money from holders of mining lease or a prospecting license-cum-mining lease, an amount equivalent to two percent of royalty paid in terms of the Second Schedule of the MMDR Act.

Functions of NMET:

• funding special studies and projects designed to identify, explore, extract, beneficiate and refine deep-seated or concealed mineral deposits;
• undertaking studies for mineral development, sustainable mining, adoption of advanced scientific and technological practices and mineral extraction metallurgy;
• detailed and regional exploration for strategic and critical minerals
• facilitating geophysical, ground and aerial survey and geochemical survey of obvious geological potential areas and rest of India;
• capacity building of personnel engaged in mineral exploration
• facilitating a national core repository for encouraging research in earth sciences and for evaluation of the mineral prospects;

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, Union Cabinet approved an outlay of ₹2,600 crore to promote payments using RuPay cards and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the fund will be paid to banks in view of the lack of a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for UPI and RuPay transactions.

• MDR also referred to as the transaction discount rate (TDR) is basically a fee that a merchant is charged by their issuing bank for accepting payments from their customers via credit and debit cards. ‌
• Before accepting debit and credit cards as payment the merchant must set up this service and agree to the rate.
• MDR compensates the bank issuing the card, the bank which installs the PoS (Point of Sale) terminal and network providers, and payment gateways for their services.
• The MDR sums up all the charges and taxes that electronic or digital payments entail. For example, the MDR can consist of bank fees that are charged to customers and vendors for making payments digitally. In the same way, MDR also includes transaction processing costs that the payment aggregator will pay to virtual or mobile platforms or to banks.
• MDR charges are expressed as a percentage of the transaction amount.
• The rates are dependent on the level of business transactions being processed, the types of cards (debit or credit) used by customers, and the value of the average transaction (also known as average tickets or average sales).

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, The President of India greeted fellow citizens on the eve of Lohri (which falls on 13th January 2023) Makar Sankranti, Magh Bihu and Pongal (which fall on 14th January 2023).

• Bihu is one of Assam's most prominent cultural events, celebrating the changing seasons.
• The festival of Bihu has three forms: Bohag Bihu, Kati Bihu and Magh Bihu. Each of these falls in the agriculture calendar.
• This day is considered auspicious in the Hindu lunar year as well and is known as the Makar Sankranti, i.e., the day when the sun begins its northward journey or Uttarayan and transitions into the Hindu zodiac sign of Makara.
• On this day the Sun God is worshipped in various parts of India in the form of different festivals such as Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Maghi (Punjab) and Uttarayan (Gujarat).

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, on National Youth Day, 82 best Agripreneurs who were trained under the Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business (AC&ABC) Scheme were awarded for their significant contribution to farmers through agri-clinic and agribusiness services.

What are Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Schemes?

• This is a mega flagship Scheme of Govt. of India implemented in the country in collaboration with NABARD since 2002.
• Aim: To transform unemployed youth into self-employed Agripreneurs through a 45-day free residential training in different parts of the country with a provision for availing loans and subsidies from the banks.
• It is being implemented by the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad in different states in the country with a network of 136 Nodal Training Institutes (NTIS) spread across all the states.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, For the first time in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has specified the identity standards for Basmati Rice.

• As per these standards, Basmati rice shall possess natural fragrance characteristics of basmati rice and be free from artificial colouring, polishing agents and artificial fragrances.
• It was issued to Brown Basmati Rice, Milled Basmati Rice, Parboiled Brown Basmati Rice and Milled Parboiled Basmati Rice.
• The standards are aimed at establishing fair practices in the trade of Basmati rice and protecting consumer interest, both domestically and globally. These standards will be enforced from 1st August 2023.

What is the Uniqueness of Basmati Rice?

• It is cultivated in the Himalayan foothills of the Indian sub-continent and is universally known for its long grain size, fluffy texture and unique inherent aroma and flavour.

What are the Climatic conditions required for rice cultivation?

• Temperature: Between 22-32°C with high humidity.
• Rainfall: Around 150-300 cm.
• Soil Type: Deep clayey and loamy soil.
• Top Rice Producing States: West Bengal > Punjab > Uttar Pradesh > Andhra Pradesh

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

By analyzing Antarctic ice cores, scientists have revealed the most detailed look yet at the planet's recent climatic history, including summer and winter temperatures, dating back 11,000 years to the beginning of what is known as the Holocene, according to a study.

About Holocene Epoch:

• The Holocene Epoch is the current period of geologic time.
• The Holocene Epoch began 12,000 to 11,500 years ago at the close of the Paleolithic Ice Age and continues through today.
• The Holocene begins at the end of the last major ice age and marks a "warm period" between ice ages.
• The Holocene is characterized with variable climate changes, from both natural and anthropogenic (human) causes.
• Another term that is sometimes used is the Anthropocene Epoch, because its primary characteristic is the global changes caused by human activity.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

As per revised estimates, India’s industrial output measured in terms of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) bounced back to rise 7.1% in November 2022, after plummeting 4.2% in October 2022 and this rise was aided by base effects.

What is a Base Effect?

• The base effect is the impact that selecting a different reference point for a comparison between two data points can have on the comparison's outcome.
• For Eg: In the context of inflation, the base effect is a distortion in a current inflation figure caused by exceptionally high or low levels of inflation in the previous reference period.
• If the inflation rate was low in the corresponding period of the last year, then even a small increase in the price index will give a high rate of inflation in the current year.
• When comparing two data points, choosing a reference point will be crucial as the base effect can highly distort or mislead the interpretation of numbers.
• The base effect could also result in major differences in percentage comparisons. If we chose a reference point that is too low, there could be an overestimation and if the base is too high, it could result in gross underestimation of the situation.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.