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

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.

Recently, several farmers raised the concern over “foot rot” disease in the saplings of the Basmati variety of paddy in the nurseries.

• It is also known as Bakanae Disease.
• It is a soil and seed-borne deadly fungus which is seen only in the Basmati variety of paddy.
• It is caused by ‘Fusarium verticillioides’ fungi.
• The infected saplings turn pale yellow and become elongated and later, the saplings start drying and usually die.
• Symptoms sometimes appear after transplantation and the infected plants first grow way taller than the normal plants and die after a few days.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

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.

The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recently alerted states about smaller outbreaks for five diseases—typhoid, malaria, dengue, scrub typhus and hepatitis A.

About National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC):

• It is an institute under the Indian Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The Director, an officer of the Public Health sub-cadre of Central Health Service, is the administrative and technical head of the Institute.
• History:
• The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), formerly National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) had its origin as Central Malaria Bureau, established at Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) in 1909 and following expansion was renamed in 1927 as the Malaria Survey of India. 
• The organization was shifted to Delhi in 1938 and called as the Malaria Institute of India (MII).
• In view of the drastic reduction achieved in the incidence of malaria under National Malaria Eradication Programme (NMEP), Government of India decided to reorganize and expand the activities of the institute to cover other communicable diseases.
• Thus in 1963 the erstwhile MII was renamed as National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) to shoulder these additional responsibilities.
• In year 2009,NICD transforms into National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) with a larger mandate of controlling emerging and re-emerging diseases.
• Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Functions:
• It functions as the nodal agency in the country for disease surveillance facilitating prevention and control of communicable diseases.
• In coordination with the State Governments, NCDC has the capacity and capability for disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and rapid response to contain and combat outbreaks. 
• It also deals with Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR), an emerging area of concern with far-reaching consequences.
• It also provides referral diagnostic support, capacity building and technical support to States/UTs in the country.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Law Commission of India recenly recommended against enlarging the period of limitation provided under Articles 64, 65, 111, or 112 of the Limitation Act, 1963, which encapsulates the law on adverse possession.

About Adverse Possession:

• It is a legal concept that allows a person who has unlawfully occupied someone else’s land for a certain period of time to claim legal ownership of that land.
• The claimant, or disseisor, must demonstrate that several criteria have been met before the court will allow their claim.
• In India, adverse possession has been a part of the legal framework for a long time and is rooted in the idea that land must not be left vacant and instead be put to judicious use.
• To claim adverse possession, the occupier must prove that they have been in continuous, uninterrupted possession of the land for at least 12 years and that their possession was open, notorious, and hostile to the true owner.
• The law of Adverse Possession in India is governed by the principle of The Limitation Law of 1963.
• As per adverse possession under limitation act, if over a due course of time or period, if an appeal is not made to revise any limitation, the current scenario of titles continues. 
• According to the Indian legal system, if a property owner fails to make a claim towards their property for 12 years, and the same tenant continues to occupy the property for 12 years, the ownership rights to the property is transferred to the tenant. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A sonic boom rattled US's Washington and Virginia recently after two F-16 fighter jets chased an “unresponsive aircraft” through the sky.

About Sonic Boom:

• A sonic boom is a thunderous noise caused by an object, like an aircraft, moving faster than the speed of sound.
• How is it formed?
• As the object zooms through the sky, the air molecules around it are pushed aside with tremendous force, generating shock waves along its flight path. 
• The release of pressure, following the shock waves’ buildup, is heard as the sonic boom.
• Sonic booms create huge amounts of sound energy.
• The intensity of the sonic boom is determined not only by the distance between the craft and the ground but also by the size and shape of the aircraft, the types of maneuvers that it makes, and the atmospheric pressure, temperature, and winds.
• Generally, a larger aircraft will cause stronger shock waves, and therefore, a louder sonic boom.
• If the aircraft is especially long, double sonic booms might be detected, one emanating from the leading edge of the plane and one from the trailing edge.
• Sonic booms can shatter glass, but there is generally little risk for people on the ground.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Union Minister of Science & Technology inaugurated the Lavender festival at Bhaderwah in the Jammu region.

• It is the 2nd year of the lavender revolution. Bhaderwah has emerged as the Lavender capital of India and an Agri StartUp destination.
• The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) in supporting farmers in the cultivation of Lavender in the Bhaderwah, Doda district, J&K under CSIR-Aroma Mission.

Key facts about CSIR-Aroma Mission:

• It is a flagship project of CSIR under which Lavender cultivation is being promoted in the temperate regions of J&K.
• It was launched under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• The project aims to increase the income of small and marginal farmers and develop agriculture-based Startups.

Hence both statements are correct.

Around 120 tribal women members of the Odisha state’s Van Dhan Vikas Kendras prepare laddus, cakes, jam, toffees, pickles, squash, pakodas and biscuits using dry mahua flowers and supply them in the local market. 

Key Facts about Mahua Tree

• It is mainly cultivated or harvested in the wild in South Asia countries for its edible flowers and oil seeds.
• It is commonly known as madhūka, madkam, mahuwa, Butter Tree, mahua, mahwa, mohulo, Iluppai , Mee or vippa chettu.
• It is a frost-resistant species that can grow in marginal areas of dry tropical and subtropical forests up to an altitude of 1200-1800 m.
• It can be found scattered in pastures, in crop fields in central India, and on river banks in semi-evergreen forests.
• It grows well where annual rainfall is between 500 mm to 1500 mm, and where temperatures are in the range of 2-46°C.
• It requires loamy or sandy-loam soils with good drainage and also occurs on shallow stony, clayey and calcareous soils.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, under the Department of Justice's (Ministry of Law and Justice) Nyaya Bandhu, Pro Bono Club, ICFAI Law School, The ICFAI University, Tripura, in association with District Legal Services Authority West Tripura, organized a Door-to-Door Legal Aid Campaign. 

• It is formed under Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free legal aid and services to the weaker sections of this society to make sure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen because of economic or other disabilities.
• It is a statutory body organized at the district level to provide effective monitoring of legal aid programmes and their composition.
• Legal Services Authorities are statutory bodies that are formed or constituted in the various states of India by the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Constitutional provision:
• Article 39-A: Deals with the provision of providing free legal services to the citizens of India.
• The provision applies to the citizens if they are unable to bear the expenditure of legal services. It also helps the defendant in a case by appointing a lawyer to act for him in legal aspects.
• Composition of DLSA
• It is a body that shall be constituted by the State Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
• The act provides that a District Authority requires the district judge as its chairman.
• It shall also consist of a number of other members who have the experience and qualifications as prescribed by the State Government.
• The members possessing such requirements may be nominated by the Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
• The person to be appointed shall belong to the State Judicial Service not lower rank than that of a Subordinate Judge or Civil Judge posted at the seat of the District Judiciary as Secretary of the District Authority.
• The Assistant Commissioner of the concerned District acts as the Member Secretary of the District Authority.
• The officers and other employees of the District Authority are entitled to salary and allowances and shall also be subject to such other conditions of the services as the State Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court prescribes

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

After digital payments and digital lending, the Reserve Bank of India is looking closely at platforms that facilitate direct, or peer-to-peer (P2P), lending between individuals.

• It is done through a website that connects borrowers and lenders directly.
• Those who want to lend money, open an account with a P2P platform as a lender. And those who require a loan register themselves as a borrower.
• It enables individuals to obtain loans directly from other individuals, cutting out the financial institution as the middleman.
• In 2017, the Reserve Bank of India brought this service under its regulatory purview.
• Only an NBFC can register as a P2P lender with the permission of RBI. Every P2P lender should obtain a certificate of registration from the RBI.
• The minimum capital requirement to set up a P2P platform is fixed at Rs. 2 Crores.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.