Daily Current Affairs MCQ- March 10, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

By studying juniper timbers, researchers from Cornell University & Cyprus Institute found that series of droughts may have precipitated Hittite empire's collapse.

About Hittites:

• Hittites, were members of an ancient Indo-European people who appeared in Anatolia (also known as Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey )at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BCE.
• The Hittite language was a member of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family.
• The Hittite economy was based on agriculture, with the main crops being emmer wheat and barley.
• Although their civilization thrived during the Bronze Age, the Hittites were the forerunners of the Iron Age and were manufacturing iron artifacts from as early as the 14th century BCE.
• The Hittites were famous for their skill in building and using chariots.

Hittite empire:

• Between 1400 and 1200 B.C.E. the Hittites established one of the great empires of the ancient Middle East.
• The Hittite empire, with its capital at Bogazköy (also called as Hattusas), was the chief power and cultural force in Western Asia from 1400 to 1200 BC.
• The head of the Hittite state was the king, but other officials exercised independent authority over various branches of the government.
• After c. 1180 BCE, the empire came to an end during the Bronze Age collapse and splintered into several independent “Neo-Hittite” city-states, some of which survived until the 8th century BCE.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The indigenous Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is set to be tested again with some changes suggested by the Army.

About Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM):

• QRSAM is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile system designed to protect moving armoured columns from aerial attacks.
• It was designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). 
• The entire weapon system is configured on highly mobile platforms and is capable of providing air defence on the move. 
• Range: 30 km
• It is propelled by Single Stage Solid Rocket Motor.
• It can engage 6 targets simultaneously. 

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully tested the throttling of Vikas, its workhorse launch-vehicle engine.

About Vikas Engine:

• VIKAS (an acronym for Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai) engine is a family of liquid-fuelled rocket engines conceptualized and designed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre of ISRO in the 1970s.
• The early productions involved imported French components, which were later replaced by domestically produced equivalents.
• These engines are deployed for ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) series of expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. 
• The fuel load of the Vikas engine is 40 tonnes for the PSLV, GSLV Mark I and II, and 55 tonnes for the GSLV Mark III.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has proposed a review of corporate governance norms for a high-value debt-listed entity.

• An entity which has listed its non-convertible debt securities on a recognised stock exchange and has an outstanding principal value of listed non-convertible debt securities of Rs. 500 Crore and above will be categorized as a ‘High-value debt listed entity’
• 'Non-Convertible Debentures (securities) are long-term financial instruments which acknowledge a debt obligation towards the issuer.
• The debentures which can't be converted into shares or equities are called non-convertible debentures (or NCDs).
• To compensate for this drawback of non-convertibility, lenders are usually given a higher rate of return compared to convertible debentures.
• In India, usually, these have to be issued with a minimum maturity of 90 days.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Supreme Court recently banned all construction activities in the core areas of tiger reserves national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

• It is located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. This reserve encompasses the Patli Dun valley.
• The Ramganga, Sonanadi, Palain and Mandal, and Kosi rivers form the prominent hydrological resource for the Corbett.
• The core area of the reserve contains the Corbett National Park and the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary is part of its buffer area.
• Flora: The trees which contribute to the Flora of Corbett consist of evergreen Sal and its combined trees, the Sheesham, and the Kanju found extensively on the ridges.
• Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Hog deer, spotted deer, Samber etc.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, eight projects under the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) have been sanctioned and approved by the Government of India.

• The NICDIT is the implementing agency of the National Industrial Corridor Programme.
• The Government of India is developing various Industrial Corridor Projects as part of the National Industrial Corridor Programme.
• The Industrial Corridors are envisaged to be implemented by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in the form of a company set up under the Companies Act, 2013 as a joint venture between the central and the state governments.
• In 2016, the government approved the expansion of the scope of the existing DMIC-Project Implementation Trust Fund (PITF) and re-designated it as NICDIT.
• Nodal Ministry: Under the administrative control of the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, scientists at Tel Aviv University developed a bio-hybrid robot.

• A new sniffing robot equipped with a biological sensor that uses the antennae of locusts could help advance disease diagnosis and improve security checks.
• Locusts have an acute sense of smell, which the researchers have managed to harness into their bio-hybrid robot, making it far more sensitive than existing electronic sniffers.
• On the four-wheeled robot, the researchers placed the insect’s antenna between two electrodes that send electrical signals as a response to a nearby odour. 
• Each scent has a unique signature which, with machine learning, the robot’s electronic system can identify.
• Bio-hybrid robots are those that combine biological and artificial components, such as electronics and mechanics.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Quad has recently launched a public campaign, ‘Quad Cyber Challenge’ to improve cyber security across their nations.

About Quad Cyber Challenge:

• Under the challenge, QUAD has invited Internet users across the Indo-Pacific and beyond to become part of the challenge and practice "safe and responsible cyber habits.
• The challenge provides resources, including basic cybersecurity information and training for all users, from corporations to educational institutions, small businesses and individuals.
• The action in India is being coordinated by the office of the National Cyber Coordinator with the National Security Council Secretariat.

What is QUAD?

• The Quad, officially the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a group of four countries: the United States, Australia, India, and Japan.
• One of the primary objectives of the Quad is to work for a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

India's Ministry of Mines recently announced that 5.9 million tonnes of lithium reserves have been found for the first time in the country in Jammu and Kashmir.

Key facts about Lithium:

• It is a soft, silvery-white metal that heads group 1, the alkali metals group, of the periodic table of the elements.
• Features:
• It has the lowest density of all metals.
• It is the lightest of the solid elements. 
• It reacts vigorously with water.
• It has a body-centered cubic crystal structure.
• Occurrence:  
• Lithium does not occur as a metal in nature but is found combined in small amounts in igneous rocks.
• Lithium is found in brine deposits and as salts in mineral springs. Its concentration in seawater is 0.1 part per million (ppm).
• Major Reserves: Lithium reserves are concentrated in the lithium triangle in South America – Argentina, Bolivia & Chile, with 50% of the deposits concentrated in these regions. 
• Uses: Lithium is important in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras, and electric vehicles. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Kanpur’s GSVM Medical College has claimed that that it is the first one in the country to cure blindness through stem cell transplants.

About Stem Cells:

• These are cells with the potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body.
• Under the right conditions in the body or a laboratory, stem cells divide to form more cells called daughter cells.
• These daughter cells become either new stem cells or specialized cells (differentiation) with a more specific function, such as blood cells, brain cells, heart muscle cells or bone cells.
• No other cell in the body has the natural ability to generate new cell types.
• They serve as a repair system for the body.
• Stem cells are present inside different types of tissue. Scientists have found stem cells in tissues, including the brain, bone marrow, blood, and blood vessels, etc.
• There are two types of stem cells.
• Embryonic stem cells:
• These stem cells come from embryos that are 3 to 5 days old.
• These are pluripotent stem cells, meaning they can divide into more stem cells or can become any type of cell in the body. 
• Adult stem cells:
• These stem cells are found in small numbers in most adult tissues, such as bone marrow or fat.
• Compared with embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells have a more limited ability to give rise to various cells of the body.

Hence both statements are correct.