Daily Current Affairs MCQ- March 13, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the Minister of State for External Affairs participated in the 19^th The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Ministerial Meeting virtually from Bangkok.

• It is a regional organization that was established on 06 June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
• Member countries: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.
• The Chairmanship of BIMSTEC rotates according to the alphabetical order of the English names of the Member States.
• During the Third BIMSTEC Summit, the Secretariat was established in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• All member countries of this organization do not share a border with the Bay of Bengal.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Wednesday that it is partnering with the Italian Space Agency ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana) to build and launch the MAIA mission.

• It is a joint mission between NASA and the Italian Space Agency ASI.
• This will investigate the health impacts of air pollution in the world’s most populated cities.
• It will consist of the PLATiNO-2 satellite, which will be provided by ASI, and a science instrument that will be built at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
• The MAIA mission will collect and analyse data from the observatory, sensors on the ground and atmospheric models.
• The JPL hosts a pointable spectropolarimetric camera which captures images from multiple angles in the ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared and shortwave infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
• MAIA will focus on 11 primary target areas that include major urban centres across the world: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Rome, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Barcelona, Spain, Beijing, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Taipei, Taiwan; and Tel Aviv.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Biochemistry and Immunology in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute have made an important breakthrough in understanding what goes wrong in our bodies during the progression of inflammatory diseases.

• Scientists have found that an enzyme called Fumarate Hydratase is repressed in macrophages, a frontline inflammatory cell type implicated in a range of diseases including Lupus, Arthritis, Sepsis and Covid-19.
• Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system starts attacking your own tissues and organs.
• The condition primarily affects the kidney, but it also has an impact on the skin, blood vessels, connective tissue, heart, brain, and nearly every other organ.
• It is treated by immunosuppression via drugs such as mycophenolate, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab.
• The SLEDAI disease activity index is used for the prognosis of this disease.

Hence both statements are correct.

The New Yoke Times recently reported that the Pentagon — United States Ministry Of Defence — is blocking any evidence-sharing with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to punish Russia for the alleged atrocities in Ukraine.

About International Criminal Court (ICC):

• It is the only permanent international criminal tribunal.
• Background: It was created by the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (its founding and governing document), and began functioning on 1 July 2002 when the Statute came into force.
• Mandate: It investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
• HQ: Hague, Netherlands.
• Members: 123 nations are States Parties to the Rome Statute and recognize the ICC’s authority; the notable exceptions being the US, China, Russia, and India.
• Funding: The Court is funded by contributions from the States Parties and by voluntary contributions from Governments, international organizations, individuals, corporations, and other entities.
• Composition:
• Judges: The court has eighteen judges, each from a different member country, elected to nonrenewable nine-year terms.
• The Presidency: Consists of three judges (the President and two Vice-Presidents) elected from among the judges. It represents the Court to the outside world and helps with the organization of the work of the judges.
• Judicial Divisions: 18 judges in 3 divisions, the Pre-Trial Division, the Trial Division, and the Appeals Division.
• Office of the Prosecutor (OTP): OTP is responsible for receiving referrals and any substantiated information on crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court. OTP examines these referrals and information, conducts investigations, and conducts prosecutions before the Court.
• Registry: The core function of the Registry is to provide administrative and operational support to the Chambers and the Office of the Prosecutor.
• Jurisdiction of ICC:
• Unlike the International Court of Justice, which hears disputes between states, the ICC handles prosecutions of individuals. 
• The ICC is only competent to hear a case if:
• the country where the offense was committed is a party to the Rome Statute; or
• the perpetrator's country of origin is a party to the Rome Statute
• The ICC may only exercise its jurisdiction if the national court is unable or unwilling to do so.
• The ICC only has jurisdiction over offenses committed after the Statute’s entry into force on 1 July 2002.
• Relation with UN:
• While not a United Nations organization, the Court has a cooperation agreement with the United Nations.
• When a situation is not within the Court’s jurisdiction, the United Nations Security Council can refer the situation to the ICC, granting it jurisdiction.

Hence both statements are not correct.

Constitutional experts and opposition parties have termed the ‘non-election for the post of deputy speaker’ as unprecedented and unconstitutional.

About Deputy Speaker:

• Constitutional Provision w.r.t. Office of Deputy Speaker:
• Article 93 of the Constitution says that the House of the People (Lok Sabha) shall choose two members of the House to be, respectively, Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
• The article also says that when the office of Speaker/Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker.
• Election of Deputy Speaker:
• Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker is also elected by the Lok Sabha itself from amongst its members.
• He is elected after the election of the Speaker has taken place.
• The date of election of the Deputy Speaker is fixed by the Speaker.
• Term of Office:
• Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker remains in the office usually during the life of the Lok Sabha. However, he may vacate his office earlier in any of the following three cases –
• if he ceases to be a member of the Lok Sabha;
• if he resigns by writing to the Speaker; and
• if he is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the Lok Sabha. Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days’ advance notice.
• Role/Power of Deputy Speaker:
• The Deputy Speaker performs the duties of the Speaker’s office when it is vacant.
• He also acts as the Speaker when the latter is absent from the sitting of the House. In both cases, he assumes all the powers of the Speaker.
• Deputy Speaker is not subordinate to the Speaker. He is directly responsible to the House.
• He also presides over the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament in case the Speaker is absent from such a sitting.
• The Deputy Speaker has one special privilege, that is, whenever he is appointed as a member of a parliamentary committee, he automatically becomes its chairman.
• When the Speaker presides over the House, the Deputy Speaker is like any other ordinary member of the House. He can speak in the House, participate in its proceedings, and vote on any question before the House.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recent research said that coffee production across the world is threatened by synchronous crop failures, characterised by broad, simultaneous yield losses in various countries at the same time.

• The vast majority of the world’s coffee comprises two species — Coffea Arabica (Arabica) and Coffea Canephora (Robusta). Coffee, especially Arabica, is considered a sensitive crop, vulnerable to climate variability and change.
• Climatic conditions required for coffee production
  • It requires a hot and humid climate for its growth.
  • Temperatures ranging between 15°C and 28 °C
  • Rainfall: 150 to 250 cm.
  • Soil: Well-drained, loamy soil containing a good deal of humus and minerals like iron and calcium are ideal for coffee cultivation.
  • It is generally grown under shady trees.
  • Dry weather is necessary at the time of ripening of the berries.
  • It is grown on hill slopes at elevations from 600 to 1,600 metres above sea level.
• In India coffee is largely cultivated in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, among which, Karnataka produces the most with over 70% of the total output.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry will chair the sixth meeting of the National Startup Advisory Council (NSAC) in New Delhi today, March 11.

• It was constituted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Objective: To advise the Government on measures needed to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in the country to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large-scale employment opportunities.
• Composition of the council
  • Chairman: Minister for Commerce & Industry.
  • Ex-officio Members: Nominees of the concerned Ministries/Departments/Organisations not below the rank of Joint Secretary.
  • Besides the ex-officio members, the council has non-official members, representing various stakeholders such as founders of successful startups, and veterans who have grown and scaled companies in India.
• NSAC is playing an important role in identifying areas of intervention for the expansion of the startup ecosystem and ideating and nurturing national programs under the Startup India initiative. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Drugs Controller General of India directed drug manufacturers to stop using propylene glycol sourced from the Delhi-based firm that supplied the ingredient to Marion Biotech, whose cough syrups were linked to the deaths of 19 children in Uzbekistan.

• Propylene glycol is a synthetic food additive that belongs to the same chemical group as alcohol.
• Characteristics of Propylene Glycol
  • Propylene glycol is a synthetic liquid substance that absorbs water.
  • It is a clear, colourless, slightly syrupy liquid at room temperature.
  • It may exist in air in the vapour form, although propylene glycol must be heated or briskly shaken to produce a vapour.
  • It is practically odorless and tasteless.
• Propylene glycol is used to make polyester compounds and as a base for deicing solutions.
• Propylene glycol is used by the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries as an antifreeze when leakage might lead to contact with food.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the National Workshop of Bamboo Sector Development was conducted under the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) in New Delhi on 10th March 2023.

• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme started in the year 2006-07 and was subsumed under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), for the years 2014-15 and 2015-16.
• MIDH is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented from 2014-15 for the holistic development of horticulture in the country, covering fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew and cocoa.
• The aim of the National Bamboo Mission will focus on the development of bamboo in limited States where it has social, commercial and economical advantages.
• Nodal Ministry: Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC) under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
• Bamboo is majorly grown in North Eastern region and States including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

World Meteorological Organisation recently announced the constitution of an expert committee to evaluate the intensity and lifespan of Cyclone Freddy, which is on track to set a record as the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record.

About Cyclone Freddy:

• Origin: It originated off the northern coast of Australia and became a named storm on February 6, 2022.
• It crossed the entire South Indian Ocean and traveled more than 8,000 kilometers, affecting Mauritius and La Réunion, before making landfalls in Madagascar two weeks later and then Mozambique.
• Freddy was the first tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere to undergo six separate rounds of rapid intensification.
• It also holds the record for all-time accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) (storm strength during its lifetime) for the Southern Hemisphere.
• Freddy is fuelled by the energy provided by the warm ocean surface, consistently sourcing heat and moisture throughout its lifetime. 

Hence only statement 2 is correct.