Daily Current Affairs MCQ- November 28, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the authorities in China have reported an increase in the incidence of respiratory diseases and have attributed this to the circulation of various pathogens such as mycoplasma pneumonia.

• It’s a type of bacteria but acts more like a virus and spreads faster from person to person.
• It infiltrates both sides of the lungs, increasing cough and breathing difficulties.
• It damages the lining of the respiratory system (throat, lungs, windpipe).
• Symptoms
• It is not that rapidly infectious as a virus but it can affect our throat and our nasal cavities and descend to the lungs very quickly, causing pneumonia.
• Signs include the breakup of red blood cells, a skin rash and joint pain.
• Children may report a stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, watery eyes, wheezing, vomitting and diarrhoea.
• Who is at risk?
• The bacteria can cause pneumonia in any age group, especially in children, elderly or those with weakened lungs.
• Vulnerable groups, who already have respiratory issues, are prone to developing this infection in a severe form.
• Treatment: There are multiple antibiotics which are effectively cure this infection.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, for the first time, scientists were able to visualise plants sensing compounds green leaf volatiles (GLVs) released by other plants in danger.

• It represents an important group of plant volatiles.
• They consist of six carbon (C6) compounds including alcohols, aldehydes and esters and are released from almost every plant.
• The release of GLVs is caused by mechanical damage or herbivory by fungal or bacterial infection.
• These are implicated in panoply of interactions; they have been reported to repel or attract herbivores and their natural enemies. 
• Plants have two major defence mechanisms, involving a chain of molecular reactions.
• The reactions are triggered when a plant is damaged and GLVs are released as by-products. (By mounting a defence response, plants can make themselves less palatable or even indigestible to the insect attackers.)
• The molecular cascade is mediated by calcium, a common mediator of chemical and electrical signals found throughout biology.

What are Volatiles?

• These are elements or compounds that change from solid or liquid state into vapour at relatively low temperatures.
• The most common volatiles are carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ammonia, hydrogen, methane, sulphur dioxide and water which are abundant in nature and necessary to living organisms.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Election Commission recently withdrew the permission given to the Telangana government to disburse the financial aid to farmers under the Rythu Bandhu Scheme.

About Rythu Bandhu Scheme:

• The Rythu Bandhu scheme, also known as the Farmer's Investment Support Scheme (FISS), is a welfare programme for farmers started by the Telangana government in 2018.
• The objective of this scheme is twofold:
• to provide a timely cash grant for the initial investment needs of farmers
• to ensure that farmers do not fall into the debt trap.
• Under the scheme, financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per acre per farmer each season is directly transferred to each farmer's account.
• This financial support was distributed biannually, allocated for both the kharif and rabi harvests.
• The assistance can be used for the purchase of inputs like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, labour, and other investments in the field operations of Farmer’s choice for the crop season.
• Eligibility:
• The scheme is open to all resident farmers in the state who own land.
• Farmers cultivating the land in the forest, a majority of them from Scheduled Tribe communities and having a Record of Forest Rights (ROFR) document, are also eligible to receive benefits under the scheme.
• It is the country's first direct farmer investment support scheme where cash is paid directly to the beneficiary.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

An animal keeper died after being attacked by a Himalayan black bear in the animal’s enclosure at Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) recently.

About Himalayan Black Bear:

• It is a subspecies of the Asian black bear.
• Scientific Name: Ursus thibetanus laniger
• Distribution:
• They live a lot in the Himalayas, in Tibet, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and China.
• In India, they are found throughout the Himalayas, from Jammu & Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, and in hilly regions of other north- eastern states.
• Habitat:
• The species prefers heavily forested, broadleaved, and coniferous forests as habitat.  
• It uses orchards, agricultural fields, and human habitation to move between forest patches.
• Features:
• It has soft and shiny hair, with a white V patch on their chest. 
• On average, they range from1.4 to 1.7 metres in length and weigh from 90 to 200 kg (the higher figure only likely just prior to hibernation). 
• Life span: 25 to 30 years in the wild.
• Food: They are omnivorous creatures (like most bears). Their diet consists of acorns, nuts, fruit, honey, roots, and various insects such as termites and beetle larvae.
• Behaviour:  Naturally diurnal but many are largely nocturnal in order to avoid contact with humans.
• Conservation Status:

IUCN Red List: Vulnerable 

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

India's first multi-wavelength space telescope, AstroSat, has successfully detected its 600th Gamma-ray Burst (GRB), an event named GRB 231122B.

About AstroSat:

• It is India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory aimed at studying celestial sources in X-ray, optical, and UV spectral bands simultaneously.
• AstroSat, with a lift-off mass of 1515 kg, was launched by the Indian launch vehicle PSLV from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on September 28, 2015, into a 650 km orbit inclined at an angle of 6 degrees to the equator.
• The spacecraft control center at Mission Operations Complex (MOX) of ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru, manages the satellite during its entire mission life. 
• The minimum useful life of the AstroSat mission is around 5 years.
• It carries a total of five scientific payloads enabling imaging and studying the temporal and spectral properties of galactic and extra- galactic cosmic sources in a wide range of wavelengths on a common platform.
• Scientific Objectives:
• To understand high energy processes in binary star systems containing neutron stars and black holes.
• Estimate magnetic fields of neutron stars.
• Study star birth regions and high energy processes in star systems lying beyond our galaxy.
• Detect new briefly bright X-ray sources in the sky.
• Perform a limited deep-field survey of the Universe in the Ultraviolet region.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

The Indian Army "forged thunderstorms" at 11,500 feet near the Zojila Pass to stay battle-ready as the harsh winter set in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

About Zojila Pass:

• Zojila Pass, also known as ‘The Mountain Pass of Blizzards’, is a high mountain pass located in the Kargil district of Ladakh.
• It is located on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway (NH-1) at a height of 11,650 feet.
• It lies in the Greater Himalayan Range.
• The pass remains closed for almost half of the year due to heavy snowfall.
• History:
• It was the site of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947-48.
• It was captured by militias aided by the Pakistan Army in 1848, with the ultimate aim of capturing Ladakh.
• However, the pass itself was captured by the Indian Army on 1st November 1948, in an assault codenamed Operation Bison.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a stunning image of the dense center of Milky Way galaxy with clarity never seen before.

• It is the star-forming region known situated approximately 300 light-years from the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*.
• It is revealing a bustling cluster of protostars within an infrared-dark cloud.
• These nascent stars are in the process of accumulating mass, their outflows glowing intensely in the infrared spectrum, akin to embers in a cosmic bonfire.
• The cloud that protostars are emerging from is so dense that the light from stars behind it cannot reach Webb.
• Scattered throughout are smaller infrared-dark clouds, akin to celestial voids against the starry backdrop, signaling the birthplaces of future stars.
• Webb's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) has detected extensive emissions from ionised hydrogen on the periphery of the dark cloud, highlighted in a striking cyan hue.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

The 17th edition of Joint Military Exercise SURYA KIRAN will be conducted in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand from 24th November to 07th December 2023.

• It is a joint military exercise between Indian army and Nepal army.
• It is an annual event and conducted alternatively in the two countries.
• The Indian Army contingent comprising of 354 personnel is being led by a Battalion from the KUMAON Regiment. The Nepal Army contingent is represented by Tara Dal Battalion.
• Aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability in jungle warfare, counter terrorism operations in mountainous terrain and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief under United Nations Charter on peace keeping operations.
• The exercise will focus on employment of drones and counter drone measures, medical training, aviation aspects and also environment conservation.
• The exercise will provide a platform for soldiers from India and Nepal to exchange ideas and experiences; share best practices and foster a deeper understanding of each other’s operational procedures.
• This exercise signifies the strong bonds of friendship, trust, common cultural linkages that exist between India and Nepal.
• It sets the stage for a productive and fruitful engagement, showcasing the unwavering commitment of both nations towards broader defence cooperation.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

 The Credit Guarantee Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) Scheme has approved a credit guarantee of Rs. 1 lakh crore in just 7 months of the current financial year 2023-24.

• It was launched in 2000.
• Funding: The corpus of CGTMSE is being contributed by the Government of India and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) in the ratio of 4:1.
• Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) is jointly set up by Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to catalyse flow of institutional credit to Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs).
• CGTMSE has been instrumental in providing guarantee cover to collateral and/or third party guarantee free credit facilities extended by eligible Member Lending Institution [MLIs] to MSEs.

Key points about Small Industries Development Bank of India

• It was established under an Act of Parliament in 1990.
• It is the Principal Financial Institution engaged in the promotion, financing & development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector and the coordination of the functions of the various institutions engaged in similar activities.
• The main objective of SIDBI is to offer loans (both direct and indirect) to MSMEs to help in addressing the development and financial gaps in the ecosystem of MSMEs. 
• SIDBI helps MSMEs in acquiring the funds they require to grow, market, develop and commercialize their technologies and innovative products. 
• It was made responsible for administering Small Industries Development Fund and National Equity Fund.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently the Manipur Government has expressed its reservations to the Centre over a hydro-electric modernisation plan in the state’s famous Loktak Lake saying it could be detrimental to Sangai deer.

• It is subspecies of Eld's deer endemic to Manipur.
• It also has immense cultural relevance to Manipur.
• Distribution: It is found only in Keibul Lamjao National Park – the largest single mass of phumdi is in the Loktak Lake – in Manipur’s Bishnupur district.
• Appearance
• It is a medium-sized deer, with uniquely distinctive antlers, with extremely long brow tine, which form the main beam.
• The forward protruding beam appears to come out from the eyebrow, hence called the brow-antlered deer.
• It has a dark reddish-brown winter coat, which turns paler in summer.
• The deer walks on the hind surface of its pasterns with mincing hops over floating foliage, and is hence also called the Dancing Deer.
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Critically Endangered
• The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Schedule-1

Hence both statements are correct.