Daily Current Affairs MCQ- October 1, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

• Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is a NASA space mission aimed at testing a method of planetary defence against near-Earth objects (NEOs).
• It is the first-ever mission dedicated to investigating and demonstrating one method of asteroid deflection by changing an asteroid’s motion in space through kinetic impact.
  • An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System.
  • Asteroids range in size and shape from 1-metre rocks to a dwarf planet nearly 1000 km in diameter.
  • They are metallic or rocky bodies with no atmosphere.
• The auto-rickshaw sized 600 kgs probe - DART, was launched from Earth in 2021, and it recently collided with football stadium-sized Dimorphos (about five billion kgs in mass), orbiting around the 780 metres wide primary asteroid Didymos (which poses no actual threat to Earth).
  • NASA has confirmed that the collision deflected the pair of space rocks' trajectory.
  • This method of kinetic impact is also known as the 'kick'
• DART is a joint project between NASA and the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), Maryland, US.
• International partners include the European Space Agency (ESA), the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), contributing to related or subsequent projects.

Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) jointly launched a Convergence Portal between Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).

• This launch will prove to be very important for the Food Processing Enterprises of the country.
• The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is implementing the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) - a medium to long-term debt financing facility started on 08 July 2020 for the creation of post-harvest management infrastructure and building of community farming assets. Benefits under the scheme include 3% interest subvention and credit guarantee support.
• Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) launched a centrally sponsored PPMFME scheme on June 29th, 2020 as a part of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” to enhance the competitiveness of individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment & promote the formalization of this sector.
• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojna is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries envisaged as a comprehensive package that will result in the creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Defence Research and Development Organization has conducted two successful test flights of Very Short Range Air Defence System missiles.

• The test flight was conducted at the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, Odisha.
• The Very Short Range Air Defence System is a Man Portable Air Defence System, designed and developed by DRDO in collaboration with Indian industry partners.
• The missile is designed to neutralize low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges. The design of the missile including the launcher has been highly optimized to ensure easy portability.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Swedish defence major SAAB announced plans to manufacture its Carl-Gustaf M4 weapon system in India.

• The manufacturing would be done by a new fully SAAB-owned subsidiary, Saab FFV India Pvt. Ltd. This is the first time, SAAB will be setting up a manufacturing facility for this outside Sweden.
• The technology will be transferred to India. The first product will roll out in 2024.
• The Army has been using the iconic Carl-Gustaf since 1976 and currently operates the Mk2 and Mk3 versions.

Hence both statements are correct.

Since the standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh in May 2020, the Army has deployed its entire range of medium-range artillery guns and long-range rockets in the region to augment its long range fire power as part of the reorientation towards the northern borders.

• The Army is now in the process of procuring another 100 K9-Vajra howitzers, which has already been approved by the Defence Ministry.
• The Regiment of Artillery is also in the process of inducting loitering mutations, while it is also looking at procuring tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Pinaka Multi-Rocket Launch System (MRLS) has been operationalised.
• The Army plans to convert all its artillery regiments to medium range by converting it to 155 mm standard. The process of completing the mediumisation process is likely to be achieved sometime around 2040.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Department of Youth Affairs of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (Government of India) will launch a month-long nationwide Clean India 2.0 from 1st -31st October, 2022 after the successful campaign of last year.

• The programme is being organised in all the villages across the country through the network of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), affiliated Youth Clubs & National Service Scheme Affiliated Institutions.
• This month-long nationwide programme will be launched to collect waste material mainly single-use plastic and create awareness among people.
• One crore kilogram of waste material including plastic and e-waste will be collected and disposed off with the support and voluntary participation of citizens.
• Hotspots for waste collection will be Tourist Places, Educational Institutes, Bus Stand/Railway Stations and the vicinity, National Highways, Historical and heritage buildings, religious places & surroundings, Hospitals and Water Resource etc.

Hence both statements are correct.

In a significant step towards ensuring long-term fertiliser availability for the farming community, India’s fertiliser companies- Coromandel International, Chambal Fertilizers and Indian Potash Limited signed an MoU with Canpotex, Canada on 27th September 2022.

• Potash, which is source of Potassium, is used both for direct application as MOP as well as in combination with ‘N’ & ‘P’ nutrients in NPK fertilizers.
• India meets 100% of its Potash requirement through imports. The country imports approximately 40 LMT MOP annually.
• Canpotex is a joint venture between leading fertiliser players, Mosaic and Nutrien, and markets Potash being produced at Saskatchewan region in Canada.
• It is amongst the largest suppliers of Potash globally, exporting around 130 LMT of product annually to more than 40 countries and has been one of the suppliers to India.

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has said that India is the first country with a cooling action plan based on energy efficiency and thermal comfort. He stated this while addressing the Ministerial Roundtable for Green Economy at the World Green Economy Summit at the World Trade Center in Dubai.

The India Cooling Action seeks to:

• reduce cooling demand across sectors by 20% to 25% by 2037-38,
• reduce refrigerant demand by 25% to 30% by 2037-38,
• Reduce cooling energy requirements by 25% to 40% by 2037-38,
• recognize “cooling and related areas” as a thrust area of research under national S&T Programme,
• training and certification of 100,000 servicing sector technicians by 2022-23, synergizing with Skill India Mission.

The following benefits would accrue to the society over and above the environmental benefits:

• Thermal comfort for all – provision for cooling for EWS and LIG housing,
• Sustainable cooling – low GHG emissions related to cooling,
• Doubling Farmers Income – better cold chain infrastructure – better value of produce to farmers, less wastage of produce,
• Robust R&D on alternative cooling technologies – to provide push to innovation in cooling sector.

Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

The Union Cabinet approved the Indian Railways’ ₹10,000 crore proposal for the redevelopment of three major stations — New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

• With the redevelopment, expected to be completed in 2.5 to 3.5 years, passengers will be able to enjoy facilities such as food court, waiting lounge, playing area for children, place to shop local products, proper illumination and lifts/escalators/travelators, among other facilities.
• The stations, which will make use of green building techniques with solar energy, water conservation/recycling and improved tree cover, will be integrated with other modes of transportation such as metro and bus.
• The government would be funding the redevelopment project so as to not put any extra monetary burden on passengers. Overall, the government is currently working on redevelopment of 199 stations, of which tenders have been issued for redevelopment of 47 stations.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Union Cabinet has approved the extension for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY-Phase VII) for a further period of 3 months i.e. October to December 2022.

• Under this welfare scheme, 5 kg of food grain per person per month is provided free of cost for all the beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) [Antodaya Anna Yojana & Priority Households] including those covered under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
• Financial implication for the Government of India has been about Rs. 3.45 Lakh Crore upto Phase-VI of PMGKAY.
• With the additional expenditure of about Rs. 44,762 Crore for Phase-VII of this scheme, the overall expenditure of PMGKAY will be about Rs. 3.91 lakh crore for all the phases.
• So far, PMGKAY has been in operation for 25 months as under:
  • Phase I and II ( 8 months) : April’20 to Nov.’20
  • Phase-III to V (11 months) : May’21 to March’22
  • Phase-VI ( 6 months) : April’22 to Sept.’22

Hence both statements are correct.