Daily Current Affairs MCQ- October 30, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

For the first time Bru refugees will not participate in elections in Mizoram as they were given permanent settlement in Tripura under a Central government sponsored rehabilitation arrangement.

• Bru, also known Reang is a community indigenous to the Northeast, living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram, and Assam.
• In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
• They belong to Indo-Mongoloid racial stock. Their languages have an affinity with Austro-Asiatic groups under the Tibeto-Burman family.
• Ethnically they are divided into 2 major clans namely Meska and Molsoi.
• They speak a language known as “Kaubru” which has a tonal effect on the Kuki language though broadly it is the Kok-Borok dialect.
• Occupation: They are still a nomadic tribe and a large number among them maintain their livelihood involving Hilltop Jhum Cultivation and other food gathering activities.
• They believe in spirits and the existence of a soul.
• By religion they are Hindus and most of their deities are akin to gods and goddesses of the Hindu faith.
• They are traditionally endogamous and does not marry outside their community.
• In their tradition the village council chief known as “RAI” permits Divorce and Widow marriage.

Hence both statements are correct.

The forest department of Tamil Nadu is preparing to augment waterbodies to attract more birds as the migratory season at Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary set to peak.

• Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary was established in the year of 1967 and is situated in the state of Tamil Nadu.
• It houses the famous bird sanctuary of Vedaranyam and the Talaignayar forests.
• It is flanked by the Bay of Bengal in the east, and Palk Strait in the south.
• It primarily focuses on the protection and conservation of the black antelopes, an endangered and endemic species that are found in this region. 
• It is designated as a Ramsar site.
• Flora: It has mangroves, tropical evergreen forests, and grassland ecosystems.
• Fauna: Wild boar, macaque, black buck, chital, Great flamingo, Painted Stork, Little Stint, Seagull and Brown-headed gull are normally found in the sanctuary.

Hence option (b) is the correct answer.

Recently, the Karnataka Forest Department, along with the Wildlife Trust of India, has launched the Hostile Activity Watch Kernel (HAWK) system.

• It is Cloud Based Information Management System designed to manage interlinked databases of wildlife crime, wildlife criminals, and wildlife mortality.
• It will help officials analyse the information and develop actionable intelligence to prevent wildlife crimes and curb Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT).
• Features
• The system connect the entire state forest department in real-time and the access is restricted through access levels.
• This system is a large ERP model cloud based system which use mobile and desk top interfaces to manage data.
• The entire HAWK system is divided into various modules which are interconnected with individual stand alone functions.
• This enables the system to be scaled up or down as per the need of the state forest department and ensure customization opportunity for each state to accommodate the changes in procedures and also to accommodate the interface in regional language. 
•  All the data managed by the HAWK system is secured with the government and industry standard security measures are applied to ensure data security.
• The development of HAWK started in 2017 in the state of Kerala by a joint team of Kerala Forest Department & Wildlife Trust of India.
• The system was officially launched in 2019 in Kerala and since then it is the official system of the state forest department.  
• The implementation of a customized version of HAWK initiated in 2022 in Karnataka in partnership with the ICT cell of Karnataka forest department and the system is being implemented across the state.

Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

Recently, the Indian Army and Indian Air Force contingent comprising 120 personnel departed to take part in the Joint Military ‘Exercise KAZIND-2023’ which will be conducted at Otar, Kazakhstan from 30th October to 11th November 2023.

• It is the 7th edition of Kazind exercise.
• The Joint Exercise between India and Kazakhstan was instituted as ‘Exercise PRABAL DOSTYK’ in the year 2016.
• After the second edition, the Exercise was upgraded to a company-level exercise and renamed as ‘Exercise KAZIND’.
• The Exercise has been further upgraded as a Bi-service Exercise this year by including the Air Force component.
• In this edition of the Exercise, both sides will practice conduct of Counter Terrorism operations in a sub-conventional environment under United Nations mandate.
• The contingents will jointly rehearse various tactical drills to include Raid, Search and Destroy Operations, Small Team Insertion and Extraction Operations etc.
• The scope of the Exercise also includes conduct of Counter Unmanned Aerial System Operations.
• Significance
  • ‘It will provide an opportunity for both sides to gain an insight into the tactics, battle drills and procedures of each other, which is a prerequisite while operating under the ambit of the United Nations.
  • The joint training will develop the necessary skills, resilience and coordination to conduct joint military operations in Semi-Urban and Urban environments.
  • Both sides will get a chance to practice drills on a wide spectrum of combat skills and mutually learn from each other.
  • The Exercise will provide an opportunity for the contingents to exchange views and share the best practices.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

Photocopying technology has revolutionized the way we copy, print, and distribute textual material.

• It is a set of techniques with which to duplicate some content using, among other things, light. However, the contemporary colloquial use of the word ‘photocopying’ refers almost exclusively to xerography.
• Both the word ‘xerography’ and the name ‘Xerox’ come from the Greek root-word ‘xero’, meaning ‘dry’.
• This is because xerography is a type of photocopying method whose process doesn’t involve messy liquid chemicals.
• Xerographic machines are in ubiquitous use around the world today to quickly and cheaply reproduce printed material.

How does xerography work?

• Xerography has a few basic elements.
• Photoconductive surface: A surface coated with a photoconductive material. Such a material, when exposed to light, allows electrons to flow through it (i.e. conducts electricity) but blocks them when it’s dark.
• This surface is negatively charged by placing a thin negatively charged wire with a high voltage next to it.
• Then, the sheet of paper to be copied is illuminated with a bright light. The darker parts of the paper – where something is printed, i.e. – don’t reflect the light whereas the unmarked parts do.
• This reflected light is carried by lenses and mirrors to fall on the photoconductive surface.
• In the parts of the surface where light falls, the photo conducting material will become conductive and allow the electrons near its surface to dissipate downwards (into a grounding).
• So the parts that remain negatively charged at the end of this step will correspond to parts of the paper-to-be-copied (TBC) where something was printed.
• Next, a powdery substance called toner is applied to the surface.
• The toner is positively charged, so it will settle where negative charge persists on the surface.
• The surface then transfers the pattern of toner on it to a sheet of paper. The paper has a stronger negative charge that causes the toner to jump.
• Finally, the toner is heated so that it melts and fuses with the paper. This is the paper that rolls out of the photocopying machine, the whole process having been completed in a few seconds.
• In practice, a rotating drum is used instead of a flat surface and the paper TBC is illuminated by a flashing or stroboscopic light or a moving scanner.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Kerala Police chief confirmed that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used in the multiple blasts that took place at the convention centre of a Christian religious group in in Kochi recently.

About Improvised Explosive Device (IED):

• An IED is a type of unconventional explosive weapon that can take any form and be activated in a variety of ways.
• IEDs are used by criminals, vandals, terrorists, suicide bombers, and insurgents.
• Because they are improvised, IEDs can come in many forms, ranging from a small pipe bomb to a sophisticated device capable of causing massive damage and loss of life.
• The extent of damage caused by an IED depends on its size, construction, and placement and whether it incorporates a high explosive or propellant.
• The term IED came into common usage during the Iraq War that began in 2003.
• Elements of an IED:
• It consists of a variety of components that include an initiator, switch, main charge, power source, and container.
• IEDs may be surrounded by or packed with additional materials or “enhancements” such as nails, glass, or metal fragments designed to increase the amount of shrapnel propelled by the explosion.
• An IED can be initiated by a variety of methods depending on the intended target.
• Materials Used as Explosives in IEDs:
• Many commonly available materials, such as fertilizer, gunpowder, and hydrogen peroxide, are used as explosive materials in IEDs.
• Explosives contain fuel and an oxidizer, which provides the oxygen needed to sustain the reaction.

Hence both statements are correct.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) recently awarded two highway monetisation projects worth Rs 6,584 in the toll, operate, and transfer (TOT) mode.

About Toll Operate Transfer (TOT) Model:

• In 2016, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) authorised the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to monetise public-funded national highway projects and approved the ToT model.
• In TOT Model, public-funded projects, operational for two years, are put up for bidding, wherein the right of collection and appropriation of fees is assigned for a predetermined concession period (30 years) to concessionaires (developers or investors) against the upfront payment of a lump sum amount to NHAI.
• Such assignment of rights shall be based on the toll revenue potential of the identified NH projects. 
• Operation and maintenance (O&M) obligations of such projects shall be with the concessionaire till the completion of the concession period. 
• The concessionaires for such projects shall be appointed through a transparent and uniform procurement process within the ambit of a pre-defined and approved implementation framework.
• It will help in the utilisation of the corpus (generated from proceeds of such project monetisation) by the Government to meet fund requirements for future development and O&M of highways in the country, including in unviable geographies.
• The TOT model has been developed to encourage private participation in the Highway sector.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Indian Navy recently commissioned Mahabali Tug Shoft Shipyard Pvt Ltd, Gujarat.

About Mahabali Tug:

• It is a 25-ton Bollard Pull (BP) Tug.
• This vessel, a creation of Shoft Shipyard located in Bharuch, Gujarat, is one of three such tugs commissioned as part of a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Defence and the Shipyard.
• It has been constructed in accordance with the classification rules set forth by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).
• It will assume a crucial role in aiding naval ships and submarines during berthing and unberthing operations, as well as in navigating through confined waters.
• It is equipped to enhance firefighting capabilities for ships both alongside and at anchorage.
• It is also outfitted for limited Search and Rescue Operations.

Key Facts about Indian Register of Shipping (IRS):

• Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) is an international ship classification society providing ship classification and certification as well as technical inspection services.
• The not for profit entity was founded in 1975.
• It is a member of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), which represents classification societies worldwide.
• IRClass Systems and Solutions Pvt Ltd. (ISSPL)is an organization promoted by the IRS and was set up in 2014.
• The two companies, IRS and ISSPL, form the brand IRCLASS, which provides survey, inspection, and certification services to the maritime and industrial sectors.
• IRCLASS is committed to promoting safe and environmentally friendly engineering practices through its services to the business community.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The tiger population at the Amangarh Tiger Reserve has increased from 21 mature tigers and six cubs in 2021 to 28 mature tigers and four cubs now.

About Amangarh Tiger Reserve:

• Location:
• It is located in Amangarh in Bijnor district in the state of Uttar Pradesh. 
• It is situated in the Terai region and covers an area of around 578 sq km.
• It shares its boundaries with Jim Corbett National Park of Uttarakhand. 
• It was originally part of the Jim Corbett National Park, and after the state of Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh, Jim Corbett went to Uttarakhand and Amangarh remained in Uttar Pradesh. 
• It was declared a tiger reserve in 2012.
• Flora: The vegetation of the tiger reserve is a combination of grasslands, wetlands and dense forest.
• Fauna:
• Mammals: Tiger, Elephant, Swamp Deer, Sambar, Cheetal, Hog Deer, Kakar, Langur, Sloth Bear, Porcupine, Otter.
• Birds: Hornbill, Red Jungle Fowl, Pea Fowl, Bengal Florican, Fishing Eagle, Serpent Eagle, Osprey, Woodpeckers, Shama, Indian Pitta, Paradise Flycatcher, Orioles, Emerald Dove.
• Reptiles: Monitor Lizard, Turtles, Python, Gangetic Dolphin, Mugger, Gharia etc.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

Recently, China has unveiled plans to restrict exports of graphite — a mineral crucial to the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) — on national security grounds.

• It is an opaque, non-metallic carbon polymorph that is blackish silver in colour and metallic to dull in sheen.
• Since it resembles the metal lead, it is also known colloquially as black lead or plumbago.
• It is formed by the metamorphosis of sediments containing carbonaceous material.
• It is a naturally occurring form of crystalline carbon.
• It is extremely soft, cleaves with very light pressure, and has a very low specific gravity.
• In contrast, it is extremely resistant to heat and nearly inert in contact with almost any other material.
• These extreme properties give it a wide range of uses in metallurgy and manufacturing.
• It is a good conductor of electricity.
• Molecular structure
• It consists of a ring of six carbon atoms closely bonded together hexagonally in widely spaced layers.
• The bonds within the layers are strong but the bonds between the layers are less in number and therefore are weaker.
• Graphite is the stable form of carbon.
• Applications: It is used in pencils, lubricants, crucibles, foundry facings, polishes, arc lamps, batteries, brushes for electric motors, and cores of nuclear reactors.
• It is mined extensively in China, India, Brazil, North Korea, and Canada.

Hence both statements are correct.