Daily Current Affairs MCQ- September 14, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the Indian Air Force received the first C-295MW transport aircraft from Airbus in Seville, Spain.

• It is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tone capacity.
• It will replace the legacy Avro aircraft in the Indian Air Force (IAF) procured in the 1960s. 
• It is a versatile and efficient tactical transport aircraft which can perform a number of different missions.
• Under the contract, 16 aircraft will come in fly-away condition from Seville while 40 will be manufactured by Airbus jointly with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL). 
• Features
• The aircraft, with a flight endurance of up to 11 hours, can carry out multi-role operations under all weather conditions.
• It can routinely operate day as well as night combat missions from desert to maritime environments.
• It can also operate on short unprepared airstrips as it is capable of Short Take-off and Landing (STOL).
• It has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and Para dropping of troops and cargo. Short take-off/land from semi-prepared surfaces is another of its features.
• It can be converted into an air tanker that can deliver up to 6,000 kg of gasoline to fixed and rotary wing receivers by adding a detachable refueling kit.
• Airborne Early Warning (AEW):It has a cutting-edge radar with 360-degree coverage to give a complete picture of the airspace in its Airborne Early Warning variant.

Hence both statements are correct.

The red fire ant, one of the world's most invasive species, has been recently found in Europe for the first time, according to a new study.

About Red Fire Ants:

• Red imported fire ants, commonly known as fire ants, are a species of stinging ants native to South America.
• Scientific Name: Solenopsis invicta
• They are known for their aggressive behavior, painful stings, and large colony sizes. The ant can also damage crops and local ecosystems.
• Features:
• They are reddish-brown to reddish-black in color, with a characteristic coppery head.
• They are small ants, typically ranging from 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3-6 mm) in length.
• Their bodies are segmented, with a distinct two-part thorax.
• Stinging Behavior: They are infamous for their painful stings. They have a potent venomous sting that can cause intense burning and itching sensations in humans.
• Colony Structure:
• Fire ant colonies are organized and highly structured. They consist of thousands to hundreds of thousands of ants and multiple queens.
• Unlike many ant species that have a single queen, fire ant colonies are polygynous, meaning they have multiple reproductive queens.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The red fire ant, one of the world's most invasive species, has been recently found in Europe for the first time, according to a new study.

About Red Fire Ants:

• Red imported fire ants, commonly known as fire ants, are a species of stinging ants native to South America.
• Scientific Name: Solenopsis invicta
• They are known for their aggressive behavior, painful stings, and large colony sizes. The ant can also damage crops and local ecosystems.
• Features:
• They are reddish-brown to reddish-black in color, with a characteristic coppery head.
• They are small ants, typically ranging from 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3-6 mm) in length.
• Their bodies are segmented, with a distinct two-part thorax.
• Stinging Behavior: They are infamous for their painful stings. They have a potent venomous sting that can cause intense burning and itching sensations in humans.
• Colony Structure:
• Fire ant colonies are organized and highly structured. They consist of thousands to hundreds of thousands of ants and multiple queens.
• Unlike many ant species that have a single queen, fire ant colonies are polygynous, meaning they have multiple reproductive queens.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Union Cabinet recently approved the third phase of the eCourts Projects with a budget allocation of ₹7,210 crore.

About eCourts Project:

• The eCourts Project was conceptualized on the basis of the “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary – 2005” submitted by eCommittee, Supreme Court of India, with a vision to transform the Indian Judiciary by ICT enablement of Courts.
• Ecommittee is a body constituted by the Government of India in pursuance of a proposal received from Hon'ble the Chief Justice of India to constitute an eCommittee to assist him in formulating a National Policy on computerization of the Indian Judiciary and advise on technological communication and management-related changes.
• It is a Pan-India Project, monitored and funded by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India for the District Courts across the country.
• The Project envisages:
• To provide efficient and time-bound citizen-centric service delivery.
• To develop, install and implement decision support systems in courts.
• To automate the processes to provide transparency in accessibility of information.
• To enhance judicial productivity, to make the justice delivery system affordable, accessible, cost-effective, predictable, reliable and transparent.
• The Phase I of eCourts was concluded in 2015, in which 14,249 Court sites were computerised. Under Phase II, 18,735 District and Subordinate courts have been computerised so far.

Major Initiatives Launched under the Project:

• Case Information Software (CIS) based on customised Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) has been developed.
• National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) is a flagship project launched in 2015 for monitoring the pendency and disposal of cases in HCs and Subordinate Courts. 
• Virtual Courts (as of July 2022, there are 20 Virtual Courts in 16 States/UTs) and using Video Conferencing.
• An eFiling system has been rolled out for the electronic filing of legal papers with advanced features like online submission of Vakalatnama, eSigning, online video recording of oath, etc.
• eSewa Kendras: To make justice delivery inclusive and to mitigate handicaps caused by digital divide, eSewa Kendras have been rolled out to provide e-filing services to lawyers and litigants.
• National Service and Tracking of Electronic Processes (NSTEP) has been developed for technology-enabled process serving and issuing of summons. It has currently been implemented in 28 HCs.
• Secure, Scalable & Sugamya Website as a Service (S3WAAS) Website: A new divyang- friendly website in 13 regional languages to enable them to access the information using assistive technologies.
• IEC and Training: As part of the IEC campaign, several initiatives have been taken to educate the Judicial Officers, lawyers and public about the facilities available.

Phase III:

• The Phase III of the centrally sponsored project – to be implemented over four years – will see the digitisation of entire court records, both legacy and pending cases, at an estimated cost of ₹2,038.40 crore.
• It seeks to spruce up the digital infrastructure of courts by setting up 2500 new modern, virtual-friendly courts, establishment of 1150 virtual courts, and 4,400 eSewa kendras in all court complexes.
• Around 3,108 crore documents will be digitised as part of the project.

Hence both statements are correct.

Authorities in the UK say they are "closely monitoring" the spread of Epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD) that has been recorded in Spain, Portugal and Southern Italy recently.

About Epizootic Haemorrhagic Disease (EHD):

• It is an insect-born disease caused by a virus and affecting wild and domestic ruminant species.
• It has become an emerging disease in cattle, and was added to the World Organisation of Animal Health list of notifiable diseases in May 2008.
• It is a disease of animals, not humans, so there are no human or public health issues.
• The causative agent, epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), belongs to the Orbivirus genus.
• Transmission: EHDV is transmitted between ruminant hosts by Culicoides midges, tiny biting flies commonly known as “no-see-ums” or gnats that are smaller than mosquitoes and other flies. 
• Clinical signs: Fever, weakness, lack of appetite, more saliva than usual, difficulty swallowing, skin rash on the udder, bleeding (skin and internal tissues), swollen red skin near hooves, swollen lining of the mouth, mouth ulcers, difficulty breathing and sudden death (particularly in deer).
• Treatment: There is no treatment for HD in wildlife populations, and no commercially available vaccine to protect against EHD.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A new study has found a significant statistical correlation between thunderstorms occurring around the world and the formation of wispy cirrus clouds, which might increase global warming. 

About Cirrus Clouds:

• They are delicate, feathery clouds that are made mostly of ice crystals.
• They are thin and wispy in appearance, often appearing as delicate, high-altitude filaments or strands.
• Their wispy shape comes from wind currents, which twist and spread the ice crystals into strands.
• They are usually white or have a light gray color. In the daytime, they are whiter than any other cloud in the sky. 
• They are commonly known as "mare's tails" because they are shaped like the tail of a horse. 
• Typically found at heights greater than 20,000 feet (6,000 meters), cirrus clouds are composed of ice crystals that originate from the freezing of supercooled water droplets.
• They generally occur in fair weather and point in the direction of air movement at their elevation.

Other Main Cloud Types:

• Cumulus clouds:
• They are puffy clouds that look like puffs of cotton with a distinct white or light gray appearance.
• They have a relatively short lifecycle. They form, grow, and dissipate relatively quickly under stable atmospheric conditions.
• Cumulus clouds that do not get very tall are indicators of fair weather. If they do grow tall, they can turn into thunderstorms.
• The bottom of cumulus clouds are fairly close to the ground.
• Stratus clouds:
• They are low-level cloud formations that are characterized by their uniform and featureless appearance.
• They look like flat sheets of clouds.
• They typically cover the sky like a continuous, grayish or whitish blanket and are often associated with overcast or cloudy weather conditions.
• They may stay in one place for several days.
• They form at altitudes below 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level.

Hence both statements are not correct.

The Ministry of Skill Development recently launched the Skill India Digital (SID) platform.

About Skill India Digital (SID) Platform:

• SID serves as India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for the skill development, education, employment and entrepreneurship ecosystem. 
• SID Platform aims to bring all skilling initiatives under a single umbrella and provide skill development and entrepreneurial support to people.
• Built by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in collaboration with multiple industry players, the platform is part of the World Bank-assisted Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) programme.
• The platform aligns with the vision articulated in the G20 framework for building Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the digital economy.
• Features:
• More than 264 skilling courses from 42,623 centres across the country will be available under the platform.
• SID Platform application can be downloaded on the App Store and Google Play Store.
• It supports multiple Indian languages for inclusivity and uses Aadhaar-based eKYC for secure access.
• It is committed to being user-friendly, with an easy-to-use interface adaptable to various devices for accessibility.
• The platform incorporates Aadhar-enabled facial recognition technology as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to recommend customised courses to students.
• The platform also integrates government training programmes from both Central and State governments, creating a unified hub for skill development initiatives. 
• It has introduced Digitally Verified Credentials (DVCs), a secure and tamper-proof way to showcase skills and qualifications. Users can confidently present their qualifications in a digital format that is inherently authentic.
• Additionally, SID offers Digital CVs through personalized QR Codes for easy access to an individual’s skills and experiences.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Indian Army unveiled the Multi-Utility Legged Equipment (MULE) at the North Tech Symposium 2023 held recently in Jammu.

About Multi-Utility Legged Equipment (MULE):

• It is an autonomous load-bearing robot developed for the Indian Army.
• It has been manufactured for human-less intervention to locate and eliminate terrorists.
• Features:
• It is embodied with 360-degree cameras and radars that would help the operator to detect any threat and use the firing platform to shoot it down.
• It is an analog-faced machine, built with four legs and with a payload capacity of 12 kg.
• The equipment can be either operated on Wi-Fi or Long-Term Evolution (LTE), making it workable for distances up to 10 km from the location.
• It is controlled by an easy-to-operate remoter control.
• A firing platform can also be integrated into it.
• It is capable of taking up projects with pre-fed missions and is viable to be used in all terrains; it can be easily operated in snows and mountains as well.
• It can climb mountains hassle-free at upto 45 degrees and climb steps as high as 18 cm.

Hence option b is the correct answer.

Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered Madhya Pradesh government to stop the operation of cruise vessels as well as other motor-propelled boats in the Bhoj wetland.

• It consists of two contiguous human-made reservoirs, the upper and lower lakes located in the city of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
• The Upper lake is called Bhojtal (BadaTalaab) and Lower Lake is known as ChhotaTalaab.  
• The lakes are very rich in biodiversity, particularly for macrophytes, phytoplankton and zooplankton.
• It has more than 15 kinds of fishes and several vulnerable species including turtles, amphibians and aquatic invertebrates.
• It is designated as the Ramsar site in 2002.

Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

Recently, the government of India has set a deadline for mandatory implementation of the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for pharmaceutical companies which were revised in 2018, bringing them on par with World Health Organisation standards.

• Good manufacturing practice (GMP) is a system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards.
• It is designed to minimize the risks involved in any pharmaceutical production that cannot be eliminated through testing the final product.
• It covers all aspects of production; from the starting materials, premises and equipment to the training and personal hygiene of staff.
• The GMP system was first incorporated in India in 1988 in Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, and the last amendment was done in June 2005. WHO-GMP standards are now part of the revised Schedule M.
• There are around 10,500 manufacturing units in India out of which around 8,500 fall under Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) category.
• The country has about 2,000 units in MSME category in the country having WHO-GMP certification.

What are the new regulations?

• Companies with a turnover of over Rs 250 crore will have to implement the revised GMP within six months,
• Medium and small-scale enterprises with turnover of less than Rs 250 crore will have to implement it within a year.

Hence both statements are correct.