Daily Current Affairs MCQ- September 25, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

JP Morgan Chase & Co has announced it will include Indian government bonds to its emerging markets bond index from June 2024.

• It is a benchmark index for measuring the total return performance of international government and corporate bonds issued by emerging market countries that meet specific liquidity and structural requirements.
• Emerging market bonds are debt instruments issued by developing countries, which tend to carry higher yields than government or corporate bonds of developed countries.
• Total 23 Indian Government Bonds (IGBs) with a combined notional value of $330 billion are eligible.
• All fall under the category of "fully accessible" for non-residents.

Advantages of this inclusion

• This move promises increased demand for the Indian rupee, potentially buffering against depreciation.
• Lower borrowing costs can fuel essential infrastructure projects.
• Increased liquidity may foster more efficient trading conditions.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Annular solar eclipse will occur on October 14 and will be visible across different parts of the world.

• It is often referred as the ring of fire.
• This eclipse happens when the moon is at or near its farthest point from Earth in its orbit.
• The moon appears smaller than the sun in the sky and does not fully cover it, creating a striking visual effect.
• The moon appears as a dark disk superimposed on the larger, bright face of the sun, forming a glowing ring or "ring of fire."
• The path of this upcoming eclipse will span several countries in North, Central, and South America. 

Types of eclipses

• Total solar eclipse: It happens when the sun, moon and Earth are in a direct line. The dark silhouette of the Moon completely covers the intense bright light of the Sun. Only the much fainter solar corona is visible during a total eclipse which is known as a Totality.
• Partial solar eclipse: It happens when the shadow of the moon appears on a small part of the sun.

Hence both statements are correct.

An Indian spot-billed with pale plumage was sighted at Manickapuram tank in Tiruppur district, Tamil Nadu, recently.

About Indian-Spot Billed Duck:

• It is a large dabbling duck that is a non-migratory breeding duck throughout freshwater wetlands in the Indian subcontinent.
• The name is derived from the red spot at the base of the bill that is found in the mainland Indian population.  
• Scientific Name: Anas poecilorhyncha
• Distribution and Habitat:
• It is a resident throughout Pakistan and India in freshwater wetlands.
• They inhabit both inland and coastal wetlands such as ponds, lakes, pools, streams, creeks, estuaries, tidal flats and marshes.
• They tend to avoid very large patches of open water and prefer medium-sized wetlands with vegetation cover.
• Features:
• It has a scaly patterned body with a green speculum and a band of white tertials.
• It measures 55–63 cm in length and 83–95 cm across the wings, with a body mass of 790–1,500 g. Males are larger than females.
• These are mainly grey ducks with a paler head and neck and a black bill tipped bright yellow. 
• The wings are whitish with black flight feathers below, and from above show a white-bordered green.
• The legs and feet are bright orange to coral red. Juveniles are browner and duller than adults.
• Feeding Habits: They mostly feed on grasses and other vegetations. Sometimes they may feed on insects.
• Conservation Status:
• IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Red Sea's spectacular coral reefs face a new threat, marine biologists warn—the mass death of sea urchins that may be caused by a mystery disease.

About Sea Urchins:

• Sea urchins belong to a group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms, which means spiny-skinned animals. 
• It includes other well-known marine creatures like starfish and sea cucumbers.
• Sea urchins are characterized by their spherical to somewhat flattened, spiny bodies, and they are found in oceans worldwide, from shallow coastal waters to deep-sea environments.
• They live on the ocean floor, usually on hard surfaces, and use tube feet or spines to move about.
• The largest urchin (known from a single specimen) is Sperostoma giganteum of deep waters off Japan.
• Features:
• They have a globular body and a radial arrangement of organs, shown by five bands of pores running from mouth to anus over the test (internal skeleton).
• The pores accommodate tube feet, which are slender, extensible, and often sucker-tipped. 
• They have a hard exoskeleton, or test, made up of interlocking plates or ossicles, which are often covered with movable spines.
• From nodules on the test arise long, movable spines and pedicellariae (pincerlike organs); these structures may have poison glands. 
• Feeding:
• They are herbivorous, primarily feeding on algae and plant material.
• They use their specialized mouthparts, called Aristotle's lantern, to scrape algae and other food sources from rocks or the seafloor.

Hence both statements are correct.

India and the United Nations recently launched a joint capacity-building initiative called the “India-UN Capacity Building Initiative,” designed to foster growth and development in the Global South. 

About India-UN Capacity Building Initiative:

• The initiative is aimed at building the capacity of countries in the Global South.
• The goal is to share India's development experiences, best practices, and expertise through capacity-building and training programs.
• It extends the success of India's G20 Presidency, which prioritised the inclusion of voices from the Global South in the G20 agenda.
• The initiative builds upon the extensive cooperation in development and capacity building that India already has bilaterally with the partner countries.
• As part of this initiative, the UN India team and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will “partner to leverage India's Technical and Economic Cooperation platform to share India's development experiences and best practices across the world.
• It will also put into action the development goals established during India's G20 Presidency, including the G20 Action Plan for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhancing technology and digital infrastructure.
• What is the Global South?
• The Global South broadly comprises countries in the regions of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia (excluding Israel, Japan, and South Korea), and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand), which are generally characterised by relatively low levels of economic and industrial development.

Hence both statements are correct.

The 19th edition of “EXERCISE YUDH ABHYAS” will be conducted from 25th September to 8th October 2023 in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, USA. 

• It is an annual exercise conducted jointly by the Indian Army and the United States Army.
• Indian Army contingent comprising of 350 personnel will participate in this edition of the Exercise.
• The lead battalion from Indian side is affiliated to MARATHA Light Infantry Regiment.
• Both sides will practice a series of tactical drills to enhance interoperability in conducting UN peacekeeping operations.
• The theme is ‘Employment of an Integrated Battle Group in Mountain/ Extreme Climatic Conditions’ under Chapter VII of United Nations mandate.
• The scope of the Field Training Exercise includes validation of Integrated Battle Groups against hostile forces at the Brigade level, Integrated Surveillance Grid at the Brigade/ Battalion level, employment of Heliborne/ Airborne elements and Force Multipliers etc.
• The Exercise will also involve exchange of views and best practices in drills on a wide spectrum of combat skills including combat engineering, obstruction clearance, mine and Improvised Explosive Devices warfare.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

Kole wetlands, an internationally important Ramsar site of high value biodiversity, have been facing the threat of Cabomba furcuta an alien invasive species.

• It is popularly called as Pink Bloom due its massive flowering.
• It is native of central and South America which was brought to Kerala as an aquarium plant and has escaped to the wild.
• It is a submerged perennial aquatic plant that grows in stagnant to slow-flowing freshwater.
• The plant has a high natural dispersal potential due to its ability to readily fragment and spread both actively and passively.
• It requires a large quantity of oxygen for its growth will choke water bodies and drainage canals.
• It causes decline in diversity of native aquatic plants and causes economic losses by affecting yield of freshwater fishes. 

Hence option a is the correct answer.

Burney, a small town in the US state of California, recently witnessed rising cases of E. coli, with many residents, mostly children and elderly, being hospitalised or requiring medical assistance.

About E. coli:

• Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli, is a type of bacteria that can be found in the intestines of humans and animals.
• E. coli is a rod-shaped bacterium of the Enterobacteriaceae family.
• While most strains of E. coli are harmless and even beneficial, some strains can cause illness and infections.
• Some kinds of E. coli can cause diarrhea, while others cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, and other illnesses.
• Transmission: Pathogenic E. coli can be transmitted to humans through contaminated food, water, or contact with fecal matter from infected individuals or animals.
• How does E. coli make you sick?
• The most familiar strains of E. coli that make you sick do so by producing a toxin called Shiga.
• This toxin damages the lining of your small intestine and causes diarrhea.
• These strains of E. coli are also called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
• The STEC that is most well-known and most often referred to is E. coli O157:H7, or just E. coli O157.
• Symptoms:
• Symptoms of an E. coli infection can vary depending on the specific strain and severity of the infection.
• Common symptoms include diarrhea (which may be bloody), abdominal pain and cramping, nausea, and sometimes fever.
• In severe cases, E. coli infections can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a condition that can cause kidney failure and other complications, especially in young children and the elderly.
• Treatment:
• Most E. coli infections are self-limiting and resolve on their own without treatment. However, it's essential to stay hydrated during the course of the illness.
• In severe cases or when complications arise, medical attention may be required.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

A magnificent golden waterspout was recently filmed on the Kama River in Russia’s Perm region. 

About Waterspouts:

• A waterspout is a tornado-like column or funnel of violently rotating air that usually forms over the surface of the sea.
• It is a non-supercell tornado over water having a five-part life cycle,
• formation of a dark spot on the water surface;
• spiral pattern on the water surface;
• formation of a spray ring;
• development of the visible condensation funnel;
• and ultimately, decay;
• Waterspouts form mostly in tropical and subtropical areas. But regions, including Europe, Middle-East, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica also report these on rare occasions.
• They may assume many shapes and often occur in a series, called a waterspout family.
• Key characteristics of waterspouts include:
• Funnel cloud: Waterspouts have a visible funnel-shaped cloud that extends downward from a parent cloud or the base of the thunderstorm.
• Water connection: Waterspouts have a visible connection to the water's surface, drawing water or spray upward into the vortex.
• Duration: Waterspouts can be relatively short-lived, ranging from a few minutes to an hour or so.
• Size: Waterspouts are typically much smaller in scale compared to tornadoes, with diameters ranging from tens to a few hundred meters.
• They are classified into two main types: tornadic waterspouts and fair-weather waterspouts.
• Tornadic waterspouts:
• They are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water.
• They have the same characteristics as a land tornado.
• They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning.
• Fair weather waterspouts:
• They usually form along the dark flat base of a line of developing cumulus clouds.
• This type of waterspout is generally not associated with thunderstorms.
• While tornadic waterspouts develop downward in a thunderstorm, a fair weather waterspout develops on the surface of the water and works its way upward.
• By the time the funnel is visible, a fair weather waterspout is near maturity.
• Fair weather waterspouts form in light wind conditions so they normally move very little.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Chhattisgarh Forest Department has arrested 39 persons for poaching in Indravati Tiger Reserve, Bijapur, and sent them on judicial remand.

About Indravati Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.
• The park derives its name from the Indravati River, which flows from east to west and forms the northern boundary of the reserve with the Indian state of Maharashtra.
• Indravati attained the status of a national park in 1981 and a tiger reserve in 1983 under Project Tiger.
• Topography: It mainly comprises of undulating hilly terrain with altitudes ranging between 177 to 599 m above sea level.
• Vegetation: Three major forest types are recognized in Indravati: Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest with Teak, Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest without Teak, and Southern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest.
• Flora: Some common species include teak, achar, karra, kullu, shisham, semal, haldu, arjun, bel and Jamun.
• Fauna:
• It is home to one of the last populations of rare wild buffalo.
• Major faunal species include tiger, leopard, striped hyena, wolf, common mongoose, freshwater crocodile, common monitor lizard, Indian bull frog, herons, white-necked stork, black-necked stork, white ibis, black ibis etc.

Hence option b is the correct answer.