Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 25th August 2024 - UPSC MCQ

1. Passive Sonobuoys: Emit sound pulses and analyze the return echoes to detect and locate targets. - Incorrect. Passive sonobuoys quietly listen for and record sounds without emitting any signals.

2. Active Sonobuoys: Quietly listen for and record sounds without emitting any signals. - Incorrect. Active sonobuoys emit sound pulses and analyze the return echoes to detect and locate targets.

3. Special Purpose Sonobuoys: Provide environmental data, such as water temperature and ambient noise levels. - Correct. Special purpose sonobuoys are indeed designed to provide environmental data.

4. Deployment: Sonobuoys are deployed by dropping them into the ocean from aircraft, ships, or submarines. - Correct. Sonobuoys are deployed by dropping them into the ocean from aircraft that are launched from ships or submarines.

Thus, only pairs 3 and 4 are correctly matched.

1. Shompen Tribe - Semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers: Correct. The Shompen are indeed semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers residing in the dense rainforests of Great Nicobar Island.

2. Great Nicobar Island - Located in the Bay of Bengal: Incorrect. Great Nicobar Island is located in the Andaman Sea, not the Bay of Bengal.

3. Antimatter - Same mass as ordinary matter but opposite electric charge: Correct. Antimatter is defined as having the same mass as ordinary matter but possessing opposite electric charges.

4. Campbell Bay National Park - Located on Little Andaman Island: Incorrect. Campbell Bay National Park is located on Great Nicobar Island, not Little Andaman Island.

Thus, only pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched.

Statement-I correctly describes the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) where government employees receive pensions based on their last drawn salary. This system ensures a lifelong monthly pension equivalent to half of their last salary drawn. On the other hand, Statement-II incorrectly suggests that the New Pension Scheme (NPS) guarantees a fixed monthly pension amount for government employees. In reality, the NPS does not guarantee fixed returns as it is subject to market fluctuations. NPS encourages regular contributions to a pension account during employment, and retirees can withdraw a portion of their corpus and receive monthly pension payments thereafter. Therefore, Statement-II is incorrect as NPS does not offer a fixed monthly pension amount like OPS.

By selecting option c), it correctly identifies that Statement-I is accurate regarding OPS, while Statement-II is inaccurate about NPS.

The Shompen tribe, as depicted in the content, are described as semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers. They primarily engage in activities such as hunting, gathering, fishing, and rudimentary horticulture to sustain their livelihood. This lifestyle aligns with their status as a predominantly hunter-gatherer community living in the dense tropical rainforests of Great Nicobar Island.

- Statement 1 is correct. Sonobuoys are indeed small, expendable devices utilized in underwater acoustics and sonar systems, and they are primarily designed to detect and analyze sound in ocean environments, particularly for tracking submarines and other submerged objects.

- Statement 2 is incorrect. Passive sonobuoys do not emit sound pulses. Instead, they quietly listen for and record sounds without emitting any signals. It is the active sonobuoys that emit sound pulses and analyze the return echoes to detect and locate targets.

- Statement 3 is correct. Beyond their primary function in anti-submarine warfare, sonobuoys are also used in scientific research and environmental studies, aiding in the study of marine creatures and environmental conditions.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 3 Only.

Statement 1: Correct. Sanction for prosecution is indeed mandated under Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). This provision ensures that public servants are protected from malicious prosecution for actions performed in the course of their official duties.

Statement 2: Correct. The Governor of a state holds the discretionary power to grant sanction for prosecuting a Chief Minister. This discretion is upheld by the Supreme Court, which has emphasized that the Governor should use their judgment rather than strictly following the Council of Ministers' advice. This was notably highlighted in the A.R. Antulay case.

Statement 3: Correct. Recent amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) in 2018 have made it mandatory to obtain government approval before even initiating an investigation against a public official. This underscores the importance of the sanction process in protecting public servants from unwarranted legal actions.

Therefore, all three statements are correct.

Since all the statements (1, 2, and 3) are correct, the correct answer is Option D: 1, 2 and 3.

Sonobuoys are small devices used in underwater acoustics and sonar systems to detect and analyze sound in ocean environments, particularly for tracking submarines and other submerged objects. They play a crucial role in anti-submarine warfare by helping in the identification and tracking of potentially hostile submarines, both in open oceans and coastal regions.

Statement-I correctly describes the habitat of the Shompen Tribe, stating that they reside in the dense tropical rainforests of Great Nicobar Island. 
However, Statement-II is incorrect as it mentions that the Shompen Tribe primarily sustains itself through agriculture and settled farming practices. The Shompen Tribe is described as semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers whose primary sources of livelihood include hunting, gathering, fishing, and some rudimentary horticulture, not settled farming practices.

Obtaining sanction for prosecuting a public servant is crucial to shield officials from unjust legal actions and ensure that their decisions made during their official duties are not constantly challenged in court without valid grounds. This legal requirement serves as a protective measure against frivolous or malicious lawsuits, safeguarding public servants from unwarranted legal actions while promoting accountability in cases where substantial evidence of wrongdoing exists.

- Statement 1 is correct: The Shompen are indeed classified as one of the least studied Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India. This classification highlights their isolation and the limited amount of research and data available about them.

- Statement 2 is correct: The Shompen's primary sources of livelihood do include hunting, gathering, fishing, and some rudimentary horticulture. These activities are typical of their semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

- Statement 3 is incorrect: The Shompen language consists of many dialects, and members of different bands often do not understand each other's dialects. Therefore, it is incorrect to state that the Shompen language consists of a single dialect that all members understand.

Hence, the correct answer is Option B.