Daily Current Affairs MCQ- April 1, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the interim director general of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said that the focus of the IRRI-South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) is to develop rice varieties with low methane emissions.

• It is an independent, nonprofit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations with support from the Philippine government.
• It is the world’s premier research organization dedicated to reducing poverty, hunger, and malnutrition through rice science.
• It aims to improve the health and welfare of those who depend on rice-based agri-food systems, and promote and protect the environmental sustainability of rice farming for future generations.
• The institute has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa.
• IRRI's research for development is characterized by its collaborative nature: from alliances with advanced research institutes; through strong collaborations and capacity development with governments and national agricultural research and extension systems.
• The Government of India vide its Gazette notification recognises IRRI as an international organisation and accorded privileges and immunities (As per UN Privileges and Immunities Act 1947) that are applicable to United Nations (UN) organizations, for all offices and activities of IRRI in India including, for the IRRI South Asia Regional Centre.
• Headquarter: Los Banos, Philippines.

Hence both statements are not correct.

Recently, INDRA app was launched in an event conducted by School of Naval Oceanology & Meteorology (SNOM) and Indian Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre (INMAC) at Southern Naval Command as part of the World Meteorological Day celebrations.

INDRA App:

• The Indian Naval Dynamic Resource for Weather Analysis (INDRA) app will help to disseminate weather related information and forecasts empowering optimal & quick decision making.
• The application has been developed by BISAG (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics) in coordination with Directorate of Naval Oceanology and Meteorology, Indian Navy.

Key facts about BISAG

• It is an Autonomous Scientific Society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
• It undertakes technology development & management, research & development, facilitate National & International cooperation, capacity building and support technology transfer & entrepreneurship development in area of geo-spatial technology.
• The organisation has three main domain areas: Satellite Communication, Geo-informatics and Geo-spatial technology.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.

Hence both statements are correct.

India's one of the most supported and widely accepted protests, ‘Vaikom Satyagraha', is celebrated its 100 years recently.

• It is the first anti-caste movement, as the pupil of the depressed class and untouchables were restricted from entering the temple.
• This Satyagraha was to establish the rights of the oppressed classes to walk on the roads to the Shree Mahadeva Temple in Vaikom in Kottayam district.
• Background
• The issue of temple entry was first raised by Ezhava leader TK Madhavan in a 1917 editorial in his paper Deshabhimani.
• In AICC (All India Congress Committee) meeting in Kakinada 1923, K Madhavan along with Sardar Panikkar and KP Kesava Menon submitted a petition to the Travancore legislative council.
• The petition sought to grant the right to temple entry and worship of gods for all sections of the society irrespective of caste, creed, and community. 
• It was launched on 30th March 1924.
• The movement in the vicinity of Mahadev temple in Kottayam district of Kerala took place during 1924-1925. 
• Factors responsible to Satyagraha
• Christian missionaries, supported by the East India Company, had expanded their reach and many lower castes converted to Christianity to escape the clutches of an oppressive system that continued to bind them.
• Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal took many progressive reforms and the most important of these was the introduction of a modern education system with free primary education for all – even lower castes.
• Prominent people who supported this Satyagraha are Sree Narayana Guru and Periyar E.V Ramaswamy.

Hence both statements are correct.

Ornaments from fish otoliths have made a market debut, which are crafted by a group of enthusiastic fisherwomen in Vizhinjam, trained by scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI).

• Otoliths are biomineralised ear stones that help fish hear and provide it with a sense of balance.
• These are important in fish studies as they have species-specific shapes and grow throughout their life.
• They are commonly known as "earstones," are hard, calcium carbonate structures located directly behind the brain of bony fishes. 
• There are three types of otoliths, all of which aid fish in balance and hearing:
• Sagitta: The largest of the 3 pairs of otoliths, sagitta is involved in the detection of sound and the process of hearing, or converting sound waves into electrical signals.
• Asteriscus: This type of otolith is involved in the detection of sound and the process of hearing.
• Lapillus: This type of otolith is involved in the detection of gravitational force and sound.
• Different species have otoliths of different shapes and sizes; and cartilaginous fishes, such as sharks, skates, and rays, have none. 
• Significance
• These otoliths can be used to identify the species, size, age, growth rate, and season of death of an individual fish.
• Analysis of the oxygen isotope values of fish otoliths can provide information on the temperature of the water in which the fish lived.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The indigenous knowledge of the Konda Reddi tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group inhabiting the Papikonda hill range in the Godavari region, has proven resourceful.

About Konda Reddi Tribe:

• Konda Reddis is a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group inhabiting the banks of the river Godavari and also in the hilly forest tracts of Godavari and Khammam districts of Andhra Pradesh.
• Their mother tongue is Telugu in its purest and chaste form, with a unique accent.
• Subdivisions:
• The Konda Reddy tribe is divided into exogamous septs for regulating matrimonial relations.
• Like other Telugu-speaking people, their surnames are prefixed to individual names.
• Generally, each sept is exogamous, but certain septs are considered as brother septs, and marriage alliances with brother septs (agnate relations) are prohibited.
• Family and Marriage:
• The family is patriarchal and patrilocal. Monogamy is a rule, but polygamous families are also found.
• Marriage by negotiations, by love and elopement, by service, by capture, and by exchange are socially accepted ways of acquiring mates. 
• Religion: The primary religion practiced by the Konda Reddi is Folk Hinduism, characterized by local traditions and cults of local deities worshiped at the community level.
• Political Organization:
• They have their own institution of social control called ‘Kula Panchayat’.
• Each village has a traditional headman called ‘Pedda Kapu’.
• The office of the headman is hereditary, and the headman is also the Pujari (priest) of the village deities.
• Livelihood:
• They are primarily shifting cultivators and largely depend on flora and fauna of forest for their livelihood.
• They collect and sell non timber forest produce like tamarind, adda leaves, myrobolan, broom sticks, etc., to supplement their meagre income. 
• They cultivate largely jowar, which is their staple food.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

Russia’s Onyx supersonic cruise missile, which has frequently struck Ukrainian targets in Odesa near the Black Sea, is slated to get deadlier with a new target seeker. 

About Onyx Missile: 

• The P-800 Onyx missile, also known as Oniks, is a supersonic medium-range cruise missile developed by Russia.
• It is designed to combat surface ship groups, as well as to destroy ground targets in conditions of strong fire and electronic countermeasures.
• Features:
• Also known as Russian Brahmos, it can reach speeds of over 3,000 km/h, making it extremely difficult to intercept. 
• Additionally, the missile operates at an altitude of 10-15 meters above land or water, further enhancing its stealth capabilities.
• The missile has a range of up to 300 kilometers in its default trajectory and a range of 120 km in a low-altitude trajectory.
• It can be launched from surface ships, submarines, and land-based equipment.
• It is a self-guided munition, designed with the "shoot and forget" principle in mind.
• Unlike some other missiles that rely on extensive target data, the Onyx missile requires minimal information about its target to strike it successfully.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

A tropical cyclone named Gamane that swept across the island of Madagascar killed at least 18 people and displaced thousands more, the country's disaster management office said recently.

About Madagascar: 

• Located off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is the second-largest island country in the world.
• It covers an area of 592,800 sq. kilometers.
• Geography: The country can be divided into three parallel longitudinal physiographic regions.
• The coastal strip in the east, the central plateau, and the western regions of low plateaus and plains.
• The Tsaratanana Massif region at the northern end of the island is home to Madagascar's highest point, Maromokotro, at 2,876 m. 
• History:
• France invaded the island in 1883. France officially declared Madagascar a French colony in 1896.
• After World War II, in 1947, locals fought for their independence from France in what became known as the Malagasy Uprising. In 1960, Madagascar finally became an independent nation.
• Capital: Antananarivo
• Languages: Malagasy, French
• Government: It is a semi-presidential republic. The public elects a president, who in turn appoints a prime minister to put together a cabinet to advise the president. 
• Economy: Eighty percent of Madagascar’s economy is fueled by agricultural industries, including forestry and fishing. Among the island’s most frequently sold agricultural products are coffee, vanilla, and sugarcane.
• Biodiversity:
• Lush rainforests, dry deserts, and grassy plains cover the island, with coral reefs and mangrove forests stretching along its coastlines. 
• Almost 90 percent of the plants and animals living on Madagascar aren’t found anywhere else in the world.
• That’s because strong ocean currents have isolated the island from the African continent, so the species living there haven’t traveled beyond the island’s borders.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has spent only 20 percent of the environment protection charge and environmental compensation collected so far on mitigating air pollution in Delhi-NCR and protecting the environment. 

About Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):

• It is a statutory organisation constituted in 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. 
• Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• It provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MOEFCC) of the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and advises the Central Government on any matter concerning the prevention and control of water and air pollution and the improvement of the quality of air.
• Principal Functions of the CPCB:
• to promote the cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States by prevention, control, and abatement of water pollution
• to improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the country.
• Standardization activity of CPCB:
• CPCB lays down standards for streams or wells in consultation with the State Governments and also lays down standards for the quality of air.
• CPCB also prepares manuals, codes and guidelines relating to the treatment and disposal of sewage and trade effluents, as well as for stack gas cleaning devices, stacks, and ducts. 
• In general, the following nine categories of standards are developed by CPCB:
• National ambient air quality
• Water Quality Criteria from different sources
• Standards for Emission or Discharge of Environmental Pollutants from various Industries (Issued under Environment Protection Rules, 1986)
• Standards for Treatment and Disposal of Bio-Medical waste by Incineration
• Guidelines for the disposal of Common Hazardous Wastes by Incineration
• Emission norms for vehicles
• Auto fuel quality
• Emission standard, Noise limits for Diesel Engines
• Emission & Noise Limit of LPG & CNG Generator Sets
• Apart from the above, under the Comprehensive Industry Document Series (COINDS), CPCB also formulates the Minimal National Standards (MINAS) specific for various categories of industries with regards to their effluent discharge (water pollutants), emissions (air pollutants), noise levels, and solid waste. These standards are required to be adopted by State Governments as minimal standards.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

To protect Amazon, conservators try to save pollinator Stingless bees.

• A stingless bee is a bee that appears very similar to a honeybee, but is incapable of stinging. 
• These bees are eusocial, which means that they live together in hives and produce honey.
• These are native to the Amazon.
• Their honey, which is runny enough to be drunk like a liquid and is said to have a citrusy aftertaste
• It is used by many Indigenous Peruvians as a natural medicine.
• Distribution: Stingless bees can be found in most tropical and subtropical regions.
• These bees cannot sting but nature has made sure to give them other ways of defending themselves.
• These bees do possess stingers, but they are too small to be useful in defense. Instead of stinging, stingless bees use their mandibles to bite their attackers.
• Threats:
• The Amazon is home to hundreds of species of stingless bee, but as deforestation converts the tropical landscape into farms and ranches, these and other native pollinators are in danger of disappearing.
• Pesticides and climate change

Hence both statements are correct.

Despite approving a Bill to set up a National Research Foundation (NRF) to boost scientific advancement in the country just eight months earlier, the Union government was silent on allocation for the institution or progress made so far in the interim budget for 2024-25.

• It is an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction of scientific research in the country in accordance with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP), will be established at a cost of 50,000 crore over the period 2023-28.
• It enhances “India’s national research infrastructure, knowledge enterprise, and innovation potential, for scientific pursuit”.
• Goals: To increase private sector contributions to research in India and to ensure that a larger portion of government funds go to state universities and colleges.
• Nodal Agency: The Department of Science and Technology (DST) will be NRF's administrative department.
• Governing body:
• The Prime Minister will be the ex-officio President of the Board.
• The Union Minister of Science & Technology & Union Minister of Education will be the ex-officio Vice-Presidents.
• NRF’s functioning will be governed by an Executive Council chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
• Functions
• Forge collaborations among the industry, academia, and government departments and research institutions, and create an interface mechanism for participation and contribution of industries and State governments in addition to the scientific and line ministries.
• It will focus on creating a policy framework and putting in place regulatory processes that can encourage collaboration and increased spending by the industry on R&D.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.