Daily Current Affairs MCQ- April 13, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

The number of cases of whooping cough has been rising in several countries like China, the Netherlands and Czech Republic.

• It is a highly contagious infection which impacts the respiratory tract and is caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria.
• It gets its name from the "whooping" sound which the patient experiences which coughing.
• It is particularly severe in infants and in case of complications may lead to pneumonia and even death.
• How does whooping cough spread?
• A person catches this bacterium via droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
• It attaches itself to the throat lining and then produces toxins which damage hair-like projections which clear debris and mucus.
• This leads to inflammation in the airways and causes severe coughing fits. It also then leads to difficulty in breathing.
• Symptoms
• It begins with cold-like symptoms accompanied with low-grade fever. As it progresses, cough get accompanied with "whooping" sound and these spells may last for a while leading to vomiting.
• Sleep apnea in children.
• Treatment: Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTaP) vaccines.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Muria tribe lacks access to primary education, safe drinking water, and social welfare benefits also remains a dream and they are at risk of displacement.

• Location: They are located in the States of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
• The Muria settlements are known as habitations of Internally Displaced People (IDPs), whose population is around 6,600 in A.P., and they here referred to as ‘Gutti Koyas’ by the native tribes.
• Language: They speak Koya, which is a Dravidian language.
• The Muria people drink a local form of liquor, which plays a key role in social and ritual gatherings and are traditionally animists, with village and clan deities.
• They have progressive perspective towards marriage and life as a whole. The biggest example being the Ghotul (a commune or dormitory), which is meant to create an environment for Muria youth to understand their sexuality.
• Gutti Koyas’ held ST status in Chhattisgarh but they were not granted ST status in their migrated states such as Telangana.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, president of one of the India’s national party mentioned Article 371 at a public rally in Rajasthan which caused a stir with the ruling party denouncing it as a “horrendous mistake”. 

• Article 371, under part XXI of the Indian Constitution, grants some temporary, transitional and special powers for certain States.
• It has been part of the Constitution since 26 January 1950.
• However, Articles 371(A-J) was brought in via amendments through Article 368.
• Article 371
• It deals with the States of Maharashtra and Gujarat. As per the provision, the Governor of Maharashtra has a special responsibility to establish separate development boards for Vidarbha, Marathwada, and the rest of the State.
• The Governor of Gujarat has a similar responsibility towards Saurashtra, Kutch and the rest of Gujarat.
• Article 371A 
• Under the provision, no Act of Parliament about the religious or social practices of the Nagas, their customary law and procedure, including civil and criminal justice matters, and ownership or transfer of land and resources will apply to Nagaland, unless the State’s Legislative Assembly passes a resolution to do so.
• It further gives the Governor a ‘special responsibility’ regarding law and order in the State.
• Article 371B 
• It deals with Assam, was brought in 1969. It allows the President to deal with the Constitution and functioning of a committee of Legislative Assembly comprising members elected from the tribal.
• Article 371C 
• It applies to Manipur and was inserted into the Constitution in 1972. It provides for the constitution of a committee of legislators from the Hill Areas of Manipur.
• It gives the Governor a special responsibility to make an annual report to the President on the administration of the Hill Areas.
• Articles 371D and E
• It includes special provisions for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• The President can pass an order to provide equitable opportunities and facilities to people belonging to different parts of Andhra Pradesh in public employment and education.
• It provides for the constitution of an Administrative Tribunal for Andhra Pradesh. Only the Supreme Court has any power of superintendence over this tribunal, as per the provision. Article 371E, meanwhile, deals with the establishment of a university in the State.
• Article 371F
• It is applicable to Sikkim and it states that the State Legislative Assembly shall consist of at least 30 members.
• The Governor has a special responsibility for the maintenance of peace and equitable arrangements for ensuring the social and economic advancement of different sections. 
• Article 371G 
• It applies to Mizoram. It includes special provisions to preserve the religious and social practices, customary law, and procedure of Mizos in Mizoram, as well as for the administration of criminal and civil justice, besides ownership and transfer of land.
• Article 371H 
• It confers a special responsibility on the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh concerning law and order.
• Article 371I
• It relates to Goa. It requires the Legislative Assembly of Goa to consist of not less than 30 members.
• Article 371J 
• It accords special status to the Hyderabad-Karnataka Region (Kalyana Karnataka) and provides for the establishment of a separate development board for the area.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

Mount Etna volcano has been sending up almost perfect rings of smoke into the air which are a rare phenomenon that scientists refer to as volcanic vortex rings.

• Vortex rings are generated when gas, predominantly water vapour, is released rapidly through a vent in the crater. The vent that has opened up in Etna’s crater is almost perfectly circular.
• This phenomenon was first observed at Etna and Vesuvius in Italy in 1724 and has been documented in an engraved plate from 1755.
• The rings can remain in the air for up to 10 minutes but tend to disintegrate quickly if conditions are windy and turbulent.
• In more recent times, volcanic vortex rings have been observed at volcanoes such as
• Redoubt in Alaska, Tungurahua in Ecuador, Pacaya in Guatemala, Eyjafjallajökull and Hekla in Iceland, Stromboli in Italy, Aso and Sakurajima in Japan, Yasur in Vanuatu, Whakaari in New Zealand, and Momotombo in Nicaragua.

Key facts about Mount Etna

• It is sometimes referred to simply as Etna, is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
• Etna’s peak is the highest in Italy south of the Alps, and it is Europe’s largest and one of the most active volcanoes.
• Etna’s summit has five craters, which are responsible for most of the volcano’s eruptions; there are also “flank” eruptions that occur out of 300-odd vents of varying sizes along the slopes of the mountain.
• It is in almost constant activity, and has seen, since the year 1600, at least 60 flank eruptions and many more summit eruptions.
• It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013.

Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

A contentious recent decision by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), permitting carbon offsetting for Scope 3 emissions of businesses with SBTi-based climate targets, has stirred controversy and skepticism.

About Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi):

• SBTi is a global initiative established in 2015 that aims to encourage and support companies to set Science-Based Targets (SBTs) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
• The SBTi is a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
• The SBTi provides a framework and guidelines for companies to set targets that are in line with the latest climate science, including the goals of the Paris Agreement.
• This involves setting targets that are consistent with limiting warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, which is the more ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.
• Companies can have their targets independently verified and approved by the SBTi, which helps to ensure that they are aligned with the latest science and are in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
• By setting science-based targets, companies can demonstrate their commitment to addressing climate change and reducing their carbon footprint.
• The SBTi distinguishes between near- and long-term goals and commitments.
• Near-term targets show how organizations intend to reduce emissions over the next 5-10 years, crucial for significant progress by 2030 and a prerequisite for net zero targets. 
• Long-term targets indicate how organizations need to reduce their emissions to achieve net zero, according to the criteria of the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard, by 2050 at the latest (2040 for the energy sector).
• SBTi oversees the SBTi Net-Zero Standard, a pioneering framework for corporate net-zero target establishment.
• It is the world’s only framework for corporate net-zero target setting in line with climate science.
• It provides the guidance and tools companies need to set science-based net-zero targets.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

China National Space Administration (CNSA) recently said its launch of Queqiao-2 satellite was a "complete success".

About Queqiao-2:

• Queqiao-2 (Magpie Bridge 2) is a relay satellite launched by China to serve as a communications bridge between ground operations on Earth and upcoming lunar probe missions on the far side of the moon until at least 2030.
• It has a mass of 1,200 kilograms and carries a large, 4.2-meter-diameter (13.8-foot) parabolic antenna that will be deployed once in space and is one of the largest sent beyond Earth orbit. 
• Queqiao-2’s first task will be supporting China’s Chang’e-6 lunar far-side sample return mission. It will further support the future Chang'e-7 and -8 lunar missions. 
• Queqiao 2 carries three science payloads: an Extreme Ultraviolet Camera (EUC), a Grid-based Energetic Neutral Atom Imager (GENA), and a very long baseline interferometer, the Lunar Orbit VLBI EXperiment (LOVEX).
• It has a planned lifetime of over 8 years. 
• The mission will also be deploying two experimental CubeSats, Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2, which will orbit the Moon to test navigation and communication technologies.
• Tiandu-1 has a Ka-band communications system and a laser retroreflector. It has a mass of 61 kg.
• Tiandu-2, the smaller of the two cube sats with a mass of 15 kg, also has a communications system.
• The two satellites will be in formation in an elliptical lunar orbit. Navigation tests include laser ranging to the Moon, and microwave ranging between satellites.

Hence both statements are correct.

A fleeting visit by the BepiColombo mission to Venus has revealed surprising insights into how gases are stripped away from the upper layers of the planet's atmosphere.

About BepiColombo:

• It is an international mission comprised of two spacecraft riding together to Mercury to orbit and study the planet from unique vantage points.
• The primary scientific objectives of the mission are to study Mercury's magnetic field, its composition, the geology of its surface, and its interaction with the solar wind.
• The mission will also investigate the planet's exosphere and study its geological history.
• The spacecraft were launched in 2018, aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana. It is scheduled to begin orbiting Mercury in 2025.
• It is a joint project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese counterpart JAXA.
• ESA's Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) will study the planet's surface and interior.
• JAXA's Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MIO) will study the planet's magnetic field.
• ESA is also responsible for the launcher, the interplanetary cruising engine and the placement of BepiColombo into Mercury’s orbit.
• The mission was named after Giuseppe "Bepi" Colombo, an Italian mathematician and engineer who made significant contributions to the understanding of Mercury's orbit.
• It will be the second mission ever to orbit Mercury and the most complex one.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise KHANJAR has commenced at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.

• It was first initiated in December 2011, in Nahan, India.
• It is the 11th edition of India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise.
• It is an annual event conducted alternatively in both the countries.
• The Indian Army contingent comprising 20 personnel is being represented by troops from The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and the Kyrgyzstan contingent comprising 20 personnel is represented by Scorpion Brigade.
• Aim of the exercise is to exchange experiences and best practices in Counter Terrorism and Special Forces Operations in Built-up Area and Mountainous Terrain under Chapter VII of United Nations Charter.
• The exercise will emphasise on developing Special Forces skills, advanced techniques of insertion and extraction.
• The exercise will provide an opportunity for both the sides of fortify defence ties while addressing common concerns of international terrorism and extremism.
• The exercise will also accord opportunity to showcase capabilities of cutting edge indigenous defence equipment besides achieving shared security objectives and foster bilateral relations.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

Recently, a new innovative plant-inspired robot which is named FiloBot has been developed that climbs up structures just like climbing vines. 

• It is different from conventional climbing robots as it doesn’t depend on pre-programmed movements.
• It instead absorbs 3D printing filament through its head and extends its length over time, just like a creeper.
• The team utilised a combination of plant behaviours like phototropism, negative phototropism and gravitropism and utilises these naturally occurring behaviours in high-tech robots.
• The tests for FiloBot have been successful and displayed remarkable adaptability that adjusts its growth trajectory dynamically in response to moving light intensity.
• Significance
• By equipping autonomous systems with transportable additive manufacturing techniques merged with bioinspired behavioural strategies, future robots can navigate unstructured and dynamic environments and even be capable of self-building infrastructure.
• This new innovation has opened new potential impact of technology that can be applied in robotics, where adaptability and responsiveness redefine the capabilities of climbing robots.
• Other similar innovations
• A similar snake-like robot was unveiled by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which was specifically crafted to work on rough terrains of our solar system’s planets and moons. 
• The robot named Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS 1.0) is engineered to navigate diverse landscapes, including ice, sand, cliff walls, deep craters and lava tubes. 

Hence option d is the correct answer.

According to a new study conducted in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore, every millimetre increase in rainfall could lead to a 0.5 to 0.7 per cent rise in monthly scrub typhus cases. 

• It is an infectious disease caused by bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi.
• It is transmitted through infected mites.
• Symptoms
• The symptoms typically include fever, headache, body ache and sometimes a rash.
• In severe cases, the infection can lead to respiratory distress, brain and lung inflammation, kidney failure and multi-organ failure, ultimately resulting in death.
• Several factors like vector abundance, climatic factors, exposures like farming and owning domestic animals, outdoor activities and sanitation, affect its prevalence.
• This disease is more prevalent in cooler months.
• In Northeast India, cases of scrub typhus occur from July to November in Manipur, July to October in Sikkim and September to November in Darjeeling.
• It will not spread from person to person.
• Treatment: Scrub typhus should be treated with the antibiotic doxycycline. Doxycycline can be used in persons of any age.
• There is no vaccine available for this disease.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.