Daily Current Affairs MCQ- February 6, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

A six-year-old project to return giant tortoises to the wild in Madagascar could result in thousands of megaherbivores re-populating the island for the first time in 600 years.

• It is the second-largest species of land tortoise in the world, after the Galapagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra).
• It can live for 100 years and has a fascinating history.
• This tortoise evolved from ancestors of Aldabrachelys abrupta, one of two giant tortoises that inhabited Madagascar for 15 million years.
• Four million years ago, the Aldabrachelys abrupta lineage migrated, likely via a combination of drifting with floating vegetation and assisted by their natural buoyancy and good swimming abilities, to the Seychelles.
• These are endemic to the Aldabra Atoll of the Seychelles, an archipelago nation in the western Indian Ocean about 930 miles east of Africa and northeast of Madagascar.
• Habitat:
• Theseare terrestrial and occur in a wide variety of habitats, including scrub forests, mangrove swamps, and coastal dunes and beaches, each with their respective vegetation.
• The largest populations of tortoises are found on grasslands called "platins."
• Due to prolonged periods of heavy grazing, a habitat known as “tortoise turf”, consisting of a variety of grasses, has developed in certain areas.
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Vulnerable
• CITES: Appendix II

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Union Minister for Culture, Tourism And Development of North Eastern Region informed the Lok Sabha about the Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar programme.

• It is a pan-India initiative of Ministry of Culture under National Mission on Cultural Mapping and was launched on 27th July 2023. 
• It seeks to compile comprehensive information detailing the life, history, and ethos of Indian villages and to make the same available to virtual and real-time visitors.
• Under the MGMD, information is collected under seven broad categories as given below-
• Arts and Crafts Village
• Ecologically Oriented Village
• Scholastic Village linked with Textual and Scriptural Traditions of India
• Epic Village linked with Ramayana, Mahabharata and/or Puranic legends and oral epics
• Historical Village linked with Local and National History
• Architectural Heritage Village
• Any other characteristic that may need highlighting such as fishing village, horticulture village, shepherding village etc.
• Objective: The main objective the project is to culturally map India's 6.5 lakh villages, spanning 29 States and 7 Union Territories, on a comprehensive virtual platform.
• Through MGMD, people will get an opportunity to immerse themselves in the diverse and vibrant cultural heritage of India.
• The core idea behind this project is to encourage appreciation for India's culture and traditions, paving way for economic growth, social harmony, and artistic development in rural communities.
• Financial outlay of Rs.353.46 Crore is approved under the scheme of Financial Assistance for Promotion of Art and Culture consisting 08 scheme components namely;
• Financial Assistance to Cultural organizations with National Presence
• Cultural Function & Production Grant (CFPG)
• Financial Assistance for the Preservation & Development of Cultural Heritage of the Himalayas:
• Financial Assistance for the Preservation & Development of Buddhist/Tibetan Organization
• Financial Assistance for Building Grants including Studio Theatres
• Financial Assistance For Allied Cultural Activities
• Scheme for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage

Hence both statements are correct.

Experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) declared the Hindu Kush Himalaya region a biosphere on the brink of collapse and called for bold action and urgent finance to prevent nature loss.

• It is an intergovernmental knowledge and learning centre working on behalf of the people of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH).
• It was formally established and inaugurated on 5 December 1983.
• Mission: To build and share knowledge that drives regional policy and action and attracts investment that enables the diverse countries and communities of the HKH to transition to greener, more inclusive, and climate resilient development.
• Member countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
• Governance
• Its Board of Governors is the highest governing body of the centre. 
• It consists of one representative from each of eight regional member countries and independent members who are nominated by the ICIMOD Support Group based on their recognized professional expertise and experience.
• Functions
• It serves the region through information and knowledge generation and sharing to find innovative solutions to critical mountain problems.
• It bridges science with policies and on-the-ground practices.
• It provides a regional platform where experts, planners, policymakers, and practitioners can exchange ideas and perspectives towards the achievement of sustainable mountain development.
• Headquarter: Kathmandu, Nepal

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Agriculture Minister informed the Rajya Sabha that Thrips Parvispinus might have dominated or even replaced the native chilli thrips known as scirtothrips dorsalis in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh region.

• It is an invasive pest species.
• It is a polyphagous pest, which can also grow and multiply on alternate hosts like drumstick, pigeon pea, chickpea, papaya, mango and weed species like Parthenium, Cleome viscosa, Prosopis sp., Lantana camera, Calotropis sp., Tecoma sp. and wild solanum plants.
• It has been reported from Thailand, Australia and Europe.
• The last two decades witnessed a drastic extension in the geographic distribution and it is now known to occur in France, Greece, Hawaii, Mauritius, Reunion, Spain, Tanzania and the Netherlands, besides India
• In India, this species was first reported on Papaya from Bengaluru in 2015.
• Thrips parvispinus adults mainly colonize on flowers and underside of leaves whereas larvae suck sap from undersurface of the leaves.
• Infestation causes heavy flower drop and thereby reducing fruit production.
• Its infestation increased during heavy rainfall of North East monsoon in contrast to other thrips species.

What are Thrips?

• Thrips are important group of sucking pests which cause significant economic losses both as pests and vectors of serious plant viruses in several horticultural crops.
• There are reports on the outbreak of sucking pests like thrips in different regions due to changes in crop production patterns, pesticide usage and climate change.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

Cameroon recently adopted the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing.

About Nagoya Protocol:

• The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (the Protocol) is a legally binding global agreement that implements the access and benefit-sharing obligations of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• It was adopted by the CBD in Nagoya, Japan, in October 2010 and entered into force on October 12, 2014, 90 days after the deposit of the fiftieth instrument of ratification. 
• It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD: the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources.
• What are the benefits?
• It establishes a framework that helps researchers access genetic resources for biotechnology research, development, and other activities, in return for a fair share of any benefits from their use. 
• This provides the research and development sector with the certainty they need to invest in biodiversity-based research.
• Indigenous and local communities may receive benefits through a legal framework that respects the value of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources.
• What does the Nagoya Protocol cover?
• It applies to genetic resources that are covered by the CBD, and to the benefits arising from their utilization.
• It also covers traditional knowledge (TK) associated with genetic resources that are covered by the CBD and the benefits arising from their utilization.

Key Facts about Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD):

• CBD, with currently 196 contracting parties, is the most comprehensive binding international agreement in the field of nature conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources.
• It was opened for signing at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. 
• It has three overarching objectives:
• The conservation of biological diversity (genetic diversity, species diversity, and habitat diversity).
• The sustainable use of biological diversity.
• The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources.
• It covers biodiversity at all levels: ecosystems, species, and genetic resources. 
• The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the highest political decision-making body of the Convention.
• The Secretariat is based in Montreal, Canada. 
• To support implementation of the CBD objectives, two internationally binding agreements were adopted within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
• The Cartagena Protocol, which was adopted in 2000 and entered into force in 2003, regulates the transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs).
• The Nagoya Protocol, adopted in 2010, establishes a legally binding framework for access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from their use.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Geological Institute of Israel recently uncovered a never-before-known about underwater canyon near Cyprus that dates back to the Messinian Event.

About Messinian Event:

• Also known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC), the Messinian event was a geological event during which the Mediterranean Sea went into a cycle of partial or nearly complete desiccation (drying up).
• It was one of the most severe ecological crises in the Earth's history.
• The MSC began approximately 6 million years ago (MYA) and lasted until around 5.3 MYA.
• How has it unfolded?
• It began when the connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea was cut off.  
• This occurred due to a combination of lowered sea levels in the global oceans and collision between the European and African plates that caused the land to lift. 
• Normally, there is much more evaporation than precipitation over the Mediterranean Sea. This means that much more water is leaving than entering the sea.  
• Without a significant source of water from the Atlantic Ocean, this led to the evaporation of much of the Mediterranean Sea.  
• A large underground canyon formed, and rivers made deep incisions into the bottom of the basin. This canyon was much larger than the Grand Canyon and had a depth of up to 2,000 meters (6562 feet).
• As the water in the Mediterranean evaporated, the salt that was in the water was left behind and began to build up in layers on the floor of the Mediterranean. 
• Two major salts that were deposited on the floor were Halite and Gypsum.  Some of the salt deposit areas were 800 meters (2,500 feet) deep.
• However, the salt in the Mediterranean did not deposit on the floor as quickly as the water was evaporating. This means that whatever water was left in the Mediterranean became very salty. 
• This high amount of salt in the water (also known as salinity) caused the Mediterranean to become deadly to all marine life.  
• The Mediterranean continued to dry up until there was almost no water left. 
• It ended with the Zanclean flood, when the Atlantic reclaimed the basin.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted four flight trials of the high-speed expendable aerial target 'ABHYAS' recently.

About ABHYAS:

• It is a high-speed expendable aerial target (HEAT).
• It is designed by the DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE).
• ABHYAS offers a realistic threat scenario for the practice of weapon systems.
• It is the ideal platform for the validation of Armed Forces equipment slated for induction (only those that require aerial engagement).
• Features:
• It is designed for autonomous flying with the help of an autopilot indigenously made by the ADE.
• It has a radar cross-section and a visual and infrared augmentation system required for weapon practice.
• The target drone has a laptop-based Ground Control System with which the aircraft can be integrated and pre-flight checks, data recording during the flight, replays after the flight and post-flight analysis can be carried out. 

Hence option c is the correct answer.

Using data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), astronomers have recently discovered and characterized a habitable zone planet named TOI-715b.

About Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS):

• It is a NASA mission that's searching for planets orbiting the brightest stars in Earth's sky. 
• The satellite is a follow-up to NASA's highly successful Kepler space telescope, which found thousands of exoplanets during a decade of work after its launch in 2009.
• Launch: It was launched on April 18, 2018, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket out of Cape Canaveral.
• Orbit: TESS circles Earth in a unique high Earth orbit of 12 to 15 days, which is inclined in such a way that the telescope’s sky view is largely free from obstructions by our bright planet and the Moon.
• Over the course of its two-year primary mission, TESS’ four sensitive cameras systematically scanned over 200,000 of the nearest and brightest stars, imaging 75% of the sky. It found 2,100 planetary candidates and 66 confirmed exoplanets.
• The prime mission ended on July 4, 2020, and TESS is now on an extended mission. 
• TESS is finding planets ranging from small, rocky worlds to giant planets, showcasing the diversity of planets in the galaxy.
• How does TESS find exoplanets?
• It uses the transit method to detect planets.
• It looks for periodic dips in stars' brightness as planets cross in front of them along our sightline.
• The larger the planet, the greater the drop in brightness during the transit. 
• How long it takes a planet to pass in front of the star and come back tells us the shape of its orbit.
• This method reveals the diameter of the planet and the size of its orbit. 
• Orbits within a certain range lie in the “habitable zone”, where liquid water can exist on the surface of an Earth-like world.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The 22nd Law Commission of India led by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi has recommended that the offence of criminal defamation should be retained in the new criminal laws.

• It is a non-statutory body and is constituted by a notification of the Government of India, Ministry of Law & Justice.
• It is constituted with a definite terms of reference to carry out research in the field of law and the Commission makes recommendations to the Government (in the form of Reports) as per its terms of reference.
• It functions to the Ministry of Law and Justice as an advisory body.
• History of Law Commission of India
• The first pre-independence law commission was established in 1834 by the British Government in India.
• It was established by the Charter Act of 1833 and was chaired by Lord Macaulay.
• The first Law Commission of independent India was established in 1955 under the chairmanship of the former Attorney General for India M. C. Setalvad.
• This Commission was created for a period of three years and this practice has persisted ever since then, resulting in the reconstitution of Law Commissions every three years via executive orders.
• The executive orders that constitute the Law Commissions also specify their scope and purpose, and thus these fluctuate periodically.
• Since then, twenty one more Law Commissions have been constituted, each with a three-year term and with certain terms of reference.
• The Law Commission has taken up various subjects on references made by Department of Legal Affairs, Supreme Court and High Courts.
• The Twenty Second Law Commission has been notified with effect from 21st February, 2020 for a term of 3 years.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Indian Air Force will be conducting Exercise Vayu Shakti-24 on 17 February 2024 at the Pokhran Air to Ground Range, near Jaisalmer.

• The Indian Air Force is slated to carry out three large scale war games on February 17, namely, Vayu Shakti, Gagan Shakti and Tarang Shakti.
• It will be a riveting demonstration of the offensive and defensive capabilities of the IAF, spanning across day and night.
• The exercise will also showcase joint operations with the Indian Army.
• Exercise Vayu Shakti
• The IAF will first undertake the major "Vayu Shakti" firepower demonstration, which is held once every three years, with 135 fighters, aircraft, helicopters and drones at the Pokhran field firing ranges.
• Gagan Shakti’
• The second mega exercise will be ‘Gagan Shakti’.
• In this, almost the entire air fleet race would be activated from north to south, and from west to east to test integrated war fighting strategies and tactics with the other two forces and other stakeholders.
• All the potent weapon systems like the Rafale fighter aircraft and the S-400 air defense systems would be participating in the ‘Gagan Shakti’ exercise.
• The exercise, which is held once in five years, is also going to be the biggest ever of the series with active participation from other two services.
• Tarang Shakti
• The third major exercise, Tarang Shakti, would be the first ever multinational exercise to be held in the country.
• This will see aircraft from friendly air forces like the US, Germany, France, Australia and neighbouring and other friendly countries taking part in it.

Hence both statements are correct.