Daily Current Affairs MCQ- February 8, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

A team of Stony Brook University physicists and their collaborators have taken a significant step toward the building of a quantum internet testbed by demonstrating a foundational quantum network measurement that employs room-temperature quantum memories.

• It is a theorized and much sought-after network of interconnected quantum computers that will allow people to send, compute, and receive information using quantum technology.
• A quantum internet would be a network of quantum computers, sensors, and communication devices that will create, process, and transmit quantum states and entanglement.
• It is anticipated to enhance society's internet system and provide certain services and securities that the current internet does not have.
• The purpose of the quantum internet is not to replace the internet we know today, but to instead create a co-existent network that can be used to solve specific types of problems.
• Working
• Quantum computers use fundamental units of information similar to the bits used in classical computing. These are called “qubits.”
• However, unlike conventional computer bits—which convey information as a 0 or 1—qubits convey information through a combination of quantum states, which are unique conditions found only on the subatomic scale.
• Qubits are not either 0 or 1, but rather both and neither, in a quantum phenomenon called superposition.  

Hence both statements are correct.

In a first, the Centre has on boarded 11 fair price shops on the state-run e-commerce portal Open Network Digital Commerce (ONDC).

• It is an open-source network set up to enable buyers and sellers to transact with each other irrespective of the e-commerce platform on which either of them are registered.
• It will enable local commerce across segments, such as mobility, grocery, food order and delivery, hotel booking and travel, among others, to be discovered and engaged by any network-enabled application.
• It is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Purpose
• To promote open networks for all aspects of exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks. 
• To create new opportunities, curb digital monopolies and by supporting micro, small and medium enterprises and small traders and help them get on online platforms.
• It seeks to democratise digital or electronic commerce, moving it from a platform-centric model to an open-network.
• Benefits:
• It offers small retailers an opportunity to provide their services, and goods to buyers across the country through an e-commerce system.
• It enables merchants to save their data to build credit history and reach consumers.
• It is expected to digitise the entire value chain, promote inclusion of suppliers, derive efficiencies in logistics and enhance value for consumers.
• ONDC protocols would standardize operations like cataloguing, inventory management, order management and order fulfilment.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, natural gas flare samples collected by aircraft in the USA regions revealed high variation in nitrogen oxides emission estimates.

• Gas flaring is the burning of the natural gas associated with oil extraction. 
• Why is gas flared?
• Flaring persists to this day because it is a relatively safe, though wasteful and polluting, method of disposing of the associated gas that comes from oil production.
• Utilizing associated gas often requires economically viable markets for companies to make the investments necessary to capture, transport, process, and sell the gas.
• Firms usually resort to flaring when they lack adequate infrastructure or financial incentives to bring the gas to market, or when it needs to be released for safety reasons to manage changes in pressure during crude oil extraction.
• Most flared gas, primarily associated gas, is very similar to the natural gas used worldwide for power generation, as feedstock for the manufacture of chemicals, distributed to homes, etc.
• However, it may require processing to remove contaminants before it can be used.
• Associated gas can also be used on-site for generating electricity, compressed or liquefied for transportation as compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquified natural gas (LNG) respectively, or converted into liquid form (e.g., synthetic oil, diesel, methanol, DME) by using gas-to-liquid (GTL) technologies.
• Impacts on environment
• The flare's combustion converts hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide and water, which lessens the climate impact and reduces the safety concerns of the natural gas on site but also produces nitrogen oxides, or NOx.
• NOx—which includes the highly reactive gases nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide—directly and indirectly impacts air quality.
• How to reduce gas flaring? Oil producers can either re-inject associated gas or use it for productive purposes.

Hence both statements are correct.

An official statement said that applications of certain companies for claiming incentives under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the white goods (Air Conditioners and LED Lights) are under examination and there is no delay in disbursement.

• It is designed to create a complete component ecosystem for Air Conditioners and LED Lights Industry in India and make India an integral part of the global supply chains.
• The scheme was notified by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• The scheme will be implemented as a pan India scheme and is not specific to any location, area or segment of population.
• Objectives: It proposes a financial incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in the White Goods manufacturing value chain. Its prime objectives include removing sectoral disabilities, creating economies of scale, enhancing exports, creating a robust component ecosystem and employment generation.
• Incentives: The scheme will extend an incentive of 4-6% on incremental turnover over base year (2019-20) of goods sold in India and exported to global markets, to eligible companies for a period of 5 years.
• Eligibility
• Applicant can be any company that should be incorporated in India under the provisions of the Company Act, 2013.
• Eligibility shall be subject to the achievement of thresholds of net incremental sales of Eligible Products for the respective financial year over the base year and cumulative incremental investment in the preceding financial year.
• Any entity availing benefits under any other PLI Scheme of Govt. of India will not be eligible under this scheme for same products.
• Time period: It is to be implemented over FY 2021-22 to FY 2028-29.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Vice-President recently inaugurated the World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi recently.

About World Sustainable Development (WSDS) Summit:

• It is the annual flagship event of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
• Instituted in 2001, the Summit series has a legacy of over two decades of making ‘sustainable development’ a globally shared goal.
• It is the only independently convened international summit on sustainable development and environment, based in the Global South.
• WSDS strives to provide long-term solutions for the benefit of global communities by assembling the world’s most enlightened leaders and thinkers on a single platform.
• WSDS 2024 is the 23rd edition of the summit.
• WSDS 2024 will take place on the theme ‘Leadership for the Sustainable Development and Climate Justice’. 

Key Facts about The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI):

• TERI is a leading think tank dedicated to conducting research for sustainable development of India and the Global South.
• It is an independent, multi-dimensional organization, with capabilities in research, policy, consultancy, and implementation.
• History:
• TERI was established in 1974 as an information centre on energy issues. 
• Research activities, initiated towards the end of 1982, were rooted in TERI’s firm conviction that efficient utilization of energy and sustainable use of natural resources would propel the process of development.
• It’s work across sectors is focused on
• Promoting efficient use of resources
• Increasing access to and uptake of sustainable inputs and practices
• Reducing the impact on environment and climate
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

Researchers recently reported on the potential of using MXene coatings that can guide microwaves in space and lighten satellite payloads.

About Mxenes:

• Mxenes, first discovered in 2011, are ceramics that comprise one of the largest families of two-dimensional (2D) materials.
• Unlike most 2D ceramics, MXenes have inherently good conductivity and excellent volumetric capacitance because they are molecular sheets made from the carbides and nitrides of transition metals like titanium.
• They are made from a bulk crystal called MAX. 
• They have the general formula of Mn+1XnTx, where M is an early transition metal, X is carbon and/or nitrogen, and T is a functional group on the surface of an MXene (typically O, OH, and F).
• Among various types of MXenes, titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) is the most widely used. 
• Some potential applications of MXenes include energy storage (such as lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors) due to their high conductivity and large surface area, electromagnetic interference shielding, catalysis, sensors, and water purification, among others.

Hence both statements are correct.

Indian scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI) recently designed a new image-correction algorithm that significantly enhances the study of ultracold atoms.

About Raman Research Institute (RRI):

• It is an autonomous research institute engaged in research in basic sciences.
• Location: Bangalore
• The institute was founded in 1948 by Indian physicist and Nobel Laureate Sir C.V. Raman, with funds from private sources.
• Sir C.V. Raman served as its director, carrying on his personal research until his demise in 1970. 
• It was restructured in 1972 to become an aided autonomous institute receiving funds from the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India.
• The Governing Council is the executive body of the Institute and conducts the administration and management of the Institute.
• Today, the main areas of research at the Institute are Astronomy & Astrophysics, Light & Matter Physics, Soft Condensed Matter, and Theoretical Physics.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) recently introduced a scheme named 'Support to Students for Participating in Competitions Abroad' (SSPCA).

About Support to Students for Participating in Competitions Abroad (SSPCA) Initiative:

• It is an initiative of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) aimed at bolstering the global competitiveness of Indian students in technical education.
• It is designed to financially support students aspiring to compete in international scientific events.
• Financial Assistance and Mentorship:
• Under the SSPCA scheme, individual students or student teams are eligible to receive travel grants to partake in international competitions.
• The assistance encompasses financial aid, mentorship, logistical support, and networking opportunities, enabling students to represent India on a global platform effectively.
• Financial aid provided by the AICTE scheme reaches up to Rs 2 lakh per student, covering various expenses like international and domestic travel, registration fees, visa applications, accommodation, airport taxes, travel insurance, and equipment costs related to the competition.
• Eligibility:
• Eligibility extends to students enrolled in diploma, BE/BTech, integrated MTech, and ME/MTech programs in AICTE-approved institutions.
• Each team of students is eligible for financial support under the scheme once during their course of study.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Healthy Indian Project (THIP), a health information platform in India, is included as a member of the World Health Organization’s Vaccine Safety Net (VSN).

• It is a global network of websites, established by the World Health Organization that provides reliable information on vaccine safety.
• It is a network of a diverse group of digital information resources (websites and social media), VSN members, located in countries around the world and providing scientifically based information on vaccine safety in various languages.
• A key player in the Project is the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS), established by WHO in 1999, to respond promptly, efficiently, and with scientific rigour to vaccine safety issues of potential global importance. 
• At the outset of the Project, GACVS developed three categories of criteria for good information practices - regarding credibility, content, accessibility and design to which digital resources providing information on vaccine safety should adhere.
• WHO evaluates those electronic resources for their adherence to these criteria.
• It is continuously expanding and till date 110 websites from 45 countries provide vaccine safety information in 43 languages.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

In the first-ever tri-State synchronised vulture survey 320 individual vultures were counted in the seven-protected areas spread over Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and Himalayan griffon is only reported from Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

• It is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae.
• It is one of the two largest Old World vultures and true raptors.
• These are monogamous and pairs return to the same nesting and roosting sites from year to year.
• These are diurnal and mostly solitary species.
• Distribution:
• It is found along the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan region and is also found in the Central Asian Mountains.
• Occasionally it migrates to northern India but migration usually only occurs altitudinally.
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Near Threatened

Hence both statements are correct.