Daily Current Affairs MCQ- January 17, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

The 9th edition of the Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF), a state festival of Arunachal Pradesh, will take place at Seijosa in the Pakke Kessang district from January 18-20, 2024.

• The first-ever PPHF was held in 2015.
• The aim was to recognise the role played by the Nyishi tribal group in conserving hornbills in Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR).
• Other objectives were to raise alternative sources of income for the region and to create awareness in the rest of India about the wonders of PTR and its surrounding areas.
• This year, the festival’s theme is Domutoh Domutoh, Paga hum Domutoh. It translates to ‘Let Our Hornbills Remain’ in the Nyishi language.
• This year’s festival aims to underscore the critical need for preserving these iconic birds.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

Recently, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) launched the MPLADS e-SAKSHI Mobile Application.

• It was launched for revised fund flow procedure under Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLAD) Scheme.
• It will bring forth a myriad of benefits, revolutionizing the way Members of Parliament engage with and manage development projects in their constituencies.
• It would offer convenience and accessibility, allowing MPs to propose, track, and oversee the projects at their fingertips.
• This real-time access enhances decision-making processes, enabling swift responses to emerging needs or issues.
• The application will streamline the communication between MPs and relevant authorities, facilitating a more efficient exchange of information.
• It will promote transparency by providing MPs with instant updates on the status and progress of their proposed projects.
• It has the features for budget management, ensuring MPs can monitor expenditures.

Hence both statements are correct.

A dying traditional game, given a fresh lease of life at the ongoing Karbi Youth Festival (KYF) in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, has fuelled a drive for conserving a creeper known as the African dream herb.

• A perennial climbing vine that is used by African traditional healers to induce vivid dreams that enables them to communicate efficiently with their ancestors.
• Common names: Giant sea bean, African dream herb, snuff box and Entada rheedii
• Distribution and habitat: It is indigenous to Africa, Asia, Australia and Madagascar. It grows in tropical lowlands, along the coastline and river banks, in woodland, thickets and riverine rain forests.
• Uses
• A paste made from the leaves, bark and roots is used to clean wounds, treat burns and heal jaundice in children.
• Tea made from the whole plant is used to improve blood circulation to the brain and heal the after-effects of a stroke.
• The bark is used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery and parasitic infections.
• This creeper yields a dark brown and spherical seed, almost the size of a human patella or kneecap, used to play ‘Hambi Kepathu’. Associated with the origin of the Karbi community.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) succeed the incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lamps of previous centuries as the world’s light-source of choice.

• A diode is an electronic component which has two points of contact, or terminals, called its anode and cathode.
• A diode’s primary purpose is to allow current to flow in only one direction.
• An LED is a semiconductor device which emits light when electric current flows through it.
• It can produce all three primary colours – red, green, and blue – different LEDs can be combined on a display board to produce a large variety of colours.

Advantages of LED

• Energy Efficiency: It requires far less electricity to produce the same light as incandescent bulbs. LEDs use approximately 75-80% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs
• Durability: LED bulbs are highly durable and resistant to shocks, vibrations, and temperature fluctuations.
• Instant Illumination: It provides instant illumination without the warm-up period required by incandescent bulbs.
• Heat Generation: LED bulbs generate very little heat, making them safer to handle and more efficient in terms of energy utilization. 
• Environmental Impact: LEDs have a significantly lower environmental impact compared to incandescent. The energy efficiency and longer lifespan result in reduced greenhouse gas emissions and less waste.

Hence both statements are correct.

REC Limited, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Power, has achieved a significant milestone by issuing its inaugural Japanese Yen (JPY) 61.1 billion green bonds under Global Medium Term Notes Programme.

• It is REC Limited’s eleventh venture into the international bond market and inaugural Yen Bond issuance, which is also the first Yen Green Bonds issuance by any Indian PSU
• Time period: 5-year, 5.25-year and 10-year bonds issued at yield of 1.76%, 1.79% and 2.20% respectively
• It is the largest ever Euro-Yen issuance in South and South East Asia
• It is the largest Yen-denominated issuance from India.
• Largest non-sovereign Yen-denominated issuance ever from South and South East Asia
• The transaction witnessed interest from both Japanese and international accounts, with number of orders from each at 50%, international allocation being one of the highest for any other Indian Yen deal.
• These bonds will be rated Baa3/BBB–/BBB+ (Moody's/Fitch/JCR) and will be listed exclusively on Global Securities Market of India International Exchange (India INX) and NSE IFSC in GIFT City, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

The Central government will extend basic facilities to the endangered Kolam tribe under the Jan Jati Adivasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan, with a focus on health and education.

About Kolam Tribes:

• Kolam tribes, also known as Kolamboli, Kulme and Kolmi, occupy a major portion of Madhya Pradesh.
• The main concentration of this tribe is on the plains and in the mountainous region.
• These tribal groups are reckoned as scheduled tribes and apart from Madhya Pradesh they reside in some parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
• They are listed as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in the state of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
• History:
• Around the twelfth century, the Kolam served as priests for the Gond, representing some of their important gods.
• It is generally accepted that the Kolam descended from the original population in the area.
• Since they now live near the Gond, they have adopted much of the Gond lifestyle. 
• The Kolam people aredivided into different clans, like Chal Deve, Pach Deve, Saha Deve, and Sat Deve.
• Marriages between the same clans are not permissible.
• The Kolams use the name of their clans as their surnames.
• Their society is patrilineal, meaning that the line of descent is traced through the males.
• The Kolam are mainly farmers and forest workers. In times past, they used shifting cultivation on the hill slopes. Today, they primarily live as settled farmers and use plow cultivation.
• They speak a Dravidian language called Kolami, and nearly all of the adults also speak Marathi, Telugu, or Gondi.
• They also speak other languages like Marathi, Telugu or Gondi.
• For writing, this Kolma tribal community uses the famous Devnagari script. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

According to defence officials, two South American countries have shown interest in the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers.

About Pinaka:

• Pinaka is a Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL).
• The Pinaka MBRL is designed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), a laboratory of the DRDO.
• It was first used during the Kargil War, where it successfully neutralised Pakistan Army positions on the mountain tops.
• It delivers lethal and responsive fire against a variety of area targets, such as exposed enemy troops, armoured and soft-skin vehicles, communication centres, air terminal complexes, and fuel and ammunition dumps.
• Features:
• It consists of a multi-tube launcher vehicle, a replenishment-cum-loader vehicle, a replenishment vehicle, and a command post vehicle.
• The rocket launcher has two pods containing six rockets eachand can neutralise an area of 700 × 500 square metres within 48 seconds. 
• The launcher system is supported on four hydraulically actuated outriggers at the time of firing. 
• It has a range of 60 to 75 kilometers.
• The system is mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Scientists recently discovered a new species of fungus in Kerala, named ‘Paramyrothecium indicum’.

About Paramyrothecium indicum:

• It is a new species of phytopathogenic fungus.
• Phytopathogens are parasites surviving on a plant host. 
• Most of Paramyrothecium are phytopathogens.
• They are responsible for “serious plant diseases which might negatively affect crop productivity.
• Paramyrothecium leaf spots are a type of fungal disease that can affect a variety of plants.
• Some species of Paramyrothecium produce secondary metabolites with bio-herbicidal potentials” and, therefore, may find application in controlling weeds.

Key Facts about Fungi:

• Fungi, along with Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), Protista, Archaea/Archaebacteria, and Bacteria or Eubacteria, form the six ‘kingdoms’ of biology.
• Fungiincludes the yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms. 
• They are eukaryotic organisms, i.e., their cells contain membrane-bound organelles and clearly defined nuclei.
• Reproduction: Fungi usually reproduce both sexually and asexually. 
• Distribution:
• Fungi are either terrestrial or aquatic, the latter living in freshwater or marine environments.
• They are found in all temperate and tropical regions of the world where there is sufficient moisture to enable them to grow.
• A group called the decomposers grows in the soil or on dead plant matter, where they play an important role in the cycling of carbon and other elements.
• Some are parasites of plants causing diseases such as mildews, rusts, scabs, or canker. In crops, fungal diseases can lead to significant monetary losses for the farmer.
• A very small number of fungi cause diseases in animals. In humans, these include skin diseases such as athletes’ foot, ringworm, and thrush.
• Fungi are essential to many household and industrial processes, notably the making of bread, wine, beer, and certain cheeses.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

Scientists recently stumbled upon a lost forest in the Panama Canal, dating back around 22 million years.

About Panama Canal:

• It is an artificial waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.
• The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit for maritime trade.
• It was cut through one of the narrowest saddles of the isthmus that joins North and South America.
• It is one of the two most strategic artificial waterways in the world, the other being the Suez Canal. 
• It is approximately 80 kilometers long.
• It consists of a series of locks that raise and lower the water level to facilitate the passage of ships through the continental divide.
• History:
• France began work on the canal in 1881, but financial troubles and diseases made the initiative fail.
• The United States took over the project on May 4, 1904, and opened the canal on August 15, 1914, and then managed the waterway until 1999. 
• On December 31, 1999, Panama took over full operation, administration, and maintenance of the Canal, in compliance with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties negotiated with the United States in 1977. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the maiden Bilateral Maritime Exercise -Ayutthaya’ between the Indian Navy (IN) and Royal Thai Navy (RTN) was conducted.

• The India-Thailand Bilateral Exercise is being named as ‘Ex-Ayutthaya’, which literally translates to ‘The Invincible One’ or ‘Undefeatable’.
• It symbolises the significance of two of the oldest cities Ayodhya in India and Ayutthaya in Thailand, the historic legacies, rich cultural ties and shared historical narratives dating back to several centuries.
• Indigenously built Indian Naval ships Kulish and IN LCU 56 participated in the inaugural edition of the exercise.
• With the institution of a Bilateral Exercise, both navies have taken a step towards strengthening operational synergy and progressively increasing the exercise complexity.
• During the maiden edition of the exercise, participating units from both navies conducted surface and anti-air exercises including weapon firing, seamanship evolutions and tactical manoeuvres.
• The 36th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) was also conducted along with the maiden bilateral exercise.
• Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both navies participated in the Sea Phase of the exercise.
• As part of Government of India's vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region), the Indian Navy has been proactively engaging with countries in the Indian Ocean Region towards enhancing regional maritime security.
• The Indian Navy and Royal Thai Navy have maintained a close and friendly relationship which has strengthened over the years.

Hence option d is the correct answer.