Daily Current Affairs MCQ- January 24, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Indian Space Research Organisation has completed all key tests on Insat-3DS satellite before the final review which will be followed by its shipping to the spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. 

• It is a collaborative effort between ISRO and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• It is part of a series of climate observatory satellites aimed at enhancing climate services. Comprising three dedicated Earth observation satellites, including INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR already in orbit.
• It will launched by using the Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F14).

What is GSLV-F14?

• It a more advanced rocket utilising liquid propellant.
• The rocket, distinguished by its higher capacity and the use of cryogenic liquid propellants in all three stages, presents a more complex engineering challenge but allows for a substantially higher lift-off weight capacity.

Key facts about INSAT-3DR

• It is an advanced meteorological satellite of India configured with an imaging System and an Atmospheric Sounder.
• The significant improvements incorporated in INSAT-3DR are:
• Imaging in Middle Infrared band to provide night time pictures of low clouds and fog
• Imaging in two Thermal Infrared bands for estimation of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) with better accuracy
• Higher Spatial Resolution in the Visible and Thermal Infrared bands
• Payloads: INSAT-3DR carries a multi spectral Imager, 19 channel Sounder, Data Relay Transponder and Search and Rescue Transponder.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Mpemba effect continues to captivate scientists with its complex interplay of physical mechanisms.

• It is named after Tanzanian student Erasto Mpemba, who brought attention to this counterintuitive phenomenon in 1969, makes for curious observation.
• The effect is that hot water can freeze faster than cold water in similar conditions.
• While Aristotle, Francis Bacon, and René Descartes had noticed the effect centuries earlier, the Mpemba effect caught scientists’ attention only more recently.
• Different Experiments
• Researchers have conducted numerous experiments to determine the causes of this confusing phenomenon, but a consensus conclusion remains wanting.
• One cause, they have posited, is microbubbles left suspended in water that has been heated by boiling.
• These cavities promote convection and transfer heat faster as the water cools.
• Evaporation: as warmer water evaporates more, it also takes away some heat (evaporation is inherently endothermic, which is how sweat cools your skin). Both convection and accelerated heat transfer are enhanced in warmer water because such water is less dense.
• Yet another factor could be the presence of frost in cold water. Frost is an insulator and could slow the loss of heat.
• Scientists have also considered whether compounds in water like calcium carbonate could be precipitated by boiling, and then dissolve, thus increasing the water’s freezing point.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

Agulhas long-billed lark is adapting and surviving despite farming taking over their nesting grounds in South Africa.

• It is a small passerine bird.
• It builds nests on the ground mainly in Renosterveld fynbos, a type of vegetation filled with grasses and wild spring flowers.
• It is a South African endemic species restricted to the Agulhas plains.
• These are generally “little brown birds” that are often difficult to identify.
• These larks prefer to nest in Renosterveld.
• Habitat: It appears to have adapted quite well to its modified habitats, like farmlands, although its distribution is patchy for unknown reasons.
• Distribution: Its restricted range is centred on the Agulhas arable farmlands, from east of the Hottentots-Holland mountain range to Mossel Bay.
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Near-threatened 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has conducted a training programme in virtual mode on the recently introduced Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) for the officers concerned from Andhra Pradesh.

• It is a dedicated technology platform designed and developed to digitize data for intercepted/Seized items (Cash/Liquor/Drugs/ Precious Metal/Freebies/Other Items) direct from field through Mobile App.
• It also allows Banks to generate QR code based receipt for case movement.
• Key Features
• Automate desired report in required format for all stake holders
• Dashboard analytics for received data from multiple agencies
• Avoid duplicate data entry by Agencies
• Banks may generate QR code-based receipt in PDF format and issue for legal cash transfer.
• In this platform all the enforcement agencies such as police, transportation authorities, Central tax agencies and others share information in real time. 
• The platform is for real-time updates on seizures from the field.
• It is a system that ensures seamless coordination and intelligence sharing amongst enforcement agencies. 
• It is a platform where all the central and state enforcement agencies will be onboarded. 
• These agencies are required to upload details of every recorded movement and seizure of illicit cash, liquor, drugs etc. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

End-to-end (E2E) encryption protects information in a way that has transformed human rights organisations’, law-enforcement agencies’, and technology companies’ outlook on their ability to access and use information.

• Encryption is a way of protecting data from unauthorised access or tampering.
• It works by transforming the data into a secret code that only the intended recipient can decipher.
• This comes in useful for various cases, such as securing online communications, storing sensitive information, and verifying digital identities.
• There are two main types of encryption:
• Symmetric: It uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt the data. In symmetric encryption, the key used to encrypt some information is also the key required to decrypt it.
• Asymmetric: It uses a pair of keys: one public and one private. The public key can be shared with anyone, but the private key must be kept secret.
• The term encryption is generally used when referring to the privacy of stored data, while end-to-end encryption protects data as it’s transferred between a location – which is crucial wherever there’s a rapid exchange of information.
• In an E2EE-enabled app, only person on each end – the sender and receiver – can read any exchanged messages.
• This is because messages get encrypted on your device before being sent and only are decrypted when they reach your intended recipient.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

In a recent discovery on the Central Coast, approximately 80 km north of Sydney, the largest male funnel web spider ever recorded, named "Hercules," has made headlines.

• It is the largest male funnel web spider ever recorded.
• Characteristics
• The spider's impressive size, measuring 3.1 inches from foot to foot.
• It is equipped with fangs capable of penetrating human nails, Hercules stands as the world's most venomous arachnid.
• It represents the first male of such magnitude.
• Male funnel web spiders are known to be more lethal than their female counterparts
• Range:
• These are commonly found in forested regions and gardens spanning from Sydney, Australia, the coastal city of Newcastle in the north and the Blue Mountains to the west.
• Habitat: The warm and humid climate along Australia's east coast provides an ideal breeding ground for funnel web spiders.

What is a funnel-web spider?

• These are one of the most dangerous arachnids in the world.
• There are 36 described species of Australian funnel-web spiders and they are currently placed in three genera: Hadronyche, Atrax and Illawarra.
• The spider has venom, which is filled with 40 different toxic proteins.
• Its raw venom, is the best way to make life-saving antivenom. 

Hence option d is the correct answer.

The Lake Retba’s waters are virtually devoid of life is on the verge of disappearing due to pollution and mining. 

• It is also known as Lac Rose (the Pink Lake).
• Location: It is located north of the Cap Vert peninsula of Senegal, northeast of Dakar.
• The lake is isolated from the sea by sand dunes.
• Its fresh water comes from the seasonal water table in the dunes, which are higher than the lake. Thus the sea provides most of the lake’s water and all of its salt.
• The Pink Lake is one of the main tourist destinations in the Dakar region, primarily because of the pink colour of its waters.
• Why it is pink?
• The pink coloration is due to the proliferation of halophilic green algae (living in a salty environment), Dunaliella salina, which contain red pigments.
• The alga is associated with halophilic bacteria of the genus Halobacterium.
• This microscopic alga’s resistance to salt comes from its high concentration of carotenoid pigments, which protect it from light, and its high glycerol content.
• In fact, Dunaliella salina contains at least four antioxidant pigments (beta-carotene, astaxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin), which are rich in vitamins and trace elements.
• When salinity is high, algae with red pigments thrive, and when salinity is low, they give way to other algae rich in green pigments.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

A recent study from Oregon State University found that a warming climate is negatively impacting the chances of long-term survival of aardvarks in sub-Saharan Africa.

• It gets its name from a South African word meaning “earth pig.”
• Appearance: They look like a pig, especially with its body and snout.
• They actually share common ancestors with elephants and golden moles. 
• They are nocturnal mammals, most active at night and tend to live alone. During the day, they sleep curled up in a ball in their burrows. 
•  This species has been assessed as having the highest score for evolutionary distinctiveness,
• This is because it does not have many close relatives and has been evolving independently for millions of years.
• The Aardvark is the sole surviving species of its order, Tubulidentata, and its closest relatives have been extinct since the Pleistocene era (2 million years ago).
• Diet: The aardvark’s diet consists almost entirely of ants and termites. 
• Habitat: Aardvarks are found over much of the southern two-thirds of Africa and their habitat is savannah and semiarid areas.
• Ecosystem Roles: Aardvarks are important in their ecosystem because the holes they dig are used by a variety of other animals for shelter.
• Conservation Status
• IUCN :Least Concern
• The recent study concluded that the genetic structure of aardvarks is strongly shaped by climate, with arid areas limiting gene flow and reflected apparent isolation by adaptation associated with temperature.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Researchers from the University of Szeged, in Hungary, have taken some important strides by studying fruit flies to understand more about the Huntington’s disease.

• It is a rare, inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown (degeneration) of nerve cells in the brain.
• It has a wide impact on a person's functional abilities and usually results in movement, thinking (cognitive) and psychiatric disorders.
• There are two types of Huntington’s disease:
• Adult onset: This is the most common form. Symptoms usually begin after age 30.
• Early onset (juvenile Huntington’s disease): Early onset affects children and teenagers. It’s very rare. When Huntington's develops early, symptoms are somewhat different and the disease may progress faster.
• Cause
• A genetic change (mutation) of the HTT gene causes Huntington’s disease. The HTT gene makes a protein called huntingtin. This protein helps your nerve cells (neurons) function.
• The normal HTT gene contains a stretch of DNA that specifies the number of times the amino acid glutamine is repeated in the HTT protein. This number varies from 11 to 31.
• In the mutant versions of the HTT gene, this stretch is expanded to encode 35 or more repeats. 
• As the number of repetitions increase, the severity of Huntington’s disease increases and its debilitation begins at an earlier age.
• Symptoms
• Huntington's disease usually causes movement, cognitive and psychiatric disorders with a wide spectrum of signs and symptoms.
• The patient suffers mood swings, has difficulty in reasoning, shows abnormal and uncontrollable jerky movements, and experiences difficulty in speaking, swallowing, and walking.
• Treatment: Medications are available to help manage the symptoms of Huntington's disease. But treatments can't prevent the physical, mental and behavioral decline associated with the condition.

Hence both statements are correct.

A team of researchers recently discovered a Eurasian otter in the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki, a first in Kerala. 

About Eurasian Otter:

• It is a semi-aquatic carnivorous mammal native to Eurasia.
• Scientific Name: Lutra lutra
• Distribution:
• It has one of the widest distributions of all Palearctic mammals, from Ireland to China and down to Southeast Asia.
• It lives throughout Europe, North Africa, and Asia.
• In India, it occurs in northern, northeastern, and southern India.
• Habitat:
• It inhabits streams, rivers, lakes, freshwater and peat swamp forests, ocean shores, rice fields, fjords, caves, and other terrestrial habitats close by waterways.
• In the Indian subcontinent, it is found in cold hills and mountain streams.
• Features:
• It has a long body with a thick tail and short legs.
• It is brown above and cream below.
• It has sensitive whiskers around the snout to help detect prey.
• It has two layers of fur: a thick, waterproof outer one and a warm inner one.
• It has an acute sense of sight, smell, and hearing.
• It is an elusive, solitary otter, but sometimes it is seen in family groups, composed of a mother and her offspring.
• It has a varied diet, which includes fish, crustaceans, amphibians, and sometimes reptiles, birds, eggs, insects, and worms.
• Conservation Status:
• IUCN: Near threatened
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule II
• CITES:  Appendix I

Hence only statement 1 is correct.