Daily Current Affairs MCQ- July 12, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the two-day Urban 20 Mayoral Summit which was hosted by the chair city Ahmedabad, in Gandhinagar from 7-8 July, concluded with the handover of the Communiqué from the Mayors to G20 leaders.

• It is a city diplomacy initiative launched on December 12, 2017, at the One Planet Summit in Paris.
• It provides a platform for cities from G20 countries to facilitate discussions on various important issues of urban development including climate change, social inclusion, sustainable mobility, and affordable housing, and propose collective solutions.
• C40 Cities (C40) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) convene the U20 under the leadership of a Chair city that rotates annually, based in the G20 host country.
• This year it was chaired by the City of Ahmedabad.
• The Communique was officially endorsed by 105 cities across the world, the highest ever number of endorsements received to date for any U20 Communiqué, and more than twice the number of endorsements for any previous communiqués.
• The Communiqué has been drafted as an action agenda for the six priorities identified collectively by U20 cities which include;
• Encouraging environmentally responsible behaviours, accelerating climate finance, championing local culture and economy, ensuring water security, catalysing digital urban futures, and reinventing frameworks for urban planning and governance.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, as part of the third G20 culture working group (CWG) meeting in Hampi, a Guinness world record was created for the ‘largest display of Lambani items.

About Lambani embroidery patches:

• The Lambani embroidery is an intricate form of textile embellishment characterised by colourful threads, mirror-work and stitch patterns.
• It is practised in several villages of Karnataka such as Sandur, Keri Tanda, Mariyammanahalli, Kadirampur etc.
• The Lambani craft tradition involves stitching together small pieces of discarded fabric to create a beautiful fabric. 
• This embroidery had also found a place in the list of products with Geographic Indication (GI) tag in the country.

Key Facts about Lambani People

• The Lambanis are also known as Banjaras and most of them are found in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka states in South India.
• This community settled across the country with different names, have permanently abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and settled in their settlements called Tandas.
• They speak Gor Boli also called Lambadi which belongs to the Indo-Aryan Group of Languages. Lambadi has no script.
• They celebrate the festival of Teej during Shravanam (in the month of august). In this festival young unmarried Banjara girls pray for a good groom.
• Fire dance and Chari are the traditional dance forms of the banjara people.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, Peru has declared a state of national emergency amid a surge in patient suffering from Guillain-Barré syndrome.

• It is a rare autoimmune disorder where the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves.
• It is more common in adults and males, but it can affect people of all ages.
• Symptoms
• The first symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome include weakness or tingling sensations. They usually start in the legs, and can spread to the arms and face.
• For some people, these symptoms can lead to paralysis of the legs, arms, or muscles in the face.
• Causes
• It is often preceded by an infection.
• This could be a bacterial or viral infection.
• The most frequently associated infections include Campylobacter jejuni, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and the bacteria responsible for pneumonia and urinary tract infections.
• It may also be triggered by vaccine administration or surgery.
• Diagnosis
• There is no known cure for this syndrome.
• The most commonly used treatment is intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), which is made from donated blood that contains healthy antibodies.
• This helps calm down the immune system's attack on the nerves.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A seven-year-old girl from Kerala was recently affected by the contagious Brucellosis disease mostly found in cattle breeds.

About Brucellosis Disease:

• Brucellosis is a bacterial infection that spreads from animals to people.
• It is caused by various Brucella species, which mainly infect cattle, swine, goats, sheep and dogs.
• Worldwide, Brucella melitensis is the most prevalent species causing human brucellosis.
• Brucellosis is found globally and is a reportable disease in most countries. It affects people of all ages and both sexes.
• However, Person-to-person transmission is rare.
• Transmission:
• Most commonly, people are infected by eating raw or unpasteurized dairy products.
• Sometimes, the bacteria that cause brucellosis can spread through the air or through direct contact with infected animals.
• Symptoms:Brucellosis typically causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, weakness, malaise and weight loss.
• Treatment:
• The infection can usually be treated with antibiotics.
• However, treatment takes several weeks to months, and the infection can recur.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Spanish submarine manufacturer Navantia and India’s Larsen and Toubro (L&T) recently concluded a Teaming Agreement, to jointly bid for theProject-75I.

About Project-75I:

• Under this, the Indian Navy will procure six advanced conventional submarines processed through the Strategic Partnership (SP) model.
• These will be diesel-electric submarines, having advanced Air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems.
• Project 75I requires an Indian bidder to tie up with a foreign collaborator and build six conventional submarines equipped with AIP systems.
• The first submarine must have a minimum of 45% indigenisation, with the indigenous content going up to 60% in the sixth.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

Companies that pushed the envelope of charitable spending beyond legal requirements helped take the aggregate CSR (corporate social responsibility) expenditure by all listed companies closer to the cumulative mandatory amount in 2021-22.

• What it is? It is a business model by which companies make a concerted effort to operate in ways that enhance rather than degrade society and the environment.
• Objective: It helps both improve various aspects of society as well as promote a positive brand image of companies.
• Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 makes it mandatory for the following companies having in the immediately preceding financial year:
• Every company has a net worth of rupees five hundred crores or more.
• Every company has a turnover of rupees one thousand crores or more.
• Every company has a net profit of rupees five crores or more to comply with CSR provisions.

Hence both statements are correct

Recently, the Uttar Pradesh state government completed the distribution of 55,14,921 ‘gharaunis’ (rural house records) under the Svamitva scheme.

• A survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas (SVAMITVA) is a Central Sector Scheme.
• It was launched in 2021 after the successful completion of the pilot phase of the scheme (2020-2021) in 9 states.
• It seeks to give ownership of property in rural inhabited areas, by mapping land parcels using drone technology and providing a ‘Record of Rights’ to village household owners with the issuance of legal ownership cards (Property cards/Title deeds) to the property owners.
• Implementation: It is implemented with the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, State Revenue Department, State Panchayati Raj Department and Survey of India. 
• Full coverage of nearly 6.62 lakh villages in India and establishment of an extensive CORS network with 567 CORS stations.

Hence both statements are not correct

Recently, GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals (GSK India) announced the much-awaited launch of its globally top-selling shingles vaccine Shingrix in India.

• It is caused by the varicella-zoster virus the same virus that causes chickenpox.
• It can occur anywhere in the human body.
• It typically looks like a single stripe of blisters that wraps around the left side or the right side of your torso.
• It is not contagious means it can’t be spread from one person to another.
• The risk of shingles goes up as you get older and it is most common in people over age 50.
• Symptoms: Pain, burning, tingling sensitivity to touch etc.
• There is a vaccine called Shingrix available which helps in preventing shingles and its complications.

Hence only statement 1 is correct

Recently, in order to prevent the spread of vector-borne infections in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced to launch of a pilot project called ‘Eco Biotraps.

• Eco Biotraps is pegged as an eco-friendly trap with ‘attractants’ that attract female mosquitoes and lay eggs in its water.
• Eco Biotraps are made from recycled cardboard.
• It consists of a small bag containing a mixture of attractant and insecticide.
• These traps are filled with water and placed in mosquito-infested areas.
• The attractant and insecticide (Insect Growth Regulator granules) in the trap bag are immediately mixed with water. After which, the attractant in the water attracts the female mosquito to lay her eggs there.
• The insecticide present in the water destroys the mosquito eggs.
• Vector-borne diseases are human illnesses caused by parasites, viruses and bacteria that are transmitted by vectors.
• The burden of these diseases is highest in tropical and subtropical areas, and they disproportionately affect the poorest populations.

Hence both statements are correct

Tamil Nadu Forest Department recently steps up vigil around Mukurthi National Park in Nilgiris to curb poaching

About Mukurthi National Park:

• Location:
• It lies in the western corner of Nilgiris Plateau in the state of Tamil Nadu.
• The park is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is sandwiched between the Mudumalai National Park and the Silent Valley National Park.
• The area was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1982 and upgraded to a National Park in 1990.
• It was established with the prime motive of conserving its keystone species – the Nilgiri Tahr.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was formerly known as Nilgiri Tahr National Park.
• It is also home to Mukurthi Peak (2,554m), the fourth highest peak in the Nilgiri Hills.
• Rivers: Pykara and Kundah rivers flow through the park along with several perennial streams that originate in the park and drain into the Bhavani Puzha.
• Vegetation:
• The majority of the landscape in the reserve is covered with shrubs and mountainous grasslands.
• The area in the National Park which are at an elevation and experience high rainfall are covered with sholas and lush green tropical grasslands.
• Flora:
• Along sholas, shrubs like Gaultheria fragrantissima, Helichrysum and Berberis tinctoria are found.
• Other plants which can be seen here are Rhododendrons, Cinnamon, Mahonia, Satyrium, Raspberries etc.
• Fauna:The park houses some of the endangered wild species like Nilgiri tahr, Indian elephants, Nilgiri Langur, Bengal tiger and bonnet macaque.

Hence option b is the correct answer.