Daily Current Affairs MCQ - July 22, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Union Culture Minister said the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) here would be renovated and reorganised as a part of the commemoration of the 75th Independence Day next year.

• The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) is the premier art gallery which aims to acquire and preserve works of modern art from 1850s onward.
• It is run and administered as a subordinate office to the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
• Its collection includes works by artists such as Thomas Daniell, Raja Ravi Verma, Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil as well as foreign artists.
• The main museum in New Delhi was established in 1954 by the Government of India, with subsequent branches at Mumbai and Bangalore.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Back in 2019, when most people first heard of the spyware Pegasus, the NSO Group described the company’s flagship creation as the “Trojan horse” that could be sent “flying through the air to [break into] devices”. Before this, Pegasus had always been the constellation.

• Pegasus is a constellation in the northern sky, named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology.
• It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and is one of the 88 constellations recognised today.
• With an apparent magnitude varying between 2.37 and 2.45, the brightest star in Pegasus is the orange supergiant Epsilon Pegasi, also known as Enif, which marks the horse's muzzle
• Hence both statements are correct.

Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO successfully flight-tested the New Generation Akash Missile, a surface-to-air Missile from Integrated Test Range off the coast of Odisha.

• The missile system has been developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories.
• The new version of the Akash missile (Akash-NG) can strike targets at a distance of around 60 km and fly at a speed of up to Mach 2.5.
• The New Generation Akash Missile will prove to be a force multiplier for the air defence capability of the Indian Air Force.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Liverpool has been stripped of its World Heritage status after a UN committee found developments threatened the value of the city’s waterfront.

• The decision was made following a secret ballot by the UNESCO Committee at a meeting in China. UNESCO had previously warned that the developments, including the new Everton FC stadium, had resulted in a “serious deterioration” of the historic site.
• The city was awarded the much-coveted title in 2004 in recognition of its historical and architectural impact, joining places including the Taj Mahal, Egypt’s Pyramids and Canterbury Cathedral.
• Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England.
• Liverpool is on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. Its growth as a major port was paralleled by the expansion of the city throughout the Industrial Revolution.
• Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

NIDHI4COVID 2.0 initiative has been devised as a rapid response to support startup driven solutions, which would be helpful in tackling the current challenging COVID-19 situation in the country.

• Inducted as a special drive of the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB), Department of Science & Technology (DST) & govt of India, NIDHI4COVID2.0 aims at introducing indigenous solutions and innovative products which would aid the nation in to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic effectively.
• Under the NIDHI4COVID programme, Startups whose technologies/products are of huge importance in the war against COVID would be considered for Seed Support through DST supported network of Technology Business Incubators.
• KIIT- Technology Business Incubator, a Centre of Excellence supported by DST, has been selected as the Implementing Agency of NIDHI4COVID 2.0 initiative.
• In this, KIIT-TBI will work closely together with DST to support promising startups with upto 50 lakhs funding assistance under the program.
• Hence both statements are correct.

It is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific.

Aim: to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration.

 Functions:

• APEC works to help all residents of the Asia-Pacific participate in the growing economy. APEC projects provide digital skills training for rural communities and help indigenous women export their products abroad.
• Recognizing the impacts of climate change, APEC members also implement initiatives to increase energy efficiency and promote sustainable management of forest and marine resources.
• The forum adapts to allow members to deal with important new challenges to the region’s economic well-being. This includes ensuring disaster resilience, planning for pandemics, and addressing terrorism.

Lightning is a very rapid — and massive — discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, some of which is directed towards the Earth’s surface. These discharges are generated in giant moisture-bearing clouds that are 10-12 km tall. The base of these clouds typically lies within 1-2 km of the Earth’s surface, while their top is 12-13 km away. Temperatures towards the top of these clouds are in the range of minus 35 to minus 45 degrees Celsius.

UV-A rays can penetrate the middle layer of your skin or the dermis and can cause aging of skin cells and indirect damage to cells’ DNA. UV-C radiation from man-made sources has been known to cause skin burns and eye injuries.

UV-C radiation (wavelength around 254 nm) has been used for decades to disinfect the air in hospitals, laboratories, and also in water treatment.

• Akash Missile is India’s first indigenously produced medium range Surface to Air missile that can engage multiple targets from multiple directions. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • The missile is unique in the way that it can be launched from mobile platforms like battle tanks or wheeled trucks. It has nearly 90% kill probability.
  • The missile is supported by the indigenously developed radar called 'Rajendra'. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  • The missile is reportedly cheaper and more accurate than US’ Patriot missiles due to its solid-fuel technology and high-tech radars.
  • It can engage targets at a speed 2.5 times more than the speed of sound and can detect and destroy targets flying at low, medium and high altitudes.
  • The Akash missile system has been designed and developed as part of India’s 30-year-old Integrated Guided-Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
• Akash Missile (Akash-NG) is a surface-to-air Missile. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
  • It is a new variant of the Akash missile that can strike targets at a distance of around 60 km and fly at a speed of up to Mach 2.5.
  • Once deployed, the Akash-NG weapon system will prove to be a force multiplier for the air defence capability of the Indian Air Force.
  • It is developed by Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories.
  • It is being produced by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

• China-South Asian Initiative: Members: China, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• India, Bhutan and the Maldives are the other SAARC countries that are not part of this initiative. Hence option D is correct.
• Intended Vision: China has different kinds of strategic, maritime, political and ideological interests with different South Asian nations so it is increasing its engagements with each country on equal footing to counterbalance India.