Daily Current Affairs MCQ- July 22, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Burney, a small town in the US state of California, recently witnessed rising cases of E. coli, with many residents, mostly children and elderly, being hospitalised or requiring medical assistance.

About E. coli:

• Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli, is a type of bacteria that can be found in the intestines of humans and animals.
• E. coli is a rod-shaped bacterium of the Enterobacteriaceae family.
• While most strains of E. coli are harmless and even beneficial, some strains can cause illness and infections.
• Some kinds of E. coli can cause diarrhea, while others cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, and other illnesses.
• Transmission: Pathogenic E. coli can be transmitted to humans through contaminated food, water, or contact with fecal matter from infected individuals or animals.
• How does E. coli make you sick?
• The most familiar strains of E. coli that make you sick do so by producing a toxin called Shiga.
• This toxin damages the lining of your small intestine and causes diarrhea.
• These strains of E. coli are also called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).
• The STEC that is most well-known and most often referred to is E. coli O157:H7, or just E. coli O157.
• Symptoms:
• Symptoms of an E. coli infection can vary depending on the specific strain and severity of the infection.
• Common symptoms include diarrhea (which may be bloody), abdominal pain and cramping, nausea, and sometimes fever.
• In severe cases, E. coli infections can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a condition that can cause kidney failure and other complications, especially in young children and the elderly.
• Treatment:
• Most E. coli infections are self-limiting and resolve on their own without treatment. However, it's essential to stay hydrated during the course of the illness.
• In severe cases or when complications arise, medical attention may be required.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

A magnificent golden waterspout was recently filmed on the Kama River in Russia’s Perm region. 

About Waterspouts:

• A waterspout is a tornado-like column or funnel of violently rotating air that usually forms over the surface of the sea.
• It is a non-supercell tornado over water having a five-part life cycle,
• formation of a dark spot on the water surface;
• spiral pattern on the water surface;
• formation of a spray ring;
• development of the visible condensation funnel;
• and ultimately, decay;
• Waterspouts form mostly in tropical and subtropical areas. But regions, including Europe, Middle-East, Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica also report these on rare occasions.
• They may assume many shapes and often occur in a series, called a waterspout family.
• Key characteristics of waterspouts include:
• Funnel cloud: Waterspouts have a visible funnel-shaped cloud that extends downward from a parent cloud or the base of the thunderstorm.
• Water connection: Waterspouts have a visible connection to the water's surface, drawing water or spray upward into the vortex.
• Duration: Waterspouts can be relatively short-lived, ranging from a few minutes to an hour or so.
• Size: Waterspouts are typically much smaller in scale compared to tornadoes, with diameters ranging from tens to a few hundred meters.
• They are classified into two main types: tornadic waterspouts and fair-weather waterspouts.
• Tornadic waterspouts:
• They are tornadoes that form over water, or move from land to water.
• They have the same characteristics as a land tornado.
• They are associated with severe thunderstorms, and are often accompanied by high winds and seas, large hail, and frequent dangerous lightning.
• Fair weather waterspouts:
• They usually form along the dark flat base of a line of developing cumulus clouds.
• This type of waterspout is generally not associated with thunderstorms.
• While tornadic waterspouts develop downward in a thunderstorm, a fair weather waterspout develops on the surface of the water and works its way upward.
• By the time the funnel is visible, a fair weather waterspout is near maturity.
• Fair weather waterspouts form in light wind conditions so they normally move very little.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

India is considering expanding its Solar Technology and Application Resource Centres (STAR -C) initiative to a number of Pacific Island countries.

• The programme aims to boost solar power ecosystems in the poorest countries.
• The initiative is run by the International Solar Alliance in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
• It aims to create a strong network of institutional capacities within ISA member states to enhance quality infrastructure for the uptake of solar energy products and services.
• The project is also funded by France.
• Programme’s objectives: Building solar workforces, standardizing products, setting up infrastructure, and raising awareness among policymakers in developing countries.
• Through this initiative, India aims to enhance the institutional capacities of International Solar Alliance member states and contribute to the development of quality infrastructure for solar energy uptake.

Key Facts about International Solar Alliance

• It was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilize efforts against climate change through deployment of solar energy solutions.
• It was conceptualized on the side-lines of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris in 2015.
• With the amendment of its Framework Agreement in 2020, all member states of the United Nations are now eligible to join the ISA.
• Headquarter: India

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, over 350 White’s Seahorses were released beneath the surface of Sydney’s harbour where they make themselves at home in their seahorse hotels.

• It is commonly seen holding onto the nets of swimming enclosures.
• The species was named after John White, Surgeon General to the First Fleet.
• Seahorses are often considered a flagship species for conservation.
• Male seahorses can be recognised by the presence of a pouch below the abdomen which is absent in females.
• It is usually very well camouflaged in various shades of brown, grey and black.
• Habitat:
• These are endemic to Australia.
• It occurs in depths down to about 25 m in temperate marine waters along the south-eastern and south-western coasts of Australia. It is common in Sydney Harbour.
• Breeding behaviours
• The reproduction of seahorses is truly remarkable.
• The male seahorse has a pouch (a marsupium) into which the female seahorse lays her eggs.
• In White's Seahorse, the male fertilises the eggs and cares for them for about three weeks.
• Threat: The primary cause for the decline in abundance of White’s Seahorse is the loss of natural habitats across their range in eastern Australia.
• Conservation Status:
• IUCN: Endangered

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, scientists at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) have developed a Nano generator device for harvesting light energy using organic material.

• The device can generate current and voltage from minute amounts of heat or light that fall on it.
• The experimental exploration of energy materials has led to the successful synthesis of an organic energy material called polyaniline-rubrene, and they have fabricated an Organic Pyroelectric Nanogenerator (OPyNG).
• The pyroelectric effect of the device is induced by the light-induced change in spontaneous polarization occurring in the ultra-thin oxidized surface layer of the polyaniline-rubrene thin film.
• What is pyroelectric effect?
• The pyroelectric effect is the change in polarization due to the change in temperature.
• Ferroelectric materials are expected to be strongly pyroelectric because ferroelectric materials have a large range of temperature-dependent spontaneous polarization.
• This effect holds a unique advantage in the pyroelectric nanogenerator (PyNG), as it can optically induce the pyroelectric effect, which is useful for energy harvesting.
• The fabricated OPyNG device utilizing organic material provides new insights and opens up new avenues for harvesting energy from organic materials.
• The OPyNG operates in the UV-visible-NIR region in self-powered mode, and it offers significant advantages as it can function as a self-sustainable standalone device.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Reserve Bank of India recently decided to withdraw the ₹2000 denomination banknotes from circulation even as it reiterated that these notes will continue to be legal tender. 

About Legal Tender:

• It is a type of currency or medium of exchange. 
• It is money that is valid and acceptable for the settlement of debts which must be recognized when issued.
• Almost every country uses its national currency as legal tender.
• Creditors are lawfully responsible for accepting legal tender for the repayment of debt that they have availed.
• Legal tender is constitutioned by a law that specifies the object to be utilised as legal tender and the organisation that is commissioned to create and issue the same to the public such as the Reserve Bank of India.
• In India, the authentic legal tender of the Reserve Bank of India consists of coins and notes. The creditors are supposed to accept them as a payment towards the debt. 

Hence both statements are correct.

A South Korean firm recently announced the world’s first production line for perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells.

About Tandem Solar Cells:

• It consists of solar cells on top of each other. 
• There are several types of tandem cells that can be grouped mainly depending on materials used.
• Tandem cells are stacks of p-n junctions, each of which is formed from a semiconductor of different bandgap energy. Each responds to a different section of the solar spectrum.
• They are able to improve the efficiency of standard solar panels by splitting the light spectrum and optimising the harvesting of energy from each section into electricity.

What is Perovskite?

• A perovskite is a material that has the same crystal structure as the mineral calcium titanium oxide, the first-discovered perovskite crystal. 
• Generally, perovskite compounds have a chemical formula ABX3, where ‘A’ and ‘B’ represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both.
• A large number of different elements can be combined together to form perovskite structures.
• Using this compositional flexibility, scientists can design perovskite crystals to have a wide variety of physical, optical, and electrical characteristics. 
• Perovskite crystals are found today in ultrasound machines, memory chips, and now – solar cells.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A recent study suggest that comb jellies, more formally known as ctenophores, are the closest relatives of the first animals.

About Comb Jelly:

• It is any of the numerous marine invertebrates constituting the phylum Ctenophora.
• It is a beautiful, oval-shaped animal with eight rows of tiny comblike plates that it beats to move itself through the water.
• As it swims, the comb rows break up (diffract) light to produce a shimmering rainbow effect.
• Some ctenophores live in somewhat brackish water, but all are confined to marine habitats. 
• They live in almost all ocean regions, particularly in surface waters near shores. 
• They are frequently swept into vast swarms, especially in bays, lagoons, and other coastal waters. 
• They are carnivorous, eating myriads of small planktonic animals.

Hence both statements are correct.

Senior DRDO officials recently said that the light tank Zorawar is expected to be ready for trials in the high-altitude mountainous border with China by the end of the year.

About Zorawar Tank:

• It is an indigenously designed and developed Light Tank.
• Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro Limited.
• Features:
• It is designed to operate in varying terrain from high altitude areas and marginal terrains to island territories.
• It will be highly transportable for rapid deployment to meet any operational situation.
• It will be equipped with all the modern technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Drone Integration, a high degree of situational awareness, and amphibious operation capability.
• It will weigh less than 25 tonnes with a high power-to-weight ratio as well as superior firepower and protection.

Who was Zorawar?

• He was a military general — Zorawar Singh Kahluria, and had served under Jammu’s Raja Gulab Singh in the 19th Century.
• He is honoured for his conquests in the Himalayas including Ladakh, Tibet, Baltistan and Skardu.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

Recently, Jumbo census in Seshachalam hills, Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary hints at sizeable presence.

About Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in Palamner - Kuppam forest ranges of Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
• It is the only sanctuary in the whole state housing Asian elephants.
• This Sanctuary comes under Project elephant - a Country wide Elephant Conservation Project taken up by Government of India.
• River Kaigal and River Kaundinya flow through this sanctuary and is characterized by high hills, deep valleys.
• Flora:
• Forest type: Southern tropical dry deciduous forest, with patches of thorn, scrub and grassy plains.
• Plants like Albizzia amara, Ficus glomerata, Zizyphus xylocarpus, Gymnosporia Montana, etc; make this a green panoramic place with a breathtaking floral diversity.
• Fauna:
• Insects like Painted grasshopper, Plain tiger butterfly, Common grass yellow butterfly etc.
• Reptiles like Common cobra, Rat snake, Indian rock python, Forest calotes, Skinks, etc.
• Birds like Partidges, quails, storks, Cotton teal, etc; make this Sanctuary their domicile.
• Mammals like Indian Elephant, Panther, Sloth bear, Wild boar, Chowsingha, Nilgai, Hyena, Jackal, etc.

Hence option d is the correct answer.