Daily Current Affairs MCQ- June 20, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, there has been an increase in reported cases of Monkeypox from some countries, particularly in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific Region.

• What it is? It is a viral disease that primarily spread to the human population through zoonotic spillovers, with rodents and primates serving as potential reservoirs.
• The first case in humans was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Transmission: It can be transmitted between humans through close contact and exposure to infected bodily fluids or lesions.
• Incubation period: The incubation period (the period between exposure to an infection and the appearance of the first symptoms) of monkeypox is usually from 6 to 13 days but can range from 5 to 21 days.
• Symptoms: Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions, Fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes which may lead to a range of medical complications.
• There is no effective vaccine available for Monkeypox infection.

Hence both statements are correct.

According to the Food Outlook report of the Food and Agriculture Organization, food imports by vulnerable countries are expected to decline in 2023.

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security.
• Its goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.
• Head Quarter: Rome (Italy).
• Member countries: With 195 members - 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
• Its sister bodies are the World Food Programme (WFP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
• Reports published by the FAO: The State of the World's Forests (SOFO), The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA), The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO), The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI).

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, scientists from Chile have discovered a new species of duck-billed dinosaur in the far south of Chile.

• It is a species of herbivorous dinosaur previously unknown in the southern hemisphere.
• These were slender-looking dinosaurs, which could easily adopt a bipedal and quadrupedal posture to reach the vegetation at height and ground level.
• This type of duck-billed dinosaur was common in North America, Asia and Europe during the Cretaceous period.
• The Cretaceous Period, in geologic time, is the last of the three periods of the Mesozoic Era.
• The Cretaceous began 145.0 million years ago and ended 66 million years ago.
• It followed the Jurassic Period and was succeeded by the Paleogene Period.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Union Minister of Heavy Industries unveiled the ground-breaking "Dugdh Sanakalan Sathi Mobile App" at Mussorie, Uttarakhand.

• This is designed and developed by Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited (REIL), a “Mini Ratna” Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
• It aims to improve the quality of milk, foster transparency among stakeholders, and streamline operations at the grassroots village level, including Milk Cooperative Societies.
• This will inform all services to milk producers in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu and other languages.

 Key features and benefits of the app include:

• Increased transparency among stakeholders.
• Online monitoring of daily milk poured at Milk Cooperative Societies.
• Real-time milk price updates from the cloud server, ensuring transparency and eliminating human errors.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A first-of-its-kind event, the ‘Soul of Steel Himalayan Challenge’ was recently conducted in the forward areas of the Garhwal Himalayan region.

About Soul of Steel Himalayan Challenge:

• The challenge supported by the Indian Army in collaboration with Conquer Land Air Water (CLAW) Global was launched by defence minister on January 14 at Dehradun. 
• The campaign was initiated on the 120th Raising Year of the 9 (Independent) Mountain Brigade.
• It was based on the lines of the ‘Ironman triathlon’, a long-distance triathlon held in Europe which tests an individual's physical capabilities.
• The initiative is aimed at enabling life skill training and youth development. It is also expected to boost global promotion of adventure tourism in Uttarakhand.
• It was a unique blend of specialised skills, including high altitude mountaineering, extreme cold survival, psychological and physical endurance. 
• The challenge opened the domain of niche military skills to an average person, who wishes to challenge their physical and psychological limits.
• It attracted interest from 1,401 (including 94 women) highly skilled athletes, adventure sports enthusiasts and armed forces aspirants. 
• These applicants were put through a gruelling two-stage screening process, of which only 23 (including two women) were finally chosen to undergo a 10-week extensive training in endurance, mountaineering, survival and rescue skills under a joint team of experts from the armed forces and CLAW Global.
• The participants were trained to operate beyond the assumed limits of their body, to discover the limitless realms of their mind, consciousness and spirit.
• In the final phase of the challenge, 18 ‘Soul of Steel’ warriors set out on a challenge to compete as teams of three along the rugged mountainous terrain of the Garhwals, at an altitude of 17,000 feet and covered a distance of 65 km through glaciers, ice walls, rock faces and snow-capped Himalayan peaks.
• The challenge tested their self-sustained mountain climbing, survival, navigation skills, psychological endurance and physical toughness.

Hence both statements are correct.

A top NASA official recently said that India needs to be a part of the Artemis team, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration.

About Artemis Accords:

• The Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. 
• These principles will help to ensure the maintenance of a safe and predictable outer space environment. 
• NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, established the Artemis Accords in 2020, together with seven other founding member nations.
• Artemis Accords signatories as of May 30, 2023: Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 
• Principles:
• Peaceful Purposes: Consistent with the Outer Space Treaty, the Artemis Accords affirm that cooperative activities should be exclusively for peaceful purposes and in accordance with international law. 
• Transparency: Artemis Accords signatories are committed to the broad dissemination of information regarding their respective national space policies and space exploration plans in accordance with their national rules and regulations. 
• Interoperability: Interoperability enhances the potential for space exploration that is safe and robust among cooperating nations.
• Emergency Assistance: Accords signatories commit to taking all reasonable efforts to render necessary assistance to personnel in outer space who are in distress and acknowledge their obligations under the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space. 
• Registration of Space Objects: Appropriate registration of space objects can help to mitigate the risk of harmful interference. The Artemis Accords reinforce the importance of meeting the obligations under the Registration Convention.
• Release of Scientific Data: Sharing scientific data with the global community in a timely and transparent manner.
• Protecting Heritage: Accords signatories intend to preserve historically significant human or robotics landing sites, artifacts, spacecraft etc.
• Space Resources: The utilization of space resources should be done in a manner that complies with the Outer Space Treaty, can benefit humankind and is critical to sustainable operations. 
• Deconfliction of Activities: Artemis Accords signatories needs to provide notification of their activities, including regarding the location and general nature of their operations, and coordinating with any relevant actor to avoid harmful interference. The area covered by the notification and coordination is referred to as a “safety zone.”
• Orbital Debris and Spacecraft Disposal: Planning to mitigate for orbital debris, as well as disposing safely of spacecrafts, is critical to maintaining a safe environment in space and operating in space sustainably.

Hence both statements are not correct.

Whale sharks were recently spotted near the sea off Panaiyur fishing village along the Chennai coast.

About Whale Sharks:

• The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and the largest fish known to have lived on this planet.
• Scientific Name: Rhincodon typus
• They feed on plankton and travel large distances to find enough food to sustain their huge size, and to reproduce.
• They are one of only three species of filter feeding sharks.
• Distribution: They can be found in all temperate and tropical oceans around the world, except the Mediterranean Sea.
• Features:
• It is a large fish that can grow up to 60 feet long, though most specimens reach about 40 feet in length and weigh about 15 tons. 
• They are dark gray on top and light underneath, with a series of light spots or stripes covering the dark parts of their bodies. This helps to camouflage them as they swim.
• Unlike most shark species, its mouth is located at the front of the head (terminal) instead of the underside of the rostrum (subterminal).
• Filter Feeders:
• They are filter feeders and can neither bite nor chew. They can process more than 6,000 litres of water an hour through their gills. 
• Inside the mouth are specialized flaps called velums. These stop the backflow of water as the whale shark closes its mouth, preventing the loss of food.
• The whale shark also eats small and large fish and mollusks, including sardines, anchovies, mackerels, squid, and even small tuna and albacore.
• Conservation Status:
• IUCN: Endangered

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 will be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur.

• It is an annual award instituted by the Government of India in 1995,
• It was instituted on the occasion of the 125th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi as a tribute to the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhi.
• The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender.
• The award carries an amount of Rs. 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item.
• The prize can be given to institutions, individuals and organisations.
• Recent awardees include Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, Oman (2019) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (2020), Bangladesh.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) recommended banning the manufacture, sale and distribution of two non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) Ketoprofen and Aceclofenac.

• It is the highest statutory decision-making body on technical matters related to drugs in India.
• It is established as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
• It is part of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Function: It advises the Central Government and the State Governments on technical matters arising out of the administration of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, of 1940 and to carry out the other functions assigned to it by this Act.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, a study carried out by over 150 researchers said that Reef sharks are disappearing — with the five most common species experiencing a decline of up to 73 per cent. 

• They play a major role in shaping Caribbean reef communities.  
• As the top predators of the reef and indicator species for marine ecosystems, they help maintain the delicate balance of marine life in reef environments.  
• Habitat: Tropical waters near coral reefs, sea grass beds and mangroves.
• Species of reef sharks: The Caribbean reef shark, nurse shark, grey reef shark, blacktip reef shark and whitetip reef shark.
• Threats:
• They are highly valued for their meat, leather, liver oil, and fishmeal, which make them prone to overfishing and targeting.
• They are threatened by the degradation and destruction of their coral reef habitat due to coastal development and resulting pollution.
• They are often unintentionally caught by unregulated and illegal fishing practices that cannot distinguish the reef shark from the fishers’ targeted species. 

Hence both statements are correct.