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

As per the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report, in 2023, the amount of gas flared worldwide rose by nine billion cubic meters (bcm) to 148 bcm, its highest level since 2019 .

• It is the burning of the natural gas associated with oil extraction.
• The practice has persisted from the beginning of oil production over 160 years ago.
• It takes place due to a range of issues, from market and economic constraints, to a lack of appropriate regulation and political will.
• Flaring and venting are a waste of a valuable natural resource that should either be used for productive purposes, such as generating power, or conserved.
• Why is gas flared?
• Flaring persists to this day because it is a relatively safe, though wasteful and polluting, method of disposing of the associated gas that comes from oil production.

Impacts on environment

• The flare's combustion converts hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide and water, which lessens the climate impact and reduces the safety concerns of the natural gas on site but also produces nitrogen oxides, or NOx.
• NOx—which includes the highly reactive gases nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide—directly and indirectly impacts air quality.
• How to reduce gas flaring? Oil producers can either re-inject associated gas or use it for productive purposes.

Hence both the statements are correct.

Recently, bollywood playback singer Alka Yagnik has been diagnosed with Sensorineural deafness.

• It is a type of hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear or the nerve pathways that transmit sound from the ear to the brain.
• Although sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a natural process of ageing, listening to very loud music can also cause permanent to the inner ear or the auditory nerve.
• Within human inner ear, a spiral-shaped organ called the cochlea contains tiny hairs known as stereocilia. These hairs are responsible for converting vibrations from sound waves into neural signals, which your auditory nerve then transmits to your brain.
• Causes of Sensorineural deafness
• Congenital Factors: Genetic factors or complications during pregnancy or childbirth.
• Noise Exposure: Prolonged exposure to loud noise can damage inner ear hair cells, leading to noise-induced hearing loss.
• Ageing: Natural ageing processes can damage or destroy hair cells in the inner ear.
• Infections and Diseases: Conditions like meningitis, mumps, measles, and autoimmune diseases like Meniere's disease.
• Trauma: Head injuries or inner ear trauma.
• Ototoxic Medications: Certain antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs.
• Symptoms
• Difficulty understanding speech
• Muffled or distorted sounds.
• Ringing, buzzing, or hissing in the ears.
• Difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds.
• Balance issues.

Hence both the statements are correct.

On 21 June every year, the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) celebrates the World Hydrography Day to raise awareness about hydrography.

• It is an intergovernmental organization that works to ensure all the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and charted.
• It was established in 1921, it coordinates the activities of national hydrographic offices and promotes uniformity in nautical charts and documents.
• It issues survey best practices, provides guidelines to maximize the use of hydrographic survey data and develops hydrographic capabilities in Member States.
• Member countries: It has currently 100 Member States.
• The IHO Secretariat has been hosted by the Principality of Monaco.
• India has been an active member of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) since 1955.
• The Indian Naval Hydrographic Department (INHD), or the Marine Survey of India earlier, was established in 1874 in Kolkata.
• It is the nodal agency for hydrographic surveys and has a fleet of indigenously built modern survey ships.

World Hydrography Day

• It is celebrated annually on June 21.
• The theme for 2024 is "Hydrographic Information - Enhancing Safety, Efficiency and Sustainability in Marine Activities"

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

According to a new study by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, a significant portion of the methane gas released from the ruptured Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea last September never made it into the atmosphere.

• It is the primary component of natural gas, is responsible for approximately a third of the warming we are experiencing today.
• Characteristics of Methane
• It is a colorless, odorless and flammable water insoluble gas.
• It is also known as marsh gas or methyl hydride.
• It is easily ignited. The vapors are lighter than air. Under prolonged exposure to fire or intense heat.
• It is a powerful and short-lived greenhouse gas, with a lifetime of about a decade and Global Warming Potential about 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide (CO2) during the 20 years after it is released into the atmosphere.
• The largest sources of methane are agriculture, fossil fuels, and decomposition of landfill waste.
• Impacts
• It harms human and ecosystem health.
• Its emissions lead to ground-level ozone pollution which causes approximately a million premature deaths per year globally and reduces crop productivity and harms ecosystems.

Key facts about Baltic Sea

• It is a semi-enclosed inland sea located in Northern Europe.
• It is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean, extending northward from the latitude of southern Denmark almost to the Arctic Circle and separating the Scandinavian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe.
• It has a coastline is shared by several countries, including Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Germany, Denmark, and Russia.
• It is connected to the White Sea via the White Sea Canal and to the North Sea’s German Bight via the Kiel Canal.
• It connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Danish Straits.
• It contains three major gulfs: the Gulf of Bothnia to the north, the Gulf of Finland to the east, and the Gulf of Riga slightly to the south of that.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

In a significant move that is expected to boost the long-term conservation of Asiatic lions, the Forest Department in Gujarat has started translocating spotted deer and sambars from Gir Forest to the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary.

• It is located in the state of Gujarat.
• Rivers: There are two waterways, the Bileshvary River and the Joghri River, and two dams, Khambala and Fodara.
• Ethnic races such as Maldharis, Bharvads, Rabaris, and Gadhvis live in this region.
• To develop Barda as the second home for the Asiatic lion, the state government implemented the 'Gir-Barda Project' in 1979.
• Flora: It is characteristically abundant in floral diversity, which consists of a good number of medicinal plants.
• The sanctuary boasts about 650 plant species, which comprise Rayan, Babul, Ber, Jamun, Amli, Gorad, Bamboo, Dhav, Dhudhlo, etc
• Fauna: Leopard, Hyena, Wild boar, wolf, Jackal, blue bull, rare and endangered spotted eagle, crested hawk eagle, etc.

Key facts about Asiatic lions

• It is endemic to Gir landscape of Gujarat, the Asiatic Lion (Scientific name - Panthera leo persica) is one of five pantherine cats native to India.
• Conservation status
• IUCN Red List: Endangered
• The Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule I
• CITES: Appendix I

Hence option d is the correct answer.

The GST Council recently announced various recommendations relating to taxation, ITC claims and demand notices.

About GST Council:

• It is a constitutional body responsible for making recommendationson issues related to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India.
• Article 279A of the Indian Constitution gives power to the President of India to constitute a joint forum of the Centre and States called the GST Council, consisting of:
• Union Finance Minister as Chairperson
• Union Minister of State, in-charge of Revenue of finance
• Minister in-charge of finance or taxation, or any other Minister nominated by each State Government
• It is an apex committee to modify, reconcile, or make recommendations to the Union and the States on important issues related to GST, like the goods and services that may be subjected to or exempted from GST, model GST Laws, principles that govern Place of Supply, threshold limits, GST rates including the floor rates with bands, special rates for raising additional resources during natural calamities/disasters, special provisions for certain States, etc.
• Decisions in the GST Council are taken during its meetings.
• One half of the total number of members of the GST Council shall constitute the quorum at its meeting.
• Each decision of the council must be supported by a majority of not less than three-fourth of weighted votes of the members present and voting.
• The vote of the Central Government shall have a weightage of 1/3rd of the votes cast, and the votes of all the State Governments taken together shall have a weightage of 2/3rd of the total votes cast in that meeting.
• Secretariat:
• The Secretariat manages the GST Council.
• It is manned by officers taken on deputation from both the Central and State Governments.
• The entire cost of managing the Secretariat is borne by the Central Government.
• The Ex-officio Secretary to the GST Council is the Revenue Secretary of India.
• The office of the council is located in New Delhi.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

All health centres and hospitals in Bangladesh have been ordered to stock anti-venom after reports of an increase in people being bitten by snakes, especially by the Russell's viper.

About Russell’s Viper:

• It is a highly venomous terrestrial snake of the family Viperidae found in Asia.
• Scientific Name: Daboia russeli
• The species is named after Patrick Russell, a Scottish herpetologist who first described many of India’s snakes in the 1790s.
• It is one of the big four snakes (deadliest snakes) in India, the others being the Common krait (Bungarus caeruleus), the Indian Cobra (Naja naja) and the Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus).
• Distribution: Russell's vipers are found in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Pakistan, Cambodia, Tibet, China (Guangxi, Guangdong), Taiwan, and Indonesia.
• Habitat:
• They tend to avoid dense forests.
• They are mostly found in open, grassy, or bushy areas, but may also be found in second-growth forests (scrub jungles), on forested plantations, and on farmland.
• It is a major cause of snakebite deaths within its range because it often exists in farmlands where human contact and rodent prey is abundant.
• However, it tends to avoid human contact and does not actively seek to bite people.
• Most bites occur when humans inadvertently step on or try to handle the snake.
• Most fatalities occur due to delayed medical treatment.
• Features:
• The snake can grow up to 1.5 meters and is identified by its distinctive reddish-brown spots outlined in black and white.
• It has a wide, triangular head with small, overlapping scales, large nostrils, and small eyes with vertical pupils.
• It is mainly nocturnal, becoming active as the sun fades.
• These snakes are quite sedentary, often staying in one place for several days unless disturbed.
• Conservations Status:
• IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Hence both statements are not correct.

Union Home Minister recently inaugurated the Fast Track Immigration Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP) at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport.

About Fast Track Immigration Trusted Traveller Programme (FTI-TTP):

• It is an initiative by the Central Government, designed for faster, smoother, and safer immigration clearance.
• It is likely to help reduce congestion at airports by offering expedited emigration and immigration clearance for pre-verified travellers.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs collaborated with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Bureau of Immigration for the FTI-TTP.
• The FTI-TTP is similar to the Global Entry Program offered by the United States.
• It allows pre-approved and low-risk travellers to benefit from expedited immigration and security clearance upon arrival.
• Other than New Delhi, the FTI-TTP was launched in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Ahmedabad airports in the first phase.
• The FTI-TTP would run on e-gates or automated border gates that would minimise human intervention in the immigration clearance process and would be implemented in two phases.
• In the first phase, Indian citizens and OCI cardholders will be covered, and foreign travellers will be included in the second phase.
• The FTI-TTP will be implemented through an online portal, and the Bureau of Immigration will be the nodal agency.
• To enroll in the scheme, the applicant has to register online on the portal with details and documents.
• Once the application for FTI-TTP is approved, those individuals will not need to go through the arduous process of standing in long queues for immigration clearance while arriving in India.
• The FTI registration will be valid for a maximum of five years or until the validity of the passport, whichever comes first.
• Process:
• Under the process, as soon as the registered passenger reaches the e-gate, he/she will scan his/her boarding pass issued by the airlines at the e-gates to get the details of his/her flight.
• The passport will be scanned, and the biometrics of the passenger will be authenticated at the e-gates.
• Once the identity of the passenger is established and biometric authentication is done, the e-gate will open, and immigration clearance will be deemed to have been granted.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Scientists recently discovered the world’s oldest inhabited termite mounds along the Buffels River in Namaqualand, dating back 34,000 years.

About Namaqualand:

• It is a desert region of southwestern Africa.
• From north to south, it stretches from the Karas region of Namibia to the Northern Cape province of South Africa.
• From west to east, it stretches from the Namib Desert to the Kalahari.
• It covers an area of 400,000 square kilometres.
• The Namibian section, north of the Orange River, is sometimes called Great Namaqualand.
• The South African section, south of the Orange River, is sometimes called Little Namaqualand.
• It is very dry. For a large part of the year succulents are almost the only plants that can be seen on the vast plains.
• Succulents can hold water for long periods and can survive in droughts.
• Rain falls mostly in the winter. If there is enough rain, wildflowers cover Namaqualand for a few weeks during springtime.
• The area was traditionally inhabited by the Nama people before the German occupation of the region in the 19th century.
• There are large deposits of copper in Namaqualand. The Nama mined them for hundreds of years.
• In the early 1900s diamonds were discovered in several places in Namaqualand, including Sperrgebiet in Namibia and the Richtersveld in South Africa.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

A Long March 2-C rocket carrying the French-Chinese satellite Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) successfully lifted off from southwestern China recently.

About Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM):

• It is a French-Chinese satellite which aims to detect and study gamma-ray bursts.
• It was launched by a Long March-2C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
• It is a 930-kilogram satellite carrying four instruments - two French and two Chinese.
• The satellite has been sent into an orbit over 600 kilometers above Earth and has a designed life of five years, though scientists expect it could be operational for as long as 20 years.
• Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs):
• GRBs generally occur after the explosion of huge stars- those more than 20 times as big as the sun - or the fusion of compact stars.
• The extremely bright cosmic beams can give off a blast of energy equivalent to over a billion billion suns.
• Observing them is like "looking back in time, as the light from these objects takes a long time to reach earth.
• The rays carry traces of the gas clouds and galaxies they pass through on their journey through space -valuable data for better understanding the history and evolution of the universe.
• GRBs are notoriously hard to catch as they can appear anywhere in the sky and last for just a few seconds. They are readily absorbed by the Earth’satmosphere, so the only way to record them is to place probes in space.
• SVOM has the potential to unravel several mysteries in the field of GRBs, including detecting the most distant GRBs in the universe, which correspond to the earliest GRBs.
• The data gathered will help test the laws of physics under conditions that cannot be replicated on Earth and provide insights into the dynamics of the universe.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.