Daily Current Affairs MCQ - June 30, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Turkey’s Sea of Marmara, that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, has witnessed the largest outbreak of ‘sea snot’.

‘Sea snot’ is marine mucilage, which floats up on the surface of the sea like a brown phlegm. This thick slimy layer of organic matter looks like a viscous, brown and foamy substance.

It is formed when algae are overloaded with nutrients as a result of water pollution combined with the effects of climate change. The nutrient overload occurs when algae feast on warm weather caused by global warming. Water pollution adds to the problem. Overproduction of phytoplankton caused by climate change/rising temperatures and the uncontrolled dumping of household and industrial waste into the seas has led to the present crisis in turkey.

Impact

• The growth of the mucilage is posing a severe threat to the marine ecosystem of the country. It has caused mass deaths among the fish population, and also killed other aquatic organisms such as corals and sponges.
• Over a period of time, it could end up poisoning all aquatic life, including fishes, crabs, oysters, mussels and sea stars.
• Besides aquatic life, the ‘sea snot’ outbreak has also affected the livelihoods of fishermen.
• Some experts have also warned that the ‘sea snot’ can cause an outbreak of water-borne
• diseases such as cholera in cities like Istanbul.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Ministry of tourism invites feedback on the draft national strategy and roadmap for development of rural tourism in India.

• The Ministry of Tourism has the main objective of promoting and facilitating tourism both inbound and domestic in India.
• Ministry of Tourism has recognized the immense potential of Rural Tourism and has been actively working on promotion and development of this niche area of tourism.
• Identification, diversification, development, and promotion of niche tourism products in the country is the initiative of the Ministry to overcome the aspect of ‘seasonality’ and to promote India as a 365 days’ destination, to attract tourists with specific interest, and to ensure repeat visits for the unique products in which India has a comparative advantage.
• Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

India and Bhutan signed an MoU for developing cooperation between two countries in the area of environment.

• The MoU will open new vistas of bilateral co-operation in the area of climate change, waste management etc.
• The MoU is a platform to further enhance Indian and Bhutanese partnership and support, exchange best practices in areas like prevention of Air Pollution, Waste Management, Chemical Management, Climate Change, etc.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Union Minister Women and Child Development and Textiles and Minister for Education inaugurated Toycathon 2021 grand finale.

• The Toycathon 2021 was organized jointly by Ministry of Education in coordination with five other Ministries viz: Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Commerce &Industry, Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, and Ministry of Textiles.
• This inter-ministerial Toycathon focuses on conceptualizing new and innovative toys using local materials which are economical, affordable, safe, environment friendly, with exceptional high quality for both Indian and global markets.
• This is a special kind of hackathon where students and teachers from schools and colleges, design experts, toy experts and startups will get together to crowd source ideas for developing toys and games that are based on Indian culture & ethos and local folklore & heroes.
• While this will greatly help India develop into a global hub for toys and games, it will also help our children to understand the ethos and values of Indian culture as envisaged in the National Education Policy 2020.
• The Toycathon is based on nine themes viz. Indian Culture, History, Knowledge of India and Ethos; Learning, Education and Schooling; Social and human values; Occupations & specific fields; Environment; Divyang ; Fitness and sport; Out of the box, creative and logical thinking and Rediscovering/redesigning traditional Indian toys
• The Toycathon will have 3 variants of tracks of Junior Level, Senior Level and Start up Level and will allow participation of students and teachers from schools, colleges and universities apart from startups and toy experts.

Statistics

• 85% toys that our children are playing with are imported and are predominantly made of plastic.
• Indian toy market stands at around $1.5 billion USD and currently we are importing a major chunk from outside. The global toy market is estimated to be more than 100 billion USD.
• Toycathon-2021 is aimed at boosting the Toy Industry in India to help it capture a wider share of the toy market.
• The National Education Policy 2020 advocates for 5+3+3+4 system and it asks for activity-based learning for children through toys and games.
• Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Most Indians, cutting across religions, feel they enjoy religious freedom, value religious tolerance, and regard respect for all religions as central to what India is as a nation.

• At the same time the majority in each of the major religious groups show a marked preference for religious segregation and “want to live separately”, according to a nation-wide survey on religious attitudes, behaviours and beliefs conducted by Pew Research Center, a non-profit based in Washington DC.
• For instance, the report found that 91% of Hindus felt they have religious freedom, while 85% of them believed that respecting all religions was very important ‘to being truly Indian’.
• Also, for most Hindus, religious tolerance was not just a civic virtue but also a religious value, with 80% of them stating that respecting other religions was an integral aspect of ‘being Hindu’.
• Other religions showed similar numbers for freedom of religion and religious tolerance.
• While 89% of Muslims and Christians said they felt free to practice their religion, the comparative figures for Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains were 82%, 93%, and 85% respectively.
• Also, Hindu nationalist sentiments were less prevalent in the South. Among Hindus, those in the South (42%) were far less likely to say that being Hindu was very important to being truly Indian.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

According to the Constitution the regions of India are eligible to use any of the official languages of India for official purposes. It also acknowledges the possibility of a regional language being adopted and becoming an official language of India, if the President deems that a large enough proportion of the population of India desires it.

The parliament enacted the Official Languages Act, 1963, which provided for the continued use of English for official purposes along with Hindi, even after 1965.

What are monoclonal antibodies?

To fight a viral infection, our bodies create proteins known as antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are artificial antibodies that mimic the activity of our immune systems. They are produced through a process that involves extracting specific antibodies from human blood and then cloning them.

These monoclonal antibodies are designed to target a virus or a specific part of one — for instance, REGEN-COV2 is a cocktail of two monoclonal antibodies developed to target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. The monoclonal antibodies bind to specific parts of the spike protein, blocking its ability to infect healthy cells.

So far, these therapies have shown the most success in high-risk groups with mild to moderate Covid-19. They are not approved for use in those hospitalised with severe Covid-19 and those requiring oxygen.

Compared with plasma, scientists have expressed more confidence in the promise of monoclonal antibodies. Both antibody-based therapies, they differ in the way they are made.

Convalescent plasma therapy involves providing antibodies from a recovered Covid-19 patient’s plasma. This means that those receiving this therapy would be getting all the antibodies the recovered patient has made.

Monoclonal antibodies are when you take a specific antibody and mass-manufacture it in a factory. For antibody cocktails, you provide a combination of two or more such antibodies.

Recently two Supreme Court judges have recused themselves from hearing cases relating to West Bengal.

Why does a judge recuse?

When there is a conflict of interest, a judge can withdraw from hearing a case to prevent creating a perception that she carried a bias while deciding the case.

The practice stems from the cardinal principle of due process of law that nobody can be a judge in her own case.

The decision to recuse generally comes from the judge herself as it rests on the conscience and discretion of the judge to disclose any potential conflict of interest. In some circumstances, lawyers or parties in the case bring it up before the judge. If a judge recuses, the case is listed before the Chief Justice for allotment to a fresh Bench.

There are no formal rules governing recusals, although several Supreme Court judgments have dealt with the issue.

Since there are no formal rules governing the process, it is often left to individual judges to record reasons for recusal. Some judges disclose the reasons in open court; in some cases, the reasons are apparent.

Every year, on June 29th, “National Statistics Day” is observed. The Government of India has been celebrating Statistics Day, to make the use of Statistics popular in everyday life and educate the public as to how Statistics helps in shaping and framing policies. It has been made as one of the Special Days to be celebrated at the national level. It is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Late Prof. P C Mahalanobis, on 29th June, in recognition of his invaluable contribution in establishing the National Statistical System. The theme for 2021 : Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)-2: End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improved Nutrition and Promote Sustainable Agriculture

In the Assamese language, Burmese grapes are referred to as ‘Leteku’ which have been exported to Dubai by the air route. About the Export to Dubai: To harness the export potential of agricultural and processed food products from north-eastern states, a shipment of fresh Burmese grapes referred to as ‘Leteku’ has been exported to Dubai from Guwahati by the air route. A consignment of Leteku, which contains vitamin C and Iron, was sourced and packed at a collection centre in Darang district, Assam. It was exported by APEDA registered Kiega EXIM Pvt Ltd from Guwahati airport to Dubai via Delhi.