Daily Current Affairs MCQ- June 5, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, a successful training launch of a medium-range ballistic missile, Agni-1 was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha.

About Agni-1 Missile:

• Agni- 1 ballistic missile is a medium-Range Ballistic Missile having range 700–900 km.
• It is a single-stage, solid-fuel missile.
• It is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead with an estimated payload of 1,000 kg.
• The latest upgrade to the Agni-1 missile includes a new guidance system that makes it more accurate and a new warhead that increases its destructive power.
• It is road-mobile, which gives it a high degree of mobility and makes it difficult for an enemy to target.
• It was first test-fired in 2002.
• The Indian Army’s Strategic Forces Command first deployed this missile in 2007.
• The Agni-I originated from India’s 1983 Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).

About IGMDP:

• It was a programme for the R&D of the comprehensive range of missiles in India, started in 1982–83 under the leadership of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
• It was a Ministry of Defence programme managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Types of missiles under the programme: APJ Abdul Kalam started multiple projects simultaneously to develop the following types of Indian Guided Missiles -
• Short Range Surface to Surface Missile (SSM) ‘Prithvi’
• Long Range Surface to Surface Missile (SSM) ‘Agni’
• Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (SAM) ‘Akash’
• Short Range Surface to Air Missile (SAM) ‘Trishul’
• Anti-tank Guided Missile (ATGM) ‘Nag’

Hence both statements are correct.

NIPCCD organized a Refresher Training Programme on Mission Vatsalya from 29- 31 May, 2023 at NIPCCD Regional Centre, Mohali.

About Mission Vatsalya:

• Mission Vatsalya Scheme is a roadmap to achieve development and child protection priorities aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• It lays emphasis on child rights, advocacy and awareness along with strengthening of the juvenile justice care and protection system with the motto to 'leave no child behind'.
• Background:
• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 provisions and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 form the basic framework for implementation of the Mission.
• Components under Mission Vatsalya: It include:
• Improve functioning of statutory bodies;
• Strengthen service delivery structures;
• Upscale institutional care/services;
• Encourage non-institutional community-based care; 
• emergency outreach services;
• Training and capacity building.
• The Scheme is implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme since 2021-22.
• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Women and Child Development.

About National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD):

• It is an autonomous organisation with its Headquarters in New Delhi.
• It functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• The objectives of the Institute are:
• To develop and promote voluntary action in social development.
• To take a comprehensive view of child development and develop and promote programmes in pursuance of the National Policy for Children.
• To develop measures for coordination of governmental and voluntary action in social development.
• To evolve a framework and perspective for organising children's programmes through governmental and voluntary efforts.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said it has extended the deadline for submission of applications for the National Startup Awards 2023 to June 15, 2023.

About National Startup Awards 2023:

• The National Startup Awards 2023 awards will focus on celebrating innovation from across the country, in line with Vision India @2047.
• DPIIT has invited applications across 20 different categories including aerospace, retail and emerging technologies etc.
• Aim: To reward and recognise outstanding startups and enablers in the ecosystem building innovative products and demonstrating measurable social impact.
  Award: Cash prize of Rs 10 lakh to one winning startup in each category.
• The Winners and finalists will also be given exclusive government support, including investor and government connect, mentorship, international market access, and corporate and unicorn connect.
• It was launched in 2020.

Hence both statements are correct.

Celebrations marking the 350th anniversary of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj recently began at the Raigad fort in Maharashtra.

About Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj:

• He was the founder of the Maratha Empire in western India.
• He was born on February 19, 1630 to Shahaji Bhosle and Jijabai in the fort of Shivneri, near the city of Junnar of the Pune district. 
• With his valor and great administrative skills, Shivaji carved out an enclave from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur. It eventually became the genesis of the Maratha Empire.
• He was known as the Father of Indian Navy, Shivaji was the first to realise the importance of having a naval force, and therefore he strategically established a navy and forts at the coastline to defend the Konkan side of Maharashtra.
• He was a secular ruler who was very accommodating of all religions. He had numerous Muslim soldiers in his army.
• Shivaji was a dependable supporter of women and their honour. Anyone under his rule caught violating woman's rights was severely punished.
• He had a council of ministers (Asht Pradhan) to advise him on the matters of the state but he was not bound by it.
• He was called as the 'Mountain Rat' and was widely known for his guerrilla warfare tactics. He was called so because of his awareness in geography of his land, and guerrilla tactics like raiding, ambushing and surprise attacks on his enemies.

Hence both statements are correct.

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which hosts the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), recently announced that scientists at the organisation found the first evidence of the rare process by which the Higgs boson decays into a Z boson and a photon.

About Higgs boson:

• It is the fundamental force-carrying particle associated with the Higgs field, a field that gives mass to other fundamental particles such as electrons and quarks. 
• It is one of the 17 elementary particles that make up the Standard Model of particle physics, which is scientists' best theory about the behaviors of the universe's most basic building blocks.
• Higgs boson plays such a fundamental role in subatomic physics that it is sometimes referred to as the "God particle."
• It was proposed in 1964 by Peter Higgs, François Englert, and four other theorists to explain why certain particles have mass.
• The particle was finally discovered on July 4, 2012, by researchers at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
• Features:
• The Higgs boson has a mass of 125 billion electron volts  —  meaning it is 130 times more massive than a proton , according to CERN.
• It is also chargeless with zero spin  —  a quantum mechanical equivalent to angular momentum.
• The Higgs Boson is the only elementary particle with no spin.
• Its a "force carrier" particle that comes into play when particles interact with each other, with a boson exchanged during this interaction.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) recently issued a declaration of solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) communities around the globe.

About Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS):

• UNAIDS is an innovative joint venture of the United Nations family established in 1996, which brings together the efforts and resources of 11 UN system organizations to unite the world against AIDS.
• UNAIDS' global mission is to lead, strengthen and support an ample response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in order to:
• Prevent the advance of HIV.
• Offer treatment and assistance to people infected and affected by the disease.
• Reduce individuals and communities vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.
• Mitigate the epidemic's socio-economic and human impacts.
• The participating organizations that form UNAIDS, also called the UNAIDS Cosponsors, are:
• UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)
• UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund
• World Bank
• UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
• UN Women (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women)
• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)
• UNFPA (United Nations Populations Fund)
• WHO (World Health Organisation)
• World Food Programme
• UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
• ILO (International Labour Organisation)
• The Joint Programme is coordinated by the UNAIDS Secretariat, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has exempted buyers from gift tax when they acquire equity shares in public-sector units (PSUs) through strategic disinvestment.

• The Parliament of India introduced the Gift Tax Act in 1958, and gift tax is essentially the tax charged on the receipt of gifts.
• The Income Tax Act states that gifts whose value exceeds Rs.50,000 are subject to gift tax in the hands of the recipient.
• The gift tax is also applicable on certain transfers that are not considered a gift.
• The transfer of existing movable or immovable property in money or money's worth qualifies for gift tax.
• The gift is exempted from tax if it was given by a relative.
• The income tax rule Parent, Spouse, Siblings, Spouse's siblings, Lineal descendants Lineal descendants of the spouse can be considered as a relative
• There are several other situations where gifts can be exempted from tax. Listed below are other situations in which the gift will be exempted from tax.
• Gifts received during weddings are usually exempted from tax.
• Gifts received as part of the inheritance are exempted from tax.
• Cash or rewards received by local authorities or educational institutions based on merit is exempted from tax.

Hence both statements are not correct.

Recently, the Prime Minister of India lauded Asia’s first demonstration of Performance-Based Navigation for helicopters for a flight from Juhu to Pune using GAGAN satellite technology.

• GAGAN is the acronym for GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation.
• It is jointly developed by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
• It uses a system of ground stations to provide necessary augmentations to the GPS standard positioning service (SPS) navigation signal.
• It is designed to provide the additional accuracy, availability, and integrity necessary to enable users to rely on GPS for all phases of flight.
• It also provides the capability for increased accuracy in position reporting, allowing for more uniform and high-quality Air Traffic Management (ATM).
• In addition, GAGAN will provide benefits beyond aviation to all modes of transportation, including maritime, highways, and railroads.
• There are only four Space-Based augmentation systems available in the world namely India (GAGAN), US (WAAS,) Europe(EGNOS) and Japan (MSAS).

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the government-owned Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Ltd (TDCCOL) decided to procure sal seeds (Shorea robusta) from nine Odisha districts.

• Sal tree is a large sub-deciduous tree which is seldom completely leafless.
• It is indigenous to India and occurs in two main regions separated by Gangetic plain namely the northern and central Indian regions.
• It requires well-drained, moist and sandy loam soil.
• Climatic conditions required: It survives upto a maximum temperature of 36°C to 44°C and minimum temperature of 11°C to 17°C and it needs an average rainfall of 1000 mm to 3500 mm per annum.
• The resin of this tree is used in the indigenous system of medicine.

Hence only statement 2 is correct

The Law Commission of India recently recommended retention of the sedition law and enhancement of the minimum punishment to seven years in jail from the current three years.

About Sedition Law:

• Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deals with sedition.
• History of Sedition Law:
• Section 124A was drafted by Thomas Babington Macaulay and included in the IPC in 1870.
• The section was first included to address the growth of Wahabi activity between 1863 and 1870. The colonial authorities faced a difficulty as a result of these actions.
• Indian nationalist leaders were involved in some of the most well-known sedition cases of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• The earliest of these was Jogendra Chandra Bose's trial in 1891. He served as the newspaper Bangobasi's editor. He published a piece denouncing the Age of Consent Bill for endangering the faith and its coercive treatment of Native Americans.
• In 1897, Bal Gangadhar Tilak's articles in Kesari were the subject of legal action.
• The other well-known case included Mahatma Gandhi's 1922 sedition trial. Sedition, according to Gandhi, is "the prince among the political sections of the IPC meant to destroy the freedom of the citizen."
• Post-Independence:
• After independence, the term “sedition” was removed from the Constitution in 1948, after debate in the Constituent Assembly. 
• Jawaharlal Nehru proposed the first amendment to the Constitution in 1951, which limited freedom under Article 19 (1) (a) and gave the state the authority to impose “reasonable restrictions” on the right to free expression.
• Indira Gandhi’s government made section 124A a criminal offense for the first time in Indian history. The new Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which came into effect in 1974 and repealed the 1898 Colonial-Era Code of Criminal Procedure, made sedition a knowable crime.
• What does Section 124 A states?
• It states, "Whoever, words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt , or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law in India shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which fine may be added, , or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, which fine may be added, or with fine."
• In simple words, this means anyone who attempts to create hatred, contempt, or disaffection towards the government can be punished under the sedition law.
• Punishment:
• Sedition is a non-bailable offence.
• Punishment under the law varies from imprisonment up to three years to a life term and fine.
• A person charged under this law can't apply for a government job. They have to live without their passport and must present themselves in the court as and when required.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.