Daily Current Affairs MCQ- March 2, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

The Exercise Samudra Laksamana kicked off on February 28 and will continue until March 2, taking place at or off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

• It is a joint naval exercise between the Indian Navy and Royal Malaysian Navy.
• It is the 3rd edition of this exercise.
• Indian Naval Ship Kiltan and Royal Malaysian Ship KD Lekir are participating in this exercise which has harbour professional interactions followed by the operational phase at sea.
• At harbour, crew of both ships will have various professional interactions, Subject Matter Expert Exchange on topics of mutual interest, sports fixtures, and other interactions.
• These interactions are aimed to enhance knowledge base, share best practices and further cooperation on maritime aspects.
• During sea phase, units would be jointly honing skills while conducting various operations at sea.
• The exercise aims to strengthen bonds and enhance interoperability between the Indian and Royal Malaysian Navy.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

Recently, 22nd Foundation Day of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency was celebrated in New Delhi where the union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister commends BEE for its innovative and world-leading programmes and released the State Energy Efficiency Index 2023.

• It was established in 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
• Objective: The primary objective of BEE is to reduce energy intensity in the Indian economy.
• Function and Duties
• It co-ordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies and other organizations; recognizes, identifies and utilizes the existing resources and infrastructure, in performing the functions assigned to it under the Energy Conservation Act.
• The EC Act provides for regulatory and promotional functions which are assigned to the organisation.
• Regulatory functions
• Develop minimum energy performance standards for equipment and appliances under Standards and Labelling
• Develop minimum energy performance standards for Commercial Buildings
• Develop Energy Consumption Norms for Designated Consumers
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Power

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The 66th meeting of Network Planning Group (NPG) was held in New Delhi, under the chairpersonship of Additional Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade to evaluate three projects from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and two projects from Ministry of Railways (MoR).

• It is an Integrated Multimodal Network Planning Group (NPG) with heads of Network Planning Division of all connectivity infrastructure Ministries & Departments.
• It is responsible for unified planning and integration of the proposals and assist the Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) in respect of its mandate.
• It facilitates regular interactions between the stakeholders.
• It will guide all the Departments/ Ministries responsible for creation of economic zones and connectivity infrastructure during the planning phase itself.
• The parameters/prescribed norms of the overall National Master Plan will be the overarching objective of the NPG for examining and sanctioning future projects thus leading to minimising of disruptions and strive for the creation of an ideal & efficient operating system for all infrastructure projects in the country.
• Its role is to ensure:
• integration of networks;
• enhance optimization through modification/expansion/new network creation;
• avoid duplication of works for holistic development of any region;
• reduction logistics costs through micro-plan detailing.

What is PM GatiShakti?

• It is an approach for growth accelerating trustworthy infrastructure through synchronized, holistic, integrated and comprehensive planning based on knowledge, technology and innovation.
• PM GatiShakti National Master Plan provides comprehensive database of the ongoing & future projects of various Ministries i.e. Infrastructure Ministries & Ministries and States involved in development of Economic Zones, integrated with 200+ GIS layers thereby facilitating planning, designing and execution of the infrastructure projects with a common vision.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the country's first semiconductor fab to be made by the Tata Group in collaboration with Powerchip Taiwan.

• A semiconductor fab -- short for fabrication in which raw silicon wafers are turned into Integrated Circuits (ICs).
• The process includes creating intricate patterns on the wafer using light and chemicals, depositing different materials to form components, and etching away unwanted materials.
• This results in the formation of transistors, interconnects, and other elements that make up a semiconductor device.
• Fabrication is a complex and precise process that requires specialized equipment and expertise.
• A semiconductor fab facility always includes a clean room because its environment is carefully controlled to eliminate dust and vibrations and to keep the temperature and humidity within a specific narrow range.
• Contamination can enter the fab environment through external sources, resulting in damages to products that can affect overall yield.

What kind of technology is used in fabs?

• Photolithography:
• It is a crucial step in semiconductor fabrication where patterns are transferred onto silicon wafers.
• A photosensitive material, called photoresist, is applied to the wafer and exposed to light through a mask.
• The exposed areas are chemically etched, creating the desired pattern. This process enables the precise definition of features on the wafer, enabling the creation of intricate circuitry.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Genome India Project recently announced that it had finished sequencing 10,000 Indian genomes.

About Genome India Project:

• It is a pan-India initiative focused on the whole genome sequencing of representative populations across India.
• Goal: The goal is to start with and execute whole genome sequencing and subsequent data analysis of 10,000 individuals representing the country’s diverse population. 
• This is a mission-mode, multi-institution consortium project, the first of its kind in India, supported and funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.
• The specific aims of the project are:
• Create an exhaustive catalog of genetic variations (common, low frequency, rare, single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, and structural variations) in Indians.
• Create a reference haplotype structure for Indians. This reference panel can be used for imputing missing genetic variation in future studies.
• Design genome-wide arrays for research and diagnostics at an affordable cost.
• Establish a biobank for DNA and plasma collected for future use in research.

What is Genome?

• A genome is the complete set of genetic information in an organism.
• In living organisms, the genome is stored in long molecules of DNA called chromosomes. 
• In humans, the genome consists of 23 pairs of chromosomes located in the cell’s nucleus, as well as a small chromosome in the cell’s mitochondria.
• A genome contains all the information needed for an individual to develop and function. 

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

India will replace the consumption of 2.5 million tonnes (mt) of conventional urea with nano urea in FY24, the Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister said at a press conference recently. 

About Nano Urea:

• It is a nanotechnology-based revolutionary Agri-input that provides nitrogen to plants.
• It is developed and patented by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO).
• IFFCO Nano Urea is the only nano fertilizer approved by the Government of India and included in the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO).
• Features:
• Compared to conventional urea prill, Nano Urea has a desirable particle size of about 20-50 nm, and more surface area (10,000 times over 1 mm urea prill), and number of particles (55,000 nitrogen particles over 1 mm urea prill).
• It contains 4.0% total nitrogen (w/v).
• Benefits:
• It is produced by an energy-efficient, environment-friendly production process with less carbon footprints.
• Increased availability to crops by more than 80%, resulting in higher nutrient use efficiency.
• It is expected to improve crop productivity, soil health, and nutritional quality of produce and address the "imbalanced and excessive use" of conventional fertilizer.

Hence both statements are correct.

The leopard population increased considerably in Amrabad Tiger Reserve, according to the ‘Status of Leopards in India’ report released recently.

About Amrabad Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located in the Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts in the southern part of Telangana.
• Spread over 2611.4 square kilometers, it is one of the largest tiger reserves in India. It is the second-largest Tiger Reserve in terms of core area.
• Earlier, it was part of 'Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, but post-state bifurcation, the northern part of the reserve was vested with Telangana state and renamed 'Amrabad Tiger Reserve'. The southern portion continues to be 'NSTR' with Andhra Pradesh. 
• ATR covers a part of the Nallamala Forest and is home to a variety of flora and fauna.
• Major reservoirs like the Srishailam Dam and Nagarjunsagar Dam are fed by the river Krishna and its several perennial streams that originate in the Tiger Reserve.
• Flora:
• Dense grass occurs in 30% of the area and is scattered in an additional 20%.
• Dominant tree species include Terminalia tomentosa, Hardwickia binata, Madhuca latifolia. Diospyros melanoxylon, Gardenia latifolia, etc.
• Fauna:
• Major wild animals found are Tiger, Leopard, Wild dog, Indian Wolf, Indian fox, Rusty-spotted cat, Small Indian civet, Sloth bear, Honeybadger, Wild boar etc.
• Over 303 bird species have been identified in this region. Some important groups include Eagles, Pigeons, Doves, Cuckoos, Woodpeckers, Drongos etc.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

The 22nd Law Commission of India led by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi has recommended that the offence of criminal defamation should be retained in the new criminal laws.

• It is a non-statutory body and is constituted by a notification of the Government of India, Ministry of Law & Justice.
• It is constituted with a definite terms of reference to carry out research in the field of law and the Commission makes recommendations to the Government (in the form of Reports) as per its terms of reference.
• It functions to the Ministry of Law and Justice as an advisory body.
• History of Law Commission of India
• The first pre-independence law commission was established in 1834 by the British Government in India.
• It was established by the Charter Act of 1833 and was chaired by Lord Macaulay.
• The first Law Commission of independent India was established in 1955 under the chairmanship of the former Attorney General for India M. C. Setalvad.
• This Commission was created for a period of three years and this practice has persisted ever since then, resulting in the reconstitution of Law Commissions every three years via executive orders.
• The executive orders that constitute the Law Commissions also specify their scope and purpose, and thus these fluctuate periodically.
• Since then, twenty one more Law Commissions have been constituted, each with a three-year term and with certain terms of reference.
• The Law Commission has taken up various subjects on references made by Department of Legal Affairs, Supreme Court and High Courts.
• The Twenty Second Law Commission has been notified with effect from 21st February, 2020 for a term of 3 years.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs launched a web portal of Coal Mines Provident Fund Organization (CMPFO) namely C- CARES.

• It is developed and designed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC).
• The portal, will allow CMPF subscribers and coal companies to login and perform various functions tailored to their needs.
• While the subscribers can access and view their individual details and subscription status, the coal management can submit contribution details, subscribers’ particulars and claims for online settlement and payment through the portal.
• It will also ensure paperless working, timely and accurate settlement of claims, reduction in processing time and grievance redressal.
• The portal being a public service platform is intended to benefit the CMPF subscribers who are working in the coal sector as well as its pensioners.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

IREDA in partnership with its knowledge partner Boston Consulting Group (BCG) recently convened a Strategic Meeting focusing on key aspects of business expansion and initiatives aimed at cost reduction in fund utilization.

About Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA):

• It is a Mini Ratna (Category–I) non-banking financial institution under the administrative control of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• It is a Public Limited Government Company established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution (NBFC) in 1987.
• REDA has been notified as a “Public Financial Institution” under Section 4 ‘A’ of the Companies Act, 1956, and registered as NBFC with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• REDA is primarily engaged in promoting, developing and extending financial assistance for setting up projects relating to new and renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency/conservation.
• IREDA is the single largest "Green Financier" in the country. It caters to all technologies in the renewable energy sector and predominantly provides financing for the sector.
• Motto: ENERGY FOR EVER
• Objectives:
• To give financial support to specific projects and schemes for generating electricity and/ or energy through new and renewable sources and conserving energy through energy efficiency.
• To maintain its position as a leading organization to provide efficient and effective financing in renewable energy and energy efficiency/ conservation projects.
• To increase IREDA`s share in the renewable energy sector by way of innovative financing.
• Improvement in the efficiency of services provided to customers through continual improvement of systems, processes, and resources.
• To strive to be a competitive institution through customer satisfaction.
• Funding: IREDA generates its revenue through the interest and principal repayments from the projects it finances, as well as by raising funds from the market and through borrowings.

Hence both statements are correct.