Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 20, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

According to recently released official data, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) - based inflation rate reached a record high of 15.1% in April, owing to increases in the cost of vegetables, fruits, milk and fuel. 

• WPI represents the price of goods at a wholesale stage e., goods that are sold in bulk and traded between organizations instead of consumers. WPI is used as a measure of inflation in some economies.
• WPIs are reported monthly in order to show the average price changes of goods.
• The total costs of the goods being considered in one year are then compared with the total costs of goods in the base year.
• The total prices for the base year are equal to 100 on the scale. Prices from another year are compared to that total and expressed as a percentage of change.
• It is used as an important measure of inflation in India. It takes into account the change in price of goods only.
• WPI data is published by the Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
• The current series of WPI - with base year of 2011-12 - was the seventh revision of WPI and implemented from 2017 onwards.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

After a high-level security review for the forthcoming Amarnath Yatra, the government has decided to track all pilgrims using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags.

• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a wireless tracking system that consists of tags and readers.
• Radio waves are used to communicate information/identity of objects or people to nearby readers – devices that can be hand-held or built into fixed positions like poles or buildings.
• The tags can carry encrypted information, serial numbers and short descriptions. There are also high-memory tags like the ones designed for use in the aviation industry.

Types of RFID tags

• Active RFIDs use their own power source, mostly batteries.
• Passive RFIDs, on the other hand, are activated through the reader using the electromagnetic energy it transmits.
• Active tags have a longer read range, around 300 ft, compared to passive tags.

Hence both statements are correct.

The past seven years were the warmest on record, and 2021 did not see record-breaking temperatures because of a La Niña event at the start and end of the year, according to a report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).

• La Nina is a cooling of surface temperatures in the Central Pacific. While this had a temporary cooling effect, it did not reverse the overall trend of rising temperatures. The average global temperature in 2021 was about 1.11 (± 0.13) degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level.
• Four key climate change indicators — greenhouse gas concentrations, sea-level rise, ocean heat and ocean acidification — set new records in 2021, according to the report.
• Extreme weather led to economic damage estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars and triggered shocks for food, water security and displacement that worsened in 2022.
• The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics.
• It was established in 1950 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Finland and Sweden submitted a joint application to join NATO as Russia's invasion of Ukraine forces a dramatic reappraisal of security in Europe.

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European states, the United States, and Canada.
• The organization, headquartered in Brussels, implements the North Atlantic Treaty, which was signed on 4 April 1949.
• The reversal of the Nordic countries' long-standing policy of non-alignment came amidst the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The membership push could represent the most significant expansion of NATO in decades, doubling its border with Russia.
• But the applications face resistance from NATO member Turkey, which accuses the Nordic neighbours of harbouring anti-Turkish extremists.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

• Temperature changes are induced by variations in heating between highly urbanised and semi-urbanized regions, as well as the presence of open and green spaces in the surrounding areas. The average temperature variance in urban heat islands is from 3 to 5 degrees Celsius. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• This spike in heat is mostly caused by urban infrastructure and buildings constructed of concrete and asphalt, where heat is trapped and unable to disperse efficiently. The trapped heat between establishments composed of concrete and asphalt causes urban heat islands. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

• Project-15B ships are amongst the most technologically advanced Guided Missile Destroyers of the world, with state-of-the-art weapon/sensor packages, advanced stealth features and a high degree of automation. In 2011, the deal to build four warships -Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal, and Surat- was signed under the Project-15B programme .
• Project 15B warships are equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and long-range Surface-to-Air Missiles. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• ‘INS Surat’ is the fourth ship of Project 15B Destroyers, not the third ship. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
• According to the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Project 15B features overall indigenous content of nearly 75%, so not completely indigenous. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

• Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) started in 1997-98 to impart quality education to ST children in remote areas under the Ministry of Tribal affairs.
  • The schools focus not only on academic education but on the all-round development of the students. Grants were given for construction of schools and recurring expenses to the State Governments under Grants under Article 275 (1) of the Constitution.
  • By the year 2022, every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons, will have an EMRS.
• EMRS is a scheme under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, not under the Ministry of Education. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• The EMR School follows the CBSE curriculum, not the State Board curriculum. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
• Eklavya Model Residential Schools are being developed to impart quality education to tribal students. Hence statement 3 is correct.

• The Rotterdam convention 1998 aims to promote cooperation and responsibility sharing measures amongst different countries dealing with trade in hazardous chemicals and pesticides. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• PIC, Prior Informed Consent is the main feature of the convention and is legally binding on the party members. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• PIC facilitates information exchange about nature and trade-related information amongst the party members.
• The Convention creates obligations for the implementation of the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.
• India is a member of the Rotterdam Convention. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

• The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) is a large cluster of clouds and convection, about 5,000-10,000 kilometres in size.
• MJO is composed of a Rossby wave and a Kelvin wave, which is a type of wave structure that we see in the ocean. On the eastern side of the MJO is the Kelvin wave, while on the western, trailing edge of the MJO is the Rossby wave, again with two vortices on either side of the equator. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
  • Rossby waves are huge waves in the ocean with wavelengths of around 4,000–5,000 kilometres. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • Rossby waves are named for famous meteorologist Carl-Gustaf Rossby who was the first to explain that these waves arose due to the rotation of the Earth. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • The twin tropical cyclones are caused by what are called equatorial Rossby waves.

Lightning is a very rapid — and massive — discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, some of which is directed towards the Earth’s surface. These discharges are generated in giant moisture-bearing clouds that are 10-12 km tall. The base of these clouds typically lies within 1-2 km of the Earth’s surface, while their top is 12-13 km away. Temperatures towards the top of these clouds are in the range of minus 35 to minus 45 degrees Celsius.