Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 20, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the government released a circular warning its employees of a sophisticated cybercrime— vishing.

• It is short form of voice+phishing, is carried out through a call on a mobile phone or landline.
• It’s a technique wherein a threat actor calls the victim over the phone and tries to trick him/her into clicking on malicious files or emails, which can then take one to a legitimate-looking website asking to share personal information.
• In other cases, the attacker can solicit sensitive information from the victim.
• It can be so tricky that the caller might appear as the manager or colleague of the victim, enticing her to share sensitive information, at times using urgency as the tactic.

How to spot a vishing scam?

• A pre-recorded message: On many occasions, a vishing call starts with an automated call claiming there’s an urgency related to financial or other matters, making you click a few numbers or take certain actions.
• Pretending to be a government official: There’s a very slim chance that a government official would directly call you or even email or text. And if you get a call from somebody claiming to be a government official,chances are high that it’s not legitimate.
• Using fear and urgency tactics: In case of a vishing attack, chances are that the scammer would stoke a sense of urgency using threat or fear.
• Poor audio quality: If in doubt, also pay attention to the call’s audio quality and any background noises. At times, there could be robotic-sounding voices, which could mean that it’s a robocall.

Hence option (b) is the correct answer.

Recently, the Spanish government said the number of endangered Iberian lynx in the wild in Spain and Portugal has nearly doubled since 2020.

• It is one of two carnivore species endemic to Europe (the other being European mink, Mustela lutreola).
• It is the world's most endangered and known for its pointy ears, long legs and leopard-like spotted fur.
• This species, like other cat species, is sexually dimorphic, with males being heavier and longer than females. 
• This lynx is generally nocturnal and its activity patterns are closely synchronized with those of their major prey, the rabbit.
• Habitat: It require variable terrain below 1300 m, containing a mosaic of closed Mediterranean scrubland interspersed with open patches of grassland, often with marsh ecotones.
• Distribution: It was once distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula, the species is now sparsely distributed in Spain and Portugal. 
• Threats: These are related to human activities, such as poaching and habitat destruction, Illegal Hunting and decrease food base etc.
• Conservation status
• IUCN Red list: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix II

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the National Endangered Species Day was celebrated across the world.

• It is observed to create awareness about the consequences of human activities and what we can do to save endangered species.
• Every year, National Endangered Species Day is observed on the third Friday of the month of May.
• History
• In the year 2006, David Robinson and the Endangered Species Coalition established National Endangered Species Day to be celebrated every year to urge people to contribute to the safety and protection of endangered species.
• According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, forty percent of animals, insects and plants on this planet are at risk of extinction.
• The theme for the year 2024: Celebrate Saving Species.
• Significance
• The day promotes conservation efforts and encourages individuals and organisations to participate in activities that help protect endangered species.
• This includes habitat restoration, supporting conservation laws, and advocating for stronger environmental policies.

Hence both statements are correct.

Researchers from the Zoological Survey of India, in partnership with the Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board, rediscovered the Sri Lankan golden-backed frog (Hylarana gracilis) after two centuries in the Koundinya wildlife sanctuary in the Chittoor district.

• It is located in Palamner - Kuppam forest ranges of Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.
• It is the only sanctuary in the whole state housing Asian elephants.
• This Sanctuary comes under Project elephant - a Country wide Elephant Conservation Project taken up by Government of India.
• Rivers: Kaigal and River Kaundinya flow through this sanctuary and is characterized by high hills, deep valleys.
• Vegetation: Southern tropical dry deciduous forest, with patches of thorn, scrub and grassy plains.
• Flora: Plants like Albizzia amara, Ficus glomerata, Zizyphus xylocarpus, Gymnosporia Montana, etc;
• Fauna: Elephant, Panther, Sloth bear, Wild boar, Chowsingha, Nilgai, Hyena, Jackal, etc.

Key facts about Sri Lankan golden-backed frog

• It is also known as Gravenhorst's frog or Sri Lanka wood frog, belongs to the family Ranidae.
• It was considered endemic to Sri Lanka, commonly found from sea level to 1250 meters in various districts including Anuradhapura, Galle, and Kandy.
• The separation of India and Sri Lanka dates back to the early Miocene era, around 15 million years ago.
• Throughout the Pleistocene, fluctuating sea levels periodically exposed and submerged the land bridge across the Palk Strait, facilitating biotic exchanges.
• Hylarana gracilis, typically associated with freshwater habitats, shows a shallow genetic divergence (0.2% to 1.1%) between populations in the Eastern Ghats and Sri Lanka.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

India is playing a significant role in the lab-grown diamond industry, positioning itself as the world's second-largest producer of precious stones created in laboratories rather than extracted from the earth.

About Lab-Grown Diamonds:

• Laboratory-grown diamonds have essentially the same chemical, optical, and physical properties and crystal structure as natural diamonds.
• Like natural diamonds, they are made of tightly-bonded carbon atoms.
• They respond to light in the same way and are just as hard as natural diamonds.
• The main differences between laboratory-grown and natural diamonds lie in their origin.
• Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds that are produced using specific technology which mimics the geological processesthat grow natural diamonds.
• The diamond simulants such as Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia (CZ), White Sapphire, YAG, and others are used to make them look like natural diamonds.
• How are LGDs produced? There are multiple ways in which LGDs can be produced.
• High pressure, high temperature” (HPHT) method:
• It is the most common and cheapest method.
• This method mimics the conditions under which natural diamonds are formed inside the earth.
• To produce the lab diamond, a large machine is fed a certain amount of carbon materialthat it then crushes under pressures of more than 870,000 lbs. per square inch at extreme temperatures ranging from 1300 – 1600 degrees Celsius.
• Lower-quality diamonds, whether natural or laboratory-grown, can also be put through the HPHT process to improve color. This process can also be used to change the color of diamonds to pink, blue or yellow. 
• Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD):
• This technique enables scientists to grow laboratory-grown diamonds using moderate temperatures (700°C to 1300°C) and lower pressures.
• Carbon-containing gas is pumped into a vacuum chamber and deposits onto a diamond seed,crystallizing as laboratory-grown diamond.
• The eventual size of the diamond depends on the time allowed for growth.
• Application of Lab-grown diamonds:
• Used for industrial purposes, in machines and tools and their hardness and extra strength make them ideal for use as cutters.
• Pure synthetic diamonds are used in electronicsas a heat spreader for high-power laser diodes, laser arrays and high-power transistors.
• India produces more than three million lab-grown diamonds a year and accounts for 15 per cent of global production.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A rare hemi-parasitic terrestrial plant named Phtheirospermumlushaiorum has been found in Phawngpui National Park in Mizoram.

About Phtheirospermumlushaiorum:

• It is a new species of hemi-parasitic terrestrial plant.
• These hemi-parasitic plantslackafully developed root system and form connections with another plant, from which theyobtain some or all of theirwater and minerals. 
• Such plants have chlorophyll and produce their own food by photosynthesis, and in some cases, are capable of limited growthin the absence of the host plant.
• They tap into the sap-conducting tissue of the host by means of specialized structures called haustoria.
• The new species has been found in Phawngpui National Park of Mizoram.
• Phtheirospermumlushaiorum attaches themselves to the roots of their host and appear like normal plants growing in the soil. 
• They flower only during July to September and fruits are produced during August to October.
• The specific epithet “lushaiorum” is named after the “Lushai” tribe of Mizoram.

Key Facts about Phawngpui National Park:

• It is located in the Lawngtlai district under the Lai Autonomous District Council of Mizoram, towards the southeast bordering Myanmar.
• It derives its name from the Phawngpui Mountain, the highest peak in the state, reaching 2157 meters.
• It covers an area of 50 sq. km, including the entire Phawngpui Mountain along with cliffs and patches of natural grasslands.
• This park is also called Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park,as the mountainous region of Phawngpui is often covered by a thin layer of clouds,which makes it blue in appearance from a distance.
• Flora: The flora of Phawngpui mostly includes grasses, orchids, trees of rhododendrons, and oak. 
• Fauna:  It is home to an amazing variety of birdlife, including the rare Blyth’s Tragopan, Dark Rumped Swift, and Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant, the Mizoram state bird, and endangered mammals like the Slow Loris, Tiger, Leopard, Leopard Cat, Serow, Goral, Asiatic Black Bear, Stump-tailed Macaque, and Capped Langur.

Hence option b is the correct answer.

An international team of astronomers recently detected a new, Earth-sized planet named SPECULOOS-3b, just 55 light years away, orbiting an ultra-cool red dwarf star.

About SPECULOOS-3b:

• It is an Earth-size planet orbiting an ultracool red dwarf star, 55 light-years away from Earth.
• This red dwarf, though similar in size to Jupiter, emits light 100 times dimmer than the sun and has half the temperature.
• The planet is only the second of its kind to be discovered around this type of star.
• SPECULOOS-3b receives high levels of radiation from its sun, probably leaving the planet without an atmosphere. The planet receives almost 16 times more energy per second than Earth receives from the Sun.
• It takes around 17 hours tocomplete an orbit of the star.
• The planet is thought to be tidally locked, so the same side, known as the dayside, always faces the star, like the Moon to Earth. The nightside would be locked in never-ending darkness.  
• The discovery was made by the teamfrom the SPECULOOS (Search for Planets EClipsingULtra-cOOl Stars) project, which is led by the University of Liège, in Belgium, in collaboration with the Universities of Birmingham, Cambridge, Bern, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, using the observatory located in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.
• The SPECULOOS project was established to search for exoplanets orbiting ultra-cool dwarf stars using a network of robotic telescopes based around the world.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

Recently, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) directed all medical device licence holders and manufacturers to report any adverse events related to life-saving medical equipment on the government’s Materiovigilance Programme of India (MvPI) platform.

• It was launched on July 6, 2015 to monitor the safety of medical devices in the country.
• It aims to collect data on medical device related adverse events systematically and scientifically analyze them to aid in regulatory decisions and recommendations on safe use of medical devices.
• Objective: To improve Indian patient safety by monitoring, recording and analysing the root cause of adverse events or risks associated with the use of medical devices including in-vitro diagnostics by healthcare professionals or patients/users and suggesting regulatory bodies for appropriate action with the sole intention of improving patient safety.
• It is an important program for reporting of adverse events, coordinated analysis etc related to the medical devices including in-vitro diagnostic devices.
• The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) functions as National Coordination Centre (NCC) since 2018.
• It is regulated by the Central Drugs Standards Control Organization (CDSCO). 
• Medical devices consist of electronic equipment, implant, consumables and disposables, surgical instruments and in-vitro diagnostic reagents, among others.
• Currently, all medical devices in India are regulated by the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Medical Device Rule, 2017.
• At present, India is 80% dependent on imports for medical devices.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry Of Health and Family Welfare

Key facts about Drugs Controller General of India

• Drugs Controller General of India is the head of the department of the CDSCO of the Government of India responsible for approval of licences of specified categories of drugs such as blood and blood products, IV fluids, vaccines and sera in India.
• DCGI also sets standards for the manufacturing, sales, import, and distribution of drugs in India.

Hence both statements are correct.

A new study offers a fuller understanding of the tool use by the Sea otters and utilizing rocks and other objects to break open hard prey by them.

• It is an aquatic member of the weasel family, found along the coasts of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia.
• Habitat: It spends most of its time in the water but, in some locations, comes ashore to sleep or rest.
• Appearance: Sea otters have webbed feet, water-repellent fur to keep them dry and warm, and nostrils and ears that close in the water.
• They generally eat food equal to about a quarter of their body weight daily as they prowl kelp forests and seagrass beds.
• Ecological significance
• It’s a keystone species, which means that the health of sea otters is a good indication of the health of other species and ecosystems nearby.
• It plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. By preying on sea urchins, they help control the population of these spiny creatures.
• Without otters, sea urchins can overpopulate and decimate kelp forests. These kelp forests are vital habitats for a myriad of marine life, offering shelter and food for numerous species.
• The presence of sea otters helps sustain the biodiversity and health of these underwater forests.
• Conservation status
• IUCN Red List: Endangered

Hence both statements are correct.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has responded to tight liquidity conditions in the banking system by announcing a significant reduction in the government's treasury bill sales and introducing a new selection of bonds for the Centre's buyback operations.

• Bond Buyback is a process whereby the central government and state governments buy back their existing securities, by redeeming them prematurely, from the holders.
• Bond buybacks is a liability management tools widely used in government securities markets to manage refinancing and liquidity risks.
• It enables issuers to retire an outstanding debt before its maturity date against a cash payment.
• The objectives of buyback can be
• Reduction of cost (by buying back high coupon securities),
• Reduction in the number of outstanding securities and improving liquidity in the G-Secs market (by buying back illiquid securities) and
• Infusion of liquidity in the system.

What is a Bond?

• It is a debt instrument in which an investor loans money to an entity (typically corporate or government) which borrows the funds for a defined period of time at a variable or fixed interest rate.
• Bonds are used by companies, municipalities, states and sovereign governments to raise money to finance a variety of projects and activities. Owners of bonds are debt holders, or creditors, of the issuer.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.