Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 29, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

India would see the highest decline in South Asia due to learning losses for the young.

This has been highlighted by a new working paper published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

• ADB (founded in 1966) is an international development finance institution.
• Its mission is to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people.
• Headquartered in Manila, ADB is owned and financed by its 68 members, of which 49 are from the region and 19 are from other parts of the globe.
• The two largest shareholders of the Asian Development Bank are the United States and Japan.
• ADB is an official United Nations Observer.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

A new species of old world monkey recorded from Arunachal Pradesh has been named after a strategic mountain pass at 13,700 ft above sea level.

• Sela macaque (Macaca selai), the new-to-science primate was identified and analysed by a team of experts from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the University of Calcutta.
• Their study has been published in the latest edition of Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Phylogenetics relate to the evolutionary development and diversification of a species or group of organisms.
• The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Sela macaque was geographically separated from the Arunachal macaque (Macaca munzala) of Tawang district by Sela.
• This mountain pass acted as a barrier by restricting the migration of individuals of these two species for approximately two million years, the study said.
• Sela is situated between Dirang and Tawang towns in western Arunachal Pradesh.
• The study says the Sela macaque has a tail longer than the Tibetan macaque, Assamese macaque, Arunachal macaque and the white-cheeked macaque but shorter than the bonnet macaque and toque macaque.
• Sela macaque belongs to the sinica species-group of Macaca, but it differs from all other members of thisgroup through attributes such as brown collar hair and muzzle, and the absence of chin whiskers, the study says.

Hence both statements are correct.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's biggest Drone Festival - Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022. The Prime Minister also gave away 150 drone pilot certificates.

• Several industry leaders, government officials, foreign diplomats, representatives from Public Sector Units, private companies and drone start-ups are participating in the Mahotsav. They will deliberate upon India’s Civil Aviation sector.
• PM Modi highlighted the importance of drone technology in the fields of defence, disaster management, agriculture, tourism, film and entertainment. He said that the use of this technology is bound to increase in the coming days.
• Appreciating the use of drones in PM-SVAMITVA scheme, he said, 65 lakh property cards have been generated with the help of drones.
• Drone industry in India is estimated to achieve 15 thousand crore rupees turnover by the year 2026. He also narrated the use of drones in his official decision making through examples of PRAGATI reviews and Kedarnath projects.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary

• Located in Kerala, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It was established in 1973. Hence, statement 1 is not correct but statement 2 is correct.
  • Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was the first from India to be included in the UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (designated in 2012).
• Spread over 344.44 sq km, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is contiguous to the tiger reserves of Nagerhole and Bandipur of Karnataka and Mudumalai of Tamil Nadu.
• Kabini river (a tributary of Cauvery River) flows through the sanctuary. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

• It is a redevelopment project of the Odisha government in Puri to create an international heritage site, including the Jagannath temple. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • Though conceived in 2016, it was unveiled in December 2019.
• Under the umbrella project falls the Shree Jagannatha Heritage Corridor (SJHC) or the Shree Mandira Parikrama Project, for the revamp of the area around the temple. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • The project includes Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) building redevelopment, a 600-capacity Srimandir reception centre, Puri Lake, Musa River revival plan, etc.

• As per the 1979 communique post US-Taiwan Reconciliation to counter USSR in the cold War, the US accepts the ‘one China principle’ considering Taiwan, a part of China. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• However, the US started maintaining unofficial relations with Taiwan in the name of people of both nations. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• In the 1982 communique, China expressed its concerns over the likelihood of continued supply of arms by the US to Taiwan as per the provisions of Taiwan Relations Act (TRA),1979. In this way, the US has balanced its recognition of the PRC along with the concerns of Taiwan.

• The National Achievement Survey (NAS) is a nationwide survey to assess the learning outcomes and health of the education system.
  • It is the largest, nationwide, sample-based education survey conducted across India.
• NAS is a triennial Survey (and not a biennial survey) undertaken by the Ministry of Education. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
  • The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted NAS 2021.
  • The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) designed an assessment framework and tools for NAS-2021.
• Key Highlights of the NAS 2021:
  • It recorded a decline in performance in almost all subjects. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • The average performance of schools in rural areas remained “significantly below” those urban areas in same states and union territories (UTs).
  • The performance of students from the schedule caste (SC)/ schedule tribe (ST)/ Other Backward Classes (OBC) categories remained lower than that of students from the general category.
  • The average performance of girls remained better than the boys in almost all subjects. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

• The scheme of Medical Certification of Cause of Death (MCCD) was introduced in the country under the provisions of the Registration of Births and Deaths (RBD) Act, 1969. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • Under the scheme, the Office of the Registrar General, India (ORGI) obtains data on medically certified causes of deaths as collected, compiled and tabulated by the Offices of the respective Chief Registrars of Births and Deaths of the States/UTs.
• Leading Cause-Groups of Deaths: Nine leading cause-groups of deaths constituting around 88.7%of total medically certified cause of deaths:
  • Diseases of the Circulatory System (32.1%). Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  • Diseases of the Respiratory System (10%)
  • Codes for Special Purposes – Covid-19 (8.9%)
  • Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (mainly consisting of septicemia and tuberculosis) (7.1%)
  • Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases (5.8%)
  • Injury, Poisoning and Certain other Consequences of External Causes (5.6%)
  • Neoplasms (4.7%)
  • Certain Conditions Originating in the Perinatal Period (4.1%)
  • Symptoms Signs & Abnormal Clinical Findings “Not Elsewhere Classified” (10.6%)
• Those above 70 years were the worst affected by the respiratory diseases accounting for the highest incidences of deaths - 29.4 % of total registered medically certified deaths. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
  • This was followed by 55-64 years reporting 23.9% deaths; the age group 65-69, also reported a significant number of deaths - 4.5%

• The process of Coal Gasification chemically transforms the fossil fuel into Synthetic Natural Gas (SNG), instead of burning fossil fuel. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• It produces Syngas which is a mixture consisting primarily of methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapour (H2O) (but not nitrogen oxide). Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  • Syngas can be used to produce a wide range of fertilizers, fuels, solvent and synthetic materials.
• Coal Gasification is primarily used for electricity generation, for the production of chemical feedstocks.
• The hydrogen obtained from coal gasification can be used for various purposes such as making ammonia, powering a hydrogen economy.

• Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is used to treat infertility. It includes fertility treatments that handle both a woman's egg and a man's sperm.
• It works by removing eggs from a woman's body and mixing them with sperm to make embryos. The embryos are then put back in the woman's body. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• ART procedures sometimes use donor eggs, donor sperm, or previously frozen embryos. It may also involve a surrogate carrier.’
• In vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most common and effective type of ART. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.