Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 31, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the Minister of State for External Affairs participated in the 19^th The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Ministerial Meeting virtually from Bangkok.

• It is a regional organization that was established on 06 June 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
• Member countries: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.
• The Chairmanship of BIMSTEC rotates according to the alphabetical order of the English names of the Member States.
• During the Third BIMSTEC Summit, the Secretariat was established in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• All member countries of this organization do not share a border with the Bay of Bengal.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Wednesday that it is partnering with the Italian Space Agency ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana) to build and launch the MAIA mission.

• It is a joint mission between NASA and the Italian Space Agency ASI.
• This will investigate the health impacts of air pollution in the world’s most populated cities.
• It will consist of the PLATiNO-2 satellite, which will be provided by ASI, and a science instrument that will be built at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
• The MAIA mission will collect and analyse data from the observatory, sensors on the ground and atmospheric models.
• The JPL hosts a pointable spectropolarimetric camera which captures images from multiple angles in the ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared and shortwave infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
• MAIA will focus on 11 primary target areas that include major urban centres across the world: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Rome, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Barcelona, Spain, Beijing, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Taipei, Taiwan; and Tel Aviv.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Scientists at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Biochemistry and Immunology in the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute have made an important breakthrough in understanding what goes wrong in our bodies during the progression of inflammatory diseases.

• Scientists have found that an enzyme called Fumarate Hydratase is repressed in macrophages, a frontline inflammatory cell type implicated in a range of diseases including Lupus, Arthritis, Sepsis and Covid-19.
• Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system starts attacking your own tissues and organs.
• The condition primarily affects the kidney, but it also has an impact on the skin, blood vessels, connective tissue, heart, brain, and nearly every other organ.
• It is treated by immunosuppression via drugs such as mycophenolate, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab.
• The SLEDAI disease activity index is used for the prognosis of this disease.

Hence both statements are correct.

The New Yoke Times recently reported that the Pentagon — United States Ministry Of Defence — is blocking any evidence-sharing with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to punish Russia for the alleged atrocities in Ukraine.

About International Criminal Court (ICC):

• It is the only permanent international criminal tribunal.
• Background: It was created by the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (its founding and governing document), and began functioning on 1 July 2002 when the Statute came into force.
• Mandate: It investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
• HQ: Hague, Netherlands.
• Members: 123 nations are States Parties to the Rome Statute and recognize the ICC’s authority; the notable exceptions being the US, China, Russia, and India.
• Funding: The Court is funded by contributions from the States Parties and by voluntary contributions from Governments, international organizations, individuals, corporations, and other entities.
• Composition:
• Judges: The court has eighteen judges, each from a different member country, elected to nonrenewable nine-year terms.
• The Presidency: Consists of three judges (the President and two Vice-Presidents) elected from among the judges. It represents the Court to the outside world and helps with the organization of the work of the judges.
• Judicial Divisions: 18 judges in 3 divisions, the Pre-Trial Division, the Trial Division, and the Appeals Division.
• Office of the Prosecutor (OTP): OTP is responsible for receiving referrals and any substantiated information on crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court. OTP examines these referrals and information, conducts investigations, and conducts prosecutions before the Court.
• Registry: The core function of the Registry is to provide administrative and operational support to the Chambers and the Office of the Prosecutor.
• Jurisdiction of ICC:
• Unlike the International Court of Justice, which hears disputes between states, the ICC handles prosecutions of individuals. 
• The ICC is only competent to hear a case if:
• the country where the offense was committed is a party to the Rome Statute; or
• the perpetrator's country of origin is a party to the Rome Statute
• The ICC may only exercise its jurisdiction if the national court is unable or unwilling to do so.
• The ICC only has jurisdiction over offenses committed after the Statute’s entry into force on 1 July 2002.
• Relation with UN:
• While not a United Nations organization, the Court has a cooperation agreement with the United Nations.
• When a situation is not within the Court’s jurisdiction, the United Nations Security Council can refer the situation to the ICC, granting it jurisdiction.

Hence both statements are not correct.

Constitutional experts and opposition parties have termed the ‘non-election for the post of deputy speaker’ as unprecedented and unconstitutional.

About Deputy Speaker:

• Constitutional Provision w.r.t. Office of Deputy Speaker:
• Article 93 of the Constitution says that the House of the People (Lok Sabha) shall choose two members of the House to be, respectively, Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
• The article also says that when the office of Speaker/Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker.
• Election of Deputy Speaker:
• Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker is also elected by the Lok Sabha itself from amongst its members.
• He is elected after the election of the Speaker has taken place.
• The date of election of the Deputy Speaker is fixed by the Speaker.
• Term of Office:
• Like the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker remains in the office usually during the life of the Lok Sabha. However, he may vacate his office earlier in any of the following three cases –
• if he ceases to be a member of the Lok Sabha;
• if he resigns by writing to the Speaker; and
• if he is removed by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the Lok Sabha. Such a resolution can be moved only after giving 14 days’ advance notice.
• Role/Power of Deputy Speaker:
• The Deputy Speaker performs the duties of the Speaker’s office when it is vacant.
• He also acts as the Speaker when the latter is absent from the sitting of the House. In both cases, he assumes all the powers of the Speaker.
• Deputy Speaker is not subordinate to the Speaker. He is directly responsible to the House.
• He also presides over the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament in case the Speaker is absent from such a sitting.
• The Deputy Speaker has one special privilege, that is, whenever he is appointed as a member of a parliamentary committee, he automatically becomes its chairman.
• When the Speaker presides over the House, the Deputy Speaker is like any other ordinary member of the House. He can speak in the House, participate in its proceedings, and vote on any question before the House.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

National Youth Conclave’ is being organized by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) Affairs on 13-14 March 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

• The event is organized under the aegis of India’s G20 presidency in 2023, aligning with the Urban20 and Youth20 engagement groups.
• The National Youth Conclave, which brings together the country’s youth and government leadership, is an opportunity for cross-learning.
• Urban20 is a city diplomacy initiative launched on December 12, 2017, at the One Planet Summit in Paris.
• Urban-20 (U20) provides a platform for cities from G20 countries to facilitate discussions on various important issues of urban development including climate change, social inclusion, sustainable mobility, and affordable housing, and propose collective solutions.
• C40 Cities (C40) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) convene the U20 under the leadership of a Chair city that rotates annually, based in the G20 host country.
• The U20 2023 Cycle was chaired by the City of Ahmedabad.
• Ahmedabad will showcase its unique urban development and climate change initiatives and rich culture and heritage to the participants.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Prime Minister of India recently paid his respect to Sri Ayya Vaikunda Swamikal on his birth anniversary. 

• Sri Ayya Vaikunda Swamikal was the pioneer of the social revolutionaries of south India and Kerala.
• His teachings also affected many social changes in southern India which resulted in the emergence of a series of social and self-respect movements such as Upper cloth agitation, Temple entry movement and other movements including those of Narayana Guru, Chattampi Swamikal, Vallalar and Ayyankali.
• Narayana Guru was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India.
• He was born into a family that belonged to the Ezhava caste.
• He led a reform movement against injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala to promote spiritual enlightenment and social equality.
• He published 45 works in Malayalam, Sanskrit and Tamil languages which include Atmopadesa Śatakam(Malayalam), a hundred-verse spiritual poem and Daiva Dasakam, a universal prayer in ten verses.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Federal government of Australia proposed the expansion of the marine park covering Macquarie Island’s Economic Exclusion Zone.

• Macquarie Island is located around 1,500km southeast of Tasmania.
• It is the exposed crest of the 1,600 km-long undersea Macquarie Ridge.
• This is the only piece of land in the world formed entirely of oceanic crust.
• Macquarie Ridge is one of only 3 such ridges that impede the Antarctic Circumpolar Circulation.
• This results in distinct differences between the west and east sides of the ridge, which are used in different ways by different species.
• Fauna: It is home to 4 species of penguins and 4 species of albatross, the island recorded 57 seabird species.  
• This Island and its surrounding seas are already protected as a Tasmanian reserve.
• The area is also designated as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO.

Hence both statements are correct.

Researchers at the Winona State University, Minnesota, have created a design for a ‘glowscope’, a device that could democratize access to fluorescence microscopy.

About Fluorescence Microscopy:

• A fluorescence microscope views an object by studying how it re¬emits light that it has absorbed, i.e., how it fluoresces. This is its basic principle.
• How it works?
• The object is illuminated with light of a specific wavelength.
• Particles in the object absorb this light and re¬emit it at a higher wavelength (i.e., different color). These particles are called fluorophores.
• The object is infused with fluorophores before being placed under the microscope.
• When the fluorophores fluoresce, a fluorescent microscope can track them as they move inside the object, revealing the object’s internal shape and other characteristics.
• Scientists have developed different fluorophores to identify and study different entities, from specific parts of the DNA to protein complexes.
• Applications:
• It is used to image specific features of small specimens such as microbes.
• It is also used to visually enhance 3-D features at small scales.
• It allows the use of multicolor staining, labeling of structures within cells, and the measurement of the physiological state of a cell.
• It is the most popular method for studying the dynamic behavior exhibited in live-cell imaging.
• Different molecules can now be stained with different colors, allowing multiple types of molecules to be tracked simultaneously.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Supreme Court has increased the jurisdiction and powers of a high-powered committee to conduct necessary checks and undertake fact-finding exercises concerning the import, transfer, procurement, rescue, and rehabilitation of wild animals, including those in captivity, across India.

Why in News?

• It was initially constituted to oversee the transfer of captive wild elephants from the northeastern States. The ambit of the committee was earlier restricted to Tripura and Gujarat.
• It will now have a wider responsibility and will cater to all wild animals in need of rehabilitation or rescue anywhere in India

About High-Powered Committee on Wild Animals:

• It is set up under the chairmanship of former judge Justice Deepak Verma.
• Mandate: To consider approval, dispute, or grievance concerning the transfer or import of wild animals into India or their procurement or welfare by any rescue or rehabilitation center or zoo.
• Other Members of the Committee:
• Director General of Forest
• Head of Project Elephant Division (MoEF)
• Member Secretary (Central Zoo Authority of India)
• Chief Wild Life Warden(s) of the State(s) to which the issue relates will be co-opted as Members.
• Powers and Functions:
• All State and Central authorities shall report the seizure of wild animals or abandonment of captive wild animals to the Committee.
• The Committee shall be at liberty to recommend the transfer of ownership of captive animals or of seized wild animals to any willing rescue center or zoo for their immediate welfare, care, and rehabilitation.
• The Committee is free to conduct necessary checks and to undertake fact-finding exercises in any pending or future complaint.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.