Daily Current Affairs MCQ - September 1, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi asked if the Union government had “sold off” Articles 15 and 25 of the Constitution after tweeting a video that showed alleged instances of Muslim men being attacked and asked to chant “Jai Sri Ram”.

Articles 15:

• It prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
• However, the State is not precluded from making special provisions for women and children or any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens, including the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Article 25:

• It guarantees all persons the freedom of conscience and the right to preach, practice and propagate any religion of their choice.
• The right to propagate, however, does not include the right to convert another individual, since it would amount to an infringement of the other's right to freedom of conscience.
• Hence both statements are correct.

The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog described the resumption of operations over the weekend at North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear reactor as “deeply troubling.”

• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that while monitors have not been granted access to the Yongbyon site, there are “indications” that the five-megawatt reactor is once more producing plutonium for the first time since December 2018.
• The Nyongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center is North Korea's major nuclear facility, operating its first nuclear reactors.
• It is located in Nyongbyon County in North Pyongan Province, about 100 km north of Pyongyang.
• The center produced the fissile material for North Korea's six nuclear weapon tests from 2006 to 2017, and since 2009 is developing indigenous light water reactor nuclear power station technology.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is drafting a Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP) in a bid to tackle climate challenges. It recently launched a website for the same.

• This Plan will look at climate resilience with mitigation and adaptation strategies by focusing on six areas — sustainable waste management, urban greening and biodiversity, urban flooding and water resource management, building energy efficiency, air quality, and sustainable mobility.
• The plan is expected to be ready by November ahead of the United Nations Climate Change (COP26) conference.

Why does Mumbai need a climate action plan?

• As per a study conducted by the World Resource Institute (WRI) India on Mumbai’s vulnerability assessment, the city will face two major climate challenges — the rise in temperature, and extreme rain events which will lead to flooding.
• A recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that at least 12 Indian coastal cities including Mumbai will face sea rise of 0.1 metres to 0.3 metres in next three decades due to climate change.

C40 Cities climate leadership group

• This has been done following Mumbai’s commitment to C40 Cities climate leadership group.
• Mumbai joined C40 Cities group in December 2020.
• There are 97 cities across the world connected in C40 Cities, who are pushed to develop and implement climate action plans to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emission significantly.
• Hence both statements are correct.

The Railways plans to operate 102 Vande Bharat trains by March 2024.

• Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the operation of 75 Vande Bharat trains on the occasion of the 75th Independence Day celebrations, the Ministry of Railways has floated tenders for manufacturing 58 rakes, each comprising 16 coaches. Tenders have already been floated for making 44 rakes.
• The Train18, later named Vande Bharat Express, was rolled out by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.
• It was showcased as India’s first semi high-speed train with an operational efficiency of 160 kmph and was celebrated as one of the most successful products of the “Make in India” mission.
• However, it ran into a controversy over allegations of compromises on safety bringing production of more rakes to a grinding halt. There were also allegations that one company was favoured in the making of the first two rakes.
• Hence only statement 2 is correct.

India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 20.1% in the first quarter of 2021-22, compared with the 24.4% contraction recorded in the corresponding quarter a year ago, but economic activity remained well below the pre-pandemic levels, thanks to the second wave of COVID-19.

• Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy during the April to June period rose 18.8%, as per the National Statistical Office (NSO), from a 22.2% dip in the first quarter of 2020-21.
• GVA from agriculture, forestry and fishing, the only sector to grow amid last year’s national lockdown, picked up pace to grow 4.5% in Q1 this year from 3.5% in Q1 2020-21.
• Overall GVA in Q1 was still 7.8% lower than the first quarter of 2019-20, at ₹30,47,516 crore, while GDP remained 9.2% lower, indicating that the economy still has some way to go before it returns to activity levels prevalent prior to the pandemic.
• Electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services, whose GVA grew 14.3% in Q1 of 2021-22, compared with a 9.9% fall last year, was the only sector along with agriculture, forestry and fishing, to recover beyond the pre-pandemic levels of 2019-20.
• The first quarter GDP was even lower than that of the first quarter of 2018-19.
• Hence both statements are correct.

• The Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) is an international survey held every three years, coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Hence statement 1 is correct.
• It was first conducted in the year 2000. The PISA test does not assess students on their memory but attempts to evaluate whether students can apply the knowledge they have gained through primary and secondary education.
• It is a competency-based test designed to assess the ability of the 15-year-old candidates that measures their reading, mathematics, and science literacy every three years to apply their knowledge to real-life situations. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO) India seems to be entering some stage of Covid-19 endemicity where there is low- to moderate-level transmission.
• An endemic disease is a disease that is always present in a certain population or a given geographical region. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • Some examples of endemics include chicken pox and malaria, where there are a predictable number of cases every year in certain parts of the world. Hence, statement 3 is not correct
• Epidemic refers to an outbreak of a disease. An epidemic occurs when a disease is spreading through one or more populations. In contrast, the endemic disease is one that is constantly present in a group or geographic area. Hence, statement 2 is correct
  • Pandemics are worldwide epidemics. A pandemic affects more people and takes more lives than an epidemic.
  • Under certain circumstances, an epidemic can lead to a disease becoming endemic.

• Sand and dust storms are common meteorological hazards in arid and semi-arid regions.
  • They are usually caused by thunderstorms – or strong pressure gradients associated with cyclones – which increase wind speed over a wide area.

Impacts of Sandstorms:

• Negative:
  • Affect the Source of Freshwater:
    • Very high dust deposition also occurs in the Himalaya-Hindu Kush mountain range and the Tibetan Plateau, the so-called ‘third pole’ that are the sources for fresh water for more than 1.3 billion people in Asia.
  • Increases Melting of Ice:
    • The deposition of dust on glaciers induces a warming effect, increasing the melting of ice, with direct and indirect impacts on society through numerous issues, including food security, energy production, agriculture, water stress and flood regimes. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • On Farmland:
    • Dust deposition impacted large portions of farmland in Turkmenistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
      • Much of this dust is characterised by high salt content, making it toxic for plants.
    • It reduces yield, posing a significant threat to the production of irrigated cotton and other crops. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Positive:
  • They can increase the nutrient content in the areas of deposition and benefit vegetation.
  • Dust deposited on water bodies can alter their chemical characteristics, triggering both positive as well as adverse outcomes.
  • Dust particles that carry iron can enrich parts of oceans, improving the phytoplankton balance and impacting marine food webs. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
• Hence, option B is correct.

Powerful Hurricane Ida battered the southern U.S. State of Louisiana and knocking out power for more than a million people, including the whole of New Orleans.

• Hurricane Ida is a weakening tropical depression that became the second most intense hurricane to strike the U.S. state of Louisiana on record, only behind Hurricane Katrina of 2005.
• Ida slammed into the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 storm.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Despite the abstention of two “P5” countries — Russia and China — from the India-led United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2593, the Government of India said it was a “matter of satisfaction” that the resolution addressed India’s “key concerns” on Afghanistan.

• P5 refers to the five permanent members of the UNSC — China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.
• The resolution called on the Taliban to keep their commitments on preventing terror groups in Afghanistan and urged them to assist the safe evacuations of all Afghan nationals wishing to leave the country
• The resolution demands that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter and train terrorists and plan or finance terrorist attacks.
• It mentions individuals designated by Resolution 1267, (which includes the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammad)
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.