Daily Current Affairs MCQ - September 24, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) will be observing 1st October 2021 as the National Pension System Diwas (NPS Diwas) to promote pension and retirement planning for a carefree ‘azad’ retirement.

• Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority is the regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India for overall supervision and regulation of pension in India.
• The Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority Act was passed on 19 September 2013 and the same was notified on 1 February 2014.
• PFRDA is regulating NPS, subscribed by employees of Govt. of India, State Governments and by employees of private institutions/organizations & unorganized sectors. The PFRDA is ensuring the orderly growth and development of the pension market.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

The President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind will confer the National Service Scheme (NSS) Awards for the year 2019-20 on 24th September, 2021 from Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.

• The National Service Scheme (NSS) Award for the year 2019-20 will be given to 42 awardees in 3 different categories like University/ +2 Councils, NSS Units and their Programme Officers and NSS Volunteers.
• Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports confers every year the National Service Scheme Award to recognize and reward outstanding contributions towards voluntary community service made by the Universities/Colleges, (+2) Councils, Senior Secondary, NSS Units/ Programme Officers and NSS Volunteers, with a view to further promote NSS in the country.
• NSS is a Centrally Sector Scheme which was launched in the year 1969 with the primary objective of developing the personality and character of the student youth through voluntary community service.
• The ideological orientation of the NSS is inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. Very appropriately, the motto of NSS is “NOT ME, BUT YOU”.
• The NSS volunteers work on issues of social relevance, which keep evolving in response to the needs of the community, through regular and special camping activities.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Appealing people to not hunt animals and birds, Union Minister for Environment said that air gun surrender campaign will be launched across the country and retired forest workers, representatives of social organizations etc. will be roped in for the same.

• He described the Air Gun Surrender Campaign of the Arunachal Government as an important initiative to save animals and birds from poaching and for their conservation
• It is giving very positive results said that it will be started across the country and States will also be requested for this.
• Air guns do not require any license. In such a situation, many people in our country hunt birds through air guns in every district and village. Due to this, the number of many birds is rapidly decreasing.
• Union Minister for Environment also visited Itanagar Biological Park, the world's first Hoolok Gibbon Breeding Canter and reviewed the work being done to save this species.
• Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Union Minister for Commerce & Industry inaugurated the 'Centre of Excellence in Logistics and Supply Chain Management' at the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai.

• Managing supply chains is becoming more and more complex owing to the challenges posed by global competitiveness and economic crisis.
• In this scenario, the Centre will contribute to cutting edge research, knowledge-building and capacity building in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, through applied research and development activities.
• The Centre will act as a driving force to train and launch top quality programs to disseminate advanced knowledge and promote Digitisation, Analytics, and IoT Application and Decision Support Systems through Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applications.
• The Centre will carry out research projects to find innovative solutions in collaboration with industry and national and international bodies. The focus will be on Logistics and Supply Chain Management along with sustainability and green supply chains.
• Hence both statements are correct.

North-Western University engineers have created an electronic microchip with the capability of flight.

• About the size of a grain of sand, the new flying microchip (or “microflier”) does not have a motor or engine. Instead, it catches flight on the wind — much like a maple tree’s propeller seed — and spins like a helicopter through the air toward the ground.
• A release by Northwestern University described these microflier as the “smallest-ever human-made flying structures”.

Working

• By studying maple trees and other types of wind-dispersed seeds, the engineers optimised the microflier’s aerodynamics to ensure that it — when dropped at a high elevation — falls at a slow velocity in a controlled manner.
• This behaviour stabilizes its flight, ensures dispersal over a broad area and increases the amount of time it interacts with the air, making it ideal for monitoring air pollution and airborne disease.
• These microfliers also can be packed with ultra-miniaturised technology, including sensors, power sources, antennas for wireless communication and embedded memory to store data.
• Hence both statements are correct.

• Recently, the solar DC cooking technology was developed by the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI). Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • The CMERI is an institute under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• It is a Solar Energy based Cooking System which consists of a solar PV panel, charge controller, battery bank and cooking oven.
  • It provides a Clean Cooking Environment, Inverter-Less Direct Operation, Fast and Uniform Heating and a potential to save 1 ton Carbon Dioxide emissions per year/household.
  • It has 20-25% better efficiency and is more Economical in comparison with Conventional Solar based Cooking Systems which loses efficiency owing to AC-DC conversion. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • The simple Technology Design also ensures Ease-of-Manufacturing and thus provides a substantial Economic Opportunity for the Micro-Industries.
  • Along with the widening of the popularity base of Technology, there is a probability of improvement in Job Prospects.

Impact of Melting Arctic Ice:

• Global Climate Change:
  • The Arctic and Antarctic act like the world’s refrigerator. They balance out other parts of the world that absorb heat. The loss of ice and the warming waters will affect sea levels, salinity levels, and current and precipitation patterns. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Danger to Coastal Communities:
  • Global average sea level has risen by about 7-8 inches since 1900, and it’s getting worse.
  • Rising seas endanger coastal cities and small island nations by exacerbating Coastal Flooding and storm surge. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• Food Security:
  • Polar vortexes, increased heat waves, and unpredictability of weather caused by ice loss are already causing significant damage to crops on which global food systems depend. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Loss of Methane Store:
  • Permafrost in the Arctic region (ground that is permanently frozen) stores large amounts of methane, which is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
  • As more quickly the arctic ice is lost, more rapidly permafrost will melt. This will result in a vicious cycle that may result in a climate catastrophe.
• Biodiversity Threat:
  • Melting of the Arctic ice puts the Arctic region’s vibrant biodiversity under serious threat.

• About Factors Causing Rapid Melting of Arctic Sea Ice:
  • Albedo Feedback Loop:
    • Ice is more reflective (has a higher albedo) than land or water surfaces, this is one of several reasons for the Arctic’s warming about three times faster than the planet as a whole.
      • Therefore, as global ice cover decreases, the reflectivity of Earth’s surface decreases, more incoming solar radiation is absorbed by the surface, and the surface warms.
      • Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • Darker Ocean Surface:
    • The Arctic's bright ice is replaced by a darker open ocean surface, less of the sun’s radiation is reflected back to space, driving additional heating and ice loss. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • Counterclockwise Ice Circulation:
    • Cyclones entering the Arctic from Siberia generated counterclockwise winds and ice drifts.
    • This pattern generally reduces the amount of sea ice moving out of the Arctic through the Fram Strait, east of Greenland. This likely contributed to the record low summer sea ice conditions observed in the Greenland Sea. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Villagers have lost access to a vast grazing area near Gogra in eastern Ladakh owing to growing Chinese presence in the area.

• Gogra is one of the several friction points in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a stand-off since April-May 2020.
• The troops have disengaged from the north and south banks of the Pangong Tso and Gogra sector, creating “no zones” in areas along the undemarcated Line of Actual Control (LAC) that was regularly patrolled by Indian troops prior to April 2020.
• The Army had stopped the villagers’ access to the Kiu La pass that was till a few years ago frequented by the villagers of Lukung, Phobrang and Yourgo for cattle-grazing.
• Since April 2020, Chinese troops have blocked Indian troops from reaching at least 10 patrolling points (PPs) in eastern Ladakh — running from Depsang plains in the north to the Pangong Tso lake in the south.
• Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

The Defence Ministry placed an order with the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi, for the supply of 118 indigenous Arjun Mk-1A main battle tanks (MBT) for the Army at a cost of ₹7,523 crore.

• The state-of-the-art MBT Mk-1A is a new variant of Arjun tank designed to enhance fire power, mobility and survivability. Infused with 72 new features and more indigenous content from the Mk-1 variant, the tank would ensure effortless mobility in all terrains, besides precise target engagement during day and night.
• The MBT Arjun Mk-1A was designed and developed by the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), along with the other laboratories of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• In February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally handed over Arjun Mk-1A to Army chief General Manoj Naravane in Chennai. The Army has two regiments of Arjun Mk1 tanks in service inducted between 2005 and 2010.
• This production order to Avadi factory opens up a large avenue in defence manufacturing for over 200 Indian vendors including MSMEs, with employment opportunities to around 8,000 people.
• The Arjun Mk-1A has 14 major upgrades over the Mk1 variant, which were formulated and approved in October 2018 and subsequently limited user validation trials were carried out of all the upgrades. The Mk1A will be without missile firing capability and will be incorporated as and when the development is complete.
• An Arjun hub has been set up in Jaisalmer where 248 rotables have been deposited to ensure quick support and maintenance for the fleet.
• Hence both statements are correct.