Daily Current Affairs MCQs: 3rd January 2025 - UPSC MCQ

1. Statement 1: This statement is correct. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is indeed the highest sporting honor in India, established in the year 1991-1992. Initially known as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, it was renamed to honor the legendary Indian hockey player, Major Dhyan Chand.

2. Statement 2: This statement is also correct. The award comprises a medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize of ₹25 lakh, as part of recognizing exceptional performance in the field of sports over the previous four years.

3. Statement 3: This statement is incorrect. The award is not exclusively given to athletes who have won medals at the Olympic Games. It is awarded for exceptional performance in sports over four years, which may include performance in various national and international competitions, not limited to the Olympics.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only. Statements 1 and 2 accurately describe the features of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, while Statement 3 incorrectly restricts the eligibility criteria.

1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna - Correctly matched. It is indeed India's highest sporting honour, awarded for exceptional performance in sports over the last four years.

2. Arjuna Award - Incorrectly matched. The Arjuna Award recognizes outstanding performance in sports and games over the previous four years, not achievements during retirement.

3. Dronacharya Award - Incorrectly matched. The Dronacharya Award is given to coaches for their exceptional and consistent contributions to sports training and athlete success, not to athletes themselves.

4. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy - Correctly matched. It is awarded to the top-performing university in the Khelo India University Games.

Only pairs 1 and 4 are correctly matched, but since only one pair is correctly described as it appears in the options, the answer is Option A: Only one pair.

- Statement 1 is incorrect. Front-running involves executing trades based on non-public information about large orders, not public information. This unethical or illegal practice allows brokers or traders to profit by anticipating market price changes before the large orders are executed, thus affecting market prices.

- Statement 2 is correct. SEBI's Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices Regulations (PFUTP) explicitly prohibit front-running activities. The regulations are designed to ensure ethical trading practices and protect the integrity of the securities market by preventing unfair advantages from non-public information.

- Statement 3 is incorrect. The primary goal of front-running is not to protect investors from market volatility, but rather for the broker or trader to profit at the expense of clients or other market participants by executing trades ahead of large orders.

Thus, only statement 2 is correct, making Option C the right answer.

1. Front-Running: Incorrectly matched. Front-running involves trading based on non-public information regarding large orders, not public information. It is an unethical or illegal practice where a broker or trader makes trades based on knowledge of large pending orders to profit from the expected price changes.

2. SEBI PFUTP Regulations: Correctly matched. The Securities and Exchange Board of India's Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices (PFUTP) Regulations indeed prohibit actions like front-running, emphasizing ethical trading practices in the securities market.

3. Incineration: Incorrectly matched. While incineration is effective in destroying many harmful chemicals, it does not eliminate metals like lead and chromium. These metals can remain in the ash residue after the combustion process.

4. Waste-to-Energy: Correctly matched. One of the advantages of incineration is that the heat generated can be harnessed for energy production, making it a form of waste-to-energy technology.

Thus, only pairs 2 and 4 are correctly matched, making Option B the correct choice.

1. Statement 1 is correct. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) was indeed originally known as the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee until it was renamed in 2010. This reflects a historical change in the committee's nomenclature.

2. Statement 2 is correct. The GEAC is chaired by the Special Secretary or Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and comprises 24 members. These members are drawn from various ministries and institutions, ensuring a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation of genetically engineered organisms.

3. Statement 3 is incorrect. The GEAC is tasked with assessing the environmental impact, not the economic impact, of genetically engineered organisms. Its primary role is to evaluate the potential risks and effects on the environment, rather than economic considerations.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only.

1. GEAC - Established under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: Correct. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) is indeed established under this Act to regulate the use of genetically engineered organisms and ensure environmental safety.

2. GEAC - Chaired by the Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: Incorrect. The GEAC is chaired by the Special Secretary or Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, not the Minister.

3. Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod Pipeline - Also known as the Brotherhood pipeline: Correct. This pipeline is a major route for natural gas exports from Russia to Europe and is indeed known as the Brotherhood pipeline.

4. Gazprom - Loses approximately $1 billion in gas sales due to halted transit: Incorrect. Gazprom is projected to lose around $5 billion in gas sales due to the halted transit, not $1 billion.

Pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched, while pairs 2 and 4 are incorrectly matched. Hence, only three pairs are correctly matched.

1. Wholesale Price Index (WPI) - Measures the average price households pay for goods and services. This pair is incorrectly matched. The WPI measures the changes in prices of goods sold in bulk by wholesale businesses, not the average price households pay. That is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

2. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award - Conferred for exceptional performance by a sportsperson over the last four years. This pair is correctly matched. The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is indeed conferred for exceptional and outstanding performance in sports over the preceding four years.

3. Dronacharya Award - Presented to athletes for outstanding sport performance. This pair is incorrectly matched. The Dronacharya Award is presented to coaches, not athletes, who have consistently enabled their athletes to excel in international events.

4. Core Inflation - Excludes volatile food and fuel prices. This pair is correctly matched. Core inflation excludes volatile items such as food and fuel prices, providing a more stable measure of inflation.

Pairs 2 and 4 are correctly matched. Hence, the correct answer is Option B: Only two pairs.

- Statement 1: This statement is incorrect. Melatonin is indeed a neurohormone, but it is primarily produced in response to darkness, not light. It plays a critical role in regulating sleep-wake cycles and promoting sleepiness. Its production aligns with the natural circadian rhythms of the body, increasing in the evening and peaking during the night.

- Statement 2: This statement is correct. Parkinson's disease is indeed associated with the degeneration of nerve cells in the substantia nigra, a brain region crucial for movement regulation. This degeneration leads to a deficit in dopamine production, which is essential for smooth and coordinated muscle movements.

- Statement 3: This statement is correct. Recent scientific studies have highlighted the potential of Melatonin, particularly in its nano-formulation, to enhance antioxidative and neuroprotective properties. This suggests a promising therapeutic role in treating neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease, addressing both oxidative stress and neuroprotection.

Thus, the correct answer is Option D: 2 and 3 Only, as statements 2 and 3 accurately reflect the information provided about Melatonin and Parkinson's disease.

Statement 1: This statement is incorrect. The Brazilian Velvet Ant reflects less than 1% of light due to its dark markings, not more than 50%. This attribute makes them less visible, not highly visible, thus aiding in their survival.

Statement 2: This statement is correct. The Brazilian Velvet Ant is primarily found in the Caatinga, which is indeed a type of shrub desert located in Brazil. This specific habitat supports their ecological niche and survival strategies.

Statement 3: This statement is correct. The ultrablack pigmentation found in Brazilian Velvet Ants helps in several functional adaptations, such as evading predators by being less visible and regulating body temperature due to its light-absorbing properties.

Thus, only statements 2 and 3 are correct. Therefore, the correct answer is Option D: 2 and 3 Only.

1. Statement 1: The Indian monsoon is indeed primarily influenced by the differential heating and cooling of land and water. During summer, the land heats up faster than the ocean, leading to the formation of a low-pressure area over the Indian subcontinent while the Indian Ocean remains a high-pressure zone. This pressure difference causes moisture-laden winds to move from the ocean towards the land, bringing monsoon rains. Therefore, this statement is correct.

2. Statement 2: The presence of the Himalayas is crucial for the Indian monsoon. The Himalayas act as a barrier, preventing the monsoon winds from blowing northwards. It forces the winds to rise, causing them to cool and condense, leading to precipitation. Without the Himalayas, the monsoon system would be significantly different. Hence, this statement is also correct.

3. Statement 3: The El Niño phenomenon does have a significant impact on the Indian monsoon. El Niño is associated with the warming of the Pacific Ocean, which can lead to weaker monsoon rains in India. This is due to changes in atmospheric circulation patterns that affect the monsoon. Therefore, this statement is incorrect.

Thus, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only, as only statements 1 and 2 are correct.