Test: September 2023 Weekly Current Affair - 3 - UPSC MCQ

The wage-price spiral

• If prices go up, it is natural that workers will ask for higher wages. But if wages go up, it only fuels the overall demand, while doing nothing to boost the supply. End result: inflation surges further because while a worker has more money, so does his colleague. When they go to the market then the only thing that changes is the price of the good — in other words, inflation rises.
• Raising interest rates slows down overall economic activity and demand, often leading to job losses. Through this rather unjust and iniquitous method, the central banks prevent a wage-price spiral and consequent inflation.

• Sinkholes are depressions formed in the ground when layers of the Earth’s surface start collapsing into caverns. They can occur suddenly and without warning, because the land under the surface of the Earth can stay intact for a period of time until the spaces get too big.
• Sinkholes can be formed due to natural processes or human activity. Typically, sinkholes form in areas of “karst” terrains, where the rock below the surface of the Earth can be easily dissolved by groundwater.
• Essentially, this means that when rainwater seeps into the ground, the rock below the surface of the Earth starts dissolving, leading to the creation of spaces. This process is a slow and gradual one and can sometimes take hundreds or thousands of years.

• Scientists from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have mapped out the global distribution of sodium on the Moon’s surface. They used the CLASS instrument (Chandrayaan-2 large area soft X-ray spectrometer) carried by the second Indian Moon mission, Chandrayaan-2.
• This is the first effort to provide a global-scale measurement of sodium on the lunar surface using X-ray fluorescent spectra.
• X-ray fluorescence is commonly used to study the composition of materials in a non-destructive manner. When the sun gives out solar flares, a large amount of X-ray radiation falls on the moon, triggering X-ray fluorescence.

• A combination of factors led to the occurrence of the Texas fish kill.
• First was the warm water. When sea surface temperatures rise, it becomes difficult for the fish to breathe as oxygen dissolves easily in colder water in comparison to warmer water. Things take a turn for the worse when a school of fish gets trapped in shallow water, which gets warmer more quickly.
• Another factor that contributed to the Texas fish kill was calm seas. Experts suggest that one of the ways for oxygen to enter the water is by mixing with wind and waves. But in the past few weeks, the waves along the Texas Gulf Coast have been very calm, causing the depletion of dissolved oxygen.
• One more problem was the overcast weather in Texas. Officials pointed out that due to cloudy skies, phytoplankton were unable to carry out the process of photosynthesis, which is another way of producing oxygen in the water. Photosynthesis is driven by sunlight and it slows down on cloudy days, resulting in decreased dissolved oxygen concentration.

Only statement 2 is correct.

Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005

It is an act to provide for more effective protection of the rights of Women guaranteed under the Constitution who are victims of violence of any kind occurring within the family and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

• It is the first significant attempt in India to recognise domestic abuse as a punishable offence, to extend its provisions to those in live-in relationships, and to provide for emergency relief for the victims, in addition to legal recourse.
• The Act provides a definition of “domestic violence” for the first time in Indian law, with this definition being broad and including not only physical violence, but also other forms of violence such as emotional/verbal, sexual, and economic abuse.
  • It is a civil law meant primarily for protection orders, rather than criminal enforcement.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Deflation refers to a period when prices are actually decreasing, not rising at a slower rate. In deflation, the general price level is falling, leading to a decrease in overall economic activity.

Statement 2 is correct. Disinflation refers to a period when the rate of inflation is decreasing, but prices are still rising, just at a slower pace. It is not the exact opposite of inflation, as inflation refers to a sustained increase in the general price level.

Statement 3 is incorrect. Reflation refers to the actions taken by policymakers to stimulate economic activity during deflationary periods, not as a direct response to deflation. Policies such as increased government spending or reduced interest rates aim to boost demand and investment to counteract deflationary pressures.

Therefore, only statement 2 is correct.

• During the southwest monsoon, the prevalent direction of the wind is easterly. The winds travel from over the Bay of Bengal, carrying moisture and rainfall to this part of the country. Once the monsoon withdraws, however, the predominant direction of the winds changes to north-westerly. These winds carry particulate matter (essentially smoke and soot) from crop-burning in Punjab to the area above Delhi, and then onward down the Gangetic basin.
• The fall in temperature also contributes to increased pollution levels. As it gets cooler, the inversion height — which is the layer beyond which pollutants cannot disperse into the upper atmosphere — comes down. When that happens, larger concentrations of pollutants in the air hang closer to the surface, and lead to worsening AQIs.
• The point to note here is this: The direction of the wind is north-westerly in summer too, but it is the very high temperature over the Indo-Gangetic basin that ensures the pollutants that it brings (dust etc. from Rajasthan and sometimes Pakistan and Afghanistan) does not hang low.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• Symptoms appear around 10 to 14 days after exposure to the virus. The main symptoms are fever, dry cough, running nose, sore throat and rash.
• Young children, who don’t receive measles immunization, are at highest risks of being exposed to measles and its complications, including death. The WHO recommends immunization for all children with two doses of measles vaccine, either alone, or in a measles-rubella (MR) or measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) combination. As per the guidance of National Health Mission, in India, measles vaccination is given under the Universal Immunisation Programme at 9-12 months of age and the second dose at 16-24 months of age.

Climate engineering (or geoengineering) has been used as an umbrella term for both carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management (or solar geoengineering), when applied at a planetary scale.

Specific technologies that fall into the “climate engineering” umbrella term include:
Carbon dioxide removal

• Biochar – Biochar is a high-carbon, fine-grained residue that is produced via pyrolysis
• Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) – the process of extracting bioenergy from biomass and capturing and storing the carbon, thereby removing it from the atmosphere.
• Direct air capture and carbon storage – a process of capturing carbon dioxide directly from the ambient air (as opposed to capturing from point sources, such as a cement factory or biomass power plant) and generating a concentrated stream of CO₂ for sequestration or utilization or production of carbon-neutral fuel and windgas.

Solar Radiation Management

• Marine cloud brightening– a proposed technique that would make clouds brighter, reflecting a small fraction of incoming sunlight back into space in order to offset anthropogenic global warming.
• Mirrors in space (MIS) – satellites that are designed to change the amount of solar radiation that impacts the Earth as a form of climate engineering.
• Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) – a proposed method to introduce aerosols into the stratosphere to create a cooling effect via global dimming and increased albedo, which occurs naturally from volcanic eruptions.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• Rail safety commissioners are part of the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS), a government body that acts as the railway safety authority in the country.
• As the name suggests, CRS deals with matters related to safety of rail travel and operations, among some other statutory functions – inspectorial, investigatory, and advisory – as laid down in the Railways Act, 1989. Investigating serious train accidents is one of thekey responsibilities of the CRS, which is headquartered in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
• It is, however, worth noting that the CRS does not report to the Ministry of Railways of the Railway Board. It is, in fact, under the administrative control of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). The reason or principle behind this, put simply, is to keep the CRS insulated from the influence of the country’s railway establishment and prevent conflicts of interest.

The WTO Agreements contain special provisions which give developing countries special rights and which give developed countries the possibility to treat developing countries more favourably than other WTO Members. These special provisions include, for example, longer time periods for implementing Agreements and commitments or measures to increase trading opportunities for developing countries.

These provisions are referred to as “special and differential treatment” (S&D) provisions.
The special provisions include:

• longer time periods for implementing Agreements and commitments,
• measures to increase trading opportunities for developing countries,
• provisions requiring all WTO members to safeguard the trade interests of developing countries,
• support to help developing countries build the capacity to carry out WTO work, handle disputes, and implement technical standards, and
• provisions related to least-developed country (LDC) Members.

Only statement 2 is correct.

• The crude birth rate (CBR) is expressed as number of live births in a year per thousand of population.
• The crude birth rate (CBR) of India in 2011 census was 21.8
• Crude Death Rate (CDR) is a simple method of measuring mortality of any area. CDR is expressed in terms of number of deaths in a particular year per thousand of population in a particular region.
• The crude death rate (CDR) of India in 2011 census was 7.1

The Survey of India will continue to maintain CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Stations) that are necessary to create accurate digital maps. A CORS consists of a GPS receiver operating continuously, and a stable antenna for continuously streaming raw data. Such reference stations are present all over the globe to monitor the Earth’s crust to provide geodetic control, track manmade and natural structures, and facilitate accurate navigation.

Minor minerals:

• Minor minerals are those which are prescribed by Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (section 3(e)) as being categorized as ‘minor minerals’.
• Any mineral which by the notification of the Central Government may declare to be a minor mineral.
• The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for regulating the grant of quarry leases, mining leases or other mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals and for purposes connected therewith.
• In addition to those specified under MMDR Act, here are few minerals that the Central Government has declared as minor minerals:
  • boulder, shingle, chalcedony pebbles, lime shell, kankar and limestone, brick-earth, fuller’s earth, bentonite, road metal, slate, marble, stone used for making household utensils, quartzite and sandstone, saltpeter and ordinary earth.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• The National Mission for a Green India aims to increase forest cover on degraded lands and protect existing forested lands.
• The Green Credit Programme has the objective to “incentivize environmentally sustainable and responsive actions by companies, individuals and local bodies”.
• The Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) is particularly significant because of the extraordinary importance of mangroves and coastal ecosystems in mitigating climate change.
• The Prime Minister Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment, and Amelioration of Mother Earth (PM-PRANAM) for reducing inputs of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is critical for sustaining our agriculture.
• Finally, the Amrit Dharohar scheme directly mentions our biological wealth and is expected to “encourage optimal use of wetlands, and enhance biodiversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generation for local communities”.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• They are products, technologies, materials, or equipment that can have both civilian and military or non-military applications. These items are designed or intended primarily for civilian purposes but can also be used for military or other prohibited purposes.
• Examples: precursor chemicals like sarin gas; Components like centrifuges
• Currently, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) prepares a specialized SCOMET (speciality chemicals, organisms, materials, equipment, and technologies) list of dual-use items and these items are regulated as per India’s Foreign Trade Policy.

India is a member of three out of the four MECRs, excluding the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
The four MECRs include:

• Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for nuclear technology control
• Australia Group (AG) for chemical and biological technology control
• Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) for rockets and aerial vehicles related to WMD delivery,

Wassenaar Arrangement for conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• The Pradhan Mantri Dakshata Aur Kushalata Sampanna Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana is a Central Sector Scheme launched in 2020-21 with the goal of enhancing the competency levels of specific target groups to make them employable, whether for self-employment or wage-employment, thereby contributing to their socio-economic development.
• The scheme is primarily aimed at Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Economically Backward Classes (EBCs), De-notified Tribes (DNTs), Safai Karamcharis (including waste pickers), and others.

The eligibility criteria for the scheme are as follows:

• Age: Between 18 to 45 years.
• Income: No income limit for SCs, Safai Karamcharis (including waste pickers), and DNTs. For OBCs and EBCs, the annual family income should be below Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 1 lakh, respectively.

The scheme offers various types of training programs with different durations and costs per candidate:

• Up-skilling/Reskilling
• Short Term Training
• Entrepreneurship Development Programme
• Long Term Training

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has launched a revamped version of the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ program.
• This updated program encourages corporate stakeholders to utilize their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to enhance facilities at historically important monuments.
• The ‘Adopt a Heritage 2.0’ program includes various changes, such as a streamlined management structure for partner agencies, clear guidelines for semi-commercial activities, and a detailed scope of work and amenities required for monuments.
• The updated program offers more flexibility, allowing companies to adopt entire monuments and develop their tourism infrastructure or provide specific amenities like drinking water facilities or cleaning services for one or more sites.

Seaweeds are a type of marine algae, often found in coastal waters. It can vary in size and colour and is used in various industries, including food, cosmetics, and agriculture. Seaweed is rich in nutrients and has diverse applications worldwide.

Seaweed species such as kelps provide essential nursery habitat for fisheries and other marine species and thus protect food sources; other species, such as planktonic algae, play a vital role in capturing carbon, producing at least 50% of Earth’s oxygen.

About Sagar Parikrama Yatra

• It aims to raise awareness about sustainable marine resource use and promote schemes for coastal communities. It emphasizes a balance between marine resource use for food security and livelihoods while protecting marine ecosystems.

India has built the world’s first portable disaster hospital, called the “Aarogya Maitri Cube”. The hospital can be airlifted and assembled into 72 cubes that contain essential medical equipment and supplies. The cubes can support 200 survivors for 48 hours during natural disasters or crises.

It has been developed indigenously under the Project BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita and Maitri).

The hospital includes Operation theatres, mini-ICUs, Ventilators, Blood test equipment, an X-ray machine, a Cooking station, Food, Water, a Shelter, Power generator.

Hate Speech as defined by the 267th report of the Law Commission of India is “an incitement to hatred primarily against a group of persons defined in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief and the like”.

Under Indian Penal Code:

• Sections 153A and 153B of the IPC: Punishes acts that cause enmity and hatred between two groups.
• Section 295A of the IPC: Deals with punishing acts which deliberately or with malicious intention outrage the religious feelings of a class of persons.
• Sections 505(1) and 505(2): Make the publication and circulation of content which may cause ill-will or hatred between different groups an offence.

Anthrax, also known as malignant pustule or woolsorter’s disease, is a rare but serious disease caused by the rod-shaped bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis. It occurs naturally in soil and, according to the WHO it is primarily a disease of herbivores, with both domestic and wild animals being affected by it.

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it is naturally transmissible from animals (usually vertebrae) to humans. People can get the disease through contact with infected animals or animal products that are contaminated with bacteria.

• Domestic and wild animals can get infected when they breathe in or ingest spores in contaminated soil, plants or water.
• Host animals shed the bacteria into the ground, which sporulates when exposed to the air. These spores, which can persist in the soil for decades, wait to be taken up by another host, subsequently germinating and multiplying, leading to its spread. Flies also appear to play a significant role in explosive outbreaks of the disease, as per the WHO.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• Sand is categorized as a “minor mineral” under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act, 1957, and its control lies with the State Governments. The primary sources of sand are rivers and coastal areas, and its demand has surged due to India’s construction and infrastructure development activities.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change has issued “Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines 2016” to promote environmentally friendly sand mining practices.

About Marine Sand Watch

• It is a global data platform developed by GRID-Geneva, part of the UN Environment Programme. It monitors and tracks sediment extraction activities in the world’s marine environments, including sand, clay, silt, gravel, and rock dredging. It uses Automatic Identification System signals from vessels and Artificial Intelligence to identify dredging operations.

About IPBES

• The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (founded 2012; founder: UNEP, UNDP and FAO; secretariat: Bonn, Germany) is an intergovernmental organization established to improve the interface between science and policy on issues of biodiversity and ecosystem services. It was formed on the basis of the Busan outcome document. It has 143 member States including India.