Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 15th April 2025 - UPSC MCQ

Statement-I correctly identifies economic pressures as a significant factor leading to stubble burning among farmers. This aligns with the key takeaway that stubble burning is a prevalent practice due to economic reasons.
Statement-II correctly highlights the unintended consequences of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) policy, which indirectly encourages practices that worsen stubble burning. The MSP policy promotes the cultivation of high-yield crops like wheat and rice, contributing to monocropping and increased stubble burning. However, Statement-II does not directly explain why stubble burning remains a prevalent practice due to economic pressures, making option (b) the correct choice.

1. Mk-II(A) Laser-DEW System - Developed by DRDO's Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS): Correct. The Mk-II(A) Laser-DEW system, also known as Sahastra Shakti, was indeed developed by DRDO's Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences (CHESS) in collaboration with other DRDO labs and Indian industries.

2. Sahastra Shakti - Operational range of 10 km: Incorrect. The operational range of the Mk-II(A) Laser-DEW system, also known as Sahastra Shakti, is 5 km, not 10 km.

3. Mk-II(A) Laser-DEW System - Uses a 30-kilowatt laser: Correct. The Mk-II(A) Laser-DEW system employs a powerful 30-kilowatt laser to neutralize threats.

4. Sahastra Shakti - Designed to neutralize aerial threats such as drones and missiles: Correct. The system is specifically designed to address threats like drones, missiles, and remotely piloted aircraft using its laser technology.

Thus, three pairs are correctly matched.

1. Cost-Effective Method: This pair is correctly matched. Stubble burning is indeed the cheapest method for farmers to clear their fields quickly after harvest, allowing them to prepare for the next crop cycle without incurring high costs for labor or machinery.

2. Government's Focus on High-Yield Crops: This pair is correctly matched. The Minimum Support Price (MSP) policy encourages the cultivation of high-yield crops like rice and wheat, leading to monocropping. This results in the generation of excessive stubble that needs to be disposed of.

3. Debt and Economic Pressure: This pair is incorrectly matched. Instead of high profits, farmers face significant financial burdens and debt, making it difficult for them to invest in sustainable farming practices. They often sell crops at low prices to middlemen, leaving them with limited resources for alternatives to stubble burning.

4. Lack of Strong Enforcement or Support: This pair is correctly matched. Although stubble burning is punishable by law, enforcement is weak, and farmers often lack adequate support and infrastructure to adopt eco-friendly alternatives.

Thus, three pairs are correctly matched.

The Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Act, 2025 aims to maintain the total reservation quota of 15% for Scheduled Castes while sub-categorizing them into different groups based on socio-economic and educational backwardness. This classification system ensures equitable access to reservation benefits among all sub-groups without altering the overall reservation percentage.

The primary objective of the KATRIN experiment is to measure the mass of the electron antineutrino with a precision of less than 0.45 eV/c². This experiment utilizes the beta decay of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, to infer the neutrino's mass by analyzing the energy of emitted electrons. By achieving this goal, the KATRIN experiment has contributed significantly to our understanding of these elusive particles and set a new upper limit on neutrino mass, enhancing our knowledge of fundamental particles and their role in the universe.

To determine which statements are correct, let's evaluate each one:

Statement 1 is correct. The Mk-II(A) Laser-Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system, developed by DRDO, indeed utilizes a powerful 30-kilowatt laser to neutralize threats such as drones, missiles, and remotely piloted aircraft. This is a pivotal feature of the Mk-II(A) system, highlighting its advanced military technology capabilities.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The operational range of the Mk-II(A) Laser-DEW system is not 10 km; rather, it is 5 km. This range specification is critical for understanding the system's effective operational capacity, thus making the statement false.

Statement 3 is correct. The Mk-II(A) Laser-DEW system does employ radar and Electro-Optic (EO) systems for effective target detection. These systems allow for precise engagement of targets at the speed of light, contributing to the system's effectiveness in modern warfare scenarios.

Given the analysis above, only statements 1 and 3 are correct, making Option C: 1 and 3 Only the right choice.

Statement-I highlights the potential consequence of revising history, emphasizing the risk of deepening social divisions despite attempts to correct inaccuracies. Statement-II complements this by explaining how revisionism, often driven by political motives, can indeed distort historical truths, providing a nuanced understanding that supports Statement-I's concern. Therefore, both statements are correct, and Statement-II logically explains the implications mentioned in Statement-I.

- Statement 1 is correct. The KATRIN experiment indeed aims to measure the mass of the electron antineutrino with a precision of less than 0.45 eV/c², which is a significant improvement over prior measurements.

- Statement 2 is incorrect. The experiment uses the beta decay of tritium, not alpha decay, to infer the neutrino mass by analyzing the energy of emitted electrons. Tritium beta decay is a well-known method for such measurements due to its simplicity and the low energy of the neutrinos produced.

- Statement 3 is correct. Neutrinos are indeed extremely light and rarely interact with matter, which makes detecting them challenging. Their properties and behavior are crucial in understanding cosmic structure formation, such as the development of galaxies and clusters.

The correct answer is Option C: 1 and 3 Only, as statements 1 and 3 are accurate descriptions of the KATRIN Experiment and its scientific context.

1. Historical revisionism primarily serves political agendas rather than refining understanding based on new evidence.

- This statement is correct. Historical revisionism often involves altering or distorting historical facts to serve certain political or ideological purposes. This contrasts with historical reinterpretation, which seeks to enhance understanding based on new evidence and perspectives.

2. The manipulation of history for ideological purposes can deepen social divisions and conflicts.

- This statement is correct. Using history as a tool for ideological manipulation can lead to increased polarization and conflict within societies, as it simplifies complex historical narratives into binary oppositions of heroes and villains, thus exacerbating existing social divisions.

3. Acknowledging past injustices through historical reinterpretation always leads to modern conflicts.

- This statement is incorrect. While acknowledging past injustices is necessary for understanding and reconciliation, it does not inherently lead to modern conflicts. Instead, it can foster dialogue and empathy, helping to build a more inclusive future. Conflicts arise when past injustices are used to justify contemporary grievances without seeking reconciliation or understanding.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only. Statements 1 and 2 accurately reflect the risks associated with historical revisionism and its impact on society, while statement 3 erroneously generalizes the outcomes of acknowledging historical injustices.

The Minimum Support Price (MSP) policy in India contributes to the issue of stubble burning by incentivizing the cultivation of high-yield crops like rice and wheat, which leads to monocropping. This continuous cultivation cycle results in excessive stubble that farmers often resort to burning, contributing to environmental degradation. Encouraging crop diversification and promoting sustainable practices could help mitigate this problem by reducing the dependency on these particular crops and the subsequent stubble burning.