Daily Current Affairs MCQ- December 14, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Mount Merapi is indeed one of the most active volcanoes in the world, located in Indonesia. It is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for its high volcanic activity due to the movement of tectonic plates, including the subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate under the Eurasian Plate.

The Terai region is indeed a lowland area at the southern foothills of the Himalayas, extending from the Yamuna to the Brahmaputra rivers. The region's alluvial soil supports a rich variety of wildlife and vegetation, including important tiger reserves.

Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt did throw bombs in the Central Assembly in 1929, but their objective was not to cause harm. Instead, it was a symbolic act of protest against the British administration, aimed at drawing attention to their cause and making their voices heard.

The Atal Pension Yojana does provide a guaranteed minimum pension to its subscribers after the age of 60. However, Statement 2 is incorrect as APY is not open to taxpayers from October 2022 and members of other statutory social security schemes.

The Indian Tent Turtle is indeed classified as 'Least Concern' by the IUCN and is native to India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, with noticeable differences in size and color among its subspecies. However, the primary threats to this species are habitat degradation and damming of rivers, not poaching for traditional medicine.

Vyommitra is indeed an AI-enabled robot developed by ISRO for the Gaganyaan mission. It will be part of the unmanned test missions and is equipped with advanced capabilities. However, Statement 1 is incorrect as Vyommitra is a half-humanoid robot without legs.

With the onset of the winter season, hundreds of migratory birds have started arriving at Kazhuveli bird sanctuary.

• It is located in the state of Tamil Nadu.
• It lies adjacent to the Bay of Bengal along the east coast.
• It is one of the major wetlands on the Coromandel Coast after the Pulicat Lake.
• The lake is connected to the Bay of Bengal by the Uppukalli Creek and the Yedayanthittu estuary and is visited for nesting by migratory birds on the Central Asian flyway.
• The southern part of the wetland has been reserved land since 2001.
• It is listed as one of Tamil Nadu’s 141 prioritised wetlands, Kazhuveli is also a wetland of international significance and a potential Ramsar site
• Kazhuveli has varied habitat including sloping wetlands preferred by shore birds, darters and waders, birds on floating vegetation and open grasslands preferred by different species of birds and fauna. 
• The lake has a feeding ground for long-distance migrants from the cold subarctic regions of Central Asia and Siberia including Black-tailed Godwits, Eurasian Curlew, White Stork, Ruff and Dunlin.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

Recently, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Madras has developed a technology called ‘AMRIT’ (Arsenic and Metal Removal by Indian Technology) technology.

• It is developed for the removal of Arsenic and Metal ions from water.
• The technology uses nano-scale iron oxy-hydroxide, which selectively removes arsenic when water is passed through it.
• This water purifier has been developed for both domestic as well as community levels.
• Also, the technology has been recommended by the erstwhile ‘Standing Committee’ of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation for the examination of the best technologies concerning water and sanitation.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Dragon snakehead fish (Aenigmachanna gollum ) which has been included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list may face serious conservation challenges.

• It is considered ‘living fossils’ and named after the character in Lord of the Rings.
• It is mainly found in Kerala.
• It evolved around 120 million years ago, probably with dinosaurs in the Jurassic period.
• Since it was isolated in underground habitats, scientists say the extinction events on land may not have affected it.
• Habitat: It is mostly seen in wetlands and nearby paddy fields.
• After the species was identified, it became one of the most wanted items in international aquarium pet trade.
• Due to its dragon like appearance, it is used as a good luck fish in far east countries.
• “It is a subterranean fish whose distribution is embedded within human dominated landscapes, making conservation measures difficult.
• Threats: The assessment also observes the use of pesticides and insecticides in the paddy fields and the deterioration or quality of groundwater as other factors impacting the survival of the species.
• Conservation measures: Protecting wetlands and regulating the use of pesticides and insecticides are among the recommendations as there has been a decline in the area and quality of habitats.
• Conservation status
• IUCN red list: Vulnerable
• The Wildlife Protection Act ,1972: Schedule II
• Other fish species from the Kerala state: Kryptoglanis shajii, Horaglanis abdulkalami and Pangio bhujia are the other fish species listed as endangered under IUCN list.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, six new countries and a United Nations agency joined the ENACT Partnership.

• Enhancing Nature-based Solutions for an Accelerated Climate Transformation (ENACT) was launched by the Germany and Egypt along with the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
• It was launched at Conference of Parties (COP27), which took place at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in 2022.
• Other member countries: Canada, European Union, France, Japan, Malawi, Norway, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Belgium, Pakistan, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States.
• It is an ambitious global initiative that seeks to coordinate global efforts to address climate change, land and ecosystem degradation, and biodiversity loss through Nature-based Solutions.
• It aims to:
• Enhance the protection from and resilience to climate impacts of at least 1 billion vulnerable people.
• Secure up to 2.4 billion hectares of healthy natural and sustainable ecosystems, and significantly increase global mitigation efforts through protecting and restoring carbon-rich ecosystems.
• Secretariat: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) hosts its secretariat.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.