Daily Current Affairs MCQ- February 6, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

The maximum investment limit for the Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS) has been increased from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh in Budget 2023.

About Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS):

• SCSS was launched with the main aim of providing senior citizens in India a regular income after they attain the age of 60 years old.
• Who is eligible?
• Indian citizens above the age of 60 years.
• Retirees in the age bracket of 55-60 years who have opted for Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) or Superannuation.
• Retired defence personnel above 50 years and below 60 years of age.
• Maturity: It has a maturity period of five years. But, a depositor can extend one's maturity period for another three years.
• Number of accounts: Individuals are allowed to operate more than one account by themselves or open a joint account with their spouse.
• Deposit Limits: Eligible investors can make a lump sum deposit
• Minimum Deposit– Rs. 1,000 (and in multiples thereof)
• Maximum Deposit– Rs. 15 Lakh or the amount received on retirement, whichever is lower(Increased to Rs 30 lakh in Budget 2023).
• Interest Payment: Under SCSS, the interest amount is paid to the accountholders quarterly.
• Premature withdrawal: After one year of opening the account, premature withdrawal is allowed.
• Deposits in SCSS qualify for deduction u/s 80-C of Income Tax Act.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

A bar-headed goose, which was tagged in Mongolia in July 2014 has recently been spotted in Koonthankulam - Kadankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu.

About Bar-headed goose:

• They are large pale grey birds which are considered one the world’s highest flying birds.
• They are known for their migration spanning distances of over 1,600 km in a day.
• They are known for reaching extreme altitudes of 29,500 feet during their twice-yearly migrations across the Himalayas.
• Scientific name: Anser indicus
• Distribution: Native to central Asia, where the species breeds, they are found in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Japan and other nearby regions.
• Habitat: They breed around lakes and marshes on highland plateaus; winters in lowland wetlands and fields.
• Features:
• This species is grey and white with two horseshoe-shaped, brownish-black bars on the back of its white head.
• The bill and legs are pink, orange, or yellow.
• IUCN Status: ‘Least Concern’

Hence both statements are not correct.

Union Finance Minister recently announced a mission for the welfare of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the 2023-24 Union Budget.

Who are PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups)?

• PVTGs are more vulnerable among the tribal groups who are in need of greater support and development.
• Out of the 705 Scheduled Tribes in India, 75 have been identified as PVTGs and are spread across 17 states and one Union Territory.
• Government of India follows the following criteria for identification of PVTGs
• Pre-agricultural level of technology
• Low level of literacy
• Economic backwardness
• A declining or stagnant population.
• In 1975, the Government of India initiated to identify the most vulnerable tribal groups as a separate category called PVTGs and declared 52 such groups.
• An additional 23 groups were added to the category in 1993.
• Some Examples: Cholanaikayan (Kerala), Kathodi (Gujarat), Jarawas (Andaman & Nicobar Islands), Koraga (Karnataka)

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, NASA's Juno spacecraft experienced a glitch that caused it to lose over 200 images taken during a Jupiter flyby.

• JUNO is an acronym for Jupiter Near-polar Orbiter.
• It was launched in 2011, the Juno spacecraft initially embarked on a 5-year journey to the largest planet in our solar system.
• Towards the end of its primary mission, the spacecraft’s objectives evolved, and it transitioned into a full Jupiter system explorer with flybys of Jovian moons.
• Goal: Understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter, look for a solid planetary core, map the magnetic field, measure water and ammonia in the deep atmosphere, and observe auroras.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The recent trade database of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has recorded 28 incidents of Red Sanders confiscation, seizure, and wild specimen being exported from India.

• It is a flora species that are endemic to a distinct tract of forests in the Eastern Ghats region of Andhra Pradesh.
• Geographical conditions required: It usually grows in rocky, degraded and fallow lands with Red Soil and a hot and dry climate.
• Protection Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered
  • CITES: Appendix II
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule IV

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, a mother in Brazil gave birth to a two-foot-tall baby weighing 16lb (7.3kg). 

• The term used to describe giant babies is macrosomia (Greek for the large body). Any baby that weighs more than 4kg, regardless of its gestational age, is said to have macrosomia.

 What are the factors that cause Macrosomia?

• The mother's body weight: Obese mothers are more likely to have children with Macrosomia.
• Mothers with gestational diabetes: High blood sugar that arises during pregnancy, this increases to between 15 per cent and 45 per cent of births.
• Being older when pregnant also increases the odds of having a baby with macrosomia.
• Overdue pregnancies: Those that run past the typical 40 weeks – also increase the risk of a baby being macrosomic, particularly at 42 weeks or more.
• Previous pregnancies increase the risk of macrosomia because, with each successive pregnancy, birth weight increases.  
• Mothers are also at increased risk of vaginal tears during delivery, which then increases the risk of postpartum haemorrhage (bleeding).

Hence both statements are correct.

The Delhi High Court recently sought the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) response in a plea moved by two registered trusts against the ASI’s communication rejecting permission to organize a cultural programme at the Agra Fort celebrating the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

About Agra Fort:

• It is a large 16th-century fortress of red sandstone located on the Yamuna River in the historic city of Agra, west-central Uttar Pradesh.
• It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. 
• It was built under the commission of Emperor Akbar in 1565.
• It was only during the reign of Akbar’s grandson, Shah Jahan, that the site took on its current state.
• It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty till 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi.
• Features:
• The fort is crescent-shaped, with a long, nearly straight wall facing the Yamuna river on the east side.
• The fort houses a maze of buildings, including vast underground sections. 
• The outer wall is surrounded by a wide and deep moat on three sides. 
• The Agra Fort has four main gateways- the Khizri Gate, Amar Singh Gate, Delhi Gate and Ghazni Gate.
• The fort complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) is working on the country’s first indigenously designed and developed family of microprocessors. 

About Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC):

• It is the apex research and development wing of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• It was established in the year 1988.
• Its main purpose was to carry out research and development in Electronics, IT and other associated areas.
• It was setup to build Supercomputers in context of denial of import of Supercomputers by USA.
• C-DAC built India’s first indigenously built supercomputer Param 8000 in 1991.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, Mr Vadivel Gopal and Mr Masi Sadaiyan, both from the Irula community, were awarded the Padma Shri.

• Irulas are one of India’s oldest indigenous communities and they are a particularly vulnerable tribal group.
• They live primarily in the northern districts of Tamil Nadu, as well as in parts of Kerala and Karnataka.
• They speak Irula, which is related to Dravidian languages like Tamil and Kannada.
• Irulas have traditionally caught snakes and rats, but they also work as labourers.
• Irulas' knowledge of snakes and snake venom is legendary.
• From experience and instinct, the tribal people know where snakes hide.
• They can even locate snakes based on their tracks, smell, and droppings.
• The Irula Snake Catchers' Industrial Cooperative Society is a major producer of anti-snake venom (ASV) in the country.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, a Royal Bengal tiger was found dead in Assam's Orang National Park due to age-related problems.

• It is located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River in the state of Assam.
• It was established as a sanctuary in 1985 and declared a National Park on 13 April 1999. 
• It is also known as the mini Kaziranga National Park (IUCN site) since the two parks have a similar landscape made up of marshes, streams and grasslands and are inhabited by the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros.
• It is also a Tiger Reserve of the country which was notified in 2016.
• Fauna: Rhinoceros, Tiger, Elephants, Hog Deer, Wild Pig, Civet Cat, One-Horned Rhinoceros.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.