Daily Current Affairs MCQ- February 7, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Interest in indigenous cattle breeds like the Pulikulam is reviving which is famous for a local game called Jalikattu in Tamil Nadu.

• It is a popular draught and game breed of Tamil Nadu.
• The cattle originated from Pulikulam, a village located in Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu.
• It is also known as Palingu maadu, Mani maadu, Jallikattu maadu, Mattu maadu and Kilakattu maadu.
• These are maintained as migratory herds, and its draught and manure capabilities play a significant role in the rural livelihood of the communities rearing them for draught and organic agricultural production.
• This breed of cattle is famous for a local game called Jalikattu where bulls are used as a bull-taming sport.
• It is commonly seen in Salem and Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu and part of Bangalore district of Karnataka.
• Pulikulam / Alambadi bulls are dark grey, almost black and cows grey or white.

Hence both statements are correct.

The recently launched Forgotten Trails: Foraging Wild Edibles, authored by Malemleima Ningombi and Harisha RP, chronicled the foods that Soligas and Yeravas tribes forage from the forests. 

• Indigenous groups Soligas and Yeravas have been living in the Cauvery Basin and the surrounding hills of peninsular India for thousands of years.
• Soligas, one of the oldest indigenous communities in the country, are the original inhabitants of Karnataka and live mostly in the Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts.
• Honey is an important part of the diet for the Soliga people, who still forage large parts of their food from the biodiversity-rich Ghats. 
• They reside in the peripheral forest areas near Biligiri Rangana Hills and Male Mahadeshwara.
• They are the first tribal community living inside the core area of a tiger reserve in India to get their forest rights officially recognised by a court of law.
• Soligas use Silver cockscomb as a nutritious leafy green vegetable, as it is high in nutrients such as beta-carotene and folic acids, and have vitamin E, calcium and iron.
• Also the scientific community has named a new genus (Soliga ecarinata) of wasp after this community.

Hence both statements are correct.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed an improvised Distress Alert Transmitter (DAT) with advanced capabilities and features for the fishermen at sea to send emergency messages from fishing boats.

• The first version of DAT has been operational since 2010.
• The fishermen at sea send emergency messages from fishing boats.
• The messages are sent through a communication satellite and received at a central control station (INMCC: Indian Mission Control Centre) where the alert signals are decoded for the identity and location of the fishing boat.
• The extracted information is forwarded to Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs) under Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
• Using this information the MRCC co-ordinates to undertake Search and Rescue operations to save the fishermen at distress.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Prime Minister of India paid tributes to Saint Thiruvalluvar on Thiruvalluvar Day.

• Thiruvalluvar Day was first celebrated on May 17 and 18 in 1935.
• In the present time, it is usually observed either on January 15 or 16 in Tamil Nadu and is a part of Pongal celebrations.
• The occasion is named after and honours the poet, Thiruvalluvar.

Who is Thiruvalluvar?

• He was a poet and philosopher, is regarded as a cultural icon by Tamils.
• He is fondly referred to as Valluvar by Tamils.
• His most popular work is Thirukkuṛaḷ, a collection of couplets on ethics, politics, economy and love.
• Thiruvalluvar’s primary work Thirukkural contains 1330 couplets (kurals) that are divided into 133 sections of 10 couplets each.
• The text is divided into three parts with teachings on dharma, artha, and kama (virtue, wealth and love).
• Each section covers a wide range of topics and imparts moral, ethical, and practical guidance to the readers.
• The couplets are composed in a concise and poetic form, making them easily memorable and quotable.

Hence both statements are correct.

First in many years, a vulture was spotted in the skyline of Thane which has not been spotted over two decades in the city.

• The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) is an Old World vulture native to Asia.
• They are also known as Indian long-billed vultures due to their comparatively longer beak. 
• It is a medium-sized and bulky scavengers feeding mostly on the carcasses of dead animals.
• Females of this species are smaller than males.
• Distribution: These are native to India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
• Habitat: They are usually found in savannas and other open habitats around villages, cities, and near cultivated areas.
• Threats: The Indian vulture has suffered a 97-99% population decrease due to poisoning caused by the veterinary drug diclofenac. This drug is toxic for vultures; it was given to working animals as it reduced joint pain and so kept them working for longer. 
• Conservation status
• IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered

Hence both statements are correct.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has begun the process of revising the current National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) and invited relevant stakeholders to offer suggestions on adding or deleting diagnostic tests to the current list by the end of February. 

• The NEDL lists the essential and most basic tests that should be available at various levels of healthcare facilities in the country, including at the village level, in sub-health centres, health and wellness centres, and primary health centres.
• The ICMR had released the first NEDL in 2019 to make the availability of diagnostics an essential component of the healthcare system.
• The list includes general laboratory tests for a broad range of common conditions for the diagnosis of communicable and non-communicable diseases, disease-specific tests for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, dengue, malaria, and area-endemic diseases.
• India is the first country to release the NEDL.
• Since 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the development and implementation of a National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) to facilitate the availability of In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs) across the various tiers of the healthcare pyramid, facilities with or without a laboratory onsite.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, a stone deity worshipped by the Bhils in Madhya Pradesh’s Bagh was proved to be a fossilised dinosaur egg.

• Bhils are considered as one of the oldest tribes in India.
• The name 'Bhil' is derived from the word villu or billu, which according to the Dravidian language is known as Bow. 
• They could be identified as one of the Dravidian racial tribe of Western India and belong to the Austroloid group of tribes.
• They are mainly divided into two main groups the central and eastern or Rajput Bhils.
• The central Bhils are found in the mountain regions in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujrat and Rajasthan. Bhils are also found in the north eastern parts of Tripura.
• They speak Bhili, which is an Indo Aryan language.
• Religion practice among the Bhils differs from place to place.
• Most of them worship local deities like Khandoba, Kanhoba, Bahiroba, and Sitalmata. Some of the worship Tiger God called 'vaghdev'.
• They consult Badvas -the hereditary sorcerers on all the occasions. 
• The Baneshwar fair is the main festival celebrated among the Bhils. This fair is held during the period of Shivatri (in the month of January or February) and is dedicated to Baneshwar Mahadev also known as Lord Shiva. 

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it is not mandatory for banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to raise green deposits.

• In general terms, a green deposit is a fixed-term deposit for those who want to invest in environmentally friendly projects.
• Just like a regular Fixed Deposit scheme, the green deposit pays interest to its investors and has a fixed term.
• The proceeds that a bank gets from deposit holders get earmarked for allocation to green finance.
• A green fixed deposit, also known as an environmentally friendly fixed deposit, is a financial instrument that encourages sustainable development by channelling funds towards projects focused on renewable energy, clean technology, or other environmentally beneficial initiatives.
• The green activities/projects financed under the framework can be classified under priority sector if they meet the requirements laid down in Priority Sector Lending (PSL) guidelines of RBI.
• Banks are allowed to offer overdraft facility to customers against Green Deposits subject.
• The current framework permits green deposits to be denominated in Indian Rupees only.
• The deposits raised under the framework are covered by Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) in accordance with the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961 and the regulations framed there under, as amended from time to time.
•  On maturity, the green deposits would be renewed or withdrawn at the option of the depositor.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Tamil Nadu’s Forest Department has begun an investigation of a private helicopter’s unauthorised fly by over Mukurthi National Park.

• It located in the western corner of Nilgiris Plateau in the State of Tamil Nadu.
• It is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
• It is sandwiched between the Mudumalai National Park and the Silent Valley National Park.
• It was established with the prime motive of conserving its keystone species – the Nilgiri Tahr.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was formerly known as Nilgiri Tahr National Park.
• It is also home to Mukurthi Peak (2,554m), the fourth highest peak in the Nilgiri Hills.
• Rivers: Pykara and Kundah rivers flow through the park along with several perennial streams that originate in the park and drain into the Bhavani Puzha.
• Vegetation:
• The majority of the landscape in the reserve is covered with shrubs and mountainous grasslands.
• The areas which are at an elevation and experience high rainfall are covered with sholas and lush green tropical grasslands.
• Flora:
• Sholas, Gaultheria fragrantissima, Helichrysum and Berberis tinctoria, Rhododendrons, Cinnamon, Mahonia, Satyrium, Raspberries etc.
• Fauna:Nilgiri tahr, Indian elephants, Nilgiri Langur, Bengal tiger and bonnet macaque etc.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

Researchers and doctoral students from about 30 universities across the country have written separate letters to the Union Minority Affairs Minister to increase the scholarships under Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF). 

• Objective: The objective of the Maulana Azad Fellowship Scheme (MANF) is to provide five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance.
• It is given to students from six notified minority communities viz. Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Parsi and Sikh, notified by the Central Government, to pursue M. Phil and Ph.D.
• The scheme covers all Universities/Institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) as under :
• Central/State Universities (including constituent and affiliated institutions)
• Deemed Universities
• Institution fully funded by State / Central Government and empowered to award degrees.
• Institutions of National Importance as notified by Ministry of Human Resource Development
• Scope: The Fellowship will cater to the minority community students pursuing regular and full time research studies leading to award of M.Phil/Ph.D degree within India only.
• This will enable them to be eligible for employment to the posts with M.Phil and Ph.D as pre-requisites, including the posts of Assistant Professors in various academic institutions.
• Implementing Agency: UGC will be the nodal agency for implementing this fellowship.

Hence both statements are correct.