Daily Current Affairs MCQ- January 13, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the authorities in China have reported an increase in the incidence of respiratory diseases and have attributed this to the circulation of various pathogens such as mycoplasma pneumonia.

• It’s a type of bacteria but acts more like a virus and spreads faster from person to person.
• It infiltrates both sides of the lungs, increasing cough and breathing difficulties.
• It damages the lining of the respiratory system (throat, lungs, windpipe).
• Symptoms
• It is not that rapidly infectious as a virus but it can affect our throat and our nasal cavities and descend to the lungs very quickly, causing pneumonia.
• Signs include the breakup of red blood cells, a skin rash and joint pain.
• Children may report a stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, watery eyes, wheezing, vomitting and diarrhoea.
• Who is at risk?
• The bacteria can cause pneumonia in any age group, especially in children, elderly or those with weakened lungs.
• Vulnerable groups, who already have respiratory issues, are prone to developing this infection in a severe form.
• Treatment: There are multiple antibiotics which are effectively cure this infection.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, for the first time, scientists were able to visualise plants sensing compounds green leaf volatiles (GLVs) released by other plants in danger.

• It represents an important group of plant volatiles.
• They consist of six carbon (C6) compounds including alcohols, aldehydes and esters and are released from almost every plant.
• The release of GLVs is caused by mechanical damage or herbivory by fungal or bacterial infection.
• These are implicated in panoply of interactions; they have been reported to repel or attract herbivores and their natural enemies. 
• Plants have two major defence mechanisms, involving a chain of molecular reactions.
• The reactions are triggered when a plant is damaged and GLVs are released as by-products. (By mounting a defence response, plants can make themselves less palatable or even indigestible to the insect attackers.)
• The molecular cascade is mediated by calcium, a common mediator of chemical and electrical signals found throughout biology.

What are Volatiles?

• These are elements or compounds that change from solid or liquid state into vapour at relatively low temperatures.
• The most common volatiles are carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ammonia, hydrogen, methane, sulphur dioxide and water which are abundant in nature and necessary to living organisms.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Election Commission recently withdrew the permission given to the Telangana government to disburse the financial aid to farmers under the Rythu Bandhu Scheme.

About Rythu Bandhu Scheme:

• The Rythu Bandhu scheme, also known as the Farmer's Investment Support Scheme (FISS), is a welfare programme for farmers started by the Telangana government in 2018.
• The objective of this scheme is twofold:
• to provide a timely cash grant for the initial investment needs of farmers
• to ensure that farmers do not fall into the debt trap.
• Under the scheme, financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per acre per farmer each season is directly transferred to each farmer's account.
• This financial support was distributed biannually, allocated for both the kharif and rabi harvests.
• The assistance can be used for the purchase of inputs like seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, labour, and other investments in the field operations of Farmer’s choice for the crop season.
• Eligibility:
• The scheme is open to all resident farmers in the state who own land.
• Farmers cultivating the land in the forest, a majority of them from Scheduled Tribe communities and having a Record of Forest Rights (ROFR) document, are also eligible to receive benefits under the scheme.
• It is the country's first direct farmer investment support scheme where cash is paid directly to the beneficiary.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

An animal keeper died after being attacked by a Himalayan black bear in the animal’s enclosure at Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) recently.

About Himalayan Black Bear:

• It is a subspecies of the Asian black bear.
• Scientific Name: Ursus thibetanus laniger
• Distribution:
• They live a lot in the Himalayas, in Tibet, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and China.
• In India, they are found throughout the Himalayas, from Jammu & Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, and in hilly regions of other north- eastern states.
• Habitat:
• The species prefers heavily forested, broadleaved, and coniferous forests as habitat.  
• It uses orchards, agricultural fields, and human habitation to move between forest patches.
• Features:
• It has soft and shiny hair, with a white V patch on their chest. 
• On average, they range from1.4 to 1.7 metres in length and weigh from 90 to 200 kg (the higher figure only likely just prior to hibernation). 
• Life span: 25 to 30 years in the wild.
• Food: They are omnivorous creatures (like most bears). Their diet consists of acorns, nuts, fruit, honey, roots, and various insects such as termites and beetle larvae.
• Behaviour:  Naturally diurnal but many are largely nocturnal in order to avoid contact with humans.
• Conservation Status:

IUCN Red List: Vulnerable 

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Indian Army "forged thunderstorms" at 11,500 feet near the Zojila Pass to stay battle-ready as the harsh winter set in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

About Zojila Pass:

• Zojila Pass, also known as ‘The Mountain Pass of Blizzards’, is a high mountain pass located in the Kargil district of Ladakh.
• It is located on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway (NH-1) at a height of 11,650 feet.
• It lies in the Greater Himalayan Range.
• The pass remains closed for almost half of the year due to heavy snowfall.
• History:
• It was the site of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947-48.
• It was captured by militias aided by the Pakistan Army in 1848, with the ultimate aim of capturing Ladakh.
• However, the pass itself was captured by the Indian Army on 1st November 1948, in an assault codenamed Operation Bison.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, 160 pairs of buffaloes and their jockeys participated in the specially made slush tracks for Kambala races which was held at City Palace Grounds in Bengaluru.

• It is a folk sport practised in coastal Karnataka districts, especially in regions where Tulu speakers form a majority.
• Earlier, races would be organised by various families and groups in the slushy paddy fields, in the days after the harvest.
• It is a prestige event for many families, especially from the Bunt community in the coastal regions.
• Pairs of buffaloes are groomed by them around the year in hopes of winning a major Kambala event or other races.
• Different categories of Kambala: Kambala is generally held under four categories.
• Negilu (plough): Where lighter ploughs are used to tie buffaloes for the race. The event is for entry-level buffalo pairs, participating in their first Kambala race.
• Hagga (rope): Where buffaloes are raced by jockeys with just a rope tied to both buffaloes. 
• Adda Halage: In which participants stand over a horizontal plank which is dragged by buffaloes. Unlike Hagga and Negilu, where jockeys run behind the animals, buffaloes drag the jockeys in Adda Halage.
• Kane Halage: In this a wooden plank is tied to buffaloes. The plank, on which jockeys stand, has two holes through which water gushes out as the plank is dragged along the slush tracks. The height to which water splashes determines the winner of the event.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

Recently, the Saurauia Punduana plant was recorded for the first time in Manipur’s Tamenglong district.

• It is a plant species belongs to Actinidiaceae family.
• Flowers of Saurauia Punduana turn white to pink on maturity. Petals are pink, ovate to obovate curled at the tip.
• Its fruits are spherical shining white, and are usedin veterinary medicine.
• Habitat: In subtropical forests, altitude 600-1800 m.
• Its flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium).
• It is a critically endangered species as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
• Global Distribution: Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar.
• In India it is found inArunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura.
• Threats: Saurauia species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

Recently, a 2D protein monolayer was fabricated by scientists by assembling lysozyme molecules -- model protein in studying diseases like Amyloidosis.

• It is a rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein, called amyloid builds up in one’s organs, affecting their shape and functioning.
• Amyloid deposits can build up in the heart, brain, kidneys, spleen and other parts of the body, leading to life-threatening conditions like organ failure.
• Some varieties of amyloidosis occur in association with other diseases.
• These types may improve with treatment of the underlying disease. Some varieties of amyloidosis may lead to life-threatening organ failure.
• Different amyloidosis that are prevalent
• Light-chain (AL) amyloidosis: People with conditions such as multiple myeloma or a bone marrow illness are more likely to have AL amyloidosis.
• AA amyloidosis: Previously known as secondary amyloidosis, this condition is the result of another chronic infectious or inflammatory disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis. 

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, Irish writer Paul Lynch won the Booker Prize for fiction for his novel Prophet Song.

• It is the world’s leading literary award for a single work of fiction.
• Founded in the UK in 1969, the Booker Prize initially rewarded Commonwealth writers and now spans the globe: it is open to anyone regardless of origin.
• It aims to promote the finest in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written in English.
• Eligibility:
• The Booker Prize awards any novel originally written in English and published in the UK and Ireland in the year of the prize, regardless of the nationality of their author.
• The novel must be an original work in English (not a translation)
• It must be published by a registered UK or Irish imprint; self-published novels are not eligible.
• The winner receives £50,000 and each of the shortlisted authors will be given £2,500.
• The Booker Prize Foundation: It is a registered charity established in 2002. Since then it has been responsible for the award of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and for the Man Booker International Prize since its inauguration in 2005.

Hence both statements are correct.

A Hindi version of the e-SCR portal was launched recently as part of Constitution Day celebrations.

About e-SCR portal:

• It was an initiative by the Supreme Court (SC) of India to provide the digital version of the apex court's judgments in the manner as they are reported in the official law report.
• It provides free access to about 34,000 judgements of the SC to lawyers, law students, and the common public.
• These verdicts will be available on the apex court website, its mobile app, and on the judgment portal of the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG).
• It is a free service available for lawyers across the country.
• The Supreme Court has developed a search engine with the help of the National Informatics Centre comprising elastic search technique in the database of e-SCR.
• The search facility in e-SCR provides for free text search, search within search, case type and case year search, judge search, year and volume search, and bench strength search options.

Hence both statements are correct.