Daily Current Affairs MCQ- January 9, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

The Peregrine Lunar Lander was launched aboard the United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket to embark on its pioneering journey to explore the Moon.

• It is designed to carry scientific instruments and other payloads to the Moon's surface, specifically targeting the Sinus Viscositatis region.
• This area, also known as the Bay of Stickiness, lies adjacent to the Gruitheisen Domes near the Oceanus Procellarum, or Ocean of Storms.
• Aim: To locate water molecules on the moon, measure radiation and gases around the lander, and evaluate the lunar exosphere (the thin layer of gases on the moon's surface).
• The mission's scientific goals are ambitious:
• To analyze the lunar exosphere, assess the thermal properties and hydrogen content of the lunar regolith, study magnetic fields, examine the radiation environment, and test advanced solar arrays.
• Peregrine Mission 1 will transport approximately ten payloads, with a total mass capacity of 90 kilograms.
• The scientific payload features cutting-edge instruments such as the Laser Retro-Reflector Array (LRA), Linear Energy Transfer Spectrometer (LETS), Near-Infrared Volatile Spectrometer System (NIRVSS), PROSPECT Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS), and Neutron Spectrometer System (NSS).

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Chandubi Festival was celebrated along the Chandubi Lake in the state of Assam.

• It is organised every year for five days starting from the first day of the New Year along the Chandubi lake, which is situated in the state of Assam.
• The main attractions of the Chandubi festival are the local folk culture, ethnic cuisine, local handloom and dresses, boating, etc.
• The major aim of the Chandubi Festival is to promote eco-tourism in this biodiversity hotspot of Assam.
• Preserving the waterbody, the water level of which has rapidly been lowering over the years, has been the motive for organising the festival every year.
• The festival has been providing an opportunity to generate livelihood to different tribes – Rabhas, Garos, Gorkhas and tea tribes – living in the area by selling different food items and homemade beverages, and traditionally woven attires.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

Researchers at the Indian Institutes of Technology Madras and Mandi have metabolically engineered Nothapodytes nimmoniana plant cells to increase production of anti-cancer drug camptothecin (CPT).  

• Camptothecin (CPT) is an important anti-cancer drug lead molecule for high-value drugs like Topotecan and Irinotecan.
• It is a potent topoisomerase I inhibitor extracted mainly from - Camptotheca acuminata (native to Eastern Asia) and Nothapodytes nimmoniana (native to India).
• It is majorly produced in Southeast Asian region, with the plant being largely found only in China and India.
• However, the conjunction of climate change and extensive deforestation undertaken for CPT extraction has pushed these plants into the endangered species category.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

The meat of sharks and rays (Elasmobranch), for long consumed by tribal and coastal people in India, has found favour among new demographic categories such as foreign tourists and Indian middle- and upper classes. 

• The term elasmobranch refers to the sharks, rays, and skates.
• These animals have a skeleton made of cartilage, rather than bone.
• The other subclass of cartilaginous fish, the Holocephali, consists of Chimaeras – ratfish (Genus Chimaera) and elephantfish (Genus Callorhynchus).
• The main differences between these two subclasses are the structure of their gills and how they grow in the embryo.
• Holocephali has four gill slits with a gill cover (an operculum), while Elasmobranchs have five to seven external gill slits with no gill cover.
• Characteristics of Elasmobranchs
• Its skeleton is made of cartilage rather than bone.
• They have five to seven gill openings on each side.
• Rigid dorsal fins (and spines if present)
• Spiracles to aid in breathing
• The upper jaw of elasmobranchs is not fused to their skull.
• Elasmobranchs have several rows of teeth which are continually replaced.
• They don't have swim bladders, but instead their large livers are full of oil to provide buoyancy.
• They reproduce sexually with internal fertilization and either bear live young or lay eggs.
• Elasmobranch skin is made of tiny, hard, tooth-like placoid scales called denticles.
• These are renowned for their highly tuned senses, which make them incredibly successful in their environment.
• Their distribution ranges from near shore regions to the deep oceanic waters.
• Some species are known to travel long distances, hence can be considered as highly migratory. Their stock can be found in more than one Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
• They are widely distributed in the Oceans but are most diverse in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific Ocean.

Hence both statements are correct.

Israel recently deployed Sky Dew along the Lebanese border as tensions with Hezbollah escalated.

About Sky Dew:

• Sky Dew is a massive balloon-like structure in the shape of a puffed aircraft.
• The high-altitude observation balloon acts as a detection radar blip for small unmanned aircraft and cruise missiles.
• It is one of the largest aerial threat warning systems in the world.
• The technology has been jointly developed by Israel Defense and US company TCOM. The project was entirely funded by the U.S. Department of Defence.
• The Israel Air Force was handed over the Sky Dew in 2022.
• The system comprises a blimp capable of flying at high altitudes with radar and detection systems to scan a wide range in any direction.
• The radar on the balloon is capable of observing at 250 km and tracking multiple targets, including low-altitude ones and those in valleys.
• It can carry 7,000 pounds and has an operational altitude of 10,000 feet.
• It offers a significant advantage in its ability to remain in surveillance for extended periods without needing fuel or crew replacement.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

In a regulatory filing, LIC recently said the board has cleared the proposal to invest in a new company, promoted by the NHB, for residential mortgage-backed securities.

About National Housing Bank (NHB):

• NHB is an All-India Financial Institution (AIFl) established under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.
• It is wholly owned by the Government of India.
• Objective: To operate as a principal agency to promote housing finance institutions both at local and regional levels and to provide financial and other support to such institutions.
• The main functions of NHB include:
• Supervision and grievance redressal regarding Housing Finance Companies (HFCs).
• Ensures that HFCs meet regulatory capital requirements as required by BASEL norms, have a proper risk management framework in place, have good governance practices, etc.
• Financing in the form of extending refinancing options to primary lenders and lending directly with respect to projects undertaken by public housing agencies.
• Promotion and Development.
• NHB supervises HFCs, while regulation of HFCs is with the RBI.
• Head Office: New Delhi
• The general superintendence, direction, and management of the affairs and business of NHB vest in its Board of Directors.
• NHB RESIDEX: It is the country’s first official housing price index (HPI). It captures movements in the prices of residential real estate prices. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A report by the US Geological Survey (USGS) revealed that around 400 earthquakes have been recorded under Mount St Helens since mid-July this year.

• It is a volcanic peak in the Cascade Range of southwestern Washington, United States of America.
• It is part of the larger Pacific Ring of Fire.
• The volcano was formed during four eruptive stages beginning about 275,000 years ago and has been the most active volcano in the Cascade Range during the Holocene.
• Its eruption on May 18, 1980, was one of the greatest volcanic explosions ever recorded in North America.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have developed a radiative cooling paint, which is specifically engineered to cool structures like buildings, pavers, and tiles in hot weather conditions.

• It is developed from a novel MgO-PVDF polymer nanocomposite.
• They used ultra-white and ultra-emissive magnesium oxide (MgO)-polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nano-composite prepared from materials that are earth abundant, cheap, non-toxic and non-harmful.
• The optimized MgO-PVDF with a dielectric nanoparticles resulted in large solar reflectance of 96.3% and a record high thermal emission of 98.5% due to Mg─O bond vibrations, and other stretching/bonding vibrations from the polymer.
• The researchers developed polymer nanocomposite paint by using a simple solution-processed technique.
• By measuring the temperature of the paint using a thermocouple, excellent cooling performance was demonstrated under hot sunlight.
• The nanocomposite paint exhibited water-resistant hydrophobic properties and can be easily coated on pavers, wood sticks and so on with high uniformity and good adhesion.
• The surface temperature of a treated paver decreases by approximately 10°C under intense sunlight-- almost double of the reduction that conventional white paints give.
• This low-cost, solution-processed paint demonstrates significant cooling capabilities with a high solar reflectivity and infrared thermal emissivity. 

What is Radiative cooling?

• It is a passive cooling technology without any energy consumption, compared to conventional cooling technologies that require power sources and dump waste heat into the surroundings.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, research conducted at the University of Kerala has led to the unprecedented discovery of a new crustacean family off the Indian coast. 

• Researchers have named the new family Uranoscopicolaidae.
• This is also the first discovery and description of a new crustacean family from India.
• This parasitic copepod was found to depend upon the Dollfus’ Stargazer (Uranoscopus guttatus), a fish dwelling in depths ranging from 300-550 m off the southwest Indian coast.
• The discovery of the new family has also led to the creation of a new genus and species, Hirodai ohstukai under it.
• These parasitic copepods are known to infest a wide range of hosts, from sponges to marine mammals.
• New isopod species which has been named Glyptothoa sagara; ‘Glypto’ as the fish parasite was found in the deep sea fish Glyptophidium macropus, and ‘sagara’ for ocean.
• Another new isopod crustacean parasite species named Elthusa aquabio was collected from an unknown fish. 
• The fourth new species is a 11-12 mm “flesh-penetrating parasitic copepod,” which has been named as Cardiodectes vampire.
• It was found to infest the deep-sea fish Chlorophthalmus corniger. 

Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

NASA recently shared an incredible picture of an aurora captured from the International Space Station.

About Auroras:

• An aurora is a natural phenomenon that is characterised by a display of a natural-coloured (green, red, yellow, or white) light in the sky.
• What causes it?
• It is a light show which is caused when electrically-charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth's magnetosphere and atmosphere.
• Solar particles interact with different types of gas molecules in the atmosphere, mostly nitrogen and oxygen, resulting in unique, colored displays of light. 
• Oxygen gives off green and red light, while nitrogen glows blue and reddish-purple.
• It is sometimes referred to as ‘polar light’. It is predominantly seen in regions of high altitudes like the Arctic and Antarctic. 
• In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called the northern lights (aurora borealis), while in the Southern Hemisphere; it's called the southern lights (aurora australis). 
• Auroras can appear in various forms, like streamers, patches, arcs, scattered light, diffused light, etc.
• Do other planets have Auroras?
• Earth isn’t the only planet that experiences auroras.
• Any planet with an atmosphere and a magnetic field is likely to have auroras.
• Auroras have been observed on Saturn and Jupiter.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.