Daily Current Affairs MCQ- June 28, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, The Prime Minister of India greeted people on the occasion of Kharchi Puja.

• It is one of the main festivals of Tripura.
• It is performed during the months of July-August on the eighth day of the new moon.
• The meaning of Kharchi can be understood by splitting the word into two Tripuri words “Khar” or Kharta meaning sin and “Chi” or si meaning cleaning. Hence it signifies the cleansing of our sins.
• It occurs during the month of ‘Ashad’ on the ‘Shukla Ashtami’ day.
• The fourteen Gods are worshipped by the Royal priest ‘Chantai.
• It lasts for seven days and it takes place at old Agartala in the Fourteen Gods temple known as the ‘Chaturdasha Devata’ temple premises.
• The Kharchi Puja deities do not have a full body; they have only heads which are worshipped.
• On the day of the puja, the fourteen Gods are taken from the temple to the river Saidra by the Chantai members and given bathe with the holy river water, then carried back to the temple. 
• This festival's customs are completely related to the authentic Tripuri traditions.

Hence both statements are not correct.

Recently, the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying launched Nandi - NOC Approval for New Drug and Inoculation (NANDI) System portal at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. 

• It is developed by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) in collaboration with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) through the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing CDAC.
• Significance of the portal
• It will streamline the regulatory approval process for veterinary products.
• It will enhance transparency and efficiency in assessing and examining proposals for veterinary drugs and vaccines.
• It will be more streamlined through seamless integration with the SUGAM portal of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization.
• It will promote the well-being of livestock and the livestock industry.
• It will bring about growth and innovation by enabling quick and easy coordination between various Government Departments, Institutes

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

UN Secretary-General recently appointed Indian-origin satellite industry expert Aarti Holla-Maini as Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).

About United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA):

• It is the UN office responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
• It forms part of the United Nations Office at Vienna and serves as the Secretariat for the UN General Assembly's only committee dealing exclusively with those issues: the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
• Functions:
• UNOOSA implements the United Nations Programme on Space Applications (PSA). Under the Programme, UNOOSA conducts training courses, workshops, seminars and other activities on space applications.
• On behalf of the UN Secretary-General, UNOOSA maintains the Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space and disseminates via its website that information recorded in the Register. 
• It also prepares and distributes documents, reports, studies and publications on various aspects of space science and technology applications and international space law.
• It works to improve the use of space science and technology for the economic and social development of all countries, particularly developing countries.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC) recently recommended punitive action on an OTT platform invoking the Information Technology Rules (2021). 

About Digital Publisher Content Grievances Council (DPCGC):

• It is an independent self-regulatory body for Online Curated Content (OCC) providers.
• It was set up under the aegis of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
• DPCGC has been recognised and registered by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting as Level II Self-Regulatory Body for publishers of OCC providers, under Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
• The DPCGC has an Online Curated Content Publishers (OCCP) Council composed of publishers of OCC as members and an independent Grievance Redressal Board [GRB] consisting of a chairperson and six members.
• The GRB will be chaired by a retired Supreme Court/High Cour Court judge, and the members will comprise eminent persons from the media and entertainment industry and experts from various fields, including child rights, minority rights, and media law.
• Functions of GRB:
• It will oversee and ensure the alignment and adherence to the Code of Ethics by the OCCP Council members.
• Provide guidance to entities on the Code of Ethics.
• Address grievances that have not been resolved by the publisher within 15 days.
• Hear grievances/appeals filed by complainants.
• DPCGC, through the GRB aims to usher in a redressal mechanism which will ensure a balance between addressing viewer complaints and showcasing content in free-speech environment without ad-hoc interventions

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour (MPI-AB) recently discovered that the method by which hyenas inherit rank from their mothers, known as maternal inheritance, corrodes individuals’ social position.

About Hyenas:

• Hyenas are doglike carnivores found in Asia and Africa and are noted for their scavenging habits.
• Family: Hyaenidae
• There are three hyena species — spotted (Crocuta crocuta), brown (Arahyaena brunnea), and striped (Hyaena hyaena). Spotted hyenas are the largest of the three.
• Habitat: Forest edges, grasslands, savannas, sub-deserts, and even mountains at an elevation of about 13,000 feet.
• Distribution: These animals live throughout Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.
• Features:
• They are four-legged animals with scraggly fur and large ears. 
• They have long forelegs and a powerful neck and shoulders for dismembering and carrying prey. 
• They are tireless trotters with excellent sight, hearing, and smell for locating carrion, and they are proficient hunters as well. 
• All hyenas are more or less nocturnal.
• These animals usually live for about 12 years, but they can live up to 25 years. Brown hyenas, however, typically have shorter lives.
• Conservation Status: According to IUCN, spotted hyenas have populations of least concern. However, brown and striped hyenas are classified as near threatened.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Global end-to-end supply chain solution provider DP World recently provided thermal drones for the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra.

About Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve:

• Location: It is located in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra.
• The origin of the name "Tadoba" lies with the name of the God "Tadoba" or "Taru", worshipped by the tribes who live in the dense forests of the Tadoba and Andhari region. While "Andhari" refers to the Andhari River that meanders through the forest.
• The total area of the reserve is 625.4 sq. KM. This includes Tadoba National Park, covering 116.55 sq. KM and Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary of 508.85 sq. KM.
• Corridor: The reserve has corridor linkages with Nagzira-Navegaon and Pench Tiger Reserves within the State.
• Habitat: Biogeographically, the reserve falls in the Central plateau province of the Deccan peninsula, with tropical dry deciduous forests and a typical Central Indian faunal assemblage.
• Flora:
• Teak is the dominant tree species.
• Other major tree species include Ain, Bamboo, Bija, Dhaoda, Haldu, Salai, Semal and Tendu.
• Along the moist areas, species like Mango, Jamun and Arjun are found.
• Fauna:
• The notable faunal species include tiger, leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, gaur, chital and sambar.
• As many as 280 species of birds are found, apart from reptiles (54 species), amphibians (11 species) and fishes (84 species).

Hence both statements are not correct.

Recently, a study done by the researchers has found an expanding area of active tectonic deformation in the northern plains of Haryana.

• It refers to the changes and movements that occur within the Earth's crust due to tectonic forces.
• The Earth's lithosphere, which is composed of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle, is divided into several large and small tectonic plates.
• These plates are in constant motion and interact with each other at their boundaries.
• Tectonic activity at divergent plate boundaries can create rift zones and rift valleys.
• Tectonic deformation can lead to the folding of rocks, where layers of rock are bent and deformed due to compressional forces.

Key Findings:

• Researchers suggested that tectonic activities may have played a role in the extinction of the Vedic Saraswati River that once flowed through the region.
• The Piedmont zone of Haryana is actively deforming and could become a future seismic hazard zone.
• The Piedmont zone (a transition zone between the rugged mountains and the relatively flat plains) between the Ghaggar and Yamuna River basins showed signs of active tectonic deformations.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Union Minister of State for Power inaugurated UTPRERAK, a dedicated Centre of Excellence to accelerate industry adoption of clean technologies in New Delhi.

• The Unnat Takniki Pradarshan Kendra (UTPRERAK) is the Centre of Excellence to Accelerate Adoption of Energy Efficient Technologies and seeks to play a catalytic role in improving the energy efficiency of the Indian industry.
• It is also named as Advanced Industrial Technology Demonstration Centre (AITDC)
• It has been set up by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power.

What are the mandates?

• The Centre is mandated to become the key reference and resource institution on industrial energy-efficient technologies.
• It will demonstrate and showcase energy-efficient technologies in key industry sectors.
• It will act as an exhibition cum information centre and knowledge repository.
• It will be a knowledge exchange platform, where best practices from across various key sectors could be diffused among industry professionals through workshops and seminars.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Election Commission of India recently announced the schedule for the election on 10 Rajya Sabha seats in Goa, Gujarat and West Bengal.

About Rajya Sabha:

• Origin: India follows the British parliamentary system, so the Rajya Sabha, or the Upper House of Parliament, is equivalent to the House of Lords in the United Kingdom.
• Present strength:  The Rajya Sabha currently has 245 members, including 233 elected members and 12 nominated. As per the constitutional limit, the Upper House strength cannot exceed 250.
• Membership: While 233 members are elected from states and Union Territories (UTs), President of India nominates the remaining 12 from from the fields of art, literature, science and social services. 
• Tenure: Every Rajya Sabha MP has a tenure of six years and elections to one-third seats are held every two years.
• Vacancy: According to Section 154 of the Representation of the People Act 1951, a member chosen to fill a casual vacancy will serve for the remainder of his predecessor's term of office.
• Chair: The Indian vice-president is chairperson of the Upper House, while it also has a deputy chair.

Election Process to Rajyasabha:

• While Lok Sabha members are elected directly by the voters, Rajya Sabha members are elected indirectly by the people, that is, by the elected Members of a state's Legislative Assembly (MLAs).
• How many Rajya Sabha members a state can send depends on its population.
• MLAs vote in the Rajya Sabha elections in what is called proportional representation with the single transferable vote (STV) system. Each MLA’s vote is counted only once.
• In this system, MLAs don’t vote for each seat.
• Instead, the MLAs are given a paper with the names of all candidates. They have to give their order of preference for each candidate, marking 1,2,3… against their names.
• The ballot is open but MLAs have to show their ballots to an authorised agent from their party to prevent practices such as cross-voting. A vote cannot be counted if the ballot is not shown to the agent. Independent MLAs cannot show their ballot to anyone.
• If a qualifying number of voters choose a candidate as their first choice, he or she is elected. 
• The remaining votes go to the next candidates, but with a lesser value. So, MLAs also vote for candidates from other parties. 
• The candidate that gets rank 1 from an MLA secures a first preference vote. In order to win, a candidate needs a specific number of such first preference votes. This number depends on the strength of the state Assembly and the number of MPs it sends to Rajya Sabha.
• To win, a candidate should get a required number of votes which is known as quota or preference vote. The formula is = [Total number of votes/(Number of Rajya Sabha seats + 1)] + 1.
• However, the formula is changed in case more than one seat needs to be filled. The total number of votes required for a candidate in the case is = [(Number of votes x 100) / (Vacancies + 1)] + 1.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Prime Minister will launch the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission at a public programme in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh.

What is Sickle Cell Anaemia?

• It is an inherited blood disorder.
• It affects hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to cells throughout the body. 
• People with this disease have atypical hemoglobin molecules called hemoglobin S, which can distort red blood cells into a sickle, or crescent, shape.
• These sickle cells also become rigid and sticky, which can slow or block blood flow.
• What causes it?
• The cause of Sickle cell disease is a defective gene, called a sickle cell gene.
• A person will be born with sickle cell disease only if two genes are inherited—one from the mother and one from the father.
• Symptoms:
• Early stage: Extreme tiredness or fussiness from anemia, painfully swollen hands and feet, and jaundice.
• Later stage: Severe pain, anemia, organ damage, and infections.
• Treatments:
• The only cure for this disease is bone marrow or stem cell transplantation.
• However, there are treatments that can help relieve symptoms, lessen complications, and prolong life.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.