Daily Current Affairs MCQ- March 1, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Malabar tree toad found in Mollem National Park which is threatened by three infrastructure project finds mentioned in the updated ‘Checklist of Indian Amphibians (2023)’ released by the Zoological Survey of India.

• The Malabar tree toad is a small species found in the forest along the Western Ghats in wet tree hollows or leaf bases containing water.
• This toad species is found mainly during the monsoon season and then it disappears.
• It is believed to be the only toad to dwell on high canopies.
• Its population is shrinking mainly due to habitat loss, climate change and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a deadly fungus that has been decimating entire amphibian populations worldwide.
• Conservation status

IUCN: Endangered

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA), a radio telescope comprising 66 antennas is set to get software and hardware upgrades. 

• It is a state-of-the-art telescope that studies celestial objects at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths.
• They can penetrate through dust clouds and help astronomers examine dim and distant galaxies and stars out there.
• It also has extraordinary sensitivity, which allows it to detect even extremely faint radio signals.
• The telescope consists of 66 high-precision antennas, spread over a distance of up to 16 km.
• It is operated under a partnership between the United States, and 16 countries in Europe, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Chile.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Union government of India kicked-off year-long celebrations to mark the 284th birth anniversary of Santh Sevalal Maharaj, a spiritual and religious leader of the Banjara community.

• Banjara is made of various groups found throughout India and most of them are found in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka states in South India.
• This community settled across the country with different names, have permanently abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and settled in their settlements called Tandas.
• They speak Gor Boli also called Lambadi which belongs to the Indo-Aryan Group of Languages. Lambadi has no script.
• Banjara people celebrate the festival of Teej during Shravanam (in the month of august). In this festival young unmarried Banjara girls pray for a good groom.
• Fire dance and Chari are the traditional dance forms of the banjara people.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Prime Minister of India congratulated Karakattam dancer and recent Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar awardee V Durga Devi.

• Karakattam is a form of folk dance performed at festivals, conferences, road shows, and primarily at Mariamman festivals.
• It is one of the many creative traditions that owe their existence to Mariamman, the rain goddess. 
• While the dance form is not dying, it has undergone radical change and adaptation in recent years.
• Karakattam and agriculture have a link. It is because the Mariamman pooja is held in the month of Medam after Makarakkoythu (harvest season) in Kerala.
• Karakattam performances are characterised by a lot of swaying movements and joyous banter. 
• It requires a lot of practice and dedication. Three tiers of flower arrangements of different colours sit on top of a container filled to the brim with either water, rice, or soil.  

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Haryana government’s Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) and IT-based welfare schemes will be displayed at the first Anti-Corruption Working Group meeting under the G20 Summit in Gurugram.

About Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) Scheme:

• It was launched by the Haryana Government in 2015.
• The primary objective of PPP is to create authentic, verified, and reliable data of all families in Haryana.
• PPP identifies each and every family in Haryana and keeps the basic data of the family, provided with the consent of the family, in a digital format. 
• Under the scheme, a unique identity card — called Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) is launched — through which the state government aims to monitor all the families living across the state.
• Under PPP, each family is considered a single unit.
• Each family will be provided an eight-digit Family Id. 
• The Family ID will be linked to the Birth, Death, and Marriage records to ensure automatic updating of the family data as and when such life events happen.
• A family has to register itself on the PPP portal to avail the benefits of social-security schemes of the state government.
• Benefits:
• PPP scheme makes citizens able to take benefits of government schemes and services by sitting at home through online medium.
• It also brings transparency to the system and eliminates middlemen so as to stop ineligible people from taking advantage of any scheme.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

A recent study conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Madras and Presidency College revealed that a species of marine seagrass found in the Mandapam region near Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu has the potential to be used in chemotherapy treatment for liver cancer.

About Seagrasses:

• Seagrasses are flowering plants that grow submerged in shallow marine waters like bays and lagoons.
• They are so-named because most species have long green, grass-like leaves.
• Seagrasses have roots, stems, and leaves and produce flowers and seeds.
• Like terrestrial plants, seagrass also photosynthesizes and manufactures their own food and releases oxygen.
• They evolved around 100 million years ago, and there are approximately 72 different seagrass species that belong to four major groups.
• They are one of the most productive ecosystems in the world.
• Some of the important seagrasses are Sea Cow Grass (Cymodocea serrulata), Thready Seagrass (Cymodocea rotundata), Needle Seagrass (Syringodium isoetifolium), Flat-tipped Seagrass (Halodule uninervis), Spoon Seagrass (Halophila ovalis) and Ribbon Grass (Enhalus acoroides). 
• Distribution:
• They are found on all continents except Antarctica.
• The tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific hold the highest diversity of seagrasses in the world.
• Seagrass distribution in India:
• They occur all along the coastal areas of India. 
• They are abundant in the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

According to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), India has recorded 30 tiger deaths within 2 months into 2023.

About National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA):

• It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• It was established in 2006 under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
• Objectives:
• Providing statutory authority to Project Tiger so that compliance of its directives become legal.
• Fostering accountability of Center-State in management of Tiger Reserves by providing a basis for MoU with States within the federal structure.
• Providing for an oversight by Parliament.
• Addressing livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves.
• NTCA Members:
• Minister in charge of MoEFCC (as Chairperson),
• Minister of State in MoEFCC (as Vice-Chairperson),
• three members of Parliament, the Secretary (MoEFCC), and other members.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

MIT researchers recently built an augmented reality headset called X-AR that lets users see hidden objects inside a box or under a pile.

About Augmented Reality (AR):

• It is an enhanced version of the real physical world that is achieved through the use of digital visual elements, sound, or other sensory stimuli and delivered via technology.
• It overlays digital content onto real-life environments and objects. 
• AR works by superimposing digital information onto real-world objects to create a 3D experience that allows users to interact with both the physical and digital worlds. 
• It incorporates three features: a combination of digital and physical worlds, interactions made in real time, and accurate 3D identification of virtual and real objects.
• Unlike Virtual Reality (VR), which creates its own cyber environment, AR adds to the existing world as it is.

What is Virtual Reality (VR)?

• It is a simulated 3D environment that enables users to explore and interact with a virtual surrounding in a way that approximates reality as it is perceived through the users' senses. 
• The environment is created with computer hardware and software, and the users need to wear devices such as helmets or goggles (Virtual Reality headsets or helmets) to interact with the environment. 

Hence both statements are correct.

Home Minister recently paid his tributes to Veer Savarkar on his death anniversary.

About Veer Savarkar:

• He was born in 1883 near Nasik in Maharashtra.
• He was the first to acknowledge the mutiny of 1857 as the first struggle for Independence and wrote the book 'The History of the War of Indian Independence'.
• He was a passionate promoter of Hindutva since childhood.
• He was sentenced to 50 years in the cellular jail of Andamans, also known as Kala Pani, for revolting against the Morley-Minto reforms (Indian Councils Act 1909) in 1911.
• After his release from jail, he worked on the abolishment of untouchability in Ratnagiri.
• Serving as the president of the Hindu Mahasabha political party, he opposed the Quit India movement in 1942.
• He founded the organizations Abhinav Bharat Society and Free India Society.
• He was a critic of the Indian National Congress and its acceptance of India's partition.
• He was also a critic of Mahatma Gandhi and called him a 'hypocrite'. In 1948, he was charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The first Bodoland International Knowledge Festival recently began in Assam’s Kokrajhar district.

Bodo Peace Accord 2020:

• It is a tripartite accord signed in 2020 by representatives of Bodo organizations with the Central and Assam governments.
• The Bodo parties to the agreement include the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), the United Bodo People’s Organisation (UBPO), and all four factions of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB).
• It presents a new model of power-sharing and governance in Assam under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• Features:
• Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) which comprises four districts -Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri will be renamed the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
• The number of seats in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) will be increased from 40 to 60 without adversely affecting the existing percentage of reservation for tribals”.
• It promises more legislative, executive, and financial powers to the BTC in respect of 40 subjects already transferred to it and eight additional subjects.
• The Assam government will set up a Bodo-Kachari Autonomous Council, which will be a satellite council for the focused development of Bodo villages outside the BTR.
• The Indian government will expedite the process of granting Hills tribe status to Bodos living in Hills areas.
• It also promises Scheduled Tribe status to Bodos living in the hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. 
• The Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police will be appointed in consultation with the BTC authority.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.