Daily Current Affairs MCQ- March 14, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

The Finance Ministry recently brought out a notification placing all transactions involving virtual digital assets under the purview of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

About Virtual Digital Assets (VDA):

• According to the Income tax act, 'virtual digital asset' refers to any information, code, number, or token (not being Indian currency or foreign currency) generated through cryptographic means or otherwise and can be called by whatever name.
• It can be transferred, stored, or traded electronically.
• The definition of VDA also specifically includes a non-fungible token, i.e., NFT, or any other token of similar nature, by whatever name is called.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

A recent report by the office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) pointed out glaring discrepancies in the assessment and accreditation of higher education institutions by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

About National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC):

• NAAC was established in 1994 as an autonomous institution of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
• Head Quarter: Bengaluru.
• Function: Evaluation, assessment, and accreditation of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country. 
• Assessment is a performance evaluation of an institution and its units and is accomplished through a process based on self-study and peer review using defined criteria.
• Accreditation refers to the certification given by NAAC, which is valid for a period of five years.
• The ratings of institutions range from A++ to C. If an institution is graded D, it means it is not accredited.
• At present, the Assessment and Accreditation by NAAC is done on a voluntary basis.
• Composition:
• It functions through its General Council (GC) and Executive Committee (EC), comprising educational administrators, policymakers, and senior academicians from a cross-section of the Indian higher education system.
• The Chairperson of the UGC is the President of the GC of the NAAC.
• The Chairperson of the EC is an eminent academician nominated by the President of GC (NAAC).
• The Director is the academic and administrative head of NAAC and is the member-secretary of both the GC and the EC.
• NAAC is advised by the advisory and consultative committees constituted from time to time.

Hence both statements are correct.

Statement 1 is correct. Sodium is an alkaline metal and is one of the most abundant elements on earth, constituting approximately 2.6% of the earth's crust by weight.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Sodium is a highly reactive metal and reacts violently with water, releasing hydrogen gas and forming sodium hydroxide. The reaction is exothermic and can even lead to explosions in the presence of large amounts of sodium.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Statement 1 is correct and Statement 2 is incorrect.

Prime Minister of India recently felicitated awardees of the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar during the 3rd Session of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR). 

• It is an award to recognize and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organizations in India in the field of disaster management.
• Eligibility :
  • Only Indian nationals and Indian institutions are eligible to apply for the award.
  • Institutions, voluntary organisations, corporate entities, academic/research institutions, response/ uniformed forces or any other institution may apply as an institution for the award.
  • The candidate for the award must have worked in the area of Disaster Management like Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness, Rescue, Response, Relief, Rehabilitation, Research/ Innovations or Early Warning related work in India.
• The award is announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
• The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakh and a certificate in the case of an institution and Rs. 5 lakh and a certificate in the case of an individual.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Union Minister for MSME launched the MSME Competitive (LEAN) Scheme.

• The scheme attempt to improve quality, productivity & performance, and capability to change the mindsets of MSME manufacturers and transform them into world-class manufacturers.
• Objective: Through the LEAN journey, MSMEs can reduce wastages substantially, increase productivity, improve quality, work safely, expand their markets, and finally become competitive and profitable.
• Under the scheme, MSMEs will implement LEAN manufacturing tools like 5S, Kaizen, KANBAN, Visual workplace, Poka Yoka etc under the able guidance of trained and competent LEAN Consultants to attain LEAN levels like Basic, Intermediate and Advanced.
• Government support
  • The government will contribute 90% of the implementation cost for handholding and consultancy fees.
  • There will be an additional contribution of 5% for the MSMEs which are part of SFURTI clusters, owned by Women/SC/ST and located in the Northeast region.
  • There will be an additional contribution of 5% for MSMEs which are registered through Industry Associations/ Overall Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) organizations after completing all levels.

Hence both statements are correct.

National Youth Conclave’ is being organized by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) Affairs on 13-14 March 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

• The event is organized under the aegis of India’s G20 presidency in 2023, aligning with the Urban20 and Youth20 engagement groups.
• The National Youth Conclave, which brings together the country’s youth and government leadership, is an opportunity for cross-learning.
• Urban20 is a city diplomacy initiative launched on December 12, 2017, at the One Planet Summit in Paris.
• Urban-20 (U20) provides a platform for cities from G20 countries to facilitate discussions on various important issues of urban development including climate change, social inclusion, sustainable mobility, and affordable housing, and propose collective solutions.
• C40 Cities (C40) and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) convene the U20 under the leadership of a Chair city that rotates annually, based in the G20 host country.
• The U20 2023 Cycle was chaired by the City of Ahmedabad.
• Ahmedabad will showcase its unique urban development and climate change initiatives and rich culture and heritage to the participants.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Prime Minister of India recently paid his respect to Sri Ayya Vaikunda Swamikal on his birth anniversary. 

• Sri Ayya Vaikunda Swamikal was the pioneer of the social revolutionaries of south India and Kerala.
• His teachings also affected many social changes in southern India which resulted in the emergence of a series of social and self-respect movements such as Upper cloth agitation, Temple entry movement and other movements including those of Narayana Guru, Chattampi Swamikal, Vallalar and Ayyankali.
• Narayana Guru was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India.
• He was born into a family that belonged to the Ezhava caste.
• He led a reform movement against injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala to promote spiritual enlightenment and social equality.
• He published 45 works in Malayalam, Sanskrit and Tamil languages which include Atmopadesa Śatakam(Malayalam), a hundred-verse spiritual poem and Daiva Dasakam, a universal prayer in ten verses.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Federal government of Australia proposed the expansion of the marine park covering Macquarie Island’s Economic Exclusion Zone.

• Macquarie Island is located around 1,500km southeast of Tasmania.
• It is the exposed crest of the 1,600 km-long undersea Macquarie Ridge.
• This is the only piece of land in the world formed entirely of oceanic crust.
• Macquarie Ridge is one of only 3 such ridges that impede the Antarctic Circumpolar Circulation.
• This results in distinct differences between the west and east sides of the ridge, which are used in different ways by different species.
• Fauna: It is home to 4 species of penguins and 4 species of albatross, the island recorded 57 seabird species.  
• This Island and its surrounding seas are already protected as a Tasmanian reserve.
• The area is also designated as a World Heritage Area by UNESCO.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Supreme Court has increased the jurisdiction and powers of a high-powered committee to conduct necessary checks and undertake fact-finding exercises concerning the import, transfer, procurement, rescue, and rehabilitation of wild animals, including those in captivity, across India.

Why in News?

• It was initially constituted to oversee the transfer of captive wild elephants from the northeastern States. The ambit of the committee was earlier restricted to Tripura and Gujarat.
• It will now have a wider responsibility and will cater to all wild animals in need of rehabilitation or rescue anywhere in India

About High-Powered Committee on Wild Animals:

• It is set up under the chairmanship of former judge Justice Deepak Verma.
• Mandate: To consider approval, dispute, or grievance concerning the transfer or import of wild animals into India or their procurement or welfare by any rescue or rehabilitation center or zoo.
• Other Members of the Committee:
• Director General of Forest
• Head of Project Elephant Division (MoEF)
• Member Secretary (Central Zoo Authority of India)
• Chief Wild Life Warden(s) of the State(s) to which the issue relates will be co-opted as Members.
• Powers and Functions:
• All State and Central authorities shall report the seizure of wild animals or abandonment of captive wild animals to the Committee.
• The Committee shall be at liberty to recommend the transfer of ownership of captive animals or of seized wild animals to any willing rescue center or zoo for their immediate welfare, care, and rehabilitation.
• The Committee is free to conduct necessary checks and to undertake fact-finding exercises in any pending or future complaint.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Researchers at the Winona State University, Minnesota, have created a design for a ‘glowscope’, a device that could democratize access to fluorescence microscopy.

About Fluorescence Microscopy:

• A fluorescence microscope views an object by studying how it re¬emits light that it has absorbed, i.e., how it fluoresces. This is its basic principle.
• How it works?
• The object is illuminated with light of a specific wavelength.
• Particles in the object absorb this light and re¬emit it at a higher wavelength (i.e., different color). These particles are called fluorophores.
• The object is infused with fluorophores before being placed under the microscope.
• When the fluorophores fluoresce, a fluorescent microscope can track them as they move inside the object, revealing the object’s internal shape and other characteristics.
• Scientists have developed different fluorophores to identify and study different entities, from specific parts of the DNA to protein complexes.
• Applications:
• It is used to image specific features of small specimens such as microbes.
• It is also used to visually enhance 3-D features at small scales.
• It allows the use of multicolor staining, labeling of structures within cells, and the measurement of the physiological state of a cell.
• It is the most popular method for studying the dynamic behavior exhibited in live-cell imaging.
• Different molecules can now be stained with different colors, allowing multiple types of molecules to be tracked simultaneously.

Hence both statements are correct.