Daily Current Affairs MCQ- March 17, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, Government of India, is set to conduct the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Test (FLNAT) as part of the ULLAS - Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram on 17th March 2024, across 23 states.

• The Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS) initiative is poised to revolutionise education and literacy across the nation.
• It is done by fostering a learning ecosystem that reaches every individual, bridging the gaps in basic literacy and critical life skills.
• It imparts basic education, digital and financial literacy and critical life skills to citizens aged 15 and above who lost on the opportunity to go to school. It is being implemented through volunteerism.
• The objectives of the scheme is to impart not only Foundational Literacy and Numeracy but also to cover other components which are necessary for a citizen of 21 st century such as 
• Critical Life Skills (including financial literacy, digital literacy, commercial skills, health care and awareness, child care and education, and family welfare); 
• Vocational Skills Development (with a view towards obtaining local employment); 
• Basic Education (including preparatory, middle, and secondary stage equivalency)
• Continuing Education (including engaging holistic adult education courses in arts, sciences, technology, culture, sports, and recreation, as well as other topics of interest or use to local learners, such as more advanced material on critical life skills).
• ULLAS app  which is user-friendly and interactive app available both on android and ios.
• It will serve as a digital gateway for learners to engage in diverse learning resources through the DIKSHA portal of NCERT.
• The ULLAS app can be used for registration of learners and volunteers either through self-registration or by surveyors.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

India is estimated to have 10.13 crore people with diabetes, and another 13.6 crore people who are pre-diabetic, according to a nationwide study published in 2023. 

• It is one of the most commonly-used tests to diagnose pre-diabetes and diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) and to help manage diabetes.
• It is also known as the glycated haemoglobin or glycosylated haemoglobin test.
• Hemoglobin is the part of your red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body.
• It is an important blood test that gives a good indication of how well your diabetes is being controlled.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

Recently, Pandavula Gutta has been officially recognised as the sole Geo-heritage site in Telangana.

• It is a geological marvel older than the Himalayan hills.
• It is located in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district in Telangana is home to many prehistoric habitation sites.
• This site was first discovered in the year 1990.
• It is rich in terms of number of paintings, rock shelters and its habitation, right from the mesolithic to medieval times.
• The paintings also feature geometrical designs and impressions in green, red, yellow and white pigment colours.
• These cave paintings offer a rare glimpse into the prehistoric man’s rock art identified on walls and ceilings of caves, rock shelters and isolated boulders.
• The rock art paintings depict wild life like Bison, Antelope, Tiger, Leopard etc. Other shapes like swastika symbol, circles and squares, weapons such as bows, arrows, sword and lancer etc are present in these paintings.

Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has consistently ranked amongst the top 10 ministries in 2023-24 in the Grievance Redressal Assessment Index (GRAI), performing well in all 15 specified indicators.

• It was conceptualised and designed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India.
• Objective: To present an organisation-wise comparative picture and provide valuable insights about strengths and areas of improvement regarding the grievance redressal mechanism.
• It is based on a comprehensive index in the dimensions of Efficiency, Feedback, Domain and Organisational Commitment
• It uses data from the Centralised Public Grievance Redressal and Management System (CPGRAMS).

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Supreme Court recently held that an accused would not be entitled to pre-arrest bail if the non-bailable warrant and the proclamation under Section 82(1) Cr.P.C. is pending against him.

About Section 82 of Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C):

• It provides for the issuing of a proclamation in a case where the court has reason to believe that the person has concealed himself or has absconded in order to evade the execution of warrants issued against him.
• The court may form its opinion suo motu from the material on a record or on the presentation of evidence by the prosecution.
• Through a written proclamation, the court orders the accused to appear at a specific place, and a specific time should be given; it should not be less than 30 days from the date of publishing of the proclamation. 
• It can only be invoked as a matter of last resort where the power of issuing warrants has been exhausted by the court. 
• The provisions under this section are not for punishing the accused but have the sole purpose of compelling him to appear before the court. 
• Therefore, a proclamation cannot be issued without first issuing a warrant. 
• The issuing of the proclamation cannot be done in an arbitrary manner, but there should be reasons recorded by the court to substantiate the order of the proclamation.
• Subsection (2) of Section 82 deals with the procedure through which a proclamation is issued. The provision provides that the proclamation shall be published as follows:
• It is read in some conspicuous place in the town or village where the accused person ordinarily resides.  
• It is affixed at some conspicuous part of the house where such a person ordinarily resides. It can also be fixed in some conspicuous part of town or village. 
• It shall be affixed at a conspicuous part of the courthouse. 
• The proclamation can also be circulated through a daily newspaper circulated in the place where the person ordinarily resides. 
• Proclaimed Offender:
• A person who is accused of serious offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, if he fails to appear as per the requirements of the proclamation, the court can declare him a proclaimed offender after inquiring into the matter.
• A police officer can arrest a person who has been declared a proclaimed offender without any warrant. 
• Even a private person can arrest a proclaimed offender and present him to the nearest police station.
• The title of proclaimed offender ceases to exist as soon as the person is arrested or otherwise becomes capable of being presented before the court.
• Section 174A of the IPC, 1860, also provides that where a person has been declared a proclaimed offender under Section 82 of the CrPC, he shall be liable for a term of imprisonment that may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to a fine in tandem with such a punishment. 

Hence option c is the correct answer.

The Central Government has extended the ban on exports of de-oiled rice bran by another four months, according to an official notification put out by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) recently.

About Rice Bran:

• It is one of the main byproducts in the process of rice milling.
• It is the outer brown layer of brown rice and is separated during the milling process.
• One hundred kilogram (100 kg) of paddy rice will generate approximately 5−10 kg of bran.
• The bran fraction contains 14-18% oil. 
• Rice bran oil is popular as a "healthy oil" in Japan, Asia, and particularly India.
• It is a pale yellow, odourless, nutty-flavoured oil with a sweet taste. 
• It is a good source of unsaturated fats, vitamin E, and other important nutrients. 
• The nutrient composition of rice bran depends on the rice variety and the efficiency of the milling system. 
• It is currently mostly used as animal feed. The oily nature makes bran an excellent binder for animal feeds. 
• Health Effects:
• It has anti-diabetic, lipid-lowering, hypotensive, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects, while its consumption also improves bowel function.
• It contains substances that might decrease how much cholesterol the body absorbs.
• It might also decrease calcium absorption, which might help prevent certain types of kidney stones from forming.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Red Sea crisis has shifted attention to the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) - the proposed trade route for coking coal, crude oil, LNG, fertilizers and containers.

About Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC):

• It is a proposed sea route between the Indian port of Chennai and the Russian port of Vladivostok.
• The corridor is estimated to bring down transportation time between Indian and Russian ports in the Far East Region by up to 16 days.
• Once complete, it will take 24 days, down from presently over 40 days, to transport goods from India to Far East Russia.
• The present trade route between Mumbai and St. Petersburg covers a distance of 8,675 nautical miles.
• The EMC will cover a distance of about 5,600 nautical miles, which is significantly shorter than the current route via the Suez Canal.
• For India, it will provide a shorter and more efficient route to access the markets of the Far East, such as China and Japan.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

A performance audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on the degradation of the Shipra River, threw up a host of significant findings.

About Shipra River:

• The Shipra, also known as the Kshipra, is a river in Madhya Pradesh.
• It is a perennial river and is considered as sacred as the Ganga River by the Hindus. 
• Course:
• Origin: It originates in the Vindhya Range from a hill called Kakri-Tekdi, which is in the north of Dhar and situated at a distance of 11km from Ujjain. 
• This river is 195km long, out of which 93km flow through Ujjain.
• It flows across the Malwa Plateau to join the Chambal River.
• Religious Significance:
• The Puranas, or ancient Hindu texts, put forward that the Shipra originated from the heart of Varaha, Lord Vishnu’s incarnation as a boar.
• Also on the banks of the Shipra is Sage Sandipani’s ashram or hermitage, where Krishna, Lord Vishnu’s eighth incarnation, had studied.
• It finds mention not only in ancient Hindu texts but also in Buddhist and Jain scriptures.
• The holy city of Ujjain is located on the right bank of the Shipra River. The famous Kumbha Mela takes place in the ghats of this city, once every 12 years, a yearly celebration of the river goddess Kshipra.
• Major Tributaries: Khan and Gambhir

Hence option c is the correct answer.

Recently, the union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launched ‘Investor Information and Analytics Platform.

• It acts as a one-stop shop for startups to seamlessly access Venture Capitalists (VCs) and investors networks, Govt schemes and several other components of the startup landscape for all stakeholders.
• By integrating information at different levels, the platform is also a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs to search for information on government agencies, incubators, investors, VCs and banks that invest in startups.
• This platform has been developed by the Researchers at the Centre for Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing (CREST) of IIT Madras.
• It will significantly help startup founders, entrepreneurs and Young Indians who intend to build their own devices, services and platforms for India and for the world.
• An important feature of this unique platform is “StartupGPT” which is an AI-based conversational platform whose function is to help ease information access for those who are navigating exhaustive data.
• A user will be able to ask queries in simple language to access information they seek in real time.
• For sustainability of the platform, full access will be provided at a very nominal cost so that maximum entrepreneurs can benefit from this resource.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The government of India has formed an expert committee headed by Finance Secretary T V Somanathan to make its recommendations to bring out uniform Know Your Customer (KYC) norms.

• It is a comprehensive process that financial and non-financial institutions follow to verify the authenticity and identity of their customers.
• The KYC process is mandatory for every customer before investing in any instruments or starting a bank account. 
• In India at present, separate KYCs are needed for different financial products such as opening a bank account, investing in mutual funds, buying a life cover or investing in retirement-savings funds.
• Multiple KYCs, regular updates and even the exact specifications often prove to be a deterrent for new investors.
• To eliminate the need to do repeated KYC for investing across financial assets central government launched Central KYC Records Registry.
• What is Central KYC Records Registry?
• It was launched by the central government of India in 2016.
• It has been limited only to the capital markets.
• In fact, while dealing in securities markets, once KYC is done through a Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) registered intermediary such as a broker, depository participant or mutual fund, customers do not have to undergo the same process again for fresh investments.
• The government authorised the Central Registry of Securitisation Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India (CERSAI) to perform the functions of the CKYCR.
• This centralised registry receives, stores, safeguards and retrieves the KYC records of a customer in a digitally secure electronic format.
• Customers have to submit their KYC details only once with any of the reporting entities of the Reserve Bank of India, Sebi, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority at the time of opening an account.
• Once the information is registered, customers will receive a 14-digit KYC Identification Number that can be used at any financial institution registered with CERSAI.
• Financial institutions can access the CKYCR database to retrieve the KYC records of customers while onboarding them.
• In case of any changes in the details of a customer, the reporting entity will initiate a centralised KYC (CKYC) update after taking the latest KYC record of the customer.

Hence both statements are correct.