Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 27, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, Supreme court halts the 90 acres project in ecologically fragile and seismic-prone lower Himalayan ranges in the Kumaon hills of Uttarakhand.

• It is the west-central section of the Himalayas in northern India.
• Geographical boundary: It lies between the Sutlej River in the west and the Kali River in the East.
• It comprises part of the Siwalik Range in the south and part of the Great Himalayas in the north, lies largely within the state of Uttarakhand, northwest of Nepal.
• Highest peaks of this region: Nanda Devi and Kamet.
• Lakes of this region: Naini Lake, Sattal, Bhimtal, Naukuchiya Tal
• It is home to some of the major hill stations such as Nainital, Ranikhet, and Almora.
• It is also the melting pot of tribal/indigenous people – Tharus, Bhutiyas, Jaunsaris, Buksas, and Rajis whose.
• Concern: It is ecologically fragile and seismic-prone area.

Key facts about Shiwalik Range

• Shivalik Hills are a sub-Himalayan Mountain Range running 1,600 km long from the Teesta River, Sikkim, through Nepal and India, into northern Pakistan.
• The range runs parallel with the Himalayan system from Haridwar on the Ganges to the banks of the Beas River. The hills have an average height of 900 to 1,200 m.
• They are chiefly composed of low sandstone and conglomerate hills, the solidified and up-heaved detritus of the great range in their rear, the intermediate valley lying between the outer hills and the Mussoorie. 

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, DD Kisan deployed two Artificial Intelligence anchors as part of the initiative to present the television channel in a new avatar.

• The anchors have been named as ‘AI Krish’ and ‘AI Bhoomi’, and can speak in 50 Indian and foreign languages.
• These news anchors are a computer, which are exactly like a human, or rather, these can work like a human. They can read news 24 hours and 365 days without stopping or getting tired.
• The farmer viewers will be able to see these anchors in all the States of the country.
• These AI anchors will provide every necessary information about agricultural research happening in the country and at the global level, trends in agriculture mandis, changes in the weather, or any other information of government schemes.

Key facts about DD Kisan

• It is the only TV channel in the country, which has been established by the Government of India and dedicated to the farmers. This channel was established on 26 May 2015.
• The objective of establishing DD Kisan Channel
• To always keep the farmers informed about the changes in weather, global and local markets etc., so that farmers can make appropriate plans in advance and take right decisions on time.
• It is also working to bring forward the efforts of progressive farmers to all the people, with the aim of serving the agricultural and rural community in the country and working towards creating an environment of holistic development by educating them.
• DD Kisan channel is strengthening the three-dimensional concept of agriculture which includes balanced farming, animal husbandry and plantation.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, a new plant species found on the high, muddy slopes of the Nelliyampathy hills in Kerala’s Palakkad district has been named as Stellaria mcclintockiae.

• It is the new species belongs to the genus Stellaria (family Caryophyllaceae).
• Features
• This is an annual herb growing up to 15 cm in height. Known to be found only in the Nelliyampathy hills as of now, and that too at an elevation of 1,250-1,400 metres.
• It differs from other species of this genus with respect to the features of its petals, pollen morphology, bracts, sepals, and seed architecture.
• This is the first species of the genus Stellaria reported from south India.
• The researchers have recommended that Stellaria mcclintockiae be classified as critically endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

As the human understanding of colour has improved and its knowledge has also broadened our sense of our place in this world.

• It is a type of information our eyes receive and process based on electromagnetic radiation.
• An object is said to have a colour based on frequencies of visible-light radiation it absorbs, reflects, and/or scatters, we can perceive the object to have a particular colour.
• How human eyes identify colours?
• In the human eye, the rod and the cone cells receive information in the light that strikes the eye: the rod cells record brightness while the cone cells record the wavelengths, which the human brain interprets as colour.
• Human beings have three types of cone cells. Each type is sensitive to light of a different wavelength, and they work together to input colour information to the brain.
• The possession of three types of cone cells is why humans are called trichromats.
• Similarly, while human vision is restricted to wavelengths from 400 nm to 700 nm (visible light), honeybees can also ‘see’ ultraviolet light and mosquitoes and some beetles can access information in some wavelengths of infrared radiation.

How are colours rendered?

• There are two broad ways to render colours:
• Additive colouring: In this, light of different wavelengths is ‘mixed’ to yield light of one combined colour. The colours on your smartphone screens and television sets are produced in this way.
• Subtractive colouring: In subtractive colouring, a colour is rendered by passing white light through a medium that absorbs, or takes away, specific wavelengths of light, leaving the rest to render a particular colour.
• The typical examples include dyes, pigments, and inks. 

Hence both statements are correct.

Adani Group’s Mundra Port recently saw the largest ever container ship to dock at an Indian port when the almost 400-metre-long MSC Anna came visiting.

About Mundra Port:

• It is the largest private port and the largest container port in India.
• Location: It is located on the north shores of the Gulf of Kutch, near Mundra, Kutch district, Gujarat. 
• It is a deep-draft, all-weather port.
• It is also a special economic zone (SEZ).
• As much as 33 percent of India's container traffic flows through the port.
• Ownership: It is run by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ), which is India’s largest commercial ports operator and accounts for nearly one-fourth of the country’s cargo movement.
• Handling Capacity:
• With a capacity of 260 MMT, the port handles over 155 MMT (FY 2022-23), which constitutes nearly 11% of India’s maritime cargo.
• The port has 26 berths and two single-point moorings, which allow it to accommodate a wide range of vessels.
• The port handles a wide variety of cargo, including containers, dry bulk, break bulk, liquid cargo, and automobiles.
• It also has the country’s largest coal import terminal, which facilitates faster cargo evacuation with minimal turnaround time.
• Mundra Port’s rail is connected to the national rail network, and cargo can be handled for any location in India.

Hence both statements are correct.

State-run GAIL (India) Ltd. recently inaugurated its first 10 MW Green Hydrogen Plant under the National Green Hydrogen Mission in Madhya Pradesh's Vijaipur.

About National Green Hydrogen Mission: 

• It was approved by the Union Cabinet on January 4, 2022.
• Aim: To make India a Global Hub for the production, utilization, and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.
• Components:
• Under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT), two distinct financial incentive mechanisms
• Incentive for manufacturing of electrolysers
• Incentive for production of green hydrogen.
• The Mission will also support pilot projectsin emerging end-use sectors and production pathways.
• Regions capable of supporting large-scale production and/or utilization of Hydrogen will be identified and developed as Green Hydrogen Hubs.
• An enabling policy framework will be developed to support the establishment of a Green Hydrogen ecosystem.
• A robust Standards and Regulations framework will be also developed. 
• Further, a public-private partnership framework for R&D (Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership–SHIP) will be facilitated under the Mission.
• A coordinated skill development programme will be undertaken under the Mission. 
• The mission outcomes projected by 2030 are:
• Development of green hydrogen production capacityof at least 5 MMT (Million Metric Tonnes) per annum with an associated renewable energy capacity addition of about 125 GW in the country;
• Over Rs. Eight lakh crores in total investments;
• Creation of over Six lakh jobs;
• Cumulative reduction in fossil fuel imports over Rs. One lakh crore;
• Abatementof nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions;
• The initial outlay for the Mission will be Rs.19,744 crore, including an outlay of Rs.17,490 crore for the SIGHTprogramme, Rs.1,466 crore for pilot projects, Rs.400 crore for R&D, and Rs. 388 crores towards other Mission components.
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will be responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the Mission.

Henceonly statement 1 is correct.

Twelve nations have signed the Zero Debris Charter at the ESA/EU Space Council recently, solidifying their commitment to the long-term sustainability of human activities in Earth orbit. 

About Zero Debris Charter:

• It is an initiative of the European Space Agency (ESA) unveiled at the ESA Space Summit in Seville meeting in November 2023.
• The Charter comes after ESA Member States encouraged the Agency to implement “a Zero Debris approach for its missions and to encourage partners and other actors to pursue similar paths”.
• It is the first initiative of its kind to bring together the largest array and variety of space actors around the world with the joint goal of creating no more debris by 2030 and making possible the long-term sustainability of space activities.
• It aims to combine far-reaching guiding principles and highly ambitious yet realistic technical targets on which to build an ambitious Zero Debris roadmap, driving global space debris mitigation and remediation efforts.
• The charter is a non-legally binding agreement, but it fosters a community of proactive actors working collectively towards jointly defined targets for 2030. 

The charter sets out a number of targets, including that a mission’s probability of generating space debris should remain below 1 in 1,000 per object.

It also sets a target of 99% success for post-mission disposal, including through external means when necessary.

It encourages transparent information sharing and space traffic coordination.

• To implement the Charter, the ESA will focus on developing ground-breaking technologies for satellite end-of-life disposal, in-orbit servicing, and active debris removal.
• In addition, ESA will work hand-in-hand with institutions in charge of regulatory aspects.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Mountaineer and cricketer Kabak Yano etched her name in history recently by becoming the fifth woman from Arunachal Pradesh and the first woman from the Nyishi tribe to scale Mt. Everest.

About Nyishi Tribe:

• The Nyishi are the largest ethnic group in Arunachal Pradesh.
• In Nishi, their traditional language, Nyi refers to “a man” and the word shi denotes “a being”, which combined together refers to a civilized human being. 
• The Nyishi language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family; however, its origin is disputed.
• Geographical Distribution:
• They are concentrated in eight districts of Arunachal Pradesh, East Kameng, Pakke Kesang, Papum Pare, Lower Subansiri, Kamle, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, and Upper Subansiri.
• They also live in Sonitpur and the North Lakhimpur district of Assam.
• Their population of around 300,000 makes them the most populous tribe in Arunachal Pradesh, closely followed by the combined tribes of the Adis and the Galos, who were the most populous in the 2001 census.
• The Nyishi support themselves with slash-and-burn agriculture and hunting and fishing. 
• Along with agriculture and allied activities, the Nyishis are experts in handicraftssuch as weaving, cane and bamboo works, pottery, blacksmith, wood carving, carpentry, etc.
• Religion:
• According to the 2011 Census, Nyishi follows Christian (31%), Hinduism (29%), and many still follow the indigenous Donyi Polo. 
• Donyi means the Sun, and Polo means the Moon, which are revered as the Ayu Donyi (Great Mother Sun) and Atu Polu (Great Father Moon).
• Festivals:
• The Nyishi celebrates three major festivals, namely, Boori-Boot (February), Nyokum (February), and Longte (April).
• They celebrate and pleases the gods and goddesses for a good harvest, health, wealth, and prosperity.
• Polygyny is prevalent among the Nyishi.
• They trace their descent patrilineally and are divided into several clans.
• One striking feature of Nyishi society is that it is neither based on a caste system nor stratified into classes, except for a loose type of social distinction which is not determined by birth or occupation. 
• Nyishis consider womenthesource of peace, progress and prosperity. According to them, the importance status of women increases and binds through an established ‘reciprocal marital exchange’ system in the society.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

The Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge was adopted at the Diplomatic Conference held under the aegis of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) at its headquarters in Geneva.

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations, located in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It was established by the WIPO Convention in 1967
• Mission: Its mission is to lead the development of a balanced and effective international intellectual property (IP) system that enables innovation and creativity for the benefit of all.
• Members: WIPO currently has 193 member states.
• It provides a global policy forum, where governments, intergovernmental organizations, industry groups and civil society come together to address evolving IP issues.
• Its member states and observers meet regularly in a variety of standing committees and working groups.
• In these bodies, members negotiate the changes and new rules needed to ensure that the international IP system keeps pace with the changing world, and continues to serve its fundamental purpose of encouraging innovation and creativity.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Pre-packaged Insolvency Resolution Process (PPIRP) has resulted in the full settlement of operational creditors' claims in five cases.

• It was introduced in April 2021 in the wake of Covid pandemic, to deal with stress of small and mid-sized companies.
• The idea was that resolution of distressed MSMEs requires different treatment due to the unique nature of their businesses.
• Pre-packaged insolvency process is an alternate and speedier resolution mechanism for micro, medium and small enterprises in financial distress.
• Process
• It involves the debtor and its creditors negotiating and agreeing on a resolution plan before initiating the formal insolvency process.
• Once approved by the creditors, the pre-packaged resolution plan is submitted to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) for approval. It is similar to an out-of-court settlement process.
• The debtor and creditor work on a draft resolution plan before formally initiating the insolvency process.
• Once finalised and approved by the required majority of creditors, the plan is submitted to NCLT.
• The pre-packaged insolvency process is initiated voluntarily by the debtor.
• Significance: Since the resolution plan is negotiated and finalised before filing with NCLT, it reduces the time taken for resolution compared to the corporate insolvency resolution process, with minimal disruptions.

Hence both statements are correct.