Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 29, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

The spread of the mosquito species Anopheles stephensi across Africa poses a significant problem to a continent already heavily burdened by malaria.

• It is a malaria vector native to South Asia.
• It transmits both Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. It rapidly adapts to changes in the environment and is found in both rural and urban areas.
• This is different from African malaria vectors, which are typically found in rural areas.
• This species can thrive in urban areas and likes being near humans.
• They lay their eggs in any available water source – such as water containers, abandoned tyres and flowerpots – and their eggs can survive being dry for a long period of time.
• In addition, An. stephensi feeds on its vertebrate host both indoors and outdoors. This reduces the impact of commonly used vector control methods such as insecticide-treated nets and indoor residual spraying.
• Concerns:
  • Anopheles stephensi as well as of Aedes mosquitoes, which carry many dreaded diseases including dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika.
  • The invasion of this urban mosquito into Africa threatens the malaria elimination aspirations of the continent, particularly as 42.5% of Africa’s population now live in urban area.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, a court in the Philippines recently revoked biosafety permits for commercial propagation of genetically modified golden rice and Bt eggplant. 

• It is a new type of rice that contains beta carotene (provitamin A, a plant pigment that the body converts into vitamin A as needed). This compound is what gives this grain its yellow-orange or golden color.
• It is developed through genetic engineering.
  • While ordinary rice does produce beta carotene, it is not found in the grain. Thus, scientists used genetic engineering to add the compound to the grain - a minor tweak that improved the grain’s nutritive value.
  • The beta carotene in Golden Rice, which was made possible by the addition of two new enzymes, is identical to the beta-carotene found in green leafy and yellow-colored vegetables, orange-colored fruit, and even in many vitamin supplements and food ingredients.
  • Like ordinary rice, Golden Rice does not require any special cultivation practices, and generally has the same yield and agronomic performance.
  • This rice is expected to cost and taste the same as regular rice, its beta carotene content makes it a valuable asset in the battle against Vitamin A deficiency (VAD).
  • Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient for growth, development, and keeping the body’s visual and immune systems healthy.
  • VAD weakens the body’s resistance to diseases and infections, causes blindness, and may even result in death if left untreated.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, soon after a Varanasi-bound Indigo flight received a bomb threat at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, the 176 passengers onboard the flight were quickly evacuated with the help of ‘evacuation slides’.

• It is an inflatable slide which allows passengers to safely exit the flight during an emergency, especially when the flight door is high above the ground.
• There are four types of evacuation slides:
  • Inflatable slide: The inflatable slide helps passengers descend to the ground from an aircraft exit door. In case they cannot use the doors, they can try to reach either of the aircraft wings. From there, they can use the slide to reach the ground.
  • Inflatable slide/raft: It does the same job as the slide, but it can also be used as a life raft in case the aircraft has to land on water.
  • Inflatable exit ramp: The inflatable exit ramp is installed to help passengers move from certain overwing exits (or aircraft emergency exits) to the wings, if that path looks better for reaching the ground.
  • Inflatable exit ramp/slide: The inflatable exit ramp/slide is there to assist in descending from an overwing exit or aeroplane wing to the ground. It is a combination ramp and wing-to-ground device.
• These are typically made from carbon fibres and a nylon material coated with urethane for fire resistance. Strong fibres are used to build these slides so that passengers are not able to tear them while descending.
• Slides are generally packed and installed within a cabin door or into an external fuselage compartment.
• They are inflated with the help of high-pressure gas carbon dioxide or nitrogen gas containers and ambient air through suction machines.
• What are the protocols for deploying evacuation slides?
  • An evacuation slide must be deployed when the distance between the ground and the flight exit door is six feet or more.
  • The European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s guidelines say that a slide should be automatically deployed, once the door is opened. The slide must be inflated between six and 10 seconds, depending on its location.
  • It should be properly deployable in all weather conditions — as cold as -40 degree Celsius and as hot as 71 degree Celsius.
  • The slide should be able to sustain a rainfall of up to one inch an hour and winds up to the speed of 46 km/hr which would be coming 45 degree angles around the aeroplane.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, a Himalayan serow was spotted in the central part of Nameri National Park and Tiger Reserve. It resembles as a cross between a goat, a donkey, a cow, and a pig.

• Types
  • There are several species of serows, and all of them are found in Asia.
  • The Himalayan serow, or Capricornis sumatraensis thar, is restricted to the Himalayan region. Taxonomically, it is a subspecies of the mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis).
• Diet: These are herbivore species.
• Distribution: These are typically found at altitudes between 2,000 metres and 4,000 metres (6,500 to 13,000 feet). They are known to be found in eastern, central, and western Himalayas, but not in the Trans Himalayan region.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
  • CITES: Appendix I
  • The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
• Key facts about Nameri Tiger Reserve
  • It is situated in the northern part of the Sonitpur district of Assam, along the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The Nameri National Park constitutes the core of NTR, which is bound by rivers, viz. Jia-Bhoreli in the west and Bor-Dikorai in the east.
  • The Pakke Tiger Reserve of Arunachal Pradesh is on the North and the habitat is contiguous.
• Flora: It is made up of tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forests with cane brakes and narrow strips of open grassland along rivers.
• Fauna:
  • The habitat is biologically rich and is famous for the white winged wood duck,
  • Even Leopard cat, common otter, Black giant squirrel, Indian mongoose, Large clawed shrew, Indian flying fox, slow loris, Assameese macaque, Rhesus macaque are also found here.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

After analyzing the archived data from NASA’s Magellan mission, scientists say they observed new lava flows on Venus, suggesting that the planet was volcanically active between 1990 and 1992.

About Magellan Mission:

• It was a deep space mission launched by NASA on May 4, 1989, to explore the planet Venus.
• It was launched from Cape Canaveral aboard the space shuttle Atlantis. It was the first interplanetary mission launched from the Space Shuttle and the first spacecraft to use the Inertial Upper Stage booster.
• It was named after the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was the first to circumnavigate the earth.
• The primary goal of the Magellan mission was to map the surface of Venus using radar imaging, as the thick atmosphere of the planet made visual observation difficult.
• The Magellan spacecraft, which arrived at Venus in 1990, made the first global map of the surface of Venus as well as global maps of the planet's gravity field.
• The mission produced surprising findings about Venus, including a relatively young planetary surface possibly formed by lava flows from planet-wide volcanic eruptions.
• In October 1994, the Magellan spacecraft intentionally plunged to the surface of Venus to gather data on the planet's atmosphere before it ceased operations.
• It marked the first time an operating planetary spacecraft had been intentionally crashed.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

The Prime Minister will be visiting the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari to meditate for 48 hours and mark the culmination of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

About Vivekananda Rock Memorial: 

• It is located on a small island off Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.
• The memorial stands on one of the two rocks located about 500 meters off the mainland of Vavathurai.
• The rock is surrounded by the Laccadive Sea, where the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea form a confluence.
• It was built in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda, who is said to have attained enlightenment on the rock.
• It comprises of the 'Shripada Mandapam' and the 'Vivekananda Mandapam'. 
• There is also a life-sized bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda on the premises.
• It is also a memorial for which all State Governments and the Central Government contributed.

Hence both statements are correct.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently directed the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and mines and geology department to stop any unlawful/illegal sand mining in Sharavathi river coastal zone.

About Sharavathi River:

• It is a river in western Karnataka state.
• It is one of the few westward-flowing rivers in India and a major part of the river basin lies in the Western Ghats.
• Course:
• Rising in the Western Ghats, it flows in a northwesterly direction to the Arabian Sea at Honavar in Uttara Kannada District. 
• The length of the river is 128 km, and the river basin covers 2,985 sq km.
• On its way, the Sharavathi forms the Jog Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in India, where the river falls from a height of 253 m. 
• Diverse geological features mark the river’s course, including rocky outcrops, fertile plains, and deep gorges.
• Major Tributaries: Nandihole, Haridravathi, Mavinahole, Hilkunji, Yennehole, Hurlihole, and Nagodihole.
• It is a vital source of hydroelectric power in Karnataka. Currently, the river generates a significant portion (40 percent or 1,469.2 megawatts) of the state’s hydropower using seven existing dams and five tunnels.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has processed complaints against 101 advertisements (ads) featuring celebrities. 

• It is a voluntary self-regulatory organisation of the advertising industry in India.
• It was established in 1985 and is registered as a non-profit company under Section 25 of the Company Act.
• It comprises members from marketing, creative, media, and allied companies in India.
• It is committed to the cause of self-regulation in advertising, ensuring the protection of the interests of consumers. 
• Purpose of the ASCI code: To control the content of advertisements, not to hamper the sale of products which may be found offensive, for whatever reason, by some people.
• Functions
• It seeks to ensure that advertisements conform to its Code for Self-Regulation, which requires advertisements to be legal, decent, honest, truthful, and not hazardous or harmful while observing fairness in competition. 
• It looks into complaints across all media, such as Print, TV, Radio, hoardings, SMS, Emailers, Internet/website, product packaging, brochures, promotional material, and point-of-sale material, etc.
• It is a part of the Executive Committee of the International Council on Ad Self-Regulation (ICAS).

Hence both statements are not correct.

Recently, the GSAP SKILLS Platform was launched at the Fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, Convention on Biological Diversity.

• Global Species Action Plan (GSAP), the Species Conservation Knowledge, Information, Learning, Leverage and Sharing (SKILLS) platform brings the GSAP’s content online and allows the updating of technical tools and resources in real time.
• It aims to facilitate global collaboration and partnership, connecting decision makers, species conservation practitioners and experts at all levels.
• The platform provides real-time updates on technical tools and resources, ensuring accessibility and relevance.
• Each Global Biodiversity Framework target is accompanied by a brief summary and rationale for species conservation interventions, actions, and sub-actions, actors and technical tools and resources for those actions, facilitating the scaling-up of implementation efforts.
• This platform is managed proactively by IUCN to meet the needs from governments and all stakeholders to take actions for species.
• The development of the GSAP SKILLS platform has been principally supported by Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea, with additional resources from the Tech4Nature Initiative launched by IUCN and Huawei in 2020.

What is Global Species Action Plan?

• It has been developed to support implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and to address the increasing biodiversity loss worldwide.
• It outlines strategic interventions and actions to conserve and sustainably manage species while ensuring equitable benefits.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, Mount Ibu erupted again, sending ash 4 km high, as streaks of purple lightning flashed around its crater.

• The Ibu volcano is an active stratovolcano located along the NW coast of Halmahera Island in Indonesia.
• Ibu's activities follow a series of eruptions of different volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and has 127 active volcanoes.

What is Stratovolcano?

• Stratovolcano is also called a composite volcano.
• Characteristics
• This volcanic landform is characterized by a conical shape formed by layers of volcanic material deposited during successive volcanic eruptions.
• These volcanoes tend to slope gently at the base but rise quickly near the summit to form tall mountain peaks.
• They are typically found above subduction zones, and they are often part of large volcanically active regions, such as the Ring of Fire that frames much of the Pacific Ocean.
• These are build up on height by layering lava, ash and tephra. By definition, they have alternating layers of pyroclastic and lava.
• Examples for Stratovolcano are Nevado del Ruiz Volcano and Ubinas Volcano (Andes Mountains of Colombia).

Hence option (b) is the correct answer.