Daily Current Affairs MCQ- October 11, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Sri Lanka set to take over chairmanship of Indian Ocean Rim Association during 23rd Council of Ministers' Meeting.

• It was established in 1997 as an intergovernmental organisation of States on the rim of the Indian Ocean.
• Member countries:
• It has members from Africa, West Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Oceania.
• The Association’s membership has expanded to 23 member states and 11 dialogue partners.
• Asia: India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
• Africa: Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles.
• Oceania: Australia.
• Europe: France
• Its apex body is the Council of Foreign Ministers (COM) which meets annually.
• IORA has identified six priority areas namely: Trade and Investment, Maritime Safety and Security, Fisheries Management, Disaster Risk Management and Blue Economy. 
• The secretariat is based in Ebène Mauritius and is overseen by a secretary-general who

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Baiga Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) became the second to get habitat rights in the state of Chhattisgarh.

• The Baiga Tribe is one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
• They reside in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
• Occupation: Traditionally, the Baiga lived a semi-nomadic life and practised slash-and-burn cultivation. Now, they are mainly dependent on minor forest produce for their livelihood.
• They practice a form of shifting cultivation called, "Bewar."
• Mahua is an important aspect of Baiga's food and drink. It is an intoxicant prepared from the fermentation and distillation of the flowers of the Mahua tree.
• Tattooing is an integral part of Baiga culture, every age and body part has a specific tattoo reserved for the occasion.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Researchers from the Zoology Department at St. Thomas College (Autonomous), Thrissur, have discovered a new species of bagworm moth, Wizard Bagworm (Eumasia venefica), from near the Nariyampara falls in Idukki district.

• The new species has been named due to the peculiar shape of its bag, which resembles a wizard’s hat.
• It is the fourth species of this genus to be discovered from India.
• Features:
• It has the clever camouflage employed to escape predators.
• Larval cases of this species are found attached to rocks covered with lichens.
• The cases attach to each other and form a lichen covered colony.
• The larval bags look like a ‘witch’s hat’ because of a disc-like anterior and a tubular posterior part.
• It is not a polyphagous pest as its larvae only feed on the algae and mosses on the rocks.

Hence option (c) is the correct answer.

A hybrid species of Atlantic puffins that formed in the last century was recently discovered by scientists.

About Atlantic Puffin:

• It is a species of small seabird in the auk family.
• It's the only puffin species found in the Atlantic Ocean.
• Scientific Name: Fratercula arctica
• Habitat: It is found on rocky coasts in the Northern Atlantic Ocean during the breeding season and on the open ocean in the non-breeding season.
• Geographical Range:
• It is a migratory species, spending most of the time traveling back and forth across the Atlantic Ocean, returning every breeding season to its native breeding areas.
• Sixty percent of the individuals inhabit the coast of Iceland during the breeding season.
• It has also been found off the coast of Greenland, the United Kingdom, Eastern Canada, and the Netherlands, as well as Ireland.
• Features:
• It is a short and stocky diving seabird about 12 inches in length with a wingspan of 20-24 inches.
• It is black on its uppersides and white on its chest and belly.
• Males and females look alike.
• It has bright orange webbed feet; a white face and cheeks; and a large, triangular parrot-like bill that is bright red and yellow. 
• They fly through the air like most birds, but they also "fly" through the water, using their wings as paddles.
• They are also speedy in the air. They flap their wings up to 400 times a minute, speeding along in the air at 55 miles an hour.
• Diet: Puffins eat small fish—such as sand eels and herring—which they hunt underwater. 

Hence option b is the correct answer.

Prime Minister recently chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress made in realising his dream of making 2 crore 'Lakhpati Didis' in India.

About Lakhpati Didi Initiative:

• It was announced by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech on August 15, 2023.
• Objective: To encourage women to start micro-enterprises within their villages.
• Under the Lakhpati Didi Initiative, the government aims to train two crore women.
• The programme is aimed at training women in self-help groups (SHGs) so that they can earn a sustainable income of at least Rs 1 lakh per annum per household. 
• The initiative has been initiated by DAY-NRLM, wherein each SHG household is encouraged to take up multiple livelihood activities coupled with value chain interventions, resulting in a sustainable income of Rs 1 lakh or more per year.
• Under this scheme, women will be trained in various skills, such as plumbing, LED bulb making, drone operation and repair, and tailoring and weaving.
• After completing the training, women will be provided with opportunities to earn income using their skills.
• The Ministry of Rural Development is adopting a whole-of-government approach for maximum impact through convergence to transform the rural economy with the enabling of ‘Lakhpati Didis’.

Hence both statements are correct.

The forest department started the inaugural jungle safari at the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve recently.

About Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve:

• Location: Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, popularly known as Darrah Wildlife Sanctuary, is spread across 4 districts – Bundi, Kota, Jhalawar, and Chittorgarh in Rajasthan.
• The park is situated in a valley formed by two parallel mountains, Mukundra and Gargola.
• The tiger reserve was constituted in the year 2013, which encompasses the area of Mukundra National Park, Dara Sanctuary, Jawahar Sagar Sanctuary, and part of Chambal Sanctuary.
• It was once a hunting preserve belonging to the Maharaja of Kota.
• River: It is located on the eastern bank of the Chambal River and is drained by its tributaries.
• Vegetation: Dry Deciduous Forest
• Flora:
• Kala Dhok or Kaladhi (Anogeissus pendula) is the predominant species, along with Khair, Ber, Kakan, Raunj, etc.
• On higher slopes, Anogeissus pendula is replaced by Anogeissus latifolia, along with Bel, Salar, Uum, and Shisham.
• Fauna:
• The important fauna includes Leopard, Sloth bear, Nilgai, Chinkara, Spotted Deer, Small Indian Civet, Toddy Cat, Jackal, Hyena, Jungle Cat, Common Langur, etc.
• The common reptiles and amphibians are Pythons, Rat Snake, Buff-striped keelbacks, Green keelback, crocodiles, Gharial, Otter, and Turtles.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

The government recently tightened its oversight over the selected applicants under the Production Linked Incentive for white goods.

About White Goods:

• White goods are large home appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, tumble driers, dishwashers, and air conditioners. 
• They are large consumer durables for the house which were traditionally available only in white.
• Even though you can purchase them today in a wide range of different colors, they continue being called white goods.
• White goods are known for their durability and longevity, as they are designed to withstand the demands of daily use.
• The term may also refer to white fabrics, especially linen or cotton – articles such as curtains, towels, or sheets that historically used to be made of white cloth.
• In the beverage industry, white goods are colorless spirits, such as vodka or gin.

What are Brown Goods?

• They are relatively light electronic consumer durables such as computers, digital media players, TVs and radios.
• Unlike large household appliances (white goods), brown goods are more focused on entertainment, communication, and convenience.
• These devices often have electronic components, and their primary function is to provide audio, video, or data-related services.

Hence option b is the correct answer.

Shaligrams, worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists for over 2,000 years, are becoming rarer because of climate change.

• For more than 2,000 years, Hinduism, Buddhism and the shamanic Himalayan religion of Bon have venerated Shaligrams.
• These are ancient fossils of ammonites, a class of extinct sea creatures related to modern squids.
• Originating from a single remote region in northern Nepal in the Kali Gandaki River Valley of Mustang.
• These stones are viewed primarily as manifestations of the Hindu god Vishnu.
• Because they are not human-made, but created by the landscape, they are believed to have an intrinsic consciousness of their own.
• As a result, Shaligrams are kept in homes and in temples, where they are treated as both living gods and active community members.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, scientists from IIT-Roorkee and Geological Survey of India (GSI) have discovered the oldest fossil remains of dicraeosaurid dinosaur in Jaisalmer.

• It is a long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur species.
• The remains are 167 million years old and belong to a new species, unknown to scientists thus far.
• It has been named ‘Tharosaurus indicus’, the first name referring to the ‘Thar desert’ where the fossils were found, and the second after its country of origin.
• According to the scientists, fossils of dicraeosaurid dinosaurs have been found previously in North and South Americas, Africa and China, but such fossils were not known from India.
• The rocks in which the fossils were found are dated to be around 167 million years old, which makes this new Indian sauropod not only the oldest known dicraeosaurid but also globally the oldest diplodocoid (broader group which includes dicraeosaurids and other closely related sauropods).
• Theories so far had suggested that the oldest dicraeosaurid was from China (about 166-164 million years old).

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently,the Central government has told the Karnataka High Court that it will look into the matter of the ‘Havana Syndrome’ in India, in response to a Bengaluru resident’s recent petition.

• It refers to a set of mental health symptoms that are said to be experienced by United States intelligence and embassy officials in various countries.
• It is worth noting that in general, the word ‘syndrome’ simply means a set of symptoms.
• It does not mean a unique medical condition, but rather a set of symptoms that are usually experienced together whose origins may be difficult to confirm.
•  Symptoms: Such as hearing certain sounds without any outside noise, nausea, vertigo and headaches, memory loss and balance issues.
• Origin
• As the name suggests, it traces its roots to Cuba in late 2016.
•  This was about a year after the US opened its embassy in the capital city of Havana after ties between the two countries were normalised in 2015.
• Some US intelligence officials and members of the staff at the embassy began experiencing sudden bursts of pressure in their brains followed by persistent headaches, feelings of disorientation and insomnia.
• In India, the first such case was reported in 2021, when a US intelligence officer travelling to New Delhi with CIA director William Burns reported symptoms of Havana Syndrome.
• No one isentirely sure about the causes of this syndrome.

Hence, option d is the correct answer.