Daily Current Affairs MCQ- October 25, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

Indian Army’s 4th round of emergency procurement is to be from India

• The Indian Army, which has made three tranches of Emergency Procurements (EP) in the last few years, is preparing for a fourth round of EP which will be entirely from the domestic industry.
• Three tranches of EPs were executed under which 68 contracts worth ₹6,000 crore were placed.

Emergency financial powers:

• Emergency financial powers were granted to the armed forces by the Defence Ministry in the past under which they could procure weapons systems up to ₹300 crores on an “urgent basis without any further clearances to cut short the procurement cycle.
• It also gives them an opportunity to test various systems in the field before going in for larger acquisition through the capital budget route.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

German Chancellor recently said that Russia is using ‘scorched-earth tactics’ in Ukraine.

• Scorched earth tactics form part of a military strategy which seeks to destroy anything that could be of use to the enemy, including energy supplies, bridges, provision stores, agricultural fields, road and railway links, etc.
• The destruction could be carried out by the enemy, or by the retreating army of a country which does not want invaders to use its resources.
• Harming civilians as part of this strategy has been banned under the 1977 Geneva Convention.
• The strategy seeks to deplete the enemy’s resources to sustain warfare, and also break their morale by inflicting heavy hardships on combatants and non-combatants alike.
• According to the Oxford Reference, the “term was first used in English in 1937 in a report of the Sino-Japanese conflict, and is apparently a translation of Chinese jiāotŭ”.

Hence both statements are correct.

If realised, Cyclone Sitrang will be the first cyclone to develop in the Bay of Bengal in October since 2018, and will be called Sitrang, as named by Thailand. The last October cyclone in the Bay of Bengal was Titli in 2018.

• The months of October-November and May-June see storms of severe intensity develop in the North Indian Ocean — comprising the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea — with an average of five developing in a calendar year.
• In the past 131 years, October saw 61 storms develop in the Bay of Bengal, according to the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC).
• The east coast, notably Odisha, has faced many of its severest storms in October, including the Super Cyclone of 1999.

Formation:

• After the withdrawal of the Southwest monsoon, there is a rise in ocean heating, which leads to rise in sea surface temperature over the Bay of Bengal.
• The atmospheric moisture availability over the ocean region, too, is higher.
• So, when remnant systems from the South China Sea reach the Bay of Bengal, they get conducive conditions, aiding the formation and intensification of cyclones in October.
• In some years, ocean-atmospheric factors hinder this phenomenon.
• For instance, in 2020, weak La Nina conditions along the equatorial Pacific Ocean prevented a cyclonic formation near India’s coasts.

Cyclones in the Arabian Sea:

• In comparison with the Bay of Bengal, only 32 storms have developed in the Arabian Sea in October since 1891.
• Climatologically too, the IMD states that of the five storms formed in the North Indian Ocean in a calendar year, four are in the Bay of Bengal and one in Arabian Sea.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Election Commission of India recently invites entries from Media Houses for the National Media Award for best campaign on Voter’s Education and Awareness during the year 2022. 

• The awards are to recognise the outstanding contribution by Media Houses to promote electoral participation by creating awareness about accessible elections, educating people about the electoral process and raising awareness among the general public about the relevance and importance of voting and registration.
• The awards will be in the form of a citation, plaque and cash prize and will be presented on the National Voter’s Day (25th January, 2023).
• The awards will be given in following four categories:
• Print Media
• Electronic (Television) Media
• Electronic (Radio) Media and
• Online (Internet)/Social Media

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi recently launched Mission DefSpace in Gandhinagar.

• The space programme aims to develop innovative solutions for the Defence Forces through industry & startups.
• Importantly, the initiative will prepare India for future possibilities in space domain and will also increase the country’s preparation further.
• Under Mission DefSpace, 75 challenges are being opened to get innovative solutions, based on the defence requirements in the space domain.
• The programme will focus on various challenges in this area that have been reviewed and identified by the three defence services.

Hence both statements are correct.

Pakistan is off the ‘grey list’ of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) after four years

• The FATF is a global watchdog that was founded to tackle money laundering initially but its role became prominent post the 9/11 terror attacks. Following the attacks, the FATF expanded its operations and included terror financing under its purview.
• There are currently 39 members of the FATF; 37 jurisdictions and 2 regional organisations (the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Commission). 
• The FATF maintains two lists –
  • a blacklist and a grey list.
• Countries on its blacklist are those that the watchdog deems non-cooperative in the global effort to curb money laundering and terror-financing.
• The grey list are officially referred to as ‘Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring’.
  • 23 countries remain under watch.
  • Among these countries are the Philippines, Syria, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates, Uganda, Morocco, Jamaica, Cambodia, Burkina Faso, and South Sudan, and the tax havens of Barbados, Cayman Islands, and Panama.
• It constitutes those nations that present significant risks of money laundering and terror-financing but which have committed to working closely with the FATF in the development and implementation of action plans that address their deficiencies.
• If the country is not actively tackling money laundering or terror funding, it is then blacklisted.
• So far, only two countries have been blacklisted, they are Iran and North Korea.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Union Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan recently launched the draft of National Credit Framework (NCrF) for public consultation.

• National Credit Framework is a next generation, multidimensional instrument under National Education Policy (NEP).
• National Credit Framework (NCrF) aims to enable the integration of academic and vocational domains to ensure flexibility and mobility between the two.
• It is an umbrella framework for skilling, re-skilling, up-skilling, accreditation & evaluation encompassing our people in educational & skilling institutions and workforce.

Hence both statements are correct.

The recent sighting of three Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) deep in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert has given rise to speculation that the endangered birds might have flown across the international border from India’s Desert National Park (DNP).

• The Great Indian Bustard, found mainly in the Indian subcontinent, is the flagship grassland species of India.
• It is one of the largest flying birds in the world, and India’s heaviest flying bird.
• The male bird weighs upto 12-15 kg and female bird up to 5-8 kg.
• Physical description: 
  • Black crown on the forehead contrasting with the pale neck and head.
  • The body is brownish and the wings are marked with black, brown and grey.
• Diet: 
  • They feed on grass seeds, insects like grasshoppers and beetles, and sometimes even small rodents and reptiles. The species primarily feed on meswak, sewan grass.
• Distribution:
  • Its population of about 150 in Rajasthan accounts for 95% of its total world population.
  • They are mainly in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, including the Desert National Park which is the natural habitat of the species.
  • Grasslands of Kutch in Gujarat which is home to second-largest bustard population in India.
  • Arid regions of Maharashtra (Solapur), Karnataka (Bellary and Haveri) and Andhra Pradesh (Kurnool)
  • It is the State bird of Rajasthan.
• Conservation status:
  • Listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972,
  • Listed in Appendix I of CITES,
  • Listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
• Breeding season:
  • The breeding season spans from March to October.
• Captive breeding:
  • The captive breeding of GIBs was taken up in the DNP through a project executed by the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India in 2019.
  • As many as 24 GIB chicks are being reared in DNP by a team supported by the International Fund for Houbara Conservation of United Arab Emirates.
• Threats: 
  • Occasional poaching outside Protected Areas,
  • Habitat loss due to widespread agricultural expansion, infrastructural development such as irrigation, roads, electric poles, as well as mining and industrialization,
  • Bustards, with their poor frontal vision and heavy bodies, have also died due to collision with high tension electric wires.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

In the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) awards 2021, Uttar Pradesh bagged the first position followed by Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu at second and third place, respectively. Gujarat won five special category awards.

• Implementation: 
  • The Mission will be implemented during 2015-2022.
  • It is implemented by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• Mission: To achieve the goal of Housing for All in Urban areas by 2022, when the Nation completes 75 years of its Independence.
• Features: Under it, central assistance will be provided to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and other implementing agencies through States/UTs for:
  • In-situ Rehabilitation of existing slum dwellers using land as a resource through private participation
  • Credit Linked Subsidy
  • Affordable Housing in Partnership
  • Subsidy for Beneficiary-led individual house construction/enhancement.
• Funding: Credit linked subsidy component will be implemented as a Central Sector Scheme while other three components will be implemented as Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
• Eligibility: All statutory towns as per Census 2011 and towns notified subsequently would be eligible for coverage under the Mission.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar recently described “quality, quantity and continuity” as the core principles for the success of Jal Jeevan Mission.

• Mission Objective: To ensure HarGharJal (piped water supply) to all rural households by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• Executing agency: Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Jal Shakti Mantralaya.
• Strategy:
  • This Mission will focus on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level, including creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse in agriculture.
  • The  Mission will converge with other Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply management across the country.
• Funding Pattern:
• The fund sharing pattern is in the proportion of:
  • 50:50 between Centre and States,
  • 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States.
    In case of UTs, 100% funding is provided by the Central government.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.