Daily Current Affairs MCQ- September 4, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has developed open-source software which allows countries to effectively manage national data and processes for trading carbon credits. 

• National Carbon Registry software has recently been accredited as a digital public good (DPG).
• As a DPG, the registry uses open-source code, which allows countries to replicate and adapt the information to fit their own needs and contexts.
• The registry’s modules, software and technical documentation can be reused and tailored by countries, which could potentially reduce production costs and implementation timelines. 
• The registry follows national and international best practices which includes UNDP, the World Bank, the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Key facts about United Nations Development Programme 

• It is the United Nations lead agency on international development.
• It works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality.
• It helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Its work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience.

Hence both statements are correct.

The National eGovernance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is set to integrate Personalised Adaptive Learning (PAL) into its existing Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) platform.

• It is a national platform for school education, an initiative of National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT), Ministry of Education.
• It provides e-content for schools via an online portal and a mobile application.
• It was developed based on the core principles of open architecture, open access, open licensing, choice and autonomy.
• It is built on open source technology that is made in India and for India, incorporating internet scale technologies and allowing for a variety of use-cases and solutions for teaching and learning.
• Features
• The core building blocks of DIKSHA comprise majority of National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) building blocks, having enabled some successful use-cases of NDEAR such as: energized textbooks, online courses, content authoring, content sourcing, interactive quizzes, question banks, chatbot, analytics and dashboard.
• To aid teaching and learning for Children With Special Needs (CWSN), a large number of audio books, ISL (Indian Sign Language) Videos and Dictionary have been made available on DIKSHA for CWSN.

Hence both statements are correct.

Marut Drones recently secured type certification approvals from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for its AG-365S kisan drone for use in agriculture 

Why in News?

• Under the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Rules-2021, drones equipped with a Unique Identification Number (UIN) are permitted to operate in Indian airspace.
• By obtaining this certification, Marut Drones is now able to offer its agricultural drone technology to farmers across the country.

About AG 365S:

• It is a multi-utility agricultural drone in the small category (less than 25kg).
• It has been designed and developed by Marut Drones, an Indian drone technology company based in Hyderabad.
• Purpose: The made-in-India kisan drone – AG 365 has been developed particularly for agricultural purposes to reduce crop loss, lower agrochemical usage, better yield and profits to the farmers.
• It is the first multi-utility agriculture small-category drone to receive the DGCA-approved type certificate in India.
• Features:
• The AG-365S drone has the highest endurance of 22 minutes.
• It is equipped with advanced obstacle and terrain sensors, which enables safe and smooth operations even in rough and patchy terrains.
• It is equipped with multiple payloads, and one AG-365S can be used for spraying pesticides, granular spreader and also for running RPTO drone training academies. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Meghalaya government recently adopted AI-enabled robotic technology to keep its tourist hotspot, Umiam Lake, free of pollutants. 

About Umiam Lake:

• Location:
• Umiam Lake, also known as Barapani Lake, is a lake  in the state of Meghalaya 15 km (9.3 miles) north of Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya.
• It is encircled by lush green East Khasi hills.
• It is one of the biggest artificial lakes in Meghalaya, spread over an area of 10 square km.
• History:
• The lake was formed after a dam was constructed to generate hydroelectric power in 1965. 
• The dam was a part of northeast India’s first hydel power project called the Umiam Umtru Hydroelectric Power Project.
• Source of Water: The confluence of the two streams, Umkhrah and Umshvrpi, form the Wah Ro-ro stream in the northwest of the town and joins River Umiam, the main source of water for the lake.
• The principal catchment area of the lake and dam is spread over 220 square km, which includes Shillong and its adjoining areas.
• It is a popular venue for the water sport and adventure facilities. 

Hence option b is the correct answer.

Dr. P V Satyanarayana, Principal Scientist at the Agricultural Research Station, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Ragolu, has been recently awarded the prestigious Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Award.

About M.S. Swaminathan Award:

• It was instituted in 2004 with the objective to recognize the lifetime contributions of eminent persons who have made great impacts and outstanding contributions to agricultural research and development and to the overall food security and sustainability of agriculture, with special reference to India.
• It is named after the doyen of Indian Agriculture, Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman, M.S Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai.
• It is a biennial award constituted by the Retired Indian Council of Agricultural Research Employees Association (RICAREA) and Nuziveedu Seeds Limited (NSL).
• The award carries a Cash prize of Rs.2 lakhs (Rupees Two Lakhs only), a Medal, and a Citation.
• The award is open to all, irrespective of his/her nationality.

Who was M.S. Swaminathan?

• Dr. Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, often referred to as Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, is a renowned Indian agricultural scientist and geneticist.
• Green Revolution in India:
• He is often referred to as the "Father of the Green Revolution in India."
• His research and work in crop breeding, particularly for wheat and rice, led to the development of high-yielding varieties that significantly increased agricultural productivity.
• This Green Revolution helped India overcome food shortages and played a crucial role in the country's agricultural transformation.
• In recognition of his outstanding contributions, he was awarded the first World Food Prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award and many other national and international honors.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the COVID-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) has announced three new licensing agreements acquired through the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP). 

• It was launched in May 2020 by the WHO and the Government of Costa Rica with the support of 44 Member States, UN Development Programme, Unitaid, UNAIDS, and implementing partners such as MPP.
• It works under the principles of the Solidarity call to action.
• It was designed to serve as a platform for developers of COVID-19 therapeutics, diagnostics, vaccines and other health products to voluntarily share their intellectual property, knowledge, and data to accelerate technological innovation and expand global production capacity.

Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

As per Reserve Bank of India’s Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI), Digital payments across the country registered a growth of 13.24% in a year through March 2023.

• It has been constructed by the RBI to measure the extent of digitisation of payments across the country.
• It is based on multiple parameters and reflects the expansion of various digital payment modes accurately.
• It is a first-of-its kind index to measure the spread of digital payments across the country.
• It contains five broad parameters that measure the deepening and penetration of digital payments in the country over different time periods.
• Payment Enablers with a weight of 25% (Internet, mobile, Aadhaar, bank accounts, participants, merchants)
• Payment Infrastructure – Demand-side factors weight 10% (Debit and credit cards, PPIs, Customers registered in mobile and internet banking, FASTags),
• Payment Infrastructure – Supply-side factors weight 15% (Bank branches, BCs, ATMs, PoS Terminals, QR Codes, Intermediaries),
• Payment Performance – weight 45% (Digital payment volumes, value, unique users, paper clearing, currency in circulation, cash withdrawals) and
• Consumer Centricity weight – 5% (awareness and education, declines, complaints, frauds, system downtime).
• The base period of the index is March 2018.
• The index has been published on a semi-annual basis from March 2021 onwards with a lag of 4 months.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The prolonged cold weather and rains have devastated the cherry crop in the Kashmir Valley.

• Cherries are delicious and nutritious fruits that belong to the genus Prunus.
• It is a delicate crop and extremely sensitive to extreme weather conditions.
• Having a very low shelf life, cherries cannot sustain heavy rains or high temperatures.
• The Kashmir Valley contributes to 95 per cent of the total cherry production in India.
• Eight cherry varieties grown in Kashmir include makhmali, siya, mishri, jaddi, Italy, dabal, vishkan and stela.
• Climate:
• It requires cool weather conditions with temperatures ranging between 15°C to 25°C during the growing season.
• They also require a period of winter dormancy with temperatures below 7°C to induce flowering.
• Soil: The soil should be well-draining, rich in organic matter, and have a pH between 6.0 to 7.5.
• Planting: Cherry trees can be propagated by grafting onto rootstocks. The ideal time for planting is during the winter months from December to February.
• Intercropping: Some suitable intercropping crops for cherry cultivation in India include legumes, such as peas and beans, and leafy vegetables, such as spinach and lettuce.
• Fertilization: Fertilizers rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium should be applied in adequate amounts to promote healthy growth and fruit development.
• Harvesting: Cherries can be harvested when they reach maturity, usually in late May to early June.
• Area of Cultivation: They are primarily grown in the northern regions of India, particularly in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) Prayagraj Centre have discovered a new plant species Pedicularis Revealiana, in the state of Sikkim.

• It is unique among all Pedicularis species.
• It is stout and woody stems, bears minute flowers of pinkish-purple colour.
• It is a hemiparasitic plant species.
• Along with making its own food, it has the ability to gather nutrients from the roots of trees and plants located nearby.
• This new flora is found in remote forests, which are covered with snow for most of the year.
• This genus includes about 677 species worldwide, of which 82 species, 13 subspecies and nine varieties have been reported so far in India.
• Pendicularis revealiana is the 83rd species reported by the botanists and the plant is commonly known as a perennial herb.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

Recently, Bengaluru has become the first Indian city to become part of the World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF).

• It was founded in 2012 by Justine Simons OBE, London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture & the Creative Industries.
• It is a global network of cities that share research and intelligence, and explore the role of culture in future prosperity.
• The network currently has 40 cities spanning six continents. 
• Bengaluru being the latest addition is set to join the league of cities like New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Dubai among others.
• World cities culture summit hosted on a rotating basis by city partners, an unprecedented gathering of city leaders sharing ideas and knowledge about culture’s role in public policy in a world city context.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.