Daily Current Affairs MCQ- November 18, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

A big star met its demise in a massive explosion called a supernova that unleashed a huge burst of gamma rays traversed the cosmos which reached Earth last year, caused a significant disturbance in Earth's ionosphere.

• It is a powerful astronomical cosmic burst of high-energy gamma-ray.
• It emits more energy in a few seconds than our Sun will emit in its lifetime.
• It has two distinct emission phases: the short-lived prompt emission (the initial burst phase that emits gamma-rays), followed by a long-lived multi-wavelength afterglow phase. 
• The shortest GRBs likely mark the collision of two compact stellar remnants called neutron stars, and the longest bursts are thought to arise when a massive, rapidly spinning star collapses to form a black hole.
• Sources of Gamma Ray
• They are produced by the hottest and most energetic objects in the universe, such as neutron stars and pulsars, supernova explosions, and regions around black holes.
• On Earth, gamma waves are generated by nuclear explosions, lightning, and the less dramatic activity of radioactive decay.

Hence both statements are correct.

A team of scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have reported the discovery of two new plant species from the evergreen forest patches in the southern end of the Western Ghats.

• The new species Musseanda conferta and Rungia longistachya were discovered during recent explorations by BSI scientists.
• Musseanda conferta 
• It was discovered from the rocky areas of Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary and is related to the Musseanda hirsutisima family.
• It prefers the vicinity of rocks in the high-altitude grassland ecosystems.
• It has attractive flowers and the ornamental potential of this plant can be explored.
• Rungia longistachya 
• It belongs to the family of Acanthaceae. 
• It was discovered from the moist places of Anamalai regions near the Idukki dam site in Kerala.
• The plant is an herb and grows in the margins of evergreen forests.
• Only eleven species of Rungia have been reported from the Western Ghats and the newly discovered plant has got distinct narrow long spike with long slender peduncle and light pinkish white flowers,

Hence option d is the correct answer.

Scientists are gaining a fuller understanding of Eris and its differences with Pluto. 

• It was discovered on Jan. 5, 2005.
• It is named after the ancient Greek goddess of discord.
• It is a member of a group of objects that orbit in a disc-like zone beyond the orbit of Neptune called the Kuiper Belt.
• It appears to have a rocky interior below a shell of ice. 
• It has about 25% more mass than Pluto.
• Eris orbits at an average of about 68 times further from the sun than Earth, taking 557 years to complete one orbit.
• It completes one rotation every 25.9 hours, making its day length similar to ours.
• It has a very small moon called Dysnomia which has a nearly circular orbit lasting about 16 days.
• Just like the Earth-moon system, tides on Eris slowly push Dysnomia away and slow down the spin of Eris and this process has gone to completion.
• Eris and Dysnomia always present the same face to the other.
• Atmosphere
• The dwarf planet is often so far from the Sun that its atmosphere collapses and freezes, falling to the surface as snow.
• As it gets closest to the Sun in its faraway orbit, the atmosphere thaws.

What is Dwarf Planet?

• It is a celestial body that -orbits the sun has enough mass to assume a nearly round shape, has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit and is not a moon.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

In the Peruvian Amazon, an extended heat wave and drought have shortened the incubation period for thousands of yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle hatchlings released into the river by biologists as part of a local environmental program.

• It is also known as side-necked turtles which cannot retract their head into their shell.
• Hatchlings have very obvious yellow spots on their heads, which shrink as they grow.
• It has brown or olive-colored shells, are known for their distinctive yellow spots and black scales.
• Males keep some of the yellow spotting; females lose their spots altogether.
• Native Habitat
  • These are native to the Amazon River basin and can be found in the Amazon and Orinoco river systems in Venezuela, eastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, northeastern Peru, the Guianas, Brazil and northern Bolivia.
  • These turtles spend time basking along the riverbanks and in the calm waters of big rivers and streams.
  • They avoid fast-moving waters.
• They are omnivorous, feeding on both vegetation and small animals. 
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Vulnerable

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The great festival of Chhath started recently and is celebrated with great rituals and devotion.

About Chhath Puja:

• It is an important Hindu festival celebrated in states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
• This festival is dedicated to God Surya and his sister Shashti Devi, often referred to as Chhathi Maiya, and it involves religious rituals.
• The most unique feature of this Chhath Puja is that there is no Murti Pujan or Idol Worshipping, unlike most of the festivals of the Hindu religion.
• The festival is celebrated between the months of October and November.
• The Chhath festival begins as the Diwali festival ends.
• It is celebrated for four consecutive days and celebrated with great reverence and dedication.
• The first day of the Chhath Puja includes taking a dip in the holy river/any water body. People also take the Ganges water to their homes to perform special offerings and rituals. Houses are thoroughly cleaned on this day. 
• The second day of Chhath, also known as Kharna, involves devotees observing a day-long fast, which is broken in the late evening after performing the worship of Mother Earth. The offerings to God include rice pudding (kheer) and fruits, which is distributed among family members and friends.
• The third day of Chhath goes into the preparation of the prasad (offerings) for the evening offerings, also known as Sanjhiya Arghya. In the evening, large numbers of devotees gather on the banks of rivers and make offerings (Arghya) to the setting sun. The night of the third day witnesses a colorful event known as Kosi. A canopy is made from sugarcane sticks, and lighted earthen lamps are placed inside the canopy along with baskets filled with prasad.
• On the fourth and final day of Chhath, family members and friends go to the banks of rivers before sunrise and make offerings (Arghya) to the rising sun. After this ritual, devotees break their fast and distribute Prasad to neighbors and relatives.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Australian naval personnel allegedly sustained minor injuries recently, after an “unsafe and unprofessional” conduct by a Chinese warship in international waters off Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

About Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ):

• The concept of an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) was adopted through the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
• EEZ, as defined under UNCLOS, is an area of the ocean extending up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) immediately offshore from a country’s land coast in which that country retains exclusive rights to the exploration and exploitation of natural resources.
• Under international law, within its defined EEZ, a coastal nation has:
• Sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring, exploiting, conserving, and managing the natural resources of the seabed, subsoil, and waters above it.
• Jurisdiction as provided for in international law with regard to the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations, and structures; marine scientific research; and the protection and preservation of the marine environment.
• Other rights and duties provided for under international law.
• Other States have the right for their ships and aircraft to traverse the EEZ and its airspace and to lay cable and pipelines.

What is Territorial Sea?

• The territorial sea extends to a limit of 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a coastal State.
• Within this zone, the coastal State exercises full sovereignty over the air space above the sea and over the seabed and subsoil.
• A coastal State may legislate on matters concerning the safety of navigation, the preservation of the environment, and the prevention, reduction, and control of pollution without any obligation to make these rules compliant with international standards.
• Resource use within the territorial sea is strictly reserved to the coastal State.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

National Epilepsy Day is celebrated every year in India on November 17 to raise awareness around the brain disorder and bust myths surrounding the disease.

About Epilepsy:

• It is a brain disease where nerve cells don’t signal properly, which causes seizures.
• A seizure is usually defined as a sudden alteration of behavior due to a temporary change in the electrical functioning of the brain.
• Normally, the brain continuously generates tiny electrical impulses in an orderly pattern. These impulses travel along neurons—the network of nerve cells in the brain—and throughout the whole body via chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.
• In epilepsy, the brain's electrical rhythms have a tendency to become imbalanced, resulting in recurrent seizures.
• In patients with seizures, the normal electrical pattern is disrupted by sudden and synchronized bursts of electrical energy that may briefly affect their consciousness, movements, or sensations.
• Seizures can be classified into two broad categories, depending on the location of abnormal brain activity.
• Seizure in one part of the brain is called focal seizure, and it is usually accompanied by loss of consciousness, while in cases of generalised seizures, all areas of the brain are involved.
• It is a chronic, noncommunicable disease that affects people of all ages.
• Epilepsy (sometimes referred to as a seizure disorder) can have many different causes and seizure types. 
• Some people may have convulsions (muscles contract repeatedly) and lose consciousness. Others may simply stop what they are doing, have a brief lapse of awareness, and stare into space for a short period of time. 
• Epilepsy may develop as a result of many types of conditions that disrupt normal brain activity, known as “co-occurring conditions”. Examples of conditions that can lead to epilepsy include:
• Brain tumors
• Head trauma
• Alcoholism or alcohol withdrawal
• Alzheimer's disease
• Strokes, heart attacks, and other conditions that deprive the brain of oxygen
• Abnormal blood vessel formation (called arteriovenous malformations) or bleeding in the brain
• Brain inflammation or swelling
• Infections such as meningitis, HIV-related infections, and viral encephalitis
• Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally.
• Nearly 80% of people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries.
• The risk of premature death in people with epilepsy is up to three times higher than for the general population.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

India's indigenously designed and developed light tank, tentatively named Zorawar, is likely to be ready for trials soon.

About Zorawar Light Tank:

• It is an indigenously designed and developed Light Tank.
• It was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro Limited.
• Features:
• It is designed to operate in varying terrain, from high-altitude areas and marginal terrains to island territories.
• It will be highly transportable for rapid deployment to meet any operational situation.
• It will be equipped with all the modern technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, Drone Integration, a high degree of situational awareness, and amphibious operation capability.
• It will weigh less than 25 tonnes with a high power-to-weight ratio as well as superior firepower and protection.

Who was Zorawar?

• He was a military general, Zorawar Singh Kahluria, and had served under Jammu’s Raja Gulab Singh in the 19th Century.
• He is honoured for his conquests in the Himalayas, including Ladakh, Tibet, Baltistan, and Skardu.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

• Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2023, being held in Aundh (Pune) in November 2023, marks the joint effort between Indian and Sri Lankan contingents comprising troops mainly from the Maratha Light Infantry Regiment and the 53 Infantry Division, respectively.
• This exercise focuses on rehearsing sub-conventional operations under the UN Charter's Chapter VII, emphasizing counter-terrorism tactics like raids, heliborne missions, and search-and-destroy operations. Exercise will also involve the employment of Drones and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems

Hence, option A is correct.

OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence:

• The OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence promote AI that is innovative and trustworthy and that respects human rights and democratic values. They were adopted in May 2019 by OECD member countries when they approved the OECD Council Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The OECD AI Principles are the first such principles signed up to by governments. They include concrete recommendations for public policy and strategy, and their general scope ensures they can be applied to AI developments around the world.
• Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Developed by the OECD, AI Network of Experts, the OECD framework for classifying AI systems aims to help policy makers, regulators, legislators and others to assess the opportunities and risks that different types of AI systems present, to inform their AI strategies and ensure policy consistency across borders.