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

The European Union’s delegation in Israel Monday (May 8) cancelled its Europe Day diplomatic reception over the planned participation of far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, saying it “does not want to offer a platform to someone whose views contradict the values EU stands for”.

• Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day or simply, Europe Day) is one of the most important days in the history of Europe.
• It was on May 8, 1945 (May 9 in Eastern Europe) that the surrender of the German armed forces was formally accepted, bringing an end to a war that had killed millions on battlefields, across bombarded cities and in brutal concentration camps.

End of the War in Europe

• World War II officially began in 1939, with Germany’s invasion of Poland drawing Britain into the War.
• While Germany enjoyed initial success, conquering much of Western Europe and making inroads in the East, the Luftwaffe’s failure in the Battle of Britain, Hitler’s doomed invasion of Soviet Russia, and the entry of the US into the conflict in 1941 would soon turn the tide.
• By 1945, Germany faced inevitable defeat.
• On the East, the Red Army marched towards Berlin with its enormous manpower and resource base.
• On the West, British, American and other allied troops hastened towards the German capital, after the successful D-Day landings on June 6, 1944.
• Germany’s biggest European ally Italy had collapsed and the Japanese were preparing for a lengthy campaign to defend their home islands, having lost most of the territory they had gained in the early years of the War.
• Thus, on April 30, 1945, as the Battle of Berlin raged on with both Soviets and Western Allies competing with each other to capture the city, German Fuhrer and Nazi Party supremo Adolf Hitler died by suicide.

Europe Day today:

• However, today, almost every European country marks V-E Day, in remembrance of a War which killed at least 40-50 million people in the continent (including the Soviet death toll). In some countries, Europe Day is a national holiday.
• People across Europe mark the day by flying national flags or white “peace” flags.
• In Russia and former Soviet countries, VE Day is marked with military parades and a display of the nation’s armed strength.
• In Germany, it is celebrated as a sombre occasion, a reminder of the path the country briefly took and a commemoration of the bravery and sacrifice of those within Germany who stood up to the Nazi regime.

Hence both statements are correct.

National e-Governance Division (NeGD), under its Capacity Building scheme, organised 36th CISO Deep-Dive training programme from 8th-12th May 2023 with 24 participants from Central Line Ministries and States/UTs at Indian Institute of Public Administration, New Delhi.

• The five-day intensive training programme is designed for designated CISOs from Central and State/UT Governments, subordinate agencies/PSUs, including public sector banks and insurance companies, technical wings of police and security forces, CTOs and members of technical/PMU teams; also, officers responsible to observe security of IT systems in their respective organisations.
• The deep-dive training specifically aims at educating and enabling CISOs to understand cyber-attacks comprehensively and thoroughly, get necessary exposure in latest technologies of safeguard, and translate the benefits of a resilient e-infrastructure to individual organisations and citizens at large.
• The training also focuses on providing a holistic view of legal provisions, enabling CISOs to formulate policies in the domain of cyber security and build concrete cyber crisis management plans.
• Launched in 2018, the CISO training is the first-of-its-kind of partnership between the Government and industry consortium under Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
• Cyber Surakshit Bharat:
  • Cyber Surakshit Bharat is the initiative of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), which was conceptualised with the mission to spread awareness about cyber-crime and build capacities of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT officials, across all government departments, for ensuring adequate safety measures to combat the growing menace – Organisations need to defend their digital infrastructures and become future-ready in tackling cyber-attacks.

Hence both statements are correct.

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) will organise  the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela (PMNAM) in over 200 districts across the country on May 9, 2023.

• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship will be organising the Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela every month now on.
• It's objective is to connect the youth with more opportunities of on-ground training within corporates and further a chance to get employment.
• Individuals having a 5th-12th grade pass certificate, a skill training certificate, an ITI Diploma, or a graduate degree can apply for an interview across these trades/opportunities.
• The candidates will be given a choice of 500+ trades, including welders, electricians, housekeepers, beauticians, mechanics, and others.
• Candidates will also receive Apprenticeship certificates recognised by the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) at the end of their training period, which will give them industry recognition.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has recently paid homage to Gopal Krishna Gokhale on his birth anniversary.

• Indian National Congress (INC):
  • Gokhale became a member of the Indian National Congress in 1889. He was the leader of the moderate faction of the Congress party.
  • In 1905, he was elected president of the Indian National Congress (Benares Session).
  • He played a leading role in bringing about Morley-Minto Reforms, the beginning of constitutional reforms in India.
• Member in British India Legislature: In 1899, Gokhale was elected to the Bombay Legislative Council and in 1901 he was elected to the Imperial Council of the Governor-General of India.
• Servants of India Society: It was formed by him in Pune (Maharashtra) in 1905 to further the expansion of education in India. The Society organised mobile libraries, founded schools, and provided night classes for factory workers.
• Ranade Institute of Economics: In 1908, he founded the 'Ranade Institute of Economics'.
• Mentor to Gandhi: In his autobiography, Gandhi calls Gokhale his mentor and guide. In 1912, Gokhale visited South Africa at Gandhi's invitation. He received personal guidance from Gokhale, including a knowledge and understanding of India and the issues confronting common Indians.
• Hitavad: He launched the English weekly newspaper named The Hitavad (The people's paper) in 1911.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

PM recently paid tributes to Maharana Pratap on his Jayanti.

• Pratap Singh popularly known as Maharana Pratap, was a king of Mewar, a region in the present day state of Rajasthan.
• He was the eldest son of Udai Singh II (founder of city of Udaipur).
• Battle of Haldighati: It was fought on 18 June 1576 between the forces Maharana Pratap; and the Mughal emperor Akbar's forces, led by Man Singh I of Amber. The Mughals were the victors but failed to capture Pratap, who escaped.
• Resurgence: Mughal pressure on Mewar relaxed after 1579 following rebellions in Bengal and Bihar. Taking advantage of the situation, Pratap recovered Western Mewar including Kumbhalgarh, Udaipur and Gogunda. During this period, he also built a new capital, Chavand, near modern Dungarpur.
• Chetak: Chetak is the name given in traditional literature to the horse ridden by Maharana Pratap at the Battle of Haldighati. However, some Historians debate it. According to tradition, Chetak, although wounded, carried Pratap safely away from the battle, but then died of his wounds. The story is recounted in court poems of Mewar from the 17th century onwards.
• Pratap Gaurav Kendra: It is a tourist spot at Tiger Hill in Udaipur city, Rajasthan. It aims at providing information about Maharana Pratap and the historical heritage of the area with the help of modern technology.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Finance Minister recently chaired the 27th meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC).

About Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC):

• It is an apex-level forum constituted by the Government of India in December 2010.
• Status: FSDC is not a statutory body. No funds are separately allocated to the council for undertaking its activities.
• Objective: Strengthening and institutionalizing the mechanism for maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination and promoting financial sector development.
• Composition:
• It is chaired by the Union Finance Minister of India.
• Its members include the heads of financial sector Regulators (RBI, SEBI, PFRDA, IRDA & FMC) Finance Secretary and/or Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, and Chief Economic Adviser.
• The Council can invite experts to its meeting if required.
• Functions:
• It monitors macroprudential supervision of the economy, including the functioning of large financial conglomerates.
• It addresses inter-regulatory coordination and financial sector development issues.
• It also focuses on financial literacy and financial inclusion.
• Sub-committee of FSDC: 
• A sub-committee of FSDC has also been set up under the chairmanship of Governor RBI. 
• It discusses and decides on a range of issues relating to financial sector development and stability, including substantive issues relating to inter-regulatory coordination.

Hence both statements are correct.

Researchers have recently devised a novel approach to reduce T cell fatigue even in cancers that are resistant to clinically approved immunotherapies.

About T cells:

• T cell is a type of white blood cell.
• It is also called T lymphocyte and thymocyte.
• T cells are part of the immune system and develop from stem cells in the bone marrow.
• They help protect the body from infection and may help fight cancer.
• There are two main types:
• Cytotoxic T-cells: Destroy infected cells.
• Helper T-cells: Send signals that direct other immune cells to fight infection.
• Rather than generically attack any antigens, T cells circulate until they encounter their specific antigen.
• T-cells have many identical T-cell receptors that cover their surfaces and can only bind to one shape of antigen.
• When a T-cell receptor fits with its viral antigen on an infected cell, the Killer T-cell releases cytotoxins to kill that cell.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently developed piezoelectric MEMS (micro electro mechanical system) technology for underwater communication.

About Piezoelectricity:

• Piezoelectricity (also called the piezoelectric effect) is the appearance of an electrical potential (a voltage, in other words) across the sides of a crystal when you subject it to mechanical stress.
• In the reverse piezoelectric effect, a crystal becomes mechanically stressed (deformed in shape) when a voltage is applied across its opposite faces.
• Thus, Piezoelectric materials allow the conversion of energy from the mechanical domain to the electrical domain and vice versa.
• It is due to the spontaneous separation of charge with certain crystal structures under the right conditions.
• There are a wide variety of materials which exhibit this phenomenon, including natural quartz crystals, semi-crystalline polyvinylidene polymer, polycrystalline piezoceramic, bone and even wood.
• Applications:
• They can be used to create various sensors or actuators.
• Piezoelectric transducers are common in ultrasonic applications, such as intrusion detectors and alarms. 
• Piezoelectric devices are employed at AF (audio frequencies) as pickups, microphones, earphones, beepers, and buzzers. 
• In wireless applications, piezoelectricity makes it possible to use crystals and ceramics as oscillators that generate predictable and stable signals at RF (radio frequencies).

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Five Indian Army personnel were recently killed in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir in an explosion caused by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

About Improvised Explosive Device (IED):

• IED is a type of unconventional explosive weapon that can take any form and be activated in a variety of ways.
• IEDs are used by criminals, vandals, terrorists, suicide bombers, and insurgents.
• Because they are improvised, IEDs can come in many forms, ranging from a small pipe bomb to a sophisticated device capable of causing massive damage and loss of life.
• IEDs can be carried or delivered in a vehicle; carried, placed, or thrown by a person; delivered in a package; or concealed on the roadside.
• The extent of damage caused by an IED depends on its size, construction, and placement and whether it incorporates a high explosive or propellant.
• The term IED came into common usage during the Iraq War that began in 2003.
• Elements of an IED:
• It consists of a variety of components that include an initiator, switch, main charge, power source, and container.
• IEDs may be surrounded by or packed with additional materials or “enhancements” such as nails, glass, or metal fragments designed to increase the amount of shrapnel propelled by the explosion.
• An IED can be initiated by a variety of methods depending on the intended target.
• Materials Used as Explosives in IEDs:
• Many commonly available materials, such as fertilizer, gunpowder, and hydrogen peroxide, are used as explosive materials in IEDs.
• Explosives contain fuel and an oxidizer, which provides the oxygen needed to sustain the reaction.

Hence both statements are correct.

Prime Minister recently paid tributes to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore on his birth anniversary.

About Rabindranath Tagore:

• He was a world-renowned poet, litterateur, philosopher and Asia’s first Nobel laureate.
• He was born in Kolkata on May 7, 1861. 
• He was the son of Debendranath Tagore, a prominent philosopher and religious reformer. 
• He was popularly known as Bard of Bengal, and people used to call him Gurudev.
• He introduced new prose and verse forms and the use of colloquial language into Bengali literature, thereby freeing it from traditional models based on classical Sanskrit.
• He was highly influential in introducing Indian culture to the West and vice versa.
• In 1913 he became the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.
• He was also an influential artist and musician. He wrote around 2230 songs and painted 3000 paintings. His songs are known as Rabindra Sangeet.
• Rabindranath Tagore wrote India's national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. He also wrote Amar Sonar Bangla, the national anthem for Bangladesh. The Sri Lankan national anthem was inspired by his work.
• He was awarded a knighthood in 1915, but he repudiated it in 1919 as a protest against the Amritsar (Jallianwalla Bagh) Massacre.
• Viswa Bharti University, which was known as Shantiniketan founded by Rabindranath Tagore.
• Major Works:
• Tagore’s most notable work of poetry is Gitanjali: Song Offerings, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. 
• Other notable poetry publications include Sonar Tari and Manasi.
• He wrote novels, plays, and short stories in both languages, including the plays Chitra and The Post Office.
• He is credited with pioneering the short story form in Bengali literature, with some of his best work collected in The Hungry Stones and Other Stories and The Glimpses of Bengal Life.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.