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

NASA recently announced the crew that will fly aboard its Artemis II mission.

About Artemis II Mission:

• It will be the first mission to carry humans to the moon's vicinity since 1972.
• It is the second scheduled flight of the Artemis program and the first crewed Artemis mission. 
• During Artemis II, four astronauts will fly around the moon before returning to Earth.
• It will use the huge Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket and Orion spacecraft to launch the crew on the lunar flyby mission.
• The astronauts and mission controllers will collect data on Orion and the crew's performance to assess how ready the Artemis program is to send people to the moon's surface.

Key Facts of Artemis Program:

• It is NASA's program to return astronauts to the Moon, preparing the way for human missions to Mars.
• It aim to "land the first woman and first person of colour on the Moon", explore the lunar surface.
• The Artemis program includes the construction of the Lunar Gateway space station in orbit around the Moon.
• Artemis I: An uncrewed test flight of the Orion spacecraft, launched on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on November 16, 2022.

Hence both statements are correct.

Hyderabad based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) has found large deposits of 15 rare earth elements (REE) in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district.

About Rare Earth Elements (REE):

• REE are a set of seventeen elements in the periodic table. These include the fifteen lanthanides on the periodic table plus scandium and yttrium.
• REE are all metals, and the group is often referred to as the "rare earth metals.
• Although called "rare", they are actually found relatively abundantly in the Earth's crust.
• Why they are called "rare"? These metals are very difficult to mine because it is unusual to find them in concentrations high enough for economical extraction.
• These metals have many similar properties, and that often causes them to be found together in geologic deposits.
• They are also referred to as "rare earth oxides" because many of them are typically sold as oxide compounds.
• Applications:
• REE and alloys that contain them are used in many devices that people use every day such as computer memory, DVDs, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, catalytic converters, magnets, fluorescent lighting and much more.
• Rare earths are used as catalysts, phosphors, and polishing compounds.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Experts deliberated on ways to strengthen the National Mission in Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) at the National Workshop on Technology Innovation in Cyber-Physical Systems (TIPS).

• It was launched in 2018 at a total outlay of Rs.3660 Crores for a period of five years.
• Objectives: It is a comprehensive mission to address technology development, application development, human resource development & skill enhancement, entrepreneurship and start-up development in CPS and associated technologies.
• As part of the Mission implementation, 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) have been established in advanced technologies in reputed institutes across the country.
• Nodal Ministry: It is being implemented by the Department of Science & Technology under the Ministry of Science and Technology
• Cyber-Physical Systems combine digital/cyber elements with physical objects (e.g. machines, autonomous vehicles) and data with capabilities of communication, data collection & processing, computing, decision making and action
• It is an integrated system involving Sensors, Communication, Actuators, Control, interconnected computing networks and data analytics.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, NASA’s high-resolution air pollution monitoring instrument TEMPO was launched by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. 

• It will monitor major air pollutants across North America.
• Observations:
  • It will make important scientific observations, including that of ozone, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and formaldehyde levels.
  • It is capable of measuring air quality over North America hourly during the daytime with a resolution of several square miles.
  • It monitors the effects of everything from rush-hour traffic to pollution from forest fires and volcanoes.
  • The present pollution-monitoring satellites are in low Earth orbit (LEO), but this new monitoring instrument is hosted in geostationary orbit.
• After this launch, NASA joined South Korea’s Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer and the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-4 satellite to become an air quality monitoring satellite constellation. 

Hence both statements are not correct.

On the eve of the Rongali Bihu the Assam government has planned a spectacle around the folk dance and 11,140 artists from all districts of the state will perform together at Guwahati’s Sarusajai Stadium.

• It is one of the major festivals of Assam which is commonly known as Bohag Bihu
• It is the most popular Bihu that celebrates the onset of the Assamese New Year and the coming of spring. 
• The word 'Rongali' is derived from 'Rong' which means Happiness and celebrations.
• This festival reflects the rich culture of Assamese society.
• During the celebration, traditional pat or muga silk or cotton mekhela chadors are worn by ladies (the two-piece attire). 
• As a sign of affection and respect, gamocha, the traditional Assamese towel, also known as Bihuwaan, is exchanged.
• The first Bihu is known as the Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu, which is celebrated in the month of April.
• The second Bihu is known as Kati Bihu or Kongali Bihu, which is celebrated during the month of October
• Finally, there is Magh Bihu, which is observed during the month of January.

Hence both statements are correct.

Seventy-one Chinese military aircraft crossed the sensitive median line of the Taiwan Strait recently as China began drills around Taiwan.

About Taiwan Strait:

• Taiwan Strait, also called Formosa Strait, is a 180-kilometre-wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia.
• The strait extends from southwest to northeast between the South and East China Seas.
• The narrowest part is 130 km wide.
• It reaches a depth of about 230 feet (70 m) and contains the Pescadores Islands (which are controlled by the government of Taiwan). 
• The chief ports are Amoy in mainland China and Kao-hsiung in Taiwan. 
• Median line of the Taiwan Strait:
• It is the informal dividing line in the Taiwan Strait between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. 
• It came about during the Cold War as a way to try and delineate the two opposing sides and reduce the risk of clashes
• No agreement or treaty ever solidified its status. But over the decades, it helped keep Taiwan and China's militaries apart.

Hence both statements are correct.

The International Trade Union Confederation and its Global Unions partners are calling for the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to overhaul the multilateral system and take bold action to ensure a new social contract for a sustainable recovery.

About International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC):

• It is an organization established in 2006, that promotes the trade union movement.
• It represents 176 million workers in 161 countries and territories and has 325 national affiliates.
• Mission: Promotion and defence of workers’ rights and interests, through international cooperation between trade unions, global campaigning and advocacy within the major global institutions. 
• Its main areas of activity include the following: trade union and human rights; economy, society and the workplace; equality and non-discrimination; and international solidarity.
• It is governed by four-yearly world congresses, a General Council and an Executive Bureau.
• It works closely with the International Labour Organisation and with several other UN Specialised Agencies.
• Headquarters: Belgium

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Prime Minister recently released the summary report of the 5th cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation.

Highlights of the 5th cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation:

• India's tiger population rose by 200 in the past four years to reach 3,167 in 2022.
• According to the data, the tiger population was 1,411 in 2006, 1,706 in 2010, 2,226 in 2014, 2,967 in 2018 and 3,167 in 2022
• The number of tigers has almost doubled in the last two decades in the country.
• As many as 1,161 of India’s tigers are now in Central India, 824 in the Western Ghats, 804 in the Shivalik Range, 194 in the North-eastern states and 100 in the Sunderbans. 
• The Western Ghats, which are home to the largest tiger population in the world, have shown a significant fall in the occupancy of tigers.
• Tiger occupancy has also declined in the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana.
• The north-western states such as Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh now have more tigers outside reserves, requiring officials to step up habitat conservation.
• The period covered in the survey — 2018 to 2022 — also saw 551 tiger deaths, with 208 of them adults. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), March 2023 saw variations on several meteorological fronts.

• It is the most ambitious Earth observation programme to date.
• It was previously known as the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme
• This initiative is headed by the European Commission (EC) in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA).
• Objectives: It will provide accurate, timely and easily accessible information to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security.
• Services provided by Copernicus fall into 6 categories: Land management, the marine environment, the atmosphere, emergency response, security and climate change.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

In the recently held United Nations Water Conference 2023, the World Meteorological Organisation’s Hydrological Status and Outlook System offered a data analysis tool for simulation.

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN).
• It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was founded in 1873. 
• Established in 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the UN for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences.
• Headquarters:  Geneva, Switzerland.
• Currently, it has a membership of 187 countries.
• India is a member of the WMO since 1949 and has a permanent representative in the organization.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.