Daily Current Affairs MCQ- February 16, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday published the guidelines on the clinical management of diphtheria.

• It is a serious contagious bacterial infection of the nose and throat. 
• Cause: It is caused by strains of bacteria called Corynebacterium diphtheriae that make a toxin.
• Transmission:
• It can spread from person to person, usually through respiratory droplets, like from coughing or sneezing. 
• People can also get sick from touching infected open sores or ulcers.
• The bacteria can also infect the skin, causing open sores or ulcers. However, diphtheria skin infections rarely result in severe disease.
• Although diphtheria can be treated with medications, in advanced stages, the bacterial infection can damage the heart, kidneys and nervous system.
• Symptoms: A thick, gray membrane covering the throat and tonsils, sore throat and hoarseness, swollen glands (enlarged lymph nodes) in the neck and difficulty breathing  etc.
• The current treatments include:
• neutralization of unbound toxin with Diphtheria Antitoxin (DAT)
• antibiotics to prevent further bacterial growth;
• monitoring and supportive care to prevent and treat complications, e.g. airway obstruction, myocarditis.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Scientists made a surprising discovery in the foothills of the Western Ghats in India — a Bonnet mushroom growing out of the side of the Golden-backed Frog (Hylarana inter-media) frog.

• It is endemic to the Western Ghats of Karnataka and Kerala, specifically above the Palghat Gap, where it is known to thrive in relative abundance.
• It is about the size of a human thumb.
• Habitat: The Golden backed frog is predominantly found in evergreen and semi-evergreen forests in the Western Ghats of India.
• These frogs prefer to reside near streams, ponds, and other water bodies, where they can lay their eggs and find their food.
• They are primarily insectivorous and feed on a range of small insects and arthropods such as ants, beetles, and crickets.
• Threats: The major threats to the survival of these frogs are habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution of water bodies, and the introduction of non-native species.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Ministry of Coal, Government of India, is set to host an Industry Interaction on in Hyderabad aimed at fostering the development and proliferation of coal/lignite gasification projects across the nation. 

• It is the process of producing syngas, a mixture consisting primarily of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and water vapour (H2O) - from coal and water, air and/or oxygen.
•  Gasification occurs in a gasifier, generally a high temperature/pressure vessel where oxygen and steam are directly contacted with the coal or other feed material causing a series of chemical reactions to occur that convert the feed to syngas and ash/slag.
• Syngas can be used for electricity production, used in energy-efficient fuel cell technology, or as chemical “building blocks” for industrial purposes. The hydrogen can also be extracted for use in fueling a hydrogen economy.
• Benefits of coal Gasification
• Coal gasification can help address local pollution problems.
• It is considered a cleaner option compared to the burning of coal.
• It will help in reducing reliance on imports of natural gas, methanol, ammonia and other essential product.
• This holds the potential to alleviate the environmental burden by reducing carbon emissions and fostering sustainable practices, contributing to India’s global commitments towards a greener future.

Hence both statements are correct.

India has rejected the demand of the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA) for ‘data exclusivity’ provisions in the free trade agreement that both sides are negotiating.

• It is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1960 by the Stockholm Convention.
• Objective: Promotes free trade and economic integration between its members within Europe and globally.
• Member Countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
• The members of this organization are all open, competitive economies committed to the progressive liberalisation of trade in the multinational arena as well as in free trade agreements. 
• In contrast to the European Union (EU), it is not a customs union. 
• Governance
• Its highest governing body is the EFTA Council. It generally meets 8 times a year at the ambassadorial level and twice a year at the ministerial level.
• EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA): It monitors compliance with European Economic Area (EEA) rules in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. 
• EFTA Court: It is based in Luxembourg and has the competence and authority to settle internal and external disputes regarding the implementation, application or interpretation of the EEA agreement.
• The headquarters of the EFTA Secretariat is located in Geneva. It assists the EFTA Council in the management of relations between the 4 EFTA States and deals with the negotiation and operation of EFTA’s FTAs.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has unveiled the 'Sangam: Digital Twin' initiative.

• It is a Proof of Concept (PoC) distributed in two stages to be conducted in one of the major cities of India.
• First stage is exploratory for clarity of horizon and creative exploration to unleash potential.
• Second stage is for practical demonstration of specific use cases generating a future blueprint that may serve as a roadmap to scale and replicate successful strategies in future infrastructure projects through collaboration.
• Aim: The initiative aims to demonstrate practical implementation of innovative infrastructure planning solutions, to develop a model framework for facilitating faster and more effective collaboration and to provide a future blueprint that may serve as a roadmap to scale and replicate successful strategies in future infrastructure projects.
• Digital Twin technology offers a solution by creating virtual replicas of physical assets, allowing for real-time monitoring, simulation and analysis for experimental iterations and feedback loop to adapt to the changes for achieving the best outcomes.
• The initiative comes in the backdrop of past decade's breakthroughs in communication, computation and sensing in the era of techade striving for the vision 2047.
• Sangam: Digital Twin symbolizes a collaborative leap towards reshaping infrastructure planning and design, combining the prowess of 5G, IoT, AI, AR/VR, AI native 6G, Digital Twin and next-gen computational technologies with the collective intelligence of public entities, infrastructure planners, tech giants, startups, and academia to break the silos and engage in a whole-of-nation approach.
• Sangam brings all stakeholders on one platform aiming to transform innovative ideas into tangible solutions, bridging the gap between conceptualization and realization, ultimately paving the way for groundbreaking infrastructure advancements.

Hence both statements are correct.

A male tiger from the Kanha Tiger Reserve has been relocated to Mukundpur Safari in Satna.

About Kanha Tiger Reserve:

• Kanha Tiger Reserve, also called Kanha National Park, is the largest national park of Madhya Pradesh.
• Location:
• It is located in the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh.
• It is nestled in the Maikal range of Satpuras, the heart of India, that forms the central Indian highlands.
• Kanha National Park was created on June 1, 1955, and in 1973, was made the Kanha Tiger Reserve. 
• It sprawls over an area of 940 square kilometres. 
• Habitat: It is characterized mainly by forested shallow undulations, hills with varying degrees of slopes, plateaus, and valleys.
• The forest depicted in the famous novel by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book, is thought by some to be based on jungles, including this reserve. 
• It is also the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot, "Bhoorsingh the Barasingha".
• Flora: It is primarily a moist Sal and moist mixed deciduous forest where Bamboo, Tendu, Sal, Jamun, Arjun, and Lendia flourish.
• Fauna:
• The park has a significant population of Royal Bengal Tiger, leopard, sloth bear, and Indian wild dog. 
• The Park is respected globally for saving the Barasingha (the state animal of Madhya Pradesh) from near extinction, and has the unique distinction of harbouring the last world population of this deer species.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), a leading Indian public policy think tank, had its FCRA license canceled, culminating in a series of government actions since IT raids in September 2022.

About FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act):

• Purpose: FCRA stands for Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, which is a law enacted by the Parliament of India to regulate the acceptance and utilization of foreign contributions by individuals, associations, and companies.
• Prohibition: The Act prohibits the receipt of foreign contributions "for any activities detrimental to the national interest".
• Registration: Organizations require the government’s permission to receive funding from abroad.
• Implementation: The Act is implemented in convergence with various Union government Ministries and agencies, State authorities, and a network of formal and informal institutions and individuals.
• Amendments: The Act has been amended over time, with the latest amendment being the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020. The Bill makes the following changes to the Act:
  • Public servants and foreign donations: Public servants are prohibited from accepting foreign donations.
  • Restriction on donation transfer: Foreign donations cannot be transferred to any other person, regardless of their registration status under the Act.
  • Identity proof requirement: Aadhaar number, passport copy, or Overseas Citizen of India card must be provided as identity proof by those seeking permission, registration, or renewal of registration to accept foreign donations.
  • FCRA account: Foreign donations can only be received in an “FCRA account” in a specified branch of the State Bank of India in New Delhi.
  • Unutilised foreign donations: The government can halt the use of unutilised foreign donations if the Act is violated.
  • Registration certificate renewal: Every person with a registration certificate must renew it within six months before it expires.
  • Administrative expense limit: The limit for using foreign donations for administrative purposes has been reduced from 50% to 20%.
  • Voluntary surrender of registration certificate: The central government can allow a person to surrender their registration certificate.
  • Suspension period: The government can suspend the registration of a person for up to 360 days, instead of 180 days.
• Penalties: The Act provides for penalties for making false statements, delivering false accounts, and for contravention of any provision of the Act.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Union government is promoting nature tourism at 16 Ramsar sites, including Chilika Lake and Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, to support conservation and local economies.

About Sultanpur National Park:

• Formerly known as Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, it spans 1.42 sq km consisting primarily of marshy lakes and floodplains.
• Location: The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is located in the Gurgaon district of Haryana, 46 km from Delhi.
• Ramsar Site: It was recognised as a Ramsar site, a wetland of international importance in 2021.
• Biodiversity: The vegetation is characterized by tropical and dry deciduous types such as grasses, dhok, khair, tendu, jamun, neem, berberis, and species of Acacia.
  • Over 320 bird species have been recorded at Sultanpur, making it a vital wintering ground. Some iconic species found here are the Common Hoopoe, Purple Sunbird, Black Francolin, Little Cormorant, Indian Cormorant, Siberian Crane and Greater Flamingo.
  • Other migratory birds that flock seasonally include Common Teal, Common Greenshank and Ruff.
  • While large wild mammals are absent, the park's terrestrial fauna is represented by animals like the nilgai.
  • Sultanpur National Park is an ecologically significant protected wetland that provides habitat to an array of resident and migratory birds.
• Conservation efforts: The Haryana government has carried out some development works at the sanctuary like the construction of mounds, widening of paths, and digging four tube wells. Efforts are being made to improve vegetation in the area by planting more trees.
• Alternative livelihood program: As part of the Union government’s Amrit Dharohar initiative, to promote tourism at Ramsar sites, the sanctuary has been included in a pilot project for skill development of facilitators, tourism service providers, and stakeholders.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

Recently, the meeting for review of progress of Atal Bhujal Yojana was held at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.

About Atal Bhujal Yojana:

• Atal Bhujal Yojana is a central sector scheme which was launched in 2019.
• Duratoion: Period of 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25), Increased by 2 years in May, 2023.
• Objective: The major objective of the Scheme is to improve the management of groundwater resources in select water stressed areas in identified states.
• The scheme is being taken up in 8220 water stressed Gram Panchayats of seven states: Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
• Scheme components: It has two major components:
• Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building Component for strengthening institutional arrangements for sustainable ground water management in the States including improving monitoring networks, capacity building, strengthening of Water User Associations, etc.
• Incentive Component for incentivising the States for achievements in improved groundwater management practices namely, data dissemination, preparation of water security plans, implementation of management interventions through convergence of ongoing schemes, adopting demand side management practices etc.
• Funding:
• The scheme is being funded by the Government of India and the World Bank on 50:50 basis.
• Total cost of scheme is Rs. 6,000 crore, Out of this, Rs. 3,000 is loan from the
  World Bank and Rs. 3,000 crore is matching contribution from the Government of India.
• Implemented Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• The key results areas are:
• Strengthened institutional framework and effective ground water data monitoring and disclosure.
• Improved planning and implementation of groundwater management interventions.

Hence both statements are correct.

A recent study has uncovered two potential new species of lamprey fish in California waters. 

About Lamprey Fish:

• Lampreys are boneless, jawless fish with eel-like bodies that date back over 350 million years.
• They belong to a relic (primitive) group of jawless fish called Agnathans.
• They live in coastal and fresh waters and are found in temperate regions around the world, except Africa. 
• Features:
• They range from about 15 to 100 centimetres (6 to 40 inches) long. 
• Unlike "bony" fish like trout, cod, and herring, lampreys lack scales, fins, and gill covers. 
• They breathe through a distinctive row of seven pairs of tiny gill openings located behind their mouths and eyes.
• Like sharks, their skeletons are made of cartilage.
• Lamprey’s jawless mouth is a circular, fleshy sucker filled with hundreds of small teeth and a rasping tongue.
• They are migratory fish, moving between fresh and saltwater to complete their lifecycle.
• They spend most of their lives at sea and only move into freshwater to spawn and for their juvenile life stage.
• They attach themselves to large animals like fish and whales using their sucker mouth. They feed as parasites, rasping into the host’s flesh with their sharp teeth and sucking out blood.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.