Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 15, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the first recipient of a modified pig kidney transplant passed away around two months after the surgery was carried out.

• Xenotransplantation is any procedure that involves the transplantation, implantation or infusion into a human recipient of either live cells, tissues, or organs from a nonhuman animal source or human body fluids, cells, tissues or organs that have had ex vivo contact with live nonhuman animal cells, tissues or organs.
• Xenotransplantation involving the heart was first tried in humans in the 1980s.
• The animal organ selected has to undergo genetic modifications, so that the human body does not reject it.
• Even after the operation, constant monitoring needs to be done to check the body’s response to the organ.
• Why pig is often used for Xenotransplantation?
• Pig heart valves have been used for replacing damaged valves in humans for over 50 years now.
• The pig’s anatomical and physiological parameters are similar to that of humans, and the breeding of pigs in farms is widespread and cost-effective.
• Also, many varieties of pig breeds are farmed, which provides an opportunity for the size of the harvested organs to be matched with the specific needs of the human recipient.
• In 2022, the first xenotransplantation of a genetically-modified pig heart was done.

Hence both statements are correct.

The recently launched the World Wildlife Crime Report 2024 by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime highlighted that the rhino and the cedar were the animal and plant species most affected by global illegal wildlife trade during 2015-2021.

• It is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime, in addition to being responsible for implementing the United Nations lead programme on terrorism.
• It was established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Programme and the Centre for International Crime Prevention.
• What are its functions?
• It works to educate people throughout the world about the dangers of drug abuse.
• Strengthen international action against illicit drug production and trafficking and drug-related crime. 
• It also works to improve crime prevention and assist with criminal justice reform in order to strengthen the rule of law, promote stable and viable criminal justice systems and combat the growing threats of transnational organized crime and corruption. 
• In 2002, the UN General Assembly approved an expanded programme of activities for the Terrorism Prevention Branch of UNODC. The activities focus on providing assistance to States, on request, in ratifying and implementing the eighteen universal legal instruments against terrorism.
• Funding: It relies on voluntary contributions, mainly from governments, to carry out the majority of our work.
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria 

What is World Wildlife Crime Report?

• It is the 3rd edition (2024) of the report and earlier editions were published in 2016 and 2020.
• It probes trends in the illicit trafficking of protected wildlife species.
• It also presents systematic analyses of wildlife crime harms and impacts, probes the factors driving wildlife trafficking trends, and takes stock of current knowledge about the effectiveness of the different types of intervention being pursued to resolve this problem.

Hence both statements are correct.

The project, known as ‘slope stabilisation using soil nailing and Hydroseeding method,’ is being undertaken in few areas in Tamil Nadu around the Nilgiris’ major roads by the state highways department.

• It is a geotechnical engineering technique that involves the insertion of reinforcing elements into the soil in a specified area to strengthen it.
• This soil reinforcement process uses steel tendons which are drilled and grouted into the soil to create a composite mass similar to a gravity wall. 
• Soil nailing methods
• Drilled and grouted soil nailing methods: The nails are inserted in the pre-drilled holes and filled with grouting materials.
• Driven Soil Nailing Method: It is used for temporary stabilization, it is fast. However, it does not provide corrosion protection to the steel or nails.
• Drilling Soil Nailing Method: In this method the hollow bars are used in this method, bars are drilled and grout is injected. This method is typically faster than driven nails.
• Jet Grouted Soil Nailing Method: This method is used for eroding soil for creating holes in the soil surface, steel bars are installed in this hole and grout with concrete.
• Launched Soil Nailing Method: This method involves nailing steel bars forced to the soil with a single shot using compression by an air mechanism.
• It is commonly used for:
• Stabilizing slopes and landslides
• Supporting excavations
• Repairing existing retaining walls

What is hydroseeding?

• It is a process of applying a mixture of seeds, fertilizer, organic materials and water onto the soil to facilitate the growth of grass and plant-life, which will help hold the topsoil together and prevent erosion.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The ChatGPT, OpenAI has brought the capabilities of GPT-4 through its latest model named GPT-4o.

• GPT-4o (“o” for “omni”) offers GPT-4 level intelligence and it is much faster and improves its capabilities across text, vision, and audio.
• Features
• It makes human-to-machine interaction much more natural and far easier.
• The voice mode on GPT-4o is efficient and intuitively recognises the voice of the speaker or multiple speakers.
• Until now, the voice mode had three models that came together to deliver the feature. These are – transcription, intelligence, and text-to-speech and they all came together and orchestrated to deliver the voice mode. This led to latency, however, with GPT-4o all of this happens natively. “GPT-4o reasons across voice, text, and vision.
• It also has a vision, allowing users to upload photos and documents, and can start conversations about the same.
• One can also use the Memory feature and browse to search real-time information during conversations. Also, OpenAI has improved the quality and the speed in 50 different languages.
• This model can pick up on a user’s emotions and come up with different kinds of emotive styles of conversation.
• It is also capable of telling about your feelings by looking at your face in real-time.

Hence both statements are correct.

State Bank of India (SBI) recently announced it has become the first trading-cum-clearing member at the India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX).

About India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX): 

• It is India's first International Bullion Exchange.
• It is based at GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tech City) IFSC (International Finance Services Center), Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• IIBX has been conceptualized to provide a gateway to import bullion into India and provide a world class bullion exchange ecosystem to promote bullion trading, investment in bullion financial products and vaulting facilities in IFSCs.
• It will facilitate Transparent Price Discovery, Responsible sourcing and supply chain integrity, Quality Assurance and Standardization.
• The IIBX is regulated by the International Financial Services Centers Authority (IFSCA), a unified authority for the development and regulation of financial products, financial services, and financial institutions at IFSCs.
• Products and technology offered at IIBX are diversified, and available at a cost that is far more competitive than those at Indian exchanges, as well as global exchanges in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, London, and New York.
• What is a bullion?
• Bullion refers to physical gold and silver of high purity that is often kept in the form of bars, ingots, or coins.
• Bullion can sometimes be considered legal tender and is often held as reserves by central banks or held by institutional investors.

Key Facts about International Financial Services Centers Authority (IFSCA):

• It is a statutory authority established under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019 (“IFSCA Act”).
• Mandate: To develop and regulate the financial products, financial services, and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centres (‘IFSC’).
• The IFSCA aims to develop a strong global connection and focus on the needs of the Indian economy, as well as serve as an international financial platform for the entire region.
• Before the establishment of IFSCA, the domestic financial regulators, namely, RBI, SEBI, PFRDA, and IRDAI regulated the business in IFSC.
• GIFT-IFSC is the maiden IFSC in India.

Hence option d is the correct answer.

The 7th edition of India-France Joint Military Exercise SHAKTI commenced at the Joint Training Node in Umroi, Meghalaya recently.

About Exercise Shakti:

• It is a biennial training event conducted alternatively in India and France.
• The last edition was conducted in France in 2021.
• Aim: To enhance the joint military capability of both sides to undertake multi-domain operations in a Sub-Conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate.
• The joint exercise will focus on operations in the semi-urban and mountainous terrain. 
• Objectives to be achieved from the joint training are a high degree of physical fitness, rehearsing and refining drills for operations at the tactical level, and sharing of best practices.
• It will enable the two sides to share their best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for conducting joint operations.
• The Indian contingent comprises 90 personnel, primarily from the Rajput Regiment, along with personnel from other arms and services, participating in the exercise.
• Observers from the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force are also part of this 14-day exercise.
• It will also include the French contingent, consisting of 90 personnel, mainly from the 13th Foreign Legion Half-Brigade (13th DBLE).

Hence option d is the correct answer.

The Supreme Court (SC) has directed the Centre to increase coverage under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) so that “more and more needy persons and citizens get the benefit” under the 2013 law which entitles rural and urban poor to subsidised foodgrains under the Targeted Public Distribution System.

• The coverage under the NFSA is still decided by the population figures of the 2011 census.
• The SC ordered the Union government to re-determine the NFSA coverage in the States and Union Territories after considering the population increase between 2011 and 2021 so that benefits were not restricted to beneficiaries identified back in 2011.
• “The right to food is a fundamental right available under Article 21 of the Constitution,” the Supreme Court noted.

e-Shram portal

• In the order, the court directed the States which were not able to register unorganised workers, including migrant labourers, in the e-Shram portal to do so within six weeks.
• The Union Labour Ministry has developed a National Database of Unorganised Workers (NDUW) portal and the e-Shram portal for registration of labourers spread over 400 occupations including in constructions, agriculture, fishing, and dairy, those self-employed and even ASHA and anganwadi workers.

Hence both statements are correct.

World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is a global campaign on May 11 & October 12, 2024, emphasizing migratory bird conservation. The theme “Insects” underscores insects’ significance for birds and addresses declining insect populations’ impact. WMBD raises awareness about the importance of preserving habitats for migratory birds.

Researchers discovered that offspring of C. elegans worms, after consuming disease-causing bacteria, inherited the knowledge to avoid the same bacteria from birth. C. elegans, a nematode worm, matures from egg to adult in 3-5 days, offering insights into human and biological sciences. It was the first multicellular organism to have its genome sequenced and neural wiring mapped. With hermaphroditic reproduction, it can self-fertilize, aiding genetic studies.

A leopard cat, scientifically known as Prionailurus bengalensis, was sighted in Maharashtra’s Pench Tiger Reserve, marking its first appearance there. This forest-dwelling felid species is recognized for its leopard-like coat. Leopard cats are widely distributed across Asia, inhabiting various forested habitats. They exhibit diverse sizes and colorations, typically sporting four black stripes on their forehead. Solitary and nocturnal, they are categorized as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.