Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 14th December 2024 - UPSC MCQ

1. The Malayan Night Heron: This statement is correct. The Malayan Night Heron is indeed a medium-sized, primarily nocturnal bird found across India and Southeast Asia, and its diet mainly consists of earthworms and beetles. The recent sighting in Madurai highlights its presence in India, and its nocturnal and dietary habits are typical of the species.

2. The Chakki River: This statement is incorrect. While the Chakki River is a tributary of the Beas River and flows through Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, it is primarily fed by snow and rainfall from the Dhauladhar mountains, not glacial melt from the Himalayas. This distinction is important as the source of its water affects the river's flow and seasonal behavior.

3. Ecological Degradation of the Chakki River: This statement is correct. Unregulated sand mining and stone-crushing activities have altered the course of the Chakki River, leading to severe ecological degradation. These activities have significantly impacted the riverbed and banks, highlighting environmental concerns that necessitate sustainable practices to protect the river's ecosystem.

Hence, statements 1 and 3 are correct, making Option C the correct choice.

1. Malayan Night Heron - Found in Southeast Asia and migrates to India: This pair is correctly matched. The Malayan Night Heron is native to Southeast Asia and migrates to India during the winter months.

2. Chakki River - Tributary of the Sutlej River: This pair is incorrectly matched. The Chakki River is a tributary of the Beas River, not the Sutlej River.

3. Paris Agreement - Finalized in 2015 to combat climate change: This pair is correctly matched. The Paris Agreement was finalized in 2015 and aims to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

4. Beas River - Originally known as Hyphasis by Ancient Greeks: This pair is correctly matched. The Beas River was referred to as Hyphasis by the Ancient Greeks.

Pairs 1, 3, and 4 are correctly matched, while pair 2 is incorrectly matched.

1. Statement 1 is incorrect. While the Arctic sea ice is indeed shrinking at a significant rate of 12.6% per decade, the statement claiming this is the fastest rate in the last 500 years is incorrect. The correct timeframe for this rate being the fastest is at least 1,500 years.

2. Statement 2 is correct. The prediction that the first ice-free day in the Arctic could occur as soon as September 2027 under certain climatic conditions is consistent with recent studies indicating the rapid decline of Arctic ice due to climate change.

3. Statement 3 is correct. The loss of Arctic sea ice indeed enhances global warming through the albedo effect. As ice, which reflects sunlight, is replaced by darker ocean water, more heat is absorbed, leading to further warming and ice melt.

Thus, the correct answer is Option C.

Statement-I correctly mentions that Arctic sea ice is indeed shrinking at a rate of 12.6% per decade, which is supported by scientific data and research. Statement-II also accurately describes the albedo effect, explaining that the loss of Arctic sea ice leads to a positive feedback loop where darker ocean water absorbs more heat, further contributing to warming and climatic changes. Therefore, both statements are correct, and Statement-II logically explains the implications of Statement-I, making option (a) the correct answer.

1. Statement 1: The GenCast model indeed uses a probabilistic ensemble forecasting method, which enhances its predictive accuracy by considering a range of possible weather scenarios. This allows it to outperform traditional weather forecasting systems in various scenarios, as mentioned in the text. Therefore, this statement is correct.

2. Statement 2: Historical context reveals that the practice of simultaneous elections in India was last conducted in 1967. The recent proposal for One Nation One Election aims to revert to a similar system. Thus, this statement is correct.

3. Statement 3: The implementation of the One Nation One Election proposal would indeed require substantial constitutional amendments, including the introduction of a new Article 82A to standardize assembly tenures with the Lok Sabha, as highlighted in the text. Therefore, this statement is also correct.

Given that all three statements are correct, the correct answer is Option D.

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct. Statement-I highlights the approach utilized by the GenCast model, which indeed uses a diffusion model approach similar to AI image generators. Statement-II correctly mentions that the GenCast model was trained on 40 years of historical weather data from ECMWF until 2018. Statement-II explains the background and data source used for the development of the GenCast model, supporting Statement-I as both statements are interconnected in the context of the GenCast model's development and functioning.

1. Bashar al-Assad's Regime - Primary Ally of Iran: Correctly matched. Syria, under Bashar al-Assad's regime, has been a crucial ally for Iran, facilitating its regional strategies and support for Hezbollah.

2. Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) - Initiative to establish 200,000 centers by 2022: Incorrectly matched. The initiative aimed to establish 150,000 centers by 2022, not 200,000.

3. PM2.5 - Particulate Matter with an annual mean concentration limit of 5 µg/m³ according to WHO guidelines: Correctly matched. WHO's revised air quality guidelines in 2021 set the annual mean concentration limit for PM2.5 to 5 µg/m³.

4. Hezbollah - Supported by Iran through Syria: Correctly matched. Iran has historically supported Hezbollah, largely using Syria as a conduit.

Thus, three pairs are correctly matched.

While both statements are factually correct, Statement-II does not directly explain Statement-I. Statement-I highlights the potential consequences of Assad's regime collapse on Iran's regional influence, while Statement-II emphasizes the historical partnership between Iran and Syria post the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Although related, Statement-II does not provide direct clarification or reasoning for the challenge to Iran's influence posed by Assad's regime falling. Hence, Option B is the most suitable choice as both statements are correct but not interrelated in terms of explanation.

The primary purpose of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) program is to track an athlete's biological markers over time. This program analyzes fluctuations in various parameters such as blood and steroid profiles to promote fair play, safeguard clean athletes, enhance targeted testing, support investigations, and indirectly provide evidence of doping violations. By monitoring these biological markers, the ABP program aims to maintain integrity in sports and ensure athletes adhere to anti-doping regulations.

1. The first statement is incorrect. The Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) program is not limited to tracking only blood profiles; it also includes other biological markers such as steroid profiles. It uses multiple modules like the Haematological Module for blood doping markers and the Steroidal Module for steroid doping markers. Thus, the statement is incorrect as it inaccurately limits the scope of the ABP.

2. The second statement is correct. The Steroidal Module of the ABP indeed monitors markers of steroid doping through urine and serum samples to identify the use of Endogenous Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (EAAS) administered exogenously. This is a critical component of the ABP program aimed at detecting doping violations related to steroid use.

3. The third statement is correct. The National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) has been officially designated as an Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU) by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to oversee the ABP program, which is crucial in the fight against doping in sports.

Therefore, since statement 1 is incorrect and statements 2 and 3 are correct, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only.