Daily Current Affairs MCQ- July 17, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

The Indian Army is planning to introduce the Made in India K-9 Vajra self-propelled artillery guns in the Eastern Ladakh sector where it has already equipped its troops with Spike missiles.

About K- 9 Vajra:

• It is a 155 mm, 52-caliber tracked self-propelled artillery system.
• It is built by Larsen & Toubro with technology transferred from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defense based on its K9 Thunder.
• Features:
• It has all-welded steel armor up to 19mm thick.
• The main weapon is the 155mm / 52 caliber gun.
• It has a burst rate of fire of three rounds per 15 seconds and a maximum rate of fire of six to eight rounds a minute for three minutes.
• Range: 40 km
• The K9 uses a digital fire control system, by which it can fire multiple rounds that can impact a given area at the same time.

Key facts about Spike missile:

• Spike is a fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile (ATGM).
• The Spike family of ATGMs are developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, a defence technology company based in Israel.
• Spike missiles are being used by the defence forces of Israel and another 38 countries, including India, Netherlands, Romania, Chile, Colombia, Finland, Germany, Poland.
• Features:
• These are lightweight, fire-and-forget tactical precision-guided missiles using electro-optical (EO) and fiber-optic technologies.
• It has the ability to penetrate around one meter of armor and can be operated in either “direct attack or mid-course navigation based on target coordinates only.
• The missile has an inbuilt seeker, which gives the firer the flexibility to use any of two modes: Day (CCD) and Night (IIR). The dual seeker adds to the missile's reliability.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A rare and globally endangered bird species 'Jerdon's Babbler' was recently spotted in the buffer zone of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR).

About Jerson’s Babbler:

• Jerdon's babbler is a passerine bird native to wetlands and grasslands of the Indian subcontinent.
• Scientific Name: Chrysomma altirostre
• It is a member of the genus Chrysomma of the family Paradoxornithidae.
• Geographic Distribution: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan.
• Habitat: It lives all-year-round near river courses, where it inhabits dense reedbeds and tall grasslands.
• Features:
• It has rich brown upperparts and a long brownish-red tail.
• The legs and feet are dark, the bill is greyish-horn colored above and pale below.
• The eyes' irides are yellowish-brown and a thin nude ring of greenish-yellow skin surrounds the eye.
• The sexes are alike.
• Conservation Status:
• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The underwhelming subscription to State Bank of India’s additional tier-1 (AT-1) bond issue has dampened market sentiment and is expected to make fund-raising harder for other PSU banks.

• These are a type of unsecured, perpetual bonds that banks issue to improve their core capital base.
• The money raised through these bonds is kept aside as a shock absorber by the bank.
• They have a call option, which can be used by the banks to buy these bonds back from investors.
• These bonds were created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to absorb the losses.
• These bonds are also called contingent convertible bonds or CoCos.
• These bonds are also mandatory under Basel=III norms.
• The banks must maintain capital at a minimum ratio of 11.5 per cent of their risk-weighted loans. Of this, 9.5 per cent needs to be in Tier-1 capital. AT1 bonds fall under this type of capital.
• These bonds are long-term and do not carry any maturity date. Because of a higher risk, they offer a higher yield.
• Regulation: In India AT-1 bonds are regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, Chief Election Commissioner of India led a three-member Election Commission of India (ECI) delegation to Cartagena, Colombia to attended the 11th meeting of the Executive Board of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB).

• It is the largest association of Election Management Bodies (EMBs) worldwide.
• It was founded in October, 2013 in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
• Theme of 2023 meeting: “A global view on the challenges of regional elections 2023”.
• Vision: The shared vision among its members of achieving sustainable democracy around the world through the strengthening of the processes of election management in member countries.  
• Members: It consists of 119 EMBs as Members & 20 Regional Associations/Organisations as Associate Members.
• India is a member of this association and is represented by the Election Commission of India (ECI)
• ECI took over as Chairperson for 2019-22 term and is presently a member of its Executive Board for 2022-24 in its capacity as immediate former Chair of A-WEB.
• In India A-WEB Centre has been established at New Delhi for documentation and research for sharing the best practices and training and capacity building of officials of A-WEB members.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, a government organization in Norway, has unearthed extensive deposits of phosphate rocks within the country.

• It is the natural source of phosphorous, an element that provides nutrients to plants for their growth and development.
• How is phosphate formed? It is a sedimentary rock formed millions of years ago by the accumulation of organic matter on the ocean floor.
• Its reserves are found in Africa, North America, Kazakhstan, the Middle East and Oceania.
• The world’s largest deposits are located in Morocco, which is also one of the global leaders in phosphate extraction.
• Phosphorus in India
• Phosphate rocks are majorly produced only from two States in India, namely Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
• Rock phosphate is the key raw material for DAP and NPK fertilizers. Currently, India is 90% dependent on imports for this raw material. 
• Uses
• Most of the phosphate rock mined throughout the world is used to produce phosphate fertilizer.
• It is also used as animal feed supplements.
• Elemental phosphorus and phosphoric chemicals derived from phosphate rocks find application in detergents, insecticides etc.

Hence both statements are not correct.

Recently, Indian scientists have indigenously developed highly stable, low-cost Carbon-based perovskite solar cells with superior thermal and moisture stability.

• The Carbon-based perovskite solar cells is the first indigenous perovskite-powered niche product developed in India and can pave the way for futuristic stable perovskite solar cells.
• Issues with Perovskite photovoltaic cells
• They face the problem of degradation during operation when they come in contact with heat, moisture, light, and other environmental factors.
• This long-duration stability is a major hindrance in the large-scale commercialisation of the product.
• While Carbon-based perovskite solar cells (CPSCs) have been successful in minimizing device stability issues and fabrication costs, the sensitivity of perovskite materials toward humidity and thermal stress is a major obstacle for practical implementation.
• Scientists have engineered MaPbI3 (MAPI-Methylammonium-lead-iodide) to attain thermal stability by incorporating Guanidinium iodide (GuI) and moisture stability by surface passivation using 5- amino valeric acid iodide (5-AVAI).
• Significance:
• The indigenously developed perovskite solar cells can help resolve stability concerns in PSCs bring down high fabrication costs and could help speed up of commercialization in PSC-based niche products.
• Perovskite is a material that has the same crystal structure as the mineral calcium titanium oxide (CaTiO3), the first-discovered perovskite crystal.
• The mineral was discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia by Gustav Rose in 1839 and is named after Russian mineralogist Lev Perovski.
• Generally, perovskite compounds have a chemical formula ABX3, where ‘A’ and ‘B’ represent cations, and X is an anion that bonds to both.
• Due to its compositional flexibility, scientists can design perovskite crystals to have a wide variety of physical, optical, and electrical characteristics from insulating, semiconducting, metallic, and superconducting characteristics.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Indian government recently reimposed a windfall tax on domestic petroleum crude.

About Windfall Tax:

• What is it? It is a higher tax levied by the government on specific industries when they experience unexpected and above-average profits.
• When is it imposed?
• When the government notices a sudden increase in an industry's revenue, they impose this tax.
• However, these revenues cannot be linked to anything the company actively pursued, such as its business strategy or expansion.
• Consequently, a Windfall Tax is imposed on an industry's profits when it experiences a sharp increase in revenue due to unrelated external events.
• Rationale behind the imposition of windfall tax:
• Redistribution of unexpected gains, when high prices benefit producers at the expense of consumers;
• To fund social welfare schemes;
• As a supplementary revenue stream for the government;
• As a way for the Government to narrow the country’s widened trade deficit;

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship flagged off the first batch of Namda Art products for export to the United Kingdom (UK).

About Namda Art:

• It is said to have begun in the 16th century when Mughal Emperor Akbar wanted to get a covering for his horses to protect them from the cold.
• It was introduced by a Sufi saint named Shah-e-Hamdan to Kashmiris.
• Namda is a type of traditional Kashmiri felted carpet that is created using sheep wool and has colourful hand embroidery.
• The distinct feature of this Kashmiri craft is that wool is felted and not woven.
• How it is made?
• It is usually a sandwich of many layers of wool flattened over each other.
• After a layer is spread, it is sprinkled homogeneously with water and pressed with a tool known as ‘pinjra’ (woven willow wicker). 
• Unique themes and floral patterns provide the themes for these masterpieces and flowers and leaves, buds and fruits are the essence of the designs.
• It is practised as a craft in several cultures, especially in the countries throughout Asia, viz. Iran, Afghanistan and India.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Operational Guidelines of Production Linked Incentive Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware has been finalized.

• The scheme proposes a financial incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract large investments in the value chain.
• The target segments under PLI 2.0 Scheme shall include Laptops, Tablets
  ,All-in-One PCs and Servers and Ultra Small Form Factor.
• Implementation: Companies, both global and domestic, that meet the eligibility criteria specified in the PLI 2.0 Scheme guidelines will receive support for manufacturing goods in India within the specified target segment.
• The classification of applicants into the Hybrid (Global/Domestic) category will be determined by whether the company is domestic or global.
• A comprehensive ranking of all applicants will be maintained based on the eligibility criteria outlined in the scheme guidelines.
• Subsequently, the selection of applicants in each category—global, hybrid, and domestic—will be based on their ranking and overall PLI projection, subject to the availability of the budget.
• Tenure: The incentives provided under the PLI 2.0 Scheme will be applicable for a period of 6 years
• Base year: For the calculation of net incremental sales of manufactured goods, the base year will be the financial year 2022-23.
• Incentives payout:
• The incentive granted to each company will be based on the net incremental sales of manufactured goods in the target segment, compared to the base year.
• The maximum incentive amounts will be capped at INR 45 billion for global companies, INR 22.50 billion for hybrid (global/domestic) companies, and INR 5 billion for domestic companies.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Perseverance rover has discovered evidence of organic compounds in a Martian crater.

• It is robotic explorer to land on Mars as part of NASA’s ongoing Mars 2020 Mission.
• Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth.
• The rover will collect samples of rock and soil, encase them in tubes, and leave them on the planet's surface to be returned to Earth at a future date.
• Launch: It was launched on July 30, 2020 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• Landing: Successfully landed on the surface of Mar's Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021.
• Features:
• It is about the size of a car, but weighs only about 1,025 kilograms with all instruments on board.
• Power source: Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG). Converts heat from the radioactive decay of plutonium into electricity.

Hence both statements are correct.