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

India recently announced that it has provided US $ 2.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East or the UNRWA for the welfare of Palestinian refugees.

About United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA):

• It is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees.
• Establishment:
• Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, UNRWA was established by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December, 1949, to carry out direct relief and work programmes for Palestine refugees. 
• The agency began operations on 1 May, 1950.
• In the absence of a solution to the Palestine refugee problem, the UNGA Assembly has repeatedly renewed UNRWA's mandate, most recently extending it until 30 June, 2023.
• It is one of the largest United Nations programmes, with a population of approximately 5 million registered Palestine refugees under its mandate and over 30,000 staff.
• Fields of operations: It provides services in its five fields of operations: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including the East of Jerusalem.
• UNRWA is unique in that it delivers services directly to its beneficiaries.
• Services provided: It encompasses education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance, including in times of armed conflict.
• Funding:
• It is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions from UN Member States.
• It also receives some funding from the Regular Budget of the United Nations, which is used mostly for international staffing costs.
• It reports only to the UNGA.
• Headquarters: It was originally headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, but was moved to Vienna, Austria, in 1978. In 1996, the General Assembly moved the agency to the Gaza Strip to demonstrate the Assembly’s commitment to the Arab-Israeli peace process.
• Its chief officer, the commissioner-general, the only leader of a UN agency to report directly to the General Assembly, is appointed by the UN secretary-general with the approval of an Advisory Commission.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Researchers and doctoral students from about 30 universities across the country have written separate letters to the Union Minority Affairs Minister to increase the scholarships under Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF). 

• Objective: The objective of the Maulana Azad Fellowship Scheme (MANF) is to provide five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance.
• It is given to students from six notified minority communities viz. Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Parsi and Sikh, notified by the Central Government, to pursue M. Phil and Ph.D.
• The scheme covers all Universities/Institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) as under :
• Central/State Universities (including constituent and affiliated institutions)
• Deemed Universities
• Institution fully funded by State / Central Government and empowered to award degrees.
• Institutions of National Importance as notified by Ministry of Human Resource Development
• Scope: The Fellowship will cater to the minority community students pursuing regular and full time research studies leading to award of M.Phil/Ph.D degree within India only.
• This will enable them to be eligible for employment to the posts with M.Phil and Ph.D as pre-requisites, including the posts of Assistant Professors in various academic institutions.
• Implementing Agency: UGC will be the nodal agency for implementing this fellowship.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it is not mandatory for banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to raise green deposits.

• In general terms, a green deposit is a fixed-term deposit for those who want to invest in environmentally friendly projects.
• Just like a regular Fixed Deposit scheme, the green deposit pays interest to its investors and has a fixed term.
• The proceeds that a bank gets from deposit holders get earmarked for allocation to green finance.
• A green fixed deposit, also known as an environmentally friendly fixed deposit, is a financial instrument that encourages sustainable development by channelling funds towards projects focused on renewable energy, clean technology, or other environmentally beneficial initiatives.
• The green activities/projects financed under the framework can be classified under priority sector if they meet the requirements laid down in Priority Sector Lending (PSL) guidelines of RBI.
• Banks are allowed to offer overdraft facility to customers against Green Deposits subject.
• The current framework permits green deposits to be denominated in Indian Rupees only.
• The deposits raised under the framework are covered by Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) in accordance with the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961 and the regulations framed there under, as amended from time to time.
•  On maturity, the green deposits would be renewed or withdrawn at the option of the depositor.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, an exhibition by the Inherited Arts Forum, traces the artistic journey of the celebrated Mashe family and their effort in reviving the Warli painting.

• It is a style of tribal art created by the tribal people from the North Sahyadri Range in Maharashtra.
• This art form can be traced back to 10th century AD but was first discovered and appreciated for its distinctive style only in the early 1970s.
• It was traditionally practised by women of the Warli tribe called Suvasinis, who decorated the Lagn Chowk or the wedding square.
• Theme:
• Warli represents the daily routine of rural life, the relationship of the tribal people with nature, their gods, myths, traditions, customs, and festivities. 
• These rudimentary wall paintings use a set of basic geometric shapes: a circle, a triangle, and a square.
• The central motif in each ritual painting is the square, known as the "chauk" or "chaukat", mostly of two types known as Devchauk and Lagnachauk.
• One of the central aspects depicted in many Warli paintings is the tarpa dance. The tarpa, a trumpet-like instrument, is played in turns by different village men. Men and women entwine their hands and move in a circle around the tarpa player. 
• Painting technique and materials
• First design is selected.
• Without tracing design, it is directly drawn on paper or cloth.
• Cleverly modified bamboo sticks are used as paint brushes to create the paintings.
• The colours and materials used for the paintings are derived from nature like brown and orange from henna, indigo from dye, red from bricks and white from thick rice paste.

Hence both statements are correct.

Thousands of sardine fish have been surfacing near a beach in Goa for the past few days and experts said it’s a “rare” phenomenon known as ‘sardine run’.

• Shoals of the marine species are fluttering in shallow waters along the coast at Keri-Terekhol, about 40 km from Panaji.
• Reason: This marine event is “very rare” and it usually happens due to sudden changes in the temperature of sea surface water where sardines live.
• A drop or rise in sea surface temperature can induce migration of sardines in higher numbers and sometimes they get trapped in shallow waters 

Key facts about Sardine fish

• It belongs to the herring family, Clupeidae.
• The name sardine can also refer to the common herring (Clupea harengus) and to other small herrings or herringlike fishes when canned in oil.
• Habitat: They are found in saltwater oceans, seas, and other bodies of water throughout the world. 
• Distribution: Found all over the world from the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the waters around South America.
• These are small, silvery, elongated fishes with a single short dorsal fin, no lateral line, and no scales on the head.
• They migrate along the coast and feeding on plankton.
• It is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote heart health.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

In an encouraging development, Grey Francolin (Ortygornis pondicerianus) was reported inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) of Mumbai.

• It is a ground-dwelling bird known for its distinctive calls and cryptic plumage.
• They are carnivores (insectivores) and herbivores (granivores).
• Habitat: Grey francolins inhabit open plains, bare or low grass-covered ground in scrub and open country. They are also found in open cultivated lands and scrub forest and are rarely found above an altitude of 500 m above sea level in India.
• Distribution: Grey francolins are found in the Indian subcontinent and Iran. Their distribution is south of the foothills of the Himalayas westwards to the Indus Valley and eastwards to Bengal. They are also found in north-western Sri Lanka.
• Conservation Status
• IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Militants changed tack in Jammu and Kashmir and inflicted more casualties on the Army compared to other security wings this year by turning the Pir Panjal Valley into a new battleground.

• It is a mountain range in the northern Indian subcontinent. 
• It starts in Ramban and extends westward in the south of Jammu and Kashmir (Vale of Kashmir) to the last extremity of Muzaffarabad District.
• It is rising sharply to an average elevation of more than 13,000 feet (4,000 meters).
• It separates the Jammu Hills to the south from the Vale of Kashmir, beyond which lie the Great Himalayas.
• It separates itself from the Himalayas near the bank of the Sutlej river and forms a divide between the rivers Beas and Ravi on one side and the Chenab on the other.
• Major passes: Six historical passes, Hajipir Pass, Gulabgarh Pass, Ratanpir Pass, Pir Panjal Pass, Banihal Pass, and Bairam Gala Pass are in this mountain range.
• Important peaks: Deo Tibba (6,001 m) and Indrasan (6,221m) are two important peaks at the eastern end of the mountain range.

Hence both statements are correct.

Researchers have developed a new electronics soil that was found to increase the growth of barley seedlings by 50 per cent in a new study.

• In hydroponic environments, eSoil is a low-power bioelectronic growth substrate that can electrically stimulate the root system and growth environment of plants.
• This novel substrate is not only environmentally friendly, being derived from cellulose and a conductive polymer called PEDOT.
• It offers a low energy, safe alternative to previous methods that required high voltage and non-biodegradable materials.
• It uses low energy and minimises resource consumption.
• Its active material is an organic mixed-ionic electronic conductor.

How does eSoil work?

• When the roots of barley seedlings were electrically stimulated for 15 days, they showed a 50% increase in growth using eSoil.
• This research promotes more effective and sustainable development while increasing the variety of crops that can be grown hydroponically.
• In hydroponics, plants are grown without soil, requiring only water, nutrients and a substrate - something for their roots to attach to.
• This closed system allows water to be recirculated, ensuring that each seedling receives exactly the nutrients it needs.
• As a result, very little water is used and all the nutrients remain in the system - something that is not possible with conventional farming.
• Benefit: It can help in areas with little arable land and harsh environmental conditions.

Hence both statements are correct.

Cybersecurity researchers recently identified a potent variant of the infamous ‘Chameleon Trojan’ malware, posing a substantial risk to Android device users. 

About Chameleon Trojan:

• It is a malware that has the ability to disable biometric authentication methods, including fingerprint and face unlock, to sneakily access sensitive information.
• Working:
• The malware strategically attaches itself to legitimate Android applications, such as the widely used Google Chrome, effectively avoiding immediate detection. 
• Operating discreetly in the background, Chameleon Trojan can disable biometric security measures, specifically targeting PINs.
• The malware bundles are reportedly undetectable during runtime, enabling it to outsmart Google Protect alerts and circumvent security software on the compromised device. 
• This stealthy approach allows the Trojan to operate without any worries, evading immediate countermeasures.
• Its modus operandi varies depending on the Android version. 
• Once active, Chameleon Trojan steals on-screen content, elevates its own permissions, and can even use gestures to capture PINs and passwords entered by users to unlock their devices. 
• The stolen PIN is then employed to unlock the device in the background, enabling the malware to access sensitive information such as credit card passwords and login credentials.
• The malware also collects information on users’ app usage habits, launching attacks when the device is least likely to be in use.
• To safeguard against the Chameleon Trojan, it is crucial to avoid installing Android apps from unofficial sources. Additionally, users should refrain from enabling the 'Accessibility service' for unknown apps.

Hence both statements are correct.

A recent study from Oregon State University found that a warming climate is negatively impacting the chances of long-term survival of aardvarks in sub-Saharan Africa.

• It gets its name from a South African word meaning “earth pig.”
• Appearance: They look like a pig, especially with its body and snout.
• They actually share common ancestors with elephants and golden moles. 
• They are nocturnal mammals, most active at night and tend to live alone. During the day, they sleep curled up in a ball in their burrows. 
•  This species has been assessed as having the highest score for evolutionary distinctiveness,
• This is because it does not have many close relatives and has been evolving independently for millions of years.
• The Aardvark is the sole surviving species of its order, Tubulidentata, and its closest relatives have been extinct since the Pleistocene era (2 million years ago).
• Diet: The aardvark’s diet consists almost entirely of ants and termites. 
• Habitat: Aardvarks are found over much of the southern two-thirds of Africa and their habitat is savannah and semiarid areas.
• Ecosystem Roles: Aardvarks are important in their ecosystem because the holes they dig are used by a variety of other animals for shelter.
• Conservation Status
• IUCN :Least Concern
• The recent study concluded that the genetic structure of aardvarks is strongly shaped by climate, with arid areas limiting gene flow and reflected apparent isolation by adaptation associated with temperature.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.