Daily Current Affairs MCQ- November 11, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

Union Minister for Environment Forest and Climate Change attended the Middle East Green Initiative Summit 2022 at COP 27 Egypt.

• The Middle East Green Initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions from regional hydrocarbon production by more than 60%.
• It also plans to plant 50 billion trees across the Middle East and restore an area equivalent to 200 million hectares of degraded land. The initiative will help reduce global carbon levels by 2.5%.
• The first Middle East Green Initiative (MGI) Summit was hosted by HRH Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister in Riyadh on 25 October 2021.
• It facilitated a first-of-its-kind regional dialogue on climate, with leaders in attendance from 28 countries agreeing to work together to tackle climate change.
• Saudi Arabia plans to rely on renewables for 50% of its electricity generation by 2030, , removing 44 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2035.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu has greeted fellow-citizens on the eve of birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

• It will be observed as the 553rd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It is observed annually on the full moon date of the Kartik month or Kartik Purnima
• Guru Nanak (1469 – 1539), also referred to as Baba Nanak was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus.
• He was born on April 15, 1469 in Rai Bhoi di Talvandi, now Nankana Sahib, Pakistan.
• Guru Nanak Dev spread the message of ‘Ek Omkar’ which means that God is one and is present everywhere. 
• Guru Nanak Dev Ji believed one can connect to the almighty through sincere prayers. All his teachings are composed together to form the sacred book called Guru Granth Sahib - the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism.

Hence both statements are correct.

Over 1 lakh welfare projects completed in mining areas under PMKKKY so far.

• The Ministry of Mines launched PMKKKY in 2015 for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining-related operations, using the funds generated by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).
• Objectives
  • to implement various developmental and welfare projects in mining affected areas, complementing the existing ongoing schemes of State and Central Government;
  • to minimize/mitigate the adverse impacts, during and after mining, on the environment, health and socio-economics of people in mining districts; and
  • to ensure long-term sustainable livelihoods for the affected people in mining areas.
• Implementation:
  • It will be implemented by DMFs of the respective districts using the funds accruing to the DMF. The Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015, mandated the setting up of DMFs in all districts in the country affected by mining related operations.
  • The Central Government has notified the rates of contribution payable by miners to the DMFs.
    • In case of all mining leases executed before 12th January, 2015 miners will have to contribute an amount equal to 30% of the royalty payable by them to the DMFs. If mining leases are granted after 12.01.2015, the rate of contribution would be 10% of the royalty payable.
• Utilisation of Funds:
  • At least 60% of PMKKKY funds to be utilized for High priority areas such as Drinking water supply, Health care, Education, Environment preservation etc.
  • Up to 40% of the PMKKKY to be utilized for other priority areas such as- Physical infrastructure,Irrigation, Energy and Watershed Development etc.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Prime Minister will unveil the logo, theme and website of India’s G20 Presidency on 8th November 2022.

• G20 Presidency offers India an opportunity to contribute to the global agenda on pressing issues of international importance.
• What is G20? G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation representing around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.
• Origin and Evolution:
  • The G20 was formed in 1999 in the backdrop of the financial crisis of the late 1990s that hit East Asia and Southeast Asia in particular. Its aim was to secure global financial stability by involving middle-income countries.
  • The first G20 Summit took place in 2008 in Washington DC, US.
• The members of the G20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.
• Organizational Structure of G20
  • The G-20 operates without a permanent secretariat or staff.
  • The chair rotates annually among the members and is selected from a different regional grouping of countries.
  • The chair is part of a revolving three-member management group of past, present and future chairs referred to as the Troika.
• Working of G20: The preparatory process for the G20 Summit is conducted through the established Sherpa and Finance tracks that prepare and follow up on the issues and commitments adopted at the Summits.
  • The Sherpas’ Track focuses on non-economic and financial issues, such as development, anti-corruption and food security, while addressing internal aspects such as procedural rules of the G20 process.
  • The Finance Track focuses on economic and financial issues

Hence both statements are correct.

An Oxfam report titled, Carbon Billionaires: The investment emissions of the world’s richest people, has said the world’s richest people emit “unsustainable amounts of carbon,” as compared with an ordinary person.

• This report is based on the fact that every human on Earth has a carbon footprint, which can be divided into “personal consumption emissions, emissions through government spending and emissions linked to investments”.
• An analysis of the investments of 125 of the world’s richest billionaires was conducted by Oxfam International, and the report was published in November, 2022.
• It demonstrated that on average, billionaires are responsible for emitting “3 million tonnes” of carbon a year, which is, “more than a million times the average for someone in the bottom 90% of humanity”.
• It further found out that the 125 billionaires taken as a sample fund about 393 million tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per year.
• This is equivalent to the “annual carbon emissions of France,” which is a nation of 67 million people. 
• In comparison, it said, “it would take 1.8 million cows to emit the same levels of CO2e as each of the 125 billionaires,” and “almost four million people would have to go vegan to offset the emissions of each of the billionaires”.

Importance:

• The report comes at a time when discussions to meet the globally agreed target of limiting the world’s temperature to below 1.5℃ is underway at COP 27 in Egypt and has significant implications for climate policymaking.
• It takes a critical look at the relationship between economic inequality and climate crisis.
• The idea is that since billionaires hold significant wealth and stakes in globally recognised corporations, they hold the power to influence the ways in which those corporations behave.
• As people from low and middle-income backgrounds do not exercise much control over their energy choices, the report says it is imperative for world leaders to ensure that “those who emit the most carbon also do the most to reduce those emissions”.
• The report suggests that a wealth tax on the richest could aid the urgent climate finance needs of developing countries and “raise hundreds of billions of dollars to help and protect those already suffering the impacts of catastrophic climate change”.

Hence both statements are correct.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference 2022 — COP27 — opened recently in Sharm el-Sheikh with the aim of ensuring full implementation of the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015. 

• Sharm el-Sheikh, often called just Sharm, is a resort town in Egypt, situated at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula where the Gulf of Aqaba joins the Red Sea.
• It is a major tourist centre in Egypt, and also, like Cancun in Mexico, a preferred venue for international conferences.

Selection of COP host

• The venue for the COP meeting rotates among the five UN-identified regions:
  • Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, and Western Europe and Others.
• The countries in the region propose a candidate, and a host is usually decided at least two years in advance.
• If no country agrees to be the host, Bonn, where the UNFCCC secretariat is headquartered, steps in as host.
• The rotation cycle has not been followed very strictly.
• The first and second COPs were held in western Europe (Berlin and Geneva), and so were the fifth and sixth (Bonn and the Hague).
• After the 2012 COP in Doha, the event has not yet returned to Asia.
• Countries are sometimes not enthusiastic to host the event. This is mainly due to two reasons.
  • One, the host city incurs huge expenditure on the event, not all of which is reimbursed.
  • There are many thousands of participants, a large number of high-profile visits by international dignitaries, and frequent disruptions by protesters who come from all over the world — all of which stretch the city’s resources and are sometimes more trouble than they are worth.
  • Two, the host country, which presides over the conference, is expected to demonstrate leadership in taking steps to combat climate change.
  • This is the reason why countries like the US, China, or Russia, or even Japan, Australia, or Canada, are not keen to host COP.
  • Japan hosted the 1997 event that produced the Kyoto Protocol, but it was also the first country to walk out of it in 2011.
  • Australia, which too withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol, has never hosted the conference.
• India, the third largest emitter, hosted the 2002 COP in New Delhi, much before climate change became a big thing.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has completed the Mother Tongue Survey of India (MTSI) with field videography of the country’s 576 languages.

• According to the report, the Mother Tongue Survey of India is a project that “surveys the mother tongues, which are returned consistently across two and more Census decades”.
• It also documents the linguistic features of the selected languages.
• The report states that the NIC and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) will be documenting and preserving the linguistic data of the surveyed mother tongues in audio-video files.
• Video-graphed speech data of Mother Tongues will also be uploaded on the NIC survey for archiving purposes.
• Linguistic Survey of India (LSI) is a regular research activity in the country since the 6th Five Year Plan.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

According to the Union Home Ministry Annual Report, there is a need to update the National Population Register (NPR) again to incorporate the changes due to birth, death and migration for which demographic and other particulars of each family and individual are to be collected.

• The National Population Register (NPR) is a register of usual residents of the country.
• It includes both Indian citizens as well as a foreign citizen.
• According to the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003, a usual resident is a person who has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or more.
• It is being prepared at the local (Village/sub-Town), sub-District, District, State and National level under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.

Timeline:

• The first National Population Register was prepared in 2010 and updation of this data was done during 2015 by conducting door to door survey.
• The next update of the NPR will take place next year from April to September 2020 in all the States/UTs except Assam along with the Houselisting phase of the Census 2021.

Details required for NPR:

• The demographic details of every individual are required on 21 points which includes 'date and place of birth of parents', last place of residence, Permanent Account Number (PAN), Aadhar (on a voluntary basis), Voter ID card number, Driving License Number and Mobile Number.
• In the last NPR done in 2010, the data was collected on the 15 points and it did not include 'date and place of birth of parents' and last place of residence.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Neelakurinji largely bloomed on the Kallippara hills in Idukki, Kerala from the first week of October. 

• Scientific Name: Strobilanthes kunthianus.
• Common Names: Neelakurinji; Kurinji.
• Distribution:
  • It is a shrub prominently found in the shola forests of the Western Ghats.
  • Besides it is also seen in the Shevroys in the Eastern Ghats.
• Blooming period: The blue flowers of Neelakurinji blossoms only once in 12 years.
• Conservation: Core area of Kurinjimala Sanctuary, in Idukki district of Kerala, protects the kurinji.
• Cultural significance:
  • Nilgiri Hills (Literally meaning the blue mountains), got their name from the blue flowers of Neelakurinji.
  • The Paliyan tribes (in Tamil Nadu) use it as a reference to calculate their age.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has begun field studies to install early warning system against floods, rockslides, and avalanches in Himalayan States.

• The scientists in the institute have identified a few locations in the higher reaches of Uttarakhand for “densification” of seismometers and river gauges to take the total number to 100 from 60.
• The objective is to closely monitor the river flows in specific areas along the catchment to detect any sudden rise in water levels or flooding threshold that can lead to a hazard.
• Scientists have decided to take cognisance of the vibrations or “noise” recorded by the seismometers, which need not be due to earthquakes but can also be because of vehicular traffic, animal movement, rain, river flows and so on.
• These instruments are crucial for the safety of large infrastructure projects and hydroelectric power plants in this region.
• Currently, scientists are able to detect and assess a sudden flow 30-40 km away since the seismic wave is faster than the flow, and hence, the advance warning comes at least half an hour before.
• The NGRI has started utilising Machine Learning to detect these observations faster than the normal approach.

Initiative by Geological Survey of India (GSI):

• Scientists at the Geological Survey of India (GSI), a scientific agency established under the Ministry of Mines to conduct geological surveys and studies of India, in collaboration with the British Geological Survey, have been evaluating a prototype to predict landslides in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal and the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu.
• If the model proves successful, it is likely to be deployed in some parts of India as early as 2025.

Early warning systems:

• Early warning systems have been recognized as an effective tool to reduce vulnerabilities and improve preparedness and response to hazards, according to the United Nations Development Programme.
• The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030), an international document adopted by United Nations (UN) member states in 2015, requires countries to set out an early warning system with a multi-hazard approach by 2030.

Hence both statements are correct.