Test: Monthly Current Affairs March- 1 - UPSC MCQ

Statement 1 is not correct: It is a price fixation scheme that aims to ensure farmers are given the right price for their produce. It aims to promote Farmer Producers Organizations (FPO), Agri-logistics, processing facilities and professional management of agri-produce. It focuses on organized marketing of Tomatoes, Onions and Potatoes (TOP vegetables) by connecting farmers with consumers.
Statement 2 is not correct: Operation Green was originally launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).

Statement 1 is not correct

• It is a 637-kg optical earth observation satellite of the National Institute for Space Research. 
• It is powered by lithium-ion batteries and two solar arrays. It has an 850km swath and 60m resolution.
• It will offer remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region of Brazil including the analysis of diversified agriculture in the South American country.

Statement 2 is correct

• India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C51 successfully launched Amazonia-1 along with 18 copassenger satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.
• PSLV-C51 is the 53rd flight of PSLV and the 3rd flight of PSLV in 'DL' configuration (with 2 strap-on motors). 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists caracals as a species of ‘least concern’ and in India, now they are critically endangered species.

Statement 1 is not correct. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was established in 2010 (11th FYP) under the National Green Tribunal Act of 2010 as a statutory body. It is a specialised body for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
Statement 2 is not correct. It is mandated to make disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of the filing of the case.

Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched “Sugamya Bharat App” and a handbook titled “Access: The Photo Digest”. It is a crowdsourcing mobile application that has been developed as a means to sensitise and enhance the accessibility.

Statement 1 is correct. The Jim Corbett National Park was established in 1936 as the Hailey National Park. It is India's oldest and most prestigious National Park.
Statement 2 is correct. The National Park is a part of the larger Corbett Tiger Reserve, which is a Project Tiger Reserve. It is honoured as the place where Project Tiger was first launched in 1973.

In News: 126-year-old Mullaperiyar Dam (Masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River) has dangerously outlived its 50 years of life.
Option C is correct. Under lease agreement between British and Travancore (Current Kerala), TamilNadu got the rights to operate Mullaperiyar Dam even though it is situated in Kerala on Periyar River. It is bone of contention and sub judice due to Kerala’s wish to decommission it.

Exercise Desert Flag VI is an annual multinational large force employment warfare exercise hosted by the United Arab Emirates’ Air Force. In 2021, the Indian Air Force is participating in it for the first time along with air forces of the UAE, US, France, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Bahrain.

In News: Black-browed babbler has been rediscovered in Borneo Island of Indonesia after 170 years.
Option D is correct. It is a bird endemic to Borneo. IUCN keeps it in the Data deficient category. It is a small brown-grey songbird with a distinctive broad, black eye-stripe running all the way around its head. Its Scientific Name is Malacocincla perspicillata. It’s prime habitat is Subtropical or Tropical moist lowland forests, at altitudes of 200-1170 m.

In News: World Wildlife Day 2021 is being celebrated on 3rd March with the theme ‘Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet'.
Option D is correct: The day was chosen as World Wildlife day by the UN General As-sembly (UNGA) on 20 December 2013 at its 68th session. The aim was to celebrate and raise awareness about animals and plants. The reason this date was selected for the oc-casion was that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed on 3 March, 1973. CITES is a multilateral legally binding treaty to protect endangered plants & animals. It is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). CITES is legally binding on state parties to the convention, which are obliged to adopt their own domestic legislation to imple-ment its goals.

The Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices. It is announced by the Government at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricul-tural Costs and Prices (CACP).

In News: EPFO has liquidated equity outlay and retains 8.5% payout as interest over deposits.
Statement 1 is not correct. Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Labour.
Statement 2 is correct. It assists the Central Board in administering the following schemes for the workforce engaged in the organised sector in India.

• Compulsory contributory Provident Fund Scheme,
• Pension Scheme and
• Insurance Scheme

It is also the nodal agency for implementing Bilateral Social Security Agreements with other countries on a reciprocal basis.

The balance of payments (BoP) records the transactions in goods, services and assets between residents of a country with the rest of the world for a specified time period typically a year. There are two main accounts in the BoP - the current account and the capital account. Capital Account Includes: External Assistance, Commercial Borrowings, Foreign Investment, Portfolio, FII, Non-Resident Deposits, Banking Capital. The current account records exports and imports in goods and services and transfer payments.

Statement 1 is not correct: The model code refers to a set of norms laid down by the Election Commission of India, with the consensus of political parties. It is not statutory. The purpose of these guidelines is to regulate political parties and candidates prior to elections, to ensure free and fair elections.
Statement 2 is not correct: The MCC is operational from the date that the election schedule is announced till the date that results are announced.
Statement 3 is correct: The MCC is not enforceable by law. However, certain provisions of the MCC may be enforced through invoking corresponding provisions in other statutes such as the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and Representation of the People Act, 1951.

In News: Recently, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out a flight demonstration based on Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
Statement 1 is correct: Ramjet is a form of air-breathing jet engine that uses the engine’s forward motion to compress incoming air without an axial compressor or a centrifugal compressor.
Statement 2 is not correct: A ramjet-powered vehicle requires an assisted take-off like a rocket assist to accelerate it to a speed where it begins to produce thrust. They do not need oxidisers and hence can carry bigger warheads.
Statement 3 is not correct: Ramjets work most efficiently at supersonic speeds around Mach 3 (three times the speed of sound) and can operate up to speeds of Mach 6. Scramjet powered vehicles are envisioned to operate at speeds up to at least Mach 15.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) releases the Food Waste Index Report. The Food Waste Index presents the most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling to date, generating a new estimate of global food waste. It seeks to support efforts to halve food waste by 2030.

In News: OPEC+ has agreed not to increase supply in April as they await a more substantial recovery in demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Crude prices rose after the announcement and are up 33% this year.
Statement 1 is correct: The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent group consisting of 14 of the world’s major oil-exporting nations.
Statement 2 is not correct: OPEC was founded in 1960 Baghdad Conference with Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela as founding members to coordinate the petroleum policies of its members and to provide member states with technical and economic aid.
Statement 3 is correct: Ecuador has withdrawn its membership of OPEC. In January 2019, Qatar withdrew its membership from the organisation.
Statement 4 is correct: The OPEC plus countries are the non-OPEC countries which export crude oil. OPEC plus countries include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, South Sudan and Sudan.

In News: El Salvador has officially been declared malaria-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) after no reports of new indigenous cases of the disease since 2017.
Statement 1 is correct. The country is the first in Central America to achieve the WHO’s malaria-free certification status and third in the Americas overall after Argentina in 2019 and Paraguay in 2018.
Statement 2 is not correct. It is a WHO certification for which countries can apply for when there have been no local cases for three consecutive years.
Statement 3 is not correct. Globally, 38 countries and territories have achieved malaria-free status. India is yet to attain Malaria free status.

In News: Red Echo (a trojan allegedly operated by Chinese firms like APT41, Barium, Winnti, Wicked Panda, and Wicked Spider) had targeted 10 vital nodes in India’s power distribution system and two seaports.
Option D is Correct. The US firm, Recorded Future, detected this malware attack by tracking AXIOMATIC ASYMPTOTE servers being contacted by IP addresses linked to critical Indian systems. Domains spoofing was observed. Eg. ‘ntpc-co[.]com’ domain spoofed the original ntpc[.]co[.]in. AXIOMATICASYMPTOTE servers act as command and control centres for a malware known as ShadowPad.

Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) are known for their rich hue and therapeutic properties. It is declared Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List.