Test: Weekly Current Affairs: December 8 to 14, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• A 35-year-old man from Mandkha, Uttar Pradesh, was booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, for “illegally” keeping and nursing an injured Sarus crane (Grus Antigone) he found in his village.
• The Sarus crane is usually found in wetlands and is the state bird of Uttar Pradesh. Standing at 152-156 centimetres, it is the world’s tallest flying bird.
• Under Section 39 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, no person is allowed to acquire or keep in his possession, custody or control any wildlife which is state property. If anyone does so — for example, to treat an injured bird as in the present case — she must report it to the nearest police station or the authorised officer within forty-eight hours of obtaining such possession. Further, under Section 57 of the Act, if a person is found in possession, custody or control of any wildlife, the burden of proof for establishing that the possession, custody or control is not illegal is on the person.
• WLPA does not allow anyone to take home an injured wild bird and keep it for months without written permission from the state’s chief wildlife warden.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• The undersea mining will be conducted to extract key battery materials — cobalt, copper, nickel, and manganese — from potato-sized rocks called “polymetallic nodules” found at depths of 4 kilometers to 6 kilometers (about 2.5 miles to 3.7 miles).
• The Jamaica-based ISA was established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It holds authority over the ocean floors outside of its 167 member states’ Exclusive Economic Zones.

The term Vande Mataram refers to a sense of respect expressed to the motherland. In 1870, Bengali novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote a song which would go on to assume a national stature.

‘Inquilab Zindabad’ (Long live the revolution) was first used by Maulana Hasrat Mohani in 1921.

‘Do or Die’ by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

While Gandhi gave the clarion call of ‘Quit India’, the slogan was coined by Yusuf Meherally, a socialist and trade unionist who also served as Mayor of Mumbai.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is three things. First, it is large – so large that it’s the world’s largest science experiment. Second, it’s a collider. It accelerates two beams of particles in opposite directions and smashes them head on. Third, these particles are hadrons. The LHC, built by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), is on the energy frontier of physics research, conducting experiments with highly energised particles.

A hadron is a subatomic particle made up of smaller particles. The LHC typically uses protons, which are made up of quarks and gluons.

• A democracy cannot exist without giving some fundamental rights of citizens and to safeguard them via institutional mechanisms. It is essential to have laws/rules that protect citizen’s rights. Political equality is one such right.
• Political equality of citizens refers to equal voting rights, equal eligibility for public offices etc.
• Without the freedom to opine, express, organize and protest a government can turn tyrannical and authoritarian. This is also essential to political equality. It acts as a check and balance.

Benefits of wastes to energy plants:

• In terms of volume, usually waste-to-energy plants incinerate 80 to 90 percent of waste, thus helping large cities from choking due to unmanageable waste.
• Waste to energy generates clean, reliable energy from a renewable fuel source, thus reducing dependence on fossil fuels, the combustion of which is a major contributor to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.
• Sometimes, the residue ash is clean enough to be used for some purposes such as raw materials for use in manufacturing cinder blocks or for road construction.
• Some waste-to-energy plants convert salt water to potable fresh water as a by-product of cooling processes.
• Waste-to-energy plants cause less air pollution than coal plants.
• It is carbon-negative – processing waste into biofuel releases considerably less carbon and methane into the air than having waste decay away in landfills or the lake.

Japan’s $75 billion plan for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), to work with countries in the region on avoiding debt traps, building infrastructure, and enhancing maritime and air security.

The phrase Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is made up of three Sanskrit words, Vasudhaa (earth/world), iva (like) and kutumbakam (large/extended family). The verse finds mention in Maha Upanishad (VI.72); and is further referred to in the Hitopadesha and other literary works of India.

• Milk of magnesia is a medium basic compound because its pH is not so high and not so low. The pH of milk of magnesia is 10.5.
• Egg white is one of the few food products that is naturally alkaline, with an initial pH value that can be as low as 7.6 at time of lay, but with increasing alkalinity as the egg ages, and can reach pH of 9.2.
• Black coffee typically has a pH of about 5 and is thus slightly acidic. It is acidic, with pH between 4 and 5, depending on the beans, roasting, and brewing.
• Lemon juice has a pH between 2 and 3.

• The Election Commission (EC) told the Supreme Court that offering freebies either before or after elections is a policy decision of a political party, and it cannot regulate state policies and decisions taken by the parties.
• “The Election Commission cannot regulate state policies and decisions which may be taken by the winning party when they form the government.”
• The EC clarified that it does not have power to deregister a political party, except on three grounds. The grounds are — registration obtained on fraud and forgery, party ceased to have faith and allegiance to the Constitution, and any other alike ground.

• The Indian Territorial Army, established in 1949, is an auxiliary military organization of the Indian Army, often requested by ministries and state governments for various roles, including plantation drives, petroleum supply, oil exploration, and protection of critical infrastructure.
• The primary role of the TA is to “relieve the regular army from static duties and assist civil administration in dealing with natural calamities and maintenance of essential services” and to “provide units for the regular army as and when required”.
• The TA has participated in all of India’s wars since the country’s independence.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• The Baiga Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Chhattisgarh has been granted habitat rights, making it the second PVTG to receive such rights in the state.
• Out of 75 PVTGs in India, only three have received habitat rights, including the Bharia PVTG in Madhya Pradesh, the Kamar tribe, and now the Baiga tribe in Chhattisgarh.

About Habitat Rights:

• Habitat rights are granted under the Forest Rights Act and provide communities with rights over their customary territories, cultural practices, livelihood means, biodiversity knowledge, and protection of their natural and cultural heritage.
• Habitat rights help safeguard traditional livelihoods and ecological knowledge, and they empower PVTG communities to access government schemes and initiatives to develop their habitats.

Statement 1 and 4 is incorrect.
The labour force participation rate (LPR) is a measure of the proportion of a country’s working-age population that is actively engaged in the labour market.
An increasing trend in LFPR for persons aged 15 years and above was observed

• In rural areas, LFPR increased from 50.7% in 2017-18 to 60.8% in 2022-23.
• In urban areas, LFPR increased from 47.6% to 50.4% over the same period.
• LFPR for males in India increased from 75.8% in 2017-18 to 78.5% in 2022-23.
• For females, LFPR increased from 23.3% to 37.0% during this time.

Only Statement 4 is correct.

• The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a major continental multi-sport event held every four years, featuring athletes from across Asia. The Games were initially regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from 1951 to 1978. Since 1982, they have been organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) after the dissolution of the AGF. These Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and are considered the second-largest multi-sport event globally, following the Olympic Games.
• Israel has been excluded from the Games since 1976, the reason cited as being due to security reasons. Israel requested to participate in the 1982 Games, but the request was rejected by the organizers due to the Munich massacre
• India held the first and ninth editions of the Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951 and 1982 respectively. India has consistently ranked in the top 10 in medals tally (except in the 1990 games). India has won at least one gold medal in all the Asian Games held till now.

Only Statement 1 is correct.
PVTGs are a sub-classification of Scheduled Tribes in India. They are considered more vulnerable than regular Scheduled Tribes. 
PVTGs are characterized by:

• Declining or stagnant population
• Low level of literacy
• Pre-agricultural level of technology
• Economically backward

The Government of India renamed Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as PVTGs in 2006. The Dhebar Commission created the PTG category in 1973

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• Carbon neutrality refers to achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions by balancing carbon dioxide emissions with removal (often through carbon offsetting) or simply eliminating carbon dioxide emissions altogether (the transition to the “post-carbon economy”).
• Although both renewable and non-renewable energy both produce carbon emissions in some form, renewable energy has a lesser to almost zero carbon emissions.

• The McMahon Line serves as the de facto boundary between China and India in the Eastern Sector. It specifically represents the boundary between Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet, from Bhutan in the west to Myanmar in the east.
• The McMahon Line was drawn during the Simla Convention of 1914.

• Around 1200 years ago, a great king built a grand temple, dedicated to Martand, the Sun god. The temple survives partially today in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag. It still makes for an impressive sight with the formidable grey walls standing stark against the blue sky, broken grey fragments strewn around the green grass. Some of the walls bear clear carvings of deities, and the beauty and symmetry of the temple are still amply evident. The temple is ringed by a row of pillars—the peristyle common in Kashmiri temple architecture.
• The Martand Temple was built by the Karkota dynasty king Lalitaditya Muktapida, who ruled Kashmir from 725 AD to 753 AD.
• Dedicated to Vishnu-Surya, the Martand Temple has three distinct chambers—the mandapa, the garbhagriha, and the antralaya—probably the only three-chambered temple in Kashmir.
• The temple is built in a unique Kashmiri style, though it has definite Gandhar influences.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

Advantages of Bioremediation

• Bioremediation offers numerous advantages over other clean-up methods. By relying solely on natural processes, it minimizes damage to ecosystems. Bioremediation often takes place underground, where amendments and microbes can be pumped in order to clean up contaminants in groundwater and soil. Consequently, bioremediation does not disrupt nearby communities as much as other clean-up methodologies.
• The bioremediation process creates relatively few harmful by-products (mainly due to the fact that contaminants and pollutants are converted into water and harmless gases like carbon dioxide). Finally, bioremediation is cheaper than most clean-up methods because it does not require substantial equipment or labour.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, introduced the ‘A-HELP’ (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) program.
• This program aims to empower women by engaging them as Accredited Agents who play a vital role in disease control, animal tagging, and livestock insurance.
• The ‘A-HELP’ initiative is being implemented in various Indian states and union territories, including Bihar, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand, through an MoU between the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
• The new scheme would enhance access to veterinary services at the farmer’s doorstep and empower Pashu Sakhis.

Tanzania is an East African country known for its vast wilderness areas. They include the plains of Serengeti National Park, populated by the “big five” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino), and Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Africa’s highest mountain.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• The labour force participation rate (LPR) is a measure of the proportion of a country’s working-age population that is actively engaged in the labour market.
• The unemployment rate is the percentage of unemployed workers in the total labour force. The labour force includes all people who are employed or unemployed. The unemployment rate is calculated by dividing the number of unemployed people by the total labour force.

• The second Global Amphibian Assessment, conducted by over 1,000 experts and analysing 8,011 species worldwide, has revealed that the elusive dancing frogs of the Western Ghats are one of the most threatened amphibian genera.
• This assessment points out that 41 per cent of amphibian species are on the brink of extinction globally, with climate change, habitat loss, disease, fire, invasive species, and over-exploitation posing significant threats to them.
• The dancing frog genus, Micrixalus, which is part of the endemic family Micrixalidae, is identified as the most threatened frog genus in India.
• Amphibians are currently the second most declining taxa globally, after corals, making their conservation a matter of great concern.

Statement 3 is incorrect.
Hemochromatosis is a rare genetic disorder characterized by iron overload, which can lead to severe dysfunction in various organs.
There are two main types of hemochromatosis: hereditary hemochromatosis and secondary hemochromatosis.

• Hereditary Hemochromatosis: This genetic disorder results from a mutation in the HFE gene, causing individuals to absorb excessive iron from their diet.
  • Unlike the body’s natural ability to regulate iron intake, people with hereditary hemochromatosis accumulate iron gradually in their system, which can lead to health problems over time.
  • The excess iron can affect vital organs such as the liver, heart, and pancreas, potentially causing cirrhosis, heart failure, diabetes, and arthritis.
• Secondary Hemochromatosis: This type is typically caused by external factors like frequent blood transfusions, excessive iron supplementation, or certain medical conditions. Iron accumulation in secondary hemochromatosis can be more rapid and lead to organ dysfunction.