Test: Weekly Current Affairs: February 1 to 7, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Statement 4 is incorrect.

• The Central government has approved a new treatment regimen for leprosy, aiming to stop its transmission at the sub-national level by 2027, three years ahead of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to introduce a three-drug regimen for Pauci-Bacillary (PB) cases in place of a two-drug regimen for six months.
• According to the WHO, leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium leprae bacteria. The disease predominantly affects the skin and peripheral nerves. Left untreated, it may cause progressive and permanent disabilities.
• The bacteria are transmitted via droplets from the nose and mouth during close and frequent contact with untreated cases. Leprosy, reported from all the six WHO regions, is curable with multi-drug therapy (MDT). The majority of new cases detected annually are from South East Asia.
• The WHO’s recommended treatment regimen consists of three drugs — dapsone, rifampicin and clofazimine.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, has approved the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for copra for the 2024 season.
• Copra is the dried, white flesh of the coconut. It’s a major cash crop and is valued for the coconut oil that can be extracted from it.
• The palatable oil cake, known as copra cake, obtained as a residue in the production of copra oil is used in animal feeds.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• Ammonia is a colourless, pungent gas with the chemical formula NH3. It’s made up of hydrogen and nitrogen. In its aqueous form, it’s called ammonium hydroxide.
• Ammonia is a natural byproduct and respiratory stimulant. It’s produced naturally in the human body and in nature, including in water, soil, and air. In human health, ammonia and the ammonium ion are important components of metabolic processes.
• In its concentrated form, ammonia is dangerous and caustic.

Signs and symptoms of ammonia exposure include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Burns of the mouth, throat, oesophagus, and stomach

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said that the INSAT-3DS satellite has been flagged off to the launch port at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
• The INSAT-3DS satellite is an exclusive meteorological satellite realised by ISRO with the primary objective to provide continuity of services to the existing in-orbit INSAT-3D and 3DR satellites and significantly enhancing the capabilities of the INSAT system.
• The satellite is designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning, with state-of-the-art payloads viz., 6 channel Imager and 19 channel Sounder meteorology payloads, communication payloads viz., the Data Relay Transponder (DRT) and Satellite aided Search and Rescue (SAS&R) transponder.
• The DRT instrument receives meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic data from automatic Data Collection Platforms / Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and augments the weather forecasting capabilities.
• The SAS&R transponder is incorporated in the satellite to relay a distress signal / alert detection from the beacon transmitters for search and rescue services with global receive coverage.

Scientists have made progress in understanding Huntington’s disease by studying fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster).

About the study:

• Huntington’s disease patients carry a mutated version of the HTT gene, which codes for a protein called huntingtin (Htt).
• The mutated gene encodes an abnormal Htt protein, leading to the destruction of neurons regulating movement, thinking, and memory.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited disorder that causes nerve cells (neurons) in parts of the brain to gradually break down and die. The disease attacks areas of the brain that help to control voluntary (intentional) movement, as well as other areas.

Important Dimensions of India-Russia Relations:

International/Multilateral Organisations and Connectivity Projects —  BRICS, SCO, G20, International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• The CH3+ molecule, which is also known as methyl cation, has been detected in space for the first time by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
• Organic molecules are carbon based. They contain carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms but can also bond to other elements, such as oxygen, nitrogen or phosphorus.
• Everything that makes us and all life on Earth is carbon based.
• CH3+ is a very simple organic molecule, just one carbon atom and 3 hydrogen atoms. But it reacts with other molecules to form more complex ones. Its presence in space tells us that basic building blocks for life are out there.

At any time after the expiration of three years from the date of the grant of a patent, any person interested may make an application to the Controller for grant of compulsory licence on patent on any of the following grounds, namely:—
(a) that the reasonable requirements of the public with respect to the patented invention have not been satisfied, or
(b) that the patented invention is not available to the public at a reasonably affordable price, or
(c) that the patented invention is not worked in the territory of India.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

The Indian Navy has unveiled new epaulettes for Admirals, inspired by the naval ensign and Chhatrapati Shivaji’s rajmudra, as part of an initiative to reflect India’s rich maritime heritage and move away from British nomenclature.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Rajmudra is a royal seal and symbol of his dream of a Maratha Swarajya.

The seal includes Sanskrit inscriptions that express Shivaji’s gratitude to his father and his commitment to ruling his land independently and the welfare of his subjects.

The Rajmudra’s text is in Sanskrit, unlike other royal seals from the time, which were usually carved in Persian.

While a company can go for repurchase of its shares when it is sitting on a lot of cash but does not have many avenues to invest and prefers to return cash to shareholders, the case of Paytm is different – it’s sitting on huge losses and now using part of investors’ proceeds for the buyback.

Who is eligible to participate in buyback?

To be eligible to participate in the share repurchase process, a shareholder needs to hold the shares of the company, which has announced the buyback, before the record date declared in the announcement. The share also needs to be held in the demat form.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

The Anthropocene epoch as a term was first coined by Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul Crutzen and biology professor Eugene Stoermer in 2000 to denote the present geological time interval, in which the Earth’s ecosystem has gone through radical changes due to human impact, especially since the onset of the Industrial Revolution.

There are numerous phenomena associated with this epoch, such as global warming, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, mass-scale soil erosion, the advent of deadly heat waves, deterioration of the biosphere and other detrimental changes in the environment.

The planet’s geological time scale is divided into five broad categories: eons, epochs, eras, periods, epochs and ages. While eon is the broadest category of geological time, age is the smallest category. Each of these categories is further divided into sub-categories. For instance, Earth’s history is characterised by four eons, including Hadeon (oldest), Archean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic (youngest).

Statement 1 and 4 is correct.

• Pardon: Removes sentence and conviction, absolves from all sentences, punishments, and disqualifications.
• Commutation: Substitution of a harsher punishment with a lighter one (e.g., death sentence to rigorous imprisonment).
• Remission: Reducing the sentence period without changing its character.
• Respite: Awarding a lesser sentence due to special circumstances
• Reprieve: Temporary stay of sentence execution to seek pardon or commutation

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• Ambergris, which means grey amber in French, is a waxy substance that originates from the digestive system of protected sperm whales. 
• Ambergris is a rare substance, which contributes to its high demand and high price in the international market. Traditionally, it is used to produce perfumes which have notes of musk. While there are records of it being used to flavour food, alcoholic beverages and tobacco in some cultures in the past, it is rarely used for these purposes presently.
• While there is a ban on the possession and trade of ambergris in countries like the USA, Australia and India, in several other countries it is a tradable commodity, though with limitations in some of them. In the Indian context, sperm whales are a protected species under Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Protection Act and possession or trade of any of its by-products, including Ambergris and its byproducts, is illegal under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. 

• As the Government of India presses ahead with its plan to internationalise the Indian Rupee (INR), an Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) of officials of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have in a report cautioned that internationalisation may result in increased volatility in the rupee’s exchange rate in the initial stages.
• “This would further have monetary implications as the obligation of a country to supply its currency to meet the global demand may come in conflict with its domestic monetary policies, popularly known as the Triffin dilemma,” the IDG wrote.
• The Triffin dilemma or Triffin paradox is the conflict of economic interests that arises between short-term domestic and long-term international objectives for countries whose currencies serve as global reserve currencies. 

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• The Beas River is a river in north India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh and flows for some 470 kilometres (290 mi) to the Sutlej River in the state of Punjab.
• The water of the Beas river is allocated to India under the terms of the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

What are semiconductors?

Also known as microchips or integrated circuits, semiconductors are usually made from silicon, and consist of millions or billions of transistors that act like miniature electrical switches that flip on and off to process data such as images, radio waves, and sounds. They are practically inside every essential product of the modern world — from household appliances to sophisticated defence systems, mobile phones to cars, toys to high-end luxury products.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species. The convention entered into force in 1975 and India became the 25th party — a state that voluntarily agrees to be bound by the Convention — in 1976.

All import, export and re-export of species covered under CITES must be authorised through a permit system.

Every two years, the Conference of the Parties (CoP), the supreme decision-making body of CITES, applies a set of biological and trade criteria to evaluate proposals from parties to decide if a species should be in Appendix I or II.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has launched a call for startup applications for registration on the MAARG portal, the National Mentorship Platform by Startup India.

MAARG portal – Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience and Growth, is a one stop platform to facilitate mentorship for startups across diverse sectors, functions, stages, geographies, and backgrounds. The objectives of the MAARG portal are –

• To provide sector focused guidance, handholding, and support to startups throughout their lifecycle
• To establish a formalized and structured platform that facilitates intelligent matchmaking between the mentors and their respective mentees

To facilitate efficient and expert mentorship for startups and build an outcome-oriented mechanism that allows timely tracking of the mentor-mentee engagements

Only option 1 is correct.

New Aadhaar cards and PDF versions of the identity document have started including a more explicit and prominent disclaimer that they are “a proof of identity, not of citizenship or date of birth.”

Statement 2 is incorrect.

The National Research Centre on Litchi (NRCL), has successfully expanded litchi cultivation to 19 states in India.

Litchi cultivation for commercial production has commenced in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and others.

About Litchi:

• Litchi (Litchi chinensis) is a small, oval roundish fruit that is native to Southeast Asia. It is a member of the soapberry family (Sapindaceae) and is also known as lychee or lichee.
• Litchi is a sensitive fruit, influenced by temperature, rainfall, humidity, and soil conditions.
• The fruit primarily grows in the foothills of the Himalayas, with Bihar alone contributing nearly 40% of India’s litchi production.

Litchi fruit contains a toxin, methylene cyclopropyl-glycine (MCPG), which is known to be fatal by causing encephalitis-related deaths. This is especially harmful when consumed by malnourished children.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• El Niño typically brings less rain and higher temperatures to the Amazon.
• The Amazon rainforest covers an area twice the size of India and holds tremendous stores of carbon, serving as a crucial buffer against climate change. Two-thirds of it is located in Brazil.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• A recent image captured by trap cameras in the Neora Valley National Park in the hills of West Bengal has confirmed the presence of Royal Bengal Tigers at an altitude of 10,509 feet above sea level.
• Neora Valley National Park in the Kalimpong district of West Bengal was established in 1986, it’s a rich biological zone with diverse flora and fauna.
• The park is home to the red panda and is known for its rugged, inaccessible terrain

• Every decision of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be taken at a meeting, by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the weighted votes of the members present and voting, in accordance with the following principles, namely: —
• The vote of the Central Government shall have a weightage of one third of the total votes cast, and
• the votes of all the State Governments taken together shall have a weightage of two-thirds of the total votes cast, in that meeting.