Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 18th July 2024 - UPSC MCQ

1. Statement 1 is correct: The cave is indeed located on the Mare Tranquillitatis, which is a large, dark, basaltic plain on the Moon's surface. This location is also known as the Sea of Tranquillity.

2. Statement 2 is correct: The discovery of the cave was made using data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which was launched in 2009. The LRO has been instrumental in providing detailed images and data about the Moon's surface.

3. Statement 3 is correct: Lunar caves have been found to maintain stable average temperatures of around 17 degrees Celsius, which is much more stable compared to the extreme temperature variations on the lunar surface. This makes them potentially suitable for human habitation in the future.

All three statements are accurate based on the provided information, hence the correct answer is Option D.

Statement-I correctly highlights the purpose of the U-Win portal, which is to digitize vaccination records and improve maternal and child healthcare in India. Statement-II accurately describes one of the features of the U-Win portal, which is to provide free vaccines against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases under the Universal Immunization Programme. Therefore, both statements are correct, and Statement-II supports and explains the objective mentioned in Statement-I.

All three statements provided are correct based on the given context:

1. The 106th constitutional amendment indeed mandates one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State legislative assemblies. This reservation will be implemented post the delimitation process following the first Census conducted after the enactment of this amendment.

2. As of April 2024, India is ranked 143rd in the 'Monthly ranking of women in national parliaments' by the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

3. The Naam Tamilar Katchi, a Tamil Nadu State party, has consistently maintained a voluntary 50% quota for female candidates in the last three general elections.

Thus, the correct answer is Option D.

The U-Win digital platform launching on August 15 in India aims to transform maternal and child healthcare. By digitizing vaccination records, it seeks to streamline record-keeping and mark a significant shift in primary healthcare delivery, particularly focusing on immunization and healthcare services for mothers and children.

The recent confirmation of a cave near the Moon's first landing site could significantly benefit future space exploration missions. This discovery has the potential to provide astronauts with a safe habitat on the Moon due to its stable temperatures and protection from radiation and meteorites. Caves on the Moon could serve as viable locations for lunar bases or emergency shelters, enabling extended human presence on the lunar surface.

SEBI's proposed new asset class is designed to target investors seeking potentially higher returns by offering an intermediate investment option that balances risk and returns effectively. It aims to fill the gap in the investment landscape between retail investors opting for mutual funds and high-net-worth individuals choosing Portfolio Management Services (PMS) or alternative investment funds. This new class is tailored for individuals with a higher risk appetite and seeking enhanced returns while managing risks effectively.

1. Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) - Incorrect. UIP provides immunization against 9 vaccine-preventable diseases nationally and 3 sub-nationally, not 12 nationally.

2. U-Win Portal - Correct. The U-Win Portal allows citizens to register for vaccinations via a web portal or mobile application.

3. National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) - Incorrect. The NCSC cannot enforce constitutional reservations in religious minority institutions; it can only recommend and monitor.

4. Economic empowerment policies - Correct. These policies focus on enhancing the ownership of capital assets among SC individuals.

Thus, pairs 2 and 4 are correctly matched.

1. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin: Correctly matched. They were indeed the first astronauts to land on the Moon in 1969, near the Mare Tranquillitatis.

2. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO): Incorrectly matched. The LRO was launched by NASA on June 18, 2009, not in 2010.

3. General Finance Rules (GFR): Correctly matched. The GFR were initially issued in 1947 post-independence.

4. Government e-Marketplace (GeM): Correctly matched. The GeM was launched in 2016 to facilitate online procurement of common use goods and services.

Thus, pairs 1, 3, and 4 are correctly matched.

Statement-I correctly states that scientists have confirmed the presence of a cave on the Moon near the site of the first lunar landing, which could serve as a potential habitat for astronauts in the future, as per the information provided in the passage. Statement-II accurately describes the dimensions of the cave discovered, mentioning its width, length, and size in comparison to tennis courts. However, Statement-II does not directly explain or elaborate on Statement-I; it merely provides additional details about the cave's physical characteristics. Therefore, both statements are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I, making option (b) the correct choice.

- Statement 1 is correct: The U-WIN portal aims to replace the current manual system used by ASHA and other healthcare workers for maintaining vaccination records with a digital platform.
- Statement 2 is incorrect: Under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP), immunization is provided against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases, but only 9 of these are covered nationally. The remaining 3 diseases are covered sub-nationally.
- Statement 3 is correct: The U-WIN portal allows migrant workers to get their children vaccinated at any center in the country without having to carry their child's vaccination cards, which helps in reducing the number of zero-dose children.
Therefore, statements 1 and 3 are correct, while statement 2 is incorrect.