Test: Monthly Current Affairs February- 2 - UPSC MCQ

Appe midi is a wild variety of mangoes from Karnataka on verge of extinction due to habitat loss. These are rich in fibre and good for digestion, hence used for pickle making and juice extraction. The Bee’s genus is Apis.

Statement 1 is correct. The Kalam Programme for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness (KAPILA) campaign helps in establishing the Intellectual Property (IP) filing ecosystem.
Statement 2 is not correct. The programme has been launched by the Ministry of Education and not by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

‘Pattachitra’ style of painting is one of the oldest and most popular art forms of Odisha. The name Pattachitra has evolved from the Sanskrit words patta, meaning canvas, and chitra, meaning picture. These are done on canvas and are manifested by rich colourful application, creative motifs and designs, and portrayal of simple themes, which are mostly mythological in depiction.

The World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) is the annual flagship event of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The Summit aims to make ‘sustainable development’ a globally shared goal. It has also established itself as a responsible and effective platform for mobilizing opinion-makers to identify and advance pioneering actions to address some of the most relevant issues concerning sustainable development.

In News: A new district has been created in Karnataka with the name of Vijayanagar, taking the number of districts to 31 in Karnataka.
Option B is correct. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, situated on the banks of Tungabhadra River. It was a prosperous city with many medieval era temples like Hazara Ram Temple, Virupaksha Temple, etc. Hampi’s legacy dates back to the ancient era with mentions in Ramayan and Puranas as Pampa Devi Tirtha Kshetra.

In News: Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) has launched two new technology initiatives: SAKSHAM (Shramik Shakti Manch) and Seaweed Mission.
Option A is correct. The SAKSHAM initiative has been launched by the TIFAC to dynamically map the skills of Shramiks and help MSMEs in the recruitment of appropriate personnel.

Vijayanagar empire was founded by the brothers Harihar and Bukka in 1336 in the wake of the rebellions against Tughluq rule. The empire reached its zenith under the reign of Krishnadev Raya of the Tuluva dynasty.

In News: The Government has decided to privatise two Public Sector Banks (PSBs) along with IDBI and General insurance.
Statement 1 is correct. Disinvestment is the process when the government decides to reduce its stake from any public company. Disinvestment can be by privatisation, public listing or partial sale of shares. In other words, Disinvestment is when governments or organizations sell or liquidate assets or subsidiaries.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The disinvestment targets are highly underachieved except for the last two years viz. 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Statement 3 is correct. Narasimham Committee, P J Nayak Committee both have suggested the government to reduce its stake in Public Sector Banks to 33% and less than 50% respectively.

BL Lacertae Blazar is a supermassive blackhole. Blazars are blackhole-powered galaxies. As matter falls toward the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center, some of it is accelerated outward at nearly the speed of light along jets pointed in opposite directions. When one of the jets happens to be aimed in the direction of Earth, the galaxy appears especially bright and is classified as a blazar.

Tholpavakoothu or shadow puppetry is a temple art form which is prevalent in the Bhagavathy temples (mother Goddess) in Palakkad district and nearby regions in Kerala.

In News: FASTag is mandatory in India from 1st January 2021 for all vehicles.
Statement 1 is correct. FASTag is a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag to be pasted on the windscreen. It is a passive tag which means it does not release its own radio frequency but simply reflects or interacts with the incoming radio waves at the toll plaza gate.
Statement 2 is incorrect. It is a flagship project of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and is operated by the National Highway Authority of India.
Statement 3 is correct. The RFID tag does not require being in direct line of sight because radio waves are used by sensors. Once the car/vehicle is within a certain range (few feet), the sensors at toll plaza will automatically detect and deduct the amount from the pre-decided wallet or bank account.

Dickinsonia is the earliest known living animal and represents the emergence of multicellular complex lifeforms on earth. Its 550 million years old fossils have been found in the roof of Bhimbetka Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A well-known malware, Netwire is a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) which gives control of the infected system to an attacker through a command and control server. It causes extensive damage to data and systems or to gain unauthorized access to a network.

In News: Recently, scientists have unveiled the detailed genome of the Asian malaria vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi.
Option C is correct. Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) is recommended for the treatment of Malaria

The National Development Council is an executive body as it was established by an executive resolution on the recommendation of the First Five Year Plan (draft outline) in August 1952. It is neither a constitutional body nor a statutory body.

Statements 1 is not correct. It was launched by the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change.
Statement 2 is correct. It focuses on assessments of the environmental impact of marine and coastal development that affects marine turtle populations and their habitats.
Promotes inter-sectoral action for conservation and also guides improved coordination amongst the government, civil society and all relevant stakeholders.

In News: Recently, the e-Chhawani portal was launched to provide online civic services to over 20 lakh residents of 62 Cantonment Boards across the country. Launched by the Defence minister, it is an innovative effort to transform the functioning of Cantonment Boards, in line with the vision of ‘New India’.

In News: Recently, the Union Finance Minister has announced the launch of the Hydrogen Energy Mission during her budget speech.
Statement 1 is correct. Hydrogen produced from fossil fuels is called grey hydrogen, this constitutes the bulk of the hydrogen produced currently.
Statement 2 is not correct. Hydrogen generated from fossil fuels with carbon capture and storage options is called blue hydrogen. Hydrogen generated entirely from renewable power sources is called green hydrogen. 

In News: Prime Minister addresses the Convocation of Visva-Bharati on 19th February 2021. 
Option B is correct: Visva-Bharati University was founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1921 at Santiniketan, Bolpur in West Bengal’s Birbhum district. It is also the oldest Central University in the country and an Institution of National Importance by an Act of Parliament in 1951. It brings a synergy between the country and the rest of the world therefore it is called Visva-Bharati. It consists of two campuses one at Shantiniketan and the other at Sriniketan. Sriniketan focuses on agriculture, adult education, village, cottage industries and handicrafts.

In News: Recently, the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) has recovered the decomposed flesh of a tiger from the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
Statement 1 is correct. It is the only place in the country to hold a potentially viable population of the nominate subspecies of the northern swamp deer (Cervus duvauceli duvauceli).
Statement 2 is correct. It is one of the finest examples of the exceedingly diverse and productive Terai eco-systems. Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) is composed of 14 Indian and Nepalese transborder protected ecosystems of the Terai and nearby foothills of the Himalayas and encompassing 14 protected areas of Nepal and India.