Test: Monthly Current Affairs July- 1 - UPSC MCQ

Statement 1 is correct: The BharatNet project originally aimed to provide broadband services at 100 Mbps to around 2.5 lakh gram panchayats of the country. The entire project is being funded by the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF), which was set up for improving telecom services in rural and remote areas of the country.
Statement 2 is correct: The project is being implemented by Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

Statement 1 is not correct: National Institution for Transforming India, also known as NITI Aayog, was formed via a resolution of the Union Cabinet on 1 January 2015. It is the premier policy think tank of the Government of India, providing directional and policy inputs.
Statement 2 is correct: The Governing Council of NITI Aayog is chaired by the HonTile Prime Minister and comprises Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories with legislatures and Lt Governors of other Union Territories.

Option A is correct: It is the first autonomous digital drone defence dome system in India.

• It is developed by Hyderabad-based Grene Robotics with a range of an area of 1,000-2,000 sq km per system.

Uses:

• provides protection to defence bases;
• Detection of threats such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), incoming weapons, loitering munitions, low Radar Cross Section (RCS) targets autonomously; and
• beneficial for linear infrastructures like international borders against advanced weaponry.

Statement 1 is not correct: U-DISE (Unified District Information System for Education) is a database about schools in India.

Statement 2 is not correct: The database was developed at the Department of School Education.

Statement 3 is not correct: It is maintained by the National Informatics Centre.

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

Option b is correct: Kalbeliya, the snake dance from the state of Rajasthan is a piece of art performed by the Kalbeliya tribe and hence is its name. The word Kalbeliya is a blend of two words which are ‘Kal’ and ‘Beliya’. Kalbeliya dance is a folk dance performed in the Rajasthan state of India. It is one of the most sensuous dance forms. The dance is mainly performed by the Kalbeliya community. It is danced to celebrate the happy moment in the community. Both men and women participate in Kalbeliya dance.

Statement 1 is not correct: Ghatak is an autonomous stealthy unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV), being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation for the Indian Air Force.
Statement 2 is correct: The UCAV will be capable of releasing missiles, bombs and precision-guided munitions. First flight of a scaled down testbed is scheduled in 2021 and that of a full scale prototype is expected in 2024-25.

Option c is correct: Recently, Turkey has pulled out of Istanbul Convention on violence against women. The convention was established by the Council of Europe. It is a human rights treaty. Aim: To prevent and prosecute all forms of violence against women, promote gender equality and ensure protection and rehabilitation of women who are victims of violence. The treaty was opened for ratification in May 2011. From the European Union, 34 countries signed this treaty.

In News: Recently, authorities have carried out the relocation of crocodiles from Panchmuli lake near the Statue of Unity in Narmada district, Gujarat.

Statement 1 is correct: Narmada river is the fifth-largest river in India. It originates from the Amarkantak region in Madhya Pradesh and traverses around 1,312 km.

Statement 2 is correct: It is a classic case of Integrated River Basin Planning, Development, and Management, with water storage available in all major, medium, and minor dams on the main river and its tributaries, shared amongst four party states (Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra) in the ratio stipulated by the 1979 award of the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal.

Statement 3 is not correct: It drains into the Arabian Sea at the Gulf of Cambay.

In News: Recently, the Philippines has increased the alert level on Taal Volcano, south of Manila, warning of eruptions and urging people in nearby areas to evacuate.

Option C is correct: Taal is the Philippines’ second most active volcano. It is small in size however, it is a dangerous volcano. Taal is a complex volcano, meaning it does not have one vent or cone but several eruption points that have changed over time. It is at the centre of the 230 sq km Taal lake, formed in the caldera of earlier massive prehistoric eruptions.

In News: Recently, the Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought (BOLD) project has been initiated.

Statement 1 is not correct: It has been launched by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) as part of its Khadi Bamboo Festival to celebrate 75 years of independence, “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

Statement 2 is correct: It seeks to create bamboo-based green patches in arid and semi-arid land zones. Bamboos are known for conserving water and reducing evaporation of water from the land surface, which becomes significant for arid and drought-prone regions. Also, bamboos grow very fast and could be harvested in about three years’ time.

In News: Recently, authorities have carried out the relocation of crocodiles from Panchmuli lake near the Statue of Unity in Narmada district, Gujarat.
Option C is correct: The Panchmuli lake, also known as ‘Dyke-3’ of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, is located in Gujarat. It was developed for tourists visiting the Statue of Unity. In 2019, the Gujarat State Forest Development Corporation Ltd (GSFDC) started the boat ride in the lake, which is rich in flora and fauna and surrounded by lush green forests, as part of the eco-tourism activity in the region surrounding the Statue of Unity. A large number of crocodiles posed a threat to visitors so authorities decided to relocate crocodiles from the water body to prevent any harm to tourists.

Statement 1 is correct: Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) is an apex-level body constituted by the government of India. The idea to create such a super regulatory body was first mooted by the Raghuram Rajan Committee in 2008. Finally in 2010, the then Finance Ministry decided to set up such an autonomous body dealing with macro prudential and financial regularities in the entire financial sector of India.

Statement 2 is not correct: An apex-level FSDC is not a statutory body.

Statement 3 is not correct: It is headed by the Union Finance Minister of India. Its members include-

• Governor Reserve Bank of India (RBI),
• Finance Secretary and/ or Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA),
• Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS), o Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs,
• Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology,
• Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance,
• Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI),
• Chairman, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA),
• Chairman, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA),
• Chairman, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).

In News: Recently, Ramayapalli village in Odisha’s Ganjam district has witnessed a tidal wave.

Statement 1 is correct: A tidal wave is a regularly reoccurring shallow water wave caused by the gravitational interactions between the Sun, Moon, and Earth.

Statement 2 is not correct: The term "tidal wave" is often used to refer to tsunamis; however, this reference is incorrect as tsunamis have nothing to do with tides. Although both are sea waves, a tsunami and a tidal wave are two different and unrelated phenomena. A tsunami is an ocean wave triggered by large earthquakes that occur near or under the ocean, volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides or onshore landslides in which large volumes of debris fall into the water.

In News: Every year, 4th July is observed as the death anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, who is regarded as one of the finest spiritual leaders and intellectuals from India.

Statement 1 is correct: He preached ‘Neo-Vedanta’ and believed in combining spirituality with material progress. Neo-Vedanta is a modern interpretation of Vedanta, with a liberal attitude toward the Vedas. It reconciles dualism and non-dualism and rejects the "universal illusionism" of Shankara.

Statement 2 is correct: He gave a new theory of ethics and a new principle of morality based on the intrinsic purity and oneness of the Atman. According to him, ethics is a code of conduct that helps a person to be a good citizen.

Statement 3 is correct: Social reform was a prominent element of Vivekananda’s thought and he joined the Brahmo Samaj, which was dedicated to eliminating child marriage and illiteracy.

In News: Recently, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has invited comments/suggestions from all the stakeholders on the draft Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021.

Statement 1 is correct: Under Article 23, Traffic in human beings and begar and other similar forms of forced labour are prohibited.

Statement 2 is not correct: Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from imposing compulsory service for public purposes, and in imposing such service the State shall not make any discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste or class or any of them.

In News: Recently, an albino common palm civet has made a comeback in Odisha after 129 years in Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR).

Statement 1 is correct: Albinism is a hypo-pigmentary disorder with a total lack of melanin in hair, eyes and skin, resulting in white plumage/fur with red eyes.

Statement 2 is correct: It is a hereditary disease because it happens due to the heritable absence of functional tyrosinase enzymes in pigment cells affecting skin and hair. It is controlled via inheritance by an autosomal recessive gene in all animal species.

Statement 3 is correct: The extent and appearance of albinism varies and can be broadly described as complete albinism and leucism (partial albinism)

In News: Recently, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed Harit Dhara.

Option C is correct: Harit Dhara is an anti-methanogenic feed supplement, which cuts down their methane emissions by 17-20 per cent and also results in higher milk production and body weight gain. It acts by decreasing the population of protozoa microbes in the rumen, the first of their four stomachs, responsible for hydrogen production and available to the archaea for reduction of CO2 to methane. It is a win-win situation for both the environment and the livestock farmers.

The 24x7 Toll-Free Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline KIRAN (1800-599-0019) was launched by DEPwD, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. It provides relief and support to persons with Mental Illness and in view of the growing incidence of mental illness, particularly in the wake of Pandemic COVID-19. It is working in 13 languages.

In News: Recently, the Hope spacecraft, sent by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to orbit Mars, has captured images of discrete auroras on Mars.

Statement 1 is correct: Polar lights or auroras are caused when solar wind, charged particles ejected from the Sun’s surface, enter the Earth’s atmosphere and interact with different gases in the atmosphere, causing a display of light in the night sky.

Statement 2 is not correct: The phenomenon of auroras is not special to Earth and can be seen on other planets as well. For example, discrete auroras of Mars, which are not restricted to the planet's poles but are seen all around the planet at night time.

Statement 3 is not correct: On the north pole of Earth, these lights are called Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights and are seen from the US (Alaska), Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. On the south pole, they are called Aurora Australis or Southern Lights and are visible from high latitudes in Antarctica, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand and Australia.