Daily Current Affairs MCQ- April 9, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

Stars like our Sun can go through a mid-life crisis, according to new research carried out by scientists from IISER Kolkata. This can lead to dramatic changes in their activity and rotation rates.

• At about 4.6 billion years of age, the sun is middle aged, that is, it will continue to live for roughly the same period. There are accurate methods for estimating the age of the Sun, such as by using radioactive dating of very old meteorites that have fallen on the Earth.
• However, for more distant stars which are similar in mass and age to the Sun, such methods are not possible.
• One of the methods used is called gyrochronology. There is a relationship between rotation rate and age, that is the rotation rate of a star slows down with age.
• However, there is a breakdown of the gyrochronology relationship, because after midlife, a star's rate of spin does not slow down with age as fast as it was slowing down earlier.
• Another intriguing fact is that the Sun’s activity level has been observed to be much lower than other stars of similar age.
• A third observation that is part of the puzzle is that there have also been periods in the past when extremely few sunspots were observed on the Sun for several years at a stretch. For instance, during the Maunder minimum which lasted from 1645 to 1715.

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Minister of Science & Technology released “Biotech-PRIDE (Promotion of Research and Innovation through Data Exchange) Guidelines developed by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology.

• Initially, these Guidelines will be implemented through Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) at Regional Centre for Biotechnology supported by Department of Biotechnology.
• Other existing datasets/ data centres will be bridged to this IBDC which will be called Bio-Grid.
• This Bio-Grid will be a National Repository for biological knowledge, information and data and will be responsible for enabling its exchange, developing measures for safety, standards and quality for datasets and establishing detailed modalities for accessing data.
• The Biotech PRIDE Guidelines will facilitate this and enable exchange of information to promote research and innovation in different research groups across the country.

Hence both statements are correct.

On July 28, 2021, during the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Arianne Biles withdrew from the finals of the individual all-around competition, again citing mental health concerns. Biles said that she experienced "the twisties", a psychological phenomenon causing a gymnast to lose air awareness while performing twisting elements.

• In sports, the yips are a sudden and unexplained loss of skills in experienced athletes.
• Symptoms of the yips are losing fine motor skills and psychological issues that impact on the muscle memory and decision-making of athletes, leaving them unable to perform basic skills of their sport.
• In gymnastics, the "twisties" are a sudden loss of a gymnast's ability to maintain body control during aerial maneuvers, with the gymnast feeling something akin to an out-of-body experience in mid-air.
• This increases the chance of a serious or critical injury occurring if the gymnast forgets in the moment how to land the maneuver safely.

Hence both statements are correct.

On May 27, a preprint titled “The complete sequence of the human genome” was posted in the online repository bioRxiv.

• In this preprint, scientists from the Telomere-to-Telomere (T2T) Consortium, an international collaboration of around 30 institutions, reported the most complete sequencing of the human genome until now.
• They have, in the process, discovered over a hundred new genes that code for proteins. The total size of the genome they have sequenced is close to 3.05 billion base pairs.
• This adds 200 million base pairs to the last draft of the human genome that was published in 2013. The results come with the caveat that about 0.3% may still have errors, and that among the sex chromosomes, only the X chromosome has been sequenced.

What is special about protein-coding genes?

• There are long stretches that do not seem to have a particular function. On the other hand, protein-coding sequences or protein-coding genes are DNA sequences that get transcribed on ribonucleic acid (RNA) as an intermediate step.
• These in turn make the proteins responsible for various functions such as keeping the body healthy or determining the colour of the eye — proteins carry out the instructions encoded in the genes.

Hence both statements are correct.

“Muslim Women Rights Day” will be observed across the country on 1st August 2021, to celebrate the enactment of the law against Triple Talaq.

• The Government OF India enacted the law against Triple Talaq on 1st August, 2019 which has made the social malpractice of Triple Talaq a criminal offense.
• There is a significant decline in Triple Talaq cases after the law came into effect. Muslim women across the country have overwhelmingly welcomed this law.

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Minister of Coal & Mines has urged the officials of the Ministry of Mines to bring about further momentum in restructuring the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) as an autonomous body. He was addressing the third Governing Body meeting of the Trust.

• The Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 as amended in 2015, has introduced transparent & competitive auction process for grant of mineral concessions.
• It also provided for establishment of National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) to give impetus to the mineral exploration activities.
• The holders of Mining Lease and Prospecting Licence-cum-Mining Lease make payments equivalent to 2% of royalty, for minerals under second schedule of the Act, as NMET contribution simultaneously with payments of the royalty.
• The NMET fund is being utilized to undertaking studies for mineral development; regional and detailed exploration with special emphasis to strategic and critical minerals.

Hence both statements are correct.

PM Modi will launch e-RUPI, a person and purpose specific digital payment solution on 2nd August 2021.

• e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless instrument for digital payment.
• It is a QR code or SMS string-based e-Voucher, which is delivered to the mobile of the beneficiaries.
• The users of this seamless one-time payment mechanism will be able to redeem the voucher without a card, digital payments app or internet banking access, at the service provider.
• It has been developed by National Payments Corporation of India on its UPI platform, in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and National Health Authority.
• e-RUPI connects the sponsors of the services with the beneficiaries and service providers in a digital manner without any physical interface.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Ministry of Ayush has collaborated with the U.K.’s London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to conduct a study on ‘Ashwagandha’ for promoting recovery from COVID-19.

• ‘Ashwagandha’ (Withania somnifera), commonly known as ‘Indian winter cherry’, is a traditional Indian herb that boosts energy, reduces stress and makes the immune system stronger.
• All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush, and the LSHTM recently signed a MoU to conduct clinical trials of ‘Ashwagandha’ on 2,000 participants in three U.K. cities — Leicester, Birmingham and London (Southall and Wembley).
• While there have been several studies on ‘Ashwagandha’ to understand its benefits in various ailments, this is the first time the Ministry of Ayush has collaborated with a foreign institution to investigate its efficacy on COVID-19 patients,” the Ministry said.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Goa Assembly passed the Goa Bhumiputra Adhikarini Bill, 2021.

• It recognises anyone living in the state for 30 years or more as a ‘Bhumiputra (son of the soil)’ and giving such a person the right to own his or her ‘small dwelling unit’ if ownership was undetermined so far.
• Once recognised as a Bhumiputra, an individual can stake claim to ownership of their house of not more than 250 sq m, built before April 1, 2019.
• The objective was to enable the ‘mool Goenkar (original Goan)’ to live with dignity.
• The Bill provides for the constitution of the Bhumiputra Adhikarini — a committee consisting of the Deputy Collector as its Chairperson.

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah lays foundation stone of Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Sciences in Lucknow.

• The institute, which would operate under the ministry of home affairs, is proposed to be affiliated to Gujarat-based National Forensics Sciences University (NFSU).
• The forensic sciences institute would be headed by a senior police officer.
• It would pave the way for research and modernisation of policing in the country. The institute will also work to train scientists working in forensic labs and police personnel by developing professional skills for scientific investigation of cases of complex crimes
• The forensic sciences institute would take in 150 students once it starts operating and provide cutting edge expertise in discourses such as behavioural science, civil and criminal law, police science, criminology and forensics among others.
• A centre for excellence for DNA would come up on a five acre land at the forensic sciences institute’s campus in collaboration with the NFSU.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.