Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 10, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to dedicate to the nation the prestigious gas-based urea manufacturing plant of Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) at Ramagundam this month-end.

• The RFCL is a joint venture between National Fertilizers Limited, Engineers India Limited and Fertilizer Corporation of India, which operated the unit until it stopped production on March 31, 1999.
• By a 2015 revival package, the plant was commissioned with an investment of ₹6,180 crore.
• It was targeted to complete the works by 2018 but quite a few deadlines were jumped since.

Hence both statements are incorrect.

Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying inaugurated Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs) in Karnataka to provide veterinary services at the farmer’s doorstep based on the phone calls received at the Call Centre from the farmers.

Establishment & Strengthening of Veterinary Hospitals & Dispensaries – Mobile Veterinary Units (ESVHD-MVUs):

• The component “ESVHFD-MVU” under Central Sector Scheme “Livestock Health & Disease Control” provides veterinary health services at farmers’ door-steps through Mobile Veterinary Units.
• The services are to be operated through Call Centers in the State/UTs, the farmers in case of any emergency will make call to these call centers and after prioritizing the emergencies, the services for diagnosis and treatment will be provided by a team of Veterinarian & Para-veterinarian in these Mobile Veterinary Units.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The recent IPCC report AR6 has emphasised that humidity is also very important while estimating the physiological stress that extreme heat puts on the human body.

• Humans lose heat generated within their body by producing sweat that evaporates on the skin.
• The cooling effect of this evaporation is essential in maintaining a stable body temperature.
• As humidity rises, sweat does not evaporate —just like clothes take a long time to dry in humid locations – and makes it difficult to regulate body temperature. This is why we feel more discomfort in humid places.
• The humidity required to reach wet bulb temperatures in excess of 35°C over land is exceedingly difficult to achieve for a variety of reasons.

Wet bulb temperature

• In the recent IPCC report AR6, instead of the “dry bulb” temperature that is usually measured using a regular thermometer, an alternative metric known as the “wet bulb temperature” has been used to measure exposure to extreme heat.
• The report mentions that sustained exposures to wet bulb temperatures above 35°C are fatal, while sustained exposures to wet bulb temperatures above 32°C are dangerous for intense physical activity.

Hence both statements are correct.

Health authorities in the United Kingdom have confirmed a case of monkeypox, a rare viral infection similar to smallpox, in an individual who recently travelled to that country from Nigeria.

• The monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus, which is a genus of viruses that also includes the variola virus, which causes smallpox, and vaccinia virus, which was used in the smallpox vaccine.
• Monkeypox causes symptoms similar to smallpox, although they are less severe.
• While vaccination eradicated smallpox worldwide in 1980, monkeypox continues to occur in a swathe of countries in Central and West Africa, and has on occasion showed up elsewhere.
• According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), two distinct clade are identified: the West African clade and the Congo Basin clade, also known as the Central African clade.
• Monkeypox is a zoonosis, that is, a disease that is transmitted from infected animals to humans.
• Cases occur close to tropical rainforests inhabited by animals that carry the virus. Monkeypox virus infection has been detected in squirrels, Gambian poached rats, dormice, and some species of monkeys.
• Human-to-human transmission is, however, limited. Transmission, when it occurs, can be through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces, such as in the mouth or throat, respiratory droplets and contaminated objects.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

• Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • Monkeypox virus infection has been detected in squirrels, Gambian rats, dormice, and some species of monkeys.
  • Monkeypox is caused by monkeypox virus, a member of the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae.
• Monkeypox typically presents clinically with fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.
  • It causes the lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy). Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• A tropical cyclone is an intense circular storm that originates over warm tropical oceans and is characterized by low atmospheric pressure, high winds, and heavy rain.
• A characteristic feature of tropical cyclones is the eye, a central region of clear skies, warm temperatures, and low atmospheric pressure.
• The conditions favorable for the formation and intensification of tropical storms are:
  • Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C.
  • Presence of the Coriolis force.
  • Small variations in the vertical wind speed.
  • A pre-existing weak low- pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation.
  • Upper divergence above the sea level system.
• Hence, option A is correct.

• Recently, the National Report of the 2nd phase of fifth round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) was released.
  • The National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is a large-scale, multi-round survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India.
• The main objective of successive rounds of the NFHS has been to provide reliable and comparable data relating to health and family welfare and other emerging areas in India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Compared with NFHS-4, the prevalence of overweight or obesity has increased in most States/UTs in NFHS-5.
  • At the national level, it increased from 21% to 24% among women and 19% to 23% among men. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• The Total Fertility Rate (TFR), has further declined from 2.2 to 2.0 at the national level between NNFHS 4 and 5.
  • There are only five states in India which are above replacement level of fertility of 2.1. These states are Bihar, Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Manipur. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Tissue Culture

• It is the production of new plants from a small piece of plant tissue or cells removed from the growing tips of a plant in a suitable growth medium.
  • In this process the growth medium or culture solution is very important as it is used for growing plant tissue because it contains various plant nutrients in the form of ‘jelly’ known as agar and plant hormones which are necessary for the growth of plants.
• Applications of Plant Tissue Culture:
  • To study the respiration and metabolism of plants.
  • For the evaluation of organ functions in plants.
  • To study the various plant diseases and work out methods-for their elimination.
  • Single cell clones are useful for genetic, morphological and pathological studies.
  • Embryonic cell suspensions can be used for large scale clonal propagation.
  • Somatic embryos from cell suspensions can be stored for long term in germplasm banks.
  • In the production of variant clones with new characteristics, a phenomenon referred to as somaclonal variations.
  • Production of haploids (cells with a single set of chromosomes) for improving crops.
  • Mutant cells can be selected from cultures and used for crop improvement.
  • Immature embryos can be cultured in vitro to produce hybrids, a process referred to as embryo rescue.
• Hence, option D is correct.

Central government has notified and revised the rate of Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) with a view to provide relief to different category of workers engaged in various scheduled employments in the central sphere.

• Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Gangwar said that this will benefit about one 1.5 crore workers. The hike will be effective from 1st of April of the last month.
• The VDA is revised on the basis of average Consumer Price Index for industrial workers (CPI-IW) a price index compiled by Labour Bureau.
• Ministry of Labour and Employment said that the rates fixed for scheduled employment in Central sphere are applicable to the establishments under the authority of Central Government, Railway Administration, Mines, Oil fields, major ports or any corporation established by the Central Government.
• These rates are equally applicable to contract and casual employees and workers.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Researchers have found that the host range of all of the invasive whiteflies was increasing due to their polyphagous nature (ability to feed on various kinds of food) and prolific breeding.

• Whiteflies are Hemipterans that typically feed on the undersides of plant leaves. They comprise the family Aleyrodidae, the only family in the superfamily Aleyrodoidea.
• In warm or tropical climates and especially in greenhouses, whiteflies present major problems in crop protection.
• Whiteflies are one of the top ten devastating pests in the world that damage more than 2000 plant species and also function as vectors for some 200-plant viruses.
• Cotton is one of the worst hit crops by these. Bt cotton is not resistant against white flies.
• Other invasive whiteflies were also found to expand their host range on valuable plants species, especially coconut, banana, mango, sapota, guava, cashew, oil palm, and ornamental plants such as bottle palm, false bird of paradise, butterfly palm and important medicinal plants.
• The whiteflies are difficult to control by using synthetic insecticides, and hence currently naturally occurring insect predators, parasitoids and entomopathogenic fungi (fungi that can kill insets) are being used.

Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.