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

With the objective of connecting with the youth of the nation, and to instil a deeper sense of patriotism among them, the Ministry of Culture, has decided to create a youth centric activation for greater outreach of Amrit Mahotsav named ‘Badhe Chalo’.

• It is designed to involve the youth of the country encouraging them to come forward and imbibe the true spirit of our democracy and celebrate 75 years of India’s independence with youthful fervour.
• Through this mass movement or ‘Jan Bhagidari’ initiative, the Ministry of Culture also intends to amplify and support the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ movement.
• This movement has been initiated by the Honourable Prime Minister and Home Minister and it calls upon every Indian to hoist a Tiranga in their homes between August 13th– 15th, 2022.
• To connect and to bring the youth and people together from across the country on one platform, Badhe Chalo will feature Flash Dances, where dancers will perform on a specially created ‘Youth Anthem’.
• Badhe Chalo is being held across 10 cities every day from 5th August to 11th August, 2022. These events will culminate with a Grand Finale on 12th August, 2022at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi.

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has said, the government has set a target to increase the Health budget of the country to 2.5 percent of the GDP, which is currently at 1.9 percent.

• Giving details about the allocations made in the Health budget, he said, in 2014 the total health budget was to the tune of 33 thousand crore rupees which was increased continuously and now it has reached 83 thousand crore rupees in 2022-23.

Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 3, 2022.

• The Bill seeks to amend the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. The Act promotes energy efficiency and conservation. It provides for the regulation of energy consumption by equipment, appliances, buildings, and industries.
• Obligation to use non-fossil sources of energy: The Act empowers the central government to specify energy consumption standards. The Bill adds that the government may require the designated consumers to meet a minimum share of energy consumption from non-fossil sources.
• Carbon trading: The Bill empowers the central government to specify a carbon credit trading scheme. Carbon credit implies a tradeable permit to produce a specified amount of carbon emissions.
• Energy conservation code for buildings: The Bill provides for an ‘energy conservation and sustainable building code’. This new code will provide norms for energy efficiency and conservation, use of renewable energy, and other requirements for green buildings.
• Applicability to residential buildings: Under the Bill, the new energy conservation and sustainable building code will also apply to the office and residential buildings meeting the above criteria. The Bill also empowers the state governments to lower the load thresholds.
• Standards for vehicles and vessels: Under the Act, the energy consumption standards may be specified for equipment and appliances which consume, generate, transmit, or supply energy. The Bill expands the scope to include vehicles (as defined under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988), and vessels (includes ships and boats).

Hence both statements are correct.

As the long-range, live-fire drills began with China’s Eastern Theatre Command firing several ballistic missiles, Taiwan said that it was “preparing for war without seeking war”. What is Taiwan’s strategy to fight back in case China attempts to occupy it by force?

• The “porcupine doctrine”, which was proposed in 2008 by US Naval War College research professor William S Murray, is a strategy of asymmetric warfare focused on fortifying a weak state’s defences to exploit the enemy’s weaknesses rather than taking on its strengths.
• It is about building defences that would ensure that Taiwan “could be attacked and damaged but not defeated, at least without unacceptably high costs and risks”, Murray wrote in the Naval War College Review.

Hence both statements are correct.

Projects and Infrastructure Monitoring by the MoSPI:

• The Infrastructure and Project Monitoring Division (IPMD) and Programme Implementation Wing in the MoSPI is the management arm of the Government of India.
• It provides management services by providing latest information in a global manner on implementation of projects or programmes costing Rs 150 crores and above and performance of infrastructure sectors.
• The Project Monitoring Division brings out periodic reports and assists ministries and project authorities in the timely implementation of projects and programs.
• It provides a control mechanism to prevent delays in implementation.
• It also assists the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) and others in the reviewing and decision-making process.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Peninsular Rock Agama (Psammophilus dorsalis) which is a type of garden lizard has a strong presence in southern India.

• Habitat loss and other such features of urbanisation have affected the presence of the animal in urban centres.
• A study carried out by researchers from Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, undertook to characterise urbanisation in the region and also to understand where the rock agama reside in and around Bengaluru specifically.
• The study, published in Frontiers in Conservation Science, examined several environmental factors that could affect the presence of the lizard and revealed that they are found mainly in rocky places and warm spots. Thus, the inference is that conservation efforts must point towards retaining rocky patches even while reviving landscapes by planting trees.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its maiden Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, SSLV-D1/EOS-02 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre from Sriharikota at 9.18 am on August 7, 2022.

• This is for the first time that the Indian space agency will demonstrate its capabilities in launching SSLV to inject smaller satellites in low earth orbit.
• It will carry the Earth Observation Satellite and another small satellite developed by the student team of Space Kidz India and named as AzaadiSAT.
• The girl students from Government schools across the country had participated in making this eight kg Cubesat to mark the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence. It carries 75 different payloads with earth observation applications.
• SSLV developed by ISRO has solid fuel in the first three stages and a fourth stage that carries liquid propulsion-based Velocity trimming module. It offers on demand quick launch feasibility and requires minimal launch infrastructure as compared to PSLV and GSLV launch vehicles of ISRO.
• The launch marks the beginning of a journey that, in a few years’ time, is expected to see the SSLV becoming the most frequently used launch vehicle by ISRO, replacing the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) which has done over 50 flights till now.

Hence both statements are correct.

The death of Anas Hajas, a 31-year-old skating enthusiast from Kerala, while ‘longboarding’ has raised serious concerns about adventurous solo trips undertaken using the skateboard.

• Basically, a longboard is similar to a skateboard, which is a long plank or board made of wood, plastic, or even heavier materials, balanced on top of small wheels.
• Players often perform impressive stunts and move downhill from a height on the boards, doing tricky movements even when suspended mid-air.
• The sport originated in the US around the 1950s, and in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, skateboarding was included as a competitive category for the first time.
• A longboard is naturally longer but flatter when compared to skateboard boards, which have upward-curving ends usually.
• There are other technical differences in wheel sizes and distance between wheels. It is believed that longboards are generally sturdier and better suited for longer rides.
• Longboarding is one among many sports that come under the category of Roller Sports.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Cochin Shipyard has handed over to the Navy the indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant and will likely be commissioned on August 15.

• An aircraft carrier is a large ship that carries military aircraft and has a long, flat surface where they take off and land.
• India joined elite club
  • So far, only five or six nations have the capability of manufacturing an aircraft carrier.
• Aatma Nirbhar Bharat
  • With an overall indigenous content of 76%, the aircraft carrier is a perfect example of the quest for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

In recent months, automakers Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and Honda have launched hybrid electric vehicles in India, offering car buyers more choices in the nascent electric vehicle market.

• A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) uses an ICE (a petrol/diesel engine) and one or more electric motors to run. It is powered by the electric motor alone, which uses energy stored in batteries, by the ICE, or both
• The efficiency of HEVs will be determined by their ability to recover as much energy as possible while braking, with a higher degree of energy recovery lowering fuel consumption. A regenerative braking system (RBS) while enhancing fuel economy also helps in energy optimisation resulting in minimum energy wastage.
• The HEVs can be categorised into micro, mild and full hybrid vehicles, based on the degree of hybridisation. The hybrid variants of the Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara and the Toyota’s Urban Cruiser Hyryder can be classified as full and mild hybrids.

Hence both statements are correct.