Daily Current Affairs MCQ- March 15, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Prime Minister recently gifted Meghalaya Stole and Nagaland Shawl to the German Chancellor, who is on a two-day visit to India.

About Nagaland shawls:

• These shawls are known for their vibrant colors, intricate designs, and the use of traditional weaving techniques, which have been passed down from generation to generation.
• One of the most striking features of the Naga shawl is the use of geometric and symbolic designs. 
• The designs are inspired by the tribe's myths, legends, and beliefs, with designs having specific meanings and significance.
• The Naga shawl is made from locally sourced materials such as cotton, silk, and wool. 
• The colors used in these shawls are symbolic. E.g., Red color symbolizes courage, while black represents mourning.
• The colors use natural dyes made from plants and roots.
• The shawls are often worn during festivals, ceremonies, and other special occasions as symbols of rank and lineage. They are also used as blankets, seat coverings, and even as bags.
• The shawls are known for their durability and can last for several generations.

Hence both statements are correct.

India recently asked the IMF and Financial Stability Board (FSB) to jointly prepare a technical paper on crypto assets.

About Financial Stability Board (FSB):

• FSB is an international body that monitors and makes recommendations about the global financial system.
• It was established in April 2009 after the G20 Summit in London as the successor to the Financial Stability Forum.
• Mandate:
• To coordinate at the international level the work of national financial authorities and international standard-setting bodies and to develop and promote the implementation of effective regulatory, supervisory, and other financial sector policies.
• The FSB, working through its members, seeks to strengthen financial systems and increase the stability of international financial markets. 
• Headquarters: Basel, Switzerland.
• The board includes all G20 major economies.
• The FSB consists of 68 member institutions. It comprises several central banks, ministries of finance, and supervisory and regulatory authorities from 25 jurisdictions, as well as 10 international organizations and six Regional Consultative Groups (RCGs).
• Framework:
• The Plenary, which serves as the sole decision-making body.
• The Steering Committee, which takes forward operational work in between Plenary meetings.
• Three Standing Committees, each with specific but complementary responsibilities.
• The FSB’s decisions are not legally binding on its members.
• India and FSB: India is an active Member of the FSB, having three seats in its Plenary represented by Secretary (Dept of Economic Affairs), Deputy Governor-RBI, and Chairman-SEBI.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Seismologists at The Australian National University(ANU) recently documented the evidence of a distinct fifth layer of earth at the centremost part of Earth— the “innermost inner core”.

About Earth’s innermost inner core (IMIC):

• It is a 400-mile-wide (644-kilometer-wide) ball of metal.
• IMIC exists in a solid state as an alloy of iron and nickel because of the extreme pressure at the center of the Earth.
• Its temperature is estimated to be about 5,500-6,000 degrees (Celsius/9,930-10,830 Fahrenheit), similar to the sun's surface temperature.
• It has a distinct anisotropy, which is a property of a substance that allows it to take on different characteristics depending on the angle from which it’s approached.
• The concept of the innermost part of the inner core was first proposed in 2002 by seismologists from Harvard University— Miaki Ishii and Adam Dziewonski.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Scientists have recently created a new process to fabricate large perovskite devices that could create the next generation of solar cells.

About Perovskites:

• What is it? A perovskite is a material that has the same crystal structure as the mineral calcium titanium oxide (CaTiO3), the first-discovered perovskite crystal.
• The mineral was discovered in the Ural Mountains of Russia by Gustav Rose in 1839 and is named after Russian mineralogist Lev Perovski.
• Generally, perovskite compounds have a chemical formula ABX3, where ‘A’ and ‘B’ represent cations, and X is an anion that bonds to both.
• A large number of different elements can be combined together to form perovskite structures.
• Due to its compositional flexibility, scientists can design perovskite crystals to have a wide variety of physical, optical, and electrical characteristics from insulating, semiconducting, metallic, and superconducting characteristics.
• Applications:
• They have applications in various fields of optoelectronics, including photovoltaic solar cells, photodetectors, light-emitting devices, etc.
• Solar cells are currently the most prominent perovskite application, as synthetic perovskites are recognized as potential inexpensive base materials for high-efficiency commercial photovoltaics.

Hence both statements are correct.

IREDA is planning to establish an office in Gujarat's GIFT City to finance Renewable Energy projects in foreign currency.

• IREDA plays a key role in renewable energy project financing which gives confidence to the financial institutions/banks to lend in the sector
• The Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is India’s first and only International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) where banks, stock exchanges and financial services firms have set up their global operations.
• The International Financial Services Centre Authority is a statutory authority established under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019.
• Mandate: To develop and regulate the financial products, financial services, and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centres (‘IFSC’).
• The International Financial Services Centres Authority consists of nine members, appointed by the central government.
• Term: All members of the IFSC Authority will have a term of three years, subject to reappointment

Hence both statements are not correct.

Brazil has halted its beef exports to China after a case of mad cow disease was confirmed in the northern state of Para.

• It is also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
• It is a transmissible, slowly progressive, degenerative, and fatal disease which affects the central nervous system of adult cattle.
• Causes: It is caused by a protein called a prion, which is normally found on cell surfaces, called a prion.
• When this protein gets altered, it destroys the nervous system tissue- the brain and spinal cord.
• Transmission: A cow gets BSE by eating feed contaminated with parts that came from another cow that was sick with BSE. 

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush attended the colourful Siang Unying Festival in Arunachal Pradesh.

• They are believed to have come from southern china in the 16th century. 
• The Adi constitute a major group and inhabit the lower part of the Lower Dibang Valley district, especially the Roing and Dambuk areas of Arunachal Pradesh.
• They are experts in making cane and bamboo items.
• The Adis are basically dependent on agriculture. Both wet rice cultivation and shifting cultivation are practised.
• Solung (a harvesting festival where animal sacrifices and rituals are performed) and Aran ( a hunting festival where all the male members of the family go hunting) are two major festivals of the Adi tribes.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Himalayan Griffon was sighted in the Patrampur and Bail Parao ranges of the Terai forest range after nearly 15 years.

• It is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae. It is one of the two largest Old World vultures and true raptors.
• Distribution: This species is found along the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan Plateau.
• Threat: Himalayan vultures are also susceptible to toxicity induced by diclofenac, a drug whose residues are in domestic animal carcasses.
• But their population have however not shown signs of rapid decline as witnessed in populations of other Gyps vultures across Asia.
• Conservation status
• IUCN: Near Threatened

Hence both statements are correct.

Malabar tree toad found in Mollem National Park which is threatened by three infrastructure project finds mentioned in the updated ‘Checklist of Indian Amphibians (2023)’ released by the Zoological Survey of India.

• The Malabar tree toad is a small species found in the forest along the Western Ghats in wet tree hollows or leaf bases containing water.
• This toad species is found mainly during the monsoon season and then it disappears.
• It is believed to be the only toad to dwell on high canopies.
• Its population is shrinking mainly due to habitat loss, climate change and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a deadly fungus that has been decimating entire amphibian populations worldwide.
• Conservation status

IUCN: Endangered

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA), a radio telescope comprising 66 antennas is set to get software and hardware upgrades. 

• It is a state-of-the-art telescope that studies celestial objects at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths.
• They can penetrate through dust clouds and help astronomers examine dim and distant galaxies and stars out there.
• It also has extraordinary sensitivity, which allows it to detect even extremely faint radio signals.
• The telescope consists of 66 high-precision antennas, spread over a distance of up to 16 km.
• It is operated under a partnership between the United States, and 16 countries in Europe, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Chile.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.