Daily Current Affairs MCQ- April 21, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

The President of India recently presented the National Panchayat Awards and inaugurated the National Conference on Incentivization of Panchayats in New Delhi.

• The award was given to the best-performing Panchayats by assessing their performance in the attainment of SDGs.
• These annual awards were first instituted in 2011.
• The Awardee Panchayats under various categories of National Panchayat Awards–2023 namely,
• Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (DDUPSVP) for the performance under individual LSDG themes,
• Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (NDSPSVP) for the aggregate performance under all 9 LSDG themes and green initiative-related Special Categories.
• Gram Urja Swaraj Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar.
• Carbon Neutral Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, a scientific expedition has discovered a previously unknown coral reef with abundant marine life off Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. 

• Location: It is situated in the Pacific Ocean some 1,000 km from the Ecuadorian coast.
• It is distributed on either side of the Equator with an underwater wildlife spectacle with abundant life.
• Geology of the Island:
  • It begins at the sea floor and emerges above sea level where biological processes continue.
  • Three major tectonic plates Nazca, Cocos and Pacific meet at the basis of the ocean, which is of significant geological interest.
  • In comparison with most oceanic archipelagos, the Galapagos are very young with the largest and youngest islands, Isabela and Fernandina, with less than one million years of existence, and the oldest islands, Española and San Cristóbal, somewhere between three to five million years. 
• It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978.
• Mount Azul at 5,541 feet is the highest point of the Galapagos Islands. 

Hence both statements are correct

Recently, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) put in place a dispute resolution mechanism for Limited Purpose Clearing Corporation (LPCC) to settle disputes and claims arising out of transactions cleared by it.

• It is an entity established to undertake the activity of clearing and settlement of repo transactions.
• The mechanism will be used
  • To settle disputes between clearing members;
  • Contention between the clearing members and their clients
  • Differences between the LPCC and its vendors
  • Disputes between clearing members or its clients and the LPCC.
• The disputes arising between clearing members of the LPCC will be settled by conciliation and/or by an arbitration panel consisting of three clearing members, other than the clearing members who are party to the dispute.
• The decision of the arbitration panel would be final and binding on the parties.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, scientists have warned that the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, which is destroying South American wheat crops, could spread worldwide. 

• What it is? It is a fungal disease in tropical and subtropical wheat production regions caused by Magnaporthe oryzae.
• The fungus infects wild and cultivated grasses, most notably rice and wheat.
• It spreads through infected seeds, and crop residues as well as by spores that can travel long distances in the air.
• The crop fungi are known to mutate and adapt to new conditions.
• It is a Rabi crop which requires a cool growing season and bright sunshine at the time of ripening.
• Temperature: It requires 10-15°C (at the time of Sowing) and 21-26°C during Ripening & Harvesting.
• Rainfall: Around 75-100 cm.
• Soil required: Well-drained fertile loamy and clayey loamy.

Hence both statements are not correct.

Over 30 Indian cities are set to participate in the City Nature Challenge, an app-based competition that records observations of nature. 

• Under this initiative, participants can use the iNaturalist app (available for Android and Apple phones) to click and upload a photo of natural flora and fauna.
• The app uses Artificial Intelligence to suggest the species name. Community members will collaborate to confirm these suggestions.
• GPS coordinates for the observation are picked up automatically from the image data.
• Once an observation is confirmed, it becomes available to scientists and researchers who can use this data to research different plant and animal species or determine the biodiversity in a region.
• The Bombay Natural History Society, World Wide Fund for Nature-India, and The Naturalist School have partnered to lead this event.
• Bombay Natural History Society is a pan-India wildlife research organization, that has been promoting the cause of nature conservation since 1883.
• It is the partner of BirdLife International in India. BirdLife International is a global partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity.
• It has been designated as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India.

Hence both statements are correct

Tribal Affairs Minister recently launched Marketing and Logistics Development for Promotion of Tribal Products from North-Eastern Region (PTP-NER) scheme in Manipur.

About PTP-NER Scheme:

• It has been introduced for the benefit of Scheduled Tribes of the North-Eastern Region.
• Vision: To strengthen livelihood opportunities for tribal artisans through increased efficiency in procurement, logistics and marketing of tribal products from North Eastern States.
• Applicability: It will apply to the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
• As part of the scheme, it is planned to initiate the empanelment of tribal artisans from the North Eastern Region by organizing 68 Tribal Artisan Melas (TAMs) in various districts of the region.
• The TAMs will be organised in consultation and support of District Administration and other relevant organisations/ departments working in the field etc.
• The programme also includes regular Design & Skill Development training sessions tailored to the needs of the market for tribal recipients.
• Implementing Partners: North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC), India Post under the Department of Posts, and other North Eastern State Government Departments/ Agencies.
• India Post will provide logistics support in order to meet the scheme's goals.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Central Empowered Committee (CEC), a fact finding body appointed by the Supreme Court, recently clarified that the Karnataka government can seek a diversion of the forest land under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for the implementation of the Goa-Tamnar Transmission Project.

About Goa-Tamnar Transmission Project:

• It is an Inter State Transmission System project envisaged by the Ministry of Power in 2015.
• Purpose: It was envisioned to create an additional source of power for the state of Goa, which is currently dependent on the Western grid for its growing power requirements.
• The project involves laying a 400 KV transmission line from Sangod in Goa to the Karnataka border to help meet Goa’s peak electricity demand.
• This project is spread across the state of Goa, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh.
• It passes through the heavy dense forest of the Western Ghats in Goa & Karnataka.
• Implementin Agency: Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Limited (GTTPL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) incorporated for the implementation.

What is the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980?

• It is an act by the Parliament of India which ensures the conservation of forests and their resources.
• Key Provisions:

1. It prohibits the felling of forests for any “non-forestry” use without prior clearance by the central government.
2. The Central Government has the power to make rules for carrying out the provisions of this Act.
3. Any person aggrieved may file an appeal to the National Green Tribunal.
4. Offences made by Authorities or Government Departments are punishable.
5. The Central Government may constitute an advisory committee to advise the government with regard to forest conservation.

Hence both statements are correct.

Thirty-one tribals belonging to ‘Hakki-Pikki’ are stranded in Sudan, where violent clashes between a powerful paramilitary force and the country's armed forces are going on.

• They are a semi-nomadic tribal group belonging to the state of Karnataka.
• In Kannada, the word ‘Hakki’ stands for ‘bird' and ‘Pikki’ stands for the verb ‘to catch’.
• The community is known as the ‘bird catcher,’ which is their traditional occupation.
• The population is predominantly found in the Shivamogga, Davanagere and Mysuru districts of Karnataka.
• Their mother tongue was designated as 'Vaagri' by scholars.
• UNESCO has listed 'Vaagri' as one of the endangered languages.
• They have traditional medical knowledge that is in demand in several African countries.
• The community resided in the dense jungles for a long time and created its own plant and herb-based medicine systems.

Hence both statements are correct

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) recently announced a new scheme Mission 50K-EV4ECO to boost the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem in the country.

• Under this mission, SIDBI will directly provide loans to eligible small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for the purchase of EVs and developing charging infrastructure, including battery swapping.
• It focuses on increasing the uptake of electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers through direct and indirect lending support to vehicle aggregators, fleet operators and leasing companies.
• The Small Industries Development Bank of India was established under an Act of Parliament in 1990.
• It is the Principal Financial Institution engaged in the promotion, financing & development of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector and coordination of the functions of the various institutions engaged in similar activities.

Hence only statement 2 is correct

US space agency NASA, is developing a snake-like robot known as Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) which it says can boost space exploration through its diverse adaptability to various terrains.

About Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS):

• What is it? It is a mobile instrument platform conceived to explore internal terrain structures, assess habitability and ultimately search for evidence of life. 
• It is designed to be adaptable to traverse ocean-world-inspired terrain, fluidized media, enclosed labyrinthian environments and liquids.
• It is a snake-like robot that can move through rough terrain.
• Its purpose is to examine the surface of Saturn's moon and determine whether life is present.
• EELS allows for deeper exploration into areas that were once unattainable.
• Features:
• It is made of multiple, identical, segments containing both the actuation and propulsion mechanisms as well as the power and communication electronics to drive them.
• EELS uses first-of-a-kind rotating propulsion units that act as tracks, gripping mechanisms and propeller units underwater, enabling the robot to access a plume vent exit and follow it to its ocean source.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.