Daily Current Affairs MCQ- June 24, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) entered into a collaborative partnership.

• Aim: To empower women to make well-informed career choices in the field of entrepreneurship.
• It will provide support for women looking to start and expand their enterprises such as the care economy, digital economy, electric mobility, waste management, food packaging and more.
• Time-Period: It is a three-year project, extendable beyond 2025 which will cover eight cities in the initial phase.
• This support will focus on knowledge generation and management, such as compiling compendiums of best practices related to urban poverty, to enhance the implementation of national-level schemes.
• UNDP will also contribute to the initiative by developing community business mentors called Biz-Sakhis in selected project locations.
• DAY-NULM is a flagship mission under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• It has the aim to uplift the urban poor by enhancing sustainable livelihood opportunities through skill development.
• Funding: It will be shared between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 75:25. For North Eastern and Special Categories – the ratio will be 90:10.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, scientists at Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI) have developed the thinnest, lightweight and biodegradable paper-based supercapacitor.

• A supercapacitor is an electrochemical charge storage device with a fast charging/discharging cycle, high power density and a longer lifecycle. 
• Features
• This supercapacitor which can fully charge a device within 10 seconds, has been developed from seaweed (marine macroalgae).
• The device is of high tensile strength and performance, as well as cost-effective, according to the researchers.
• The product can be used in electronics, memory backup systems, airbags, heavy machines, electric vehicles, etc.; hence, it holds a huge business prospect. 

What is Seaweed?

• Seaweeds are macroalgae attached to rock or other substrata and are found in coastal areas.
• They are classified as Chlorophyta (green), Rhodophyta (red) and Phaeophyta (brown) based on their pigmentation.
• Among them, Chlorophyta holds more potential components like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and bioactive compounds in the cell wall.
• Green seaweed has a high amount of a particular type of cellulose in its cell wall.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, a previously unknown ancient Mayan city has been discovered in the jungles of southern Mexico by anthropologists.

• It is located in the Balamku ecological reserve on the country's Yucatan Peninsula.
• This city has been named Ocomtun - meaning "stone column" in the Yucatec Maya language.
• This would have been an important centre for the peninsula's central lowland region between 250 and 1000 AD.
• The city includes large pyramid-like buildings, stone columns, three plazas with "imposing buildings" and other structures arranged in almost-concentric circles.
• It has a core area located on high ground surrounded by extensive wetlands.

Where is Yucatan Peninsula?

• It is a Northeastern projection of Central America which is lying between the Gulf of Mexico to the west and north and the Caribbean Sea to the east. 
• The peninsula is almost wholly composed of beds of coralline and porous limestone rocks. 

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Titan, the vessel that went missing in the area of the Titanic wreck in the North Atlantic.

• What it is? A submersible is a small boat or other craft, designed especially for research and exploration.
• It is more limited in its movement and how long it can stay underwater.
• A submersible needs a mother ship or support ships that can launch and recover it.
• These are small, limited-range watercraft designed for a set mission, that are built with characteristics that allow them to operate in a specific environment
• These vessels are typically able to be fully submerged in water and cruise using their own power supply and air renewal system.
• While some submersibles are remotely operated and essentially manually controlled or programmed robots, these usually operate unmanned.
• Vessels like the missing Titan are known as human-occupied vehicles.

Hence both statements are correct.

Three temporary camps with adequate security arrangements were recently set up for devotees and tourists coming to the Kamakhya temple for the Ambubachi Mela.

About Ambubachi Mela:

• Where: It is an annual Hindu fair held at the historic Kamakhya Temple.
• When: It is celebrated during the monsoon season that happens to fall during the Assamese month Ahaar, around the middle of June.
• Occasion: It is the celebration of the yearly menstruation course of goddess Maa Kamakhya.
• Other names: This mela is also known as Ameti or Tantric fertility festival since it is closely associated with Tantric Shakti cult prevalent in eastern parts of India.

Hence both statements are correct.

Researchers have recently discovered the amino acid tryptophan in interstellar space. 

About Tryptophan:

• It is an amino acid needed for normal growth in infants and for the production and maintenance of the body's proteins, muscles, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. 
• It is an essential amino acid. This means your body cannot produce it, so you must get it from your diet.
• Functions:
• The body uses tryptophan to help make melatonin and serotonin.
• Melatonin helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, and serotonin is thought to help regulate appetite, sleep, mood, and pain.
• The liver can also use tryptophan to produce niacin (vitamin B3), which is needed for energy metabolism and DNA production.
• Tryptophan has been used in alternative medicine as a possibly effective aid in treating symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder syndrome (such as mood swings and irritability), and to help people quit smoking.
• Food Sources: Tryptophan can be found in
• Cheese
• Chicken
• Egg whites
• Fish
• Milk
• Sunflower seeds
• Peanuts
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Soy beans
• Turkey

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Union Minister of Public Grievances, and Pensions, launched the Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index (GRAI) 2022.

• It was conceptualised and designed by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Govt. of India.
• Objective: To present an organisation-wise comparative picture and provide valuable insights about strengths and areas of improvement regarding the grievance redressal mechanism.
• Eighty-nine Central Ministries and Departments were assessed and ranked based on a comprehensive index in the dimensions of (1) Efficiency, (2) Feedback, (3) Domain and (4) Organisational Commitment and corresponding 12 indicators.
• To compute the index, data between January and December 2022, was used from the Centralised Public Grievance Redressal and Management System (CPGRAMS).

Key facts about CPGRAMS

• It is an online platform available to the citizens 24x7 to lodge their grievances to the public authorities on any subject related to service delivery.
• It is a single portal connected to all the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India and States.
• Every Ministry and State have role-based access to this system.
• It is also accessible to the citizens through a standalone mobile application.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the PM-Kisan Mobile App with Face Authentication Feature was launched by Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister.

• The newly launched application has the feature of face Authentication.
• From this app farmers can complete e-KYC remotely, sitting at home easily by scanning their face without OTP or fingerprint.
• The app was designed and developed by the National Informatics Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Key facts about PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)

• It is a Central Sector scheme with 100% funding from the Government of India.
• Objective: The scheme aims to supplement the financial needs of the farmers in procuring various inputs to ensure proper crop health and appropriate yields, commensurate with the anticipated farm income.
• Benefits and Eligibility Conditions:
• Under the scheme an income support of 6,000/- per year in three equal instalments will be provided to all land-holding farmer families.
• The definition of family for the scheme is husband, wife and minor children.
• State Government and UT administration will identify the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines.
• The fund will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
• The following categories of beneficiaries shall not be eligible for benefits under the scheme:
• All Institutional Landholders.
• Former and present holders of constitutional posts.
• Former and present Ministers/ State Ministers and former/present Members of LokSabha/ RajyaSabha/ State Legislative Assemblies/ State Legislative Councils, former and present Mayors of Municipal Corporations, former and present Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
• All superannuated/retired pensioners whose monthly pension is Rs.10,000/-or more (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff / Class IV/Group D employees) of the above category.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, a West Delhi-based hospital that mishandled an in vitro fertilisation procedure has been fined ₹1.5 crore for negligence and resorting to unethical practices by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).

• It is a quasi-judicial commission in India which was set up in 1988 under the Consumer Protection Act of 1986.
• Its head office is in New Delhi.
• The Commission is headed by a sitting or a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India or a sitting or retired Chief Justice of the High Court.
• The Act mandates the establishment of Consumer Protection Councils at the Centre as well as in each State and District, to promote consumer awareness.
• The Central Council is headed by the Minister In-charge of the Department of Consumer Affairs in the Central Government and the State Councils by the Minister In-charge of Consumer Affairs in the State Governments.
• It also provides for a 3-tier structure of the National Commission, the State Commissions and the District Commissions for speedy resolution of consumer disputes.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Sri Lankan Navy recently arrested 22 Indian fishermen on board four trawlers for allegedly poaching in the country's territorial waters northwest of Delft Island, Jaffna.

About Terrotorial waters:

• What is it? Territorial waters, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is that area of the sea immediately adjacent to the shores of a country and subject to the territorial jurisdiction of that country.
• Extend: The territorial sea extends to a limit of 12 nautical miles from the baseline of a country’s coast.
• Importance of Territorial waters:
• Within its territorial waters,a country exercises full sovereignty over the air space above the sea and over the seabed and subsoil.
• The government can legislate on matters concerning the safety of navigation, the preservation of the environment, and the prevention, reduction, and control of pollution within its territorial waters.
• Resource use within the territorial sea is strictly reserved to the coastal nation.
• All countries have the right of innocent passage (passage that is not prejudicial to the security of the coastal country) through the territorial sea of another country, although there is no right of innocent air space passage.
• The right of innocent passage does not apply to submerged submarines nor does it include a right to fish.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS):

• The UNCLOS, also known as Law of the sea was adopted in 1982.
• It lays down a comprehensive regime of law and order in the world's oceans and seas establishing rules governing all uses of the oceans and their resources.
• There are many provisions under UNCLOS which regulate and control the functioning and claims of nations on the world’s oceans and seas.
• The convention was ratified by 168 parties, which included 167 states and the European Union.
• India is a state party to the UNCLOS.
• UNCLOS, as the currently prevailing law of the sea, is ultimately binding. 

What is an Exclusive Economic Zone?

• Exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as defined under the UNCLOS, is an area of the ocean extending up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) immediately offshore from a country’s land coast in which that country retains exclusive rights to the exploration and exploitation of natural resources.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.