Daily Current Affairs MCQ- July 2, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Warehousing Development & Regulatory Authority (WDRA) signed an agreement to promote financing against e-NWR (Electronic Negotiable Warehousing Receipt).

• The negotiable warehouse receipt (NWR) system was launched in 2011 allowing the transfer of ownership of a commodity stored in a warehouse without having to deliver it physically.
• These receipts are issued in negotiable form, making them eligible as collateral.
• The Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) regulates the entire operation under NWR. 
• All e-NWRS can be traded through off-market or on-market Commodity Exchanges platforms. 
• An e-NWR can be auctioned under certain conditions such as loan not repaid, on expiry and delivery not taken, and on likely damage or spoilage of the commodity in the warehouse. 
• e-NWR can be transferred fully or in part.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Punjab government has cancelled 813 gun licenses in the state to clamp down on the “gun culture”.

• The Indian Arms Act of 1959 was passed after India attained independence.
• It scrapped the erstwhile Act of 1878, passed by the British that restricted Indians from possessing firearms.
• The act was amended in 2019 decreasing the number of licensed firearms allowed per person.
• Conditions under the act
  • No one can acquire, possess or carry any firearms in India without a license.
  • The Act bars one person from carrying more than one firearm.
  • It prevents persons of unsound mind or those out on bond from getting such a license.
  • Validity: The validity of a firearm license was increased from 3 years to 5 years (2019 amendment).
• Non- prohibited bore (NPB): Indian citizens aged 21 years and above are eligible to get Non-Prohibited Bore (NPB) guns and these are issued by the state governments.
• Prohibited bore (PB): Prohibited Bore guns can only be issued to defence personnel or persons facing imminent threats to life and these are issued by the Central Government or Ministry of Home Affairs.

Hence both statements are not correct.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have developed a low-cost star sensor for astronomy and small CubeSat class satellite missions.

• The star sensor Starberry-Sense can help small CubeSat class satellite missions find their orientation in space.
• Any satellite needs to know where it is pointed in space, and the instrument used for this purpose is called a star sensor.
• The position of stars in the sky is fixed relative to each other and can be used as a stable reference frame to calculate the orientation of a satellite in orbit. 
• Features of Starberry-Sense
  • The brain of the instrument is a single-board Linux computer called Raspberry Pi, which is widely used among electronics hobby enthusiasts.
  • Based on commercial/off-the-shelf components, this star sensor costs less than 10% of those available in the market.
  • It is ready for launch on the PS4-Orbital Platform by ISRO and can be used for CubeSats and other small satellite missions in the future.
  • The star sensor has successfully undergone the vibration and thermal vacuum test that qualifies it for a space launch and operations, and these tests were conducted in-house at the environmental test facility located at the CREST Campus of IIA in Hosakote.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Defence Acquisition Council headed by the Union defence minister gave its approval for Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of 307 ATAGS.

• It is a large calibre gun system which has high precision.
• This gun system has the capability to be programmed and fire Long Range Guided Munitions.
• It has the capabilities like an automatic ammunition handling system which can fire six successive rounds and can fire in Zone 7, and also has a self-propelled mode.
• It also has the shoot and scoot capability and is also the first of its kind gun which is capable of achieving the shortest minimum range at a high angle.
• These guns can be deployed in high-altitude regions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
• The gun is developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the production partners of these ATAGS are two private sector companies – Pune-based Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems. 

Hence both statements are correct.

Scientists have recently urged the Odisha government to immediately come up with a robust protection mechanism before the Horseshoe crabs (living fossil) becomes extinct due to destructive fishing practices.

• The horseshoe crab is a marine chelicerate arthropod living in shallow coastal waters on soft sandy or muddy bottoms and spawns mostly on intertidal beaches at summer-spring high tides. 
• The Chelicerata is a division within the Arthropoda, containing animals such as spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, mites and ticks. Like all arthropods, they have a segmented body and segmented limbs and a thick chitinous cuticle called an exoskeleton.
• It is known as a marine ‘living fossil’.
• There are four extant horseshoe crab species:
  • The American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) is along the eastern coast of the USA and in the Gulf of Mexico.
  • The tri-spine horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus)
  • The coastal horseshoe crab (Tachypleus gigas) 
  • The mangrove horseshoe crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda) 
• The last three are Indo-Pacific species found mainly in the coastal waters of India, Southeast Asia, China and Japan.    
• Conservation status in India
  • Wildlife Protection Act 1972: Schedule IV

Hence both statements are correct.

The Government of India recently announced the sites for setting up of 7 PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks for the Textile industry. 

• Seven sites were chosen out of 18 proposals for PM MITRA parks which were received from 13 States. 
• The Parks will come up in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• It will offer the opportunity to create an Integrated Textiles Value Chain right from spinning, weaving, processing/dyeing and printing to garment manufacturing etc. at one location and will reduce the logistics cost of the Industry.
• A Special Purpose Vehicle owned by the Centre and State Government will be set up for each park which will oversee the implementation of the project. 
• Funding
  • The Ministry of Textiles will provide financial support in the form of Development Capital Support up to Rs. 500 crores per park to the Park SPV.
  • A Competitive Incentive Support (CIS) of up to Rs 300 crore per park to the units in PM MITRA Park shall also be provided to incentivise speedy implementation.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, twitter opened a portion of its source code to the public, including the algorithm to recommend tweets in users’ timelines. 

• Open source is a term that originally referred to open source software (OSS).
• Open source software is code that is designed to be publicly accessible—anyone can see, modify, and distribute the code as they see fit.
• Open-source software is developed in a decentralized and collaborative way, relying on peer review and community production. 
• Source code is the set of instructions and statements written by a programmer using a computer programming language.
• This code is later translated into machine language by a compiler. The translated code is referred to as object code.
• Source code is the source of a computer program.
• It contains declarations, instructions, functions, loops and other statements, which act as instructions for the program on how to function.
• Programs may contain one or more source code text files, which can be stored on a computer’s hard disk, in a database, or printed in books of code snippets.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, India has initiated an anti-dumping probe into imports of poisonous chemical sodium cyanide from China, the European Union, Japan and Korea following a complaint by domestic companies.

• The Union commerce ministry’s investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) is probing the alleged dumping of sodium cyanide originating in or exported from China, the European Union, Japan and Korea.
• Sodium cyanide appears as a white crystalline solid, lump solid or powder.
• It contains equal numbers of sodium cations and cyanide anions.
• It is used as an insecticide, a test reagent for the function of chemoreceptors, and in many industrial processes. 
• It is also used for the extraction of gold and silver from their respective ores, dyes, pigments, and bulk drugs.

Hence both statements are correct.

Lokpal’s office recently informed that Around 68% of corruption complaints against public functionaries that landed with the Lokpal were “disposed off” without any action in the past four years. 

About Lokpal:

• The Lokpal is a statutory body established under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013.
• Mandate: To inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries and for related matters.
• Organisational Structure:
• The Lokpal will consist of a chairperson and a maximum of eight members. 
• Chairperson should be either the former Chief Justice of India Or the former Judge of the Supreme Court, or an eminent person who fulfils eligibility criteria as specified. 
• Out of the maximum eight members, half will be judicial members. The judicial member of the Lokpal should be either a former Judge of the Supreme Court or a former Chief Justice of a High Court. 
• Minimum fifty per cent of the Members will be from SC / ST / OBC / Minorities and women. 
• How are members appointed?
• The Chairperson and the Members are appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of a selection committee composed of the Prime Minister as the Chairperson, the Speaker of Lok Sabha, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, the Chief Justice of India or a Judge nominated by him/her, and One eminent jurist.
• They hold office for a term of five years from the date on which they enter upon the office or until they attain the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier. 
• The salary, allowances and other conditions of services of the Chairperson are the same as that of the Chief Justice of India.
• The salary, allowances and other conditions of services of the Members are the same as that of a Judge of the Supreme Court.
• Jurisdiction:
• It has jurisdiction to inquire into allegations of corruption against anyone who is or has been Prime Minister, or a Minister in the Union government, or a Member of Parliament, as well as officials of the Union Government under Groups A, B, C and D. 
• It covers chairpersons, members, officers and directors of any board, corporation, society, trust or autonomous body either established by an Act of Parliament or wholly or partly funded by the Union or State government.
• It also covers any society or trust or body that receives foreign contribution above Rs 10 lakh.
• Exceptions for Prime Minister:
• Lokpal cannot inquire allegations against the PM relating to international relations, external and internal security, public order, atomic energy and space. 
• Also, complaints against the PM are not to be probed unless the full Lokpal bench considers the initiation of inquiry and at least 2/3rds of the members approve it. 
• Powers of Lokpal:
• It has powers to superintendence over and to give direction to CBI.
• If it has referred a case to CBI, the investigating officer in such case cannot be transferred without the approval of Lokpal.
• Powers to authorize CBI for search and seizure operations connected to such cases.
• The Inquiry Wing of the Lokpal has been vested with the powers of a civil court.
• Lokpal has powers of confiscation of assets, proceeds, receipts and benefits arisen or procured by means of corruption in special circumstances.
• Lokpal has the power to recommend the transfer or suspension of public servants connected with the allegation of corruption.
• Lokpal has the power to give directions to prevent the destruction of records during the preliminary inquiry

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The United States recently announced an additional package of military aid to Ukraine, totalling $2.6 billion, which includes additional ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

About High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS):

• It is a light multiple rocket launcher.
• It is manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation, a US-based security and aerospace company.
• Features:
• It is an air-transportable wheeled launcher mounted on 5-ton Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV).
• It can fire six guided missiles in quick succession.
• Himars fires GPS-guided missiles which can be more accurately targeted.
• Range:
• The missiles supplied to Ukraine have a range of up to 50 miles (80 km).
• Himars can also fire a single Army Tactical Missile System missile, which has a range of 186 miles (300 km).

Hence both statements are correct.