Daily Current Affairs MCQ- July 4, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, researchers have devised a Diversity for Restoration (D4R) tool that enables appropriate agroforestry and aids systematic ecosystem restoration.

• It is developed with information on 237 socio-economically important native trees from the Western Ghats.
• It is devised by Bioversity International.
• The team from Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), with the help of Bioversity International, modified it to promote restoration programmes in India.

Features

• The researchers have claimed the tool will help improve the effectiveness of restoration programmes by providing manifold benefits to interested stakeholders while promoting sustainable development.
• The online tool precisely aims to help better decision-making and bring the best outcome for those plantation programmes.
• It could improve socio-ecological perspectives and help stakeholders in decision-making.
• The tool helps the user in identifying species that match their restoration objectives.
• It further helps identify species that can resist local stresses and adapt to evolving environmental conditions.
• It also helps pinpoint areas and regions to procure the seeds for the required species.
• The tool has information about 100 plant functional traits that have been considered to offer the best possible solution.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, marine scientists have discovered a new Octopus nursery off the coast of Costa Rica.

• It is a marine mollusk and a member of the class Cephalopoda, more commonly called cephalopods.
• Cephalopoda means “head foot” in Greek, and in this class of organisms the head and feet are merged.
• A ring of eight equally-long arms surround the head. They use their arms to "walk" on seafloor.
• The undersides of the arms are covered with suction cups that are very sensitive to touch and taste.
• The sack-like body is perched atop the head, which has two complex and sensitive eyes, while the mouth is on the underside.
• They have three functioning hearts.
• Two of the hearts work exclusively to move blood to the gills, while the third pumps blood through the rest of the body.
• Their blood is copper-based which is more efficient at transporting oxygen at low temperatures and makes their blood blue in color.
• They are solitary creatures excellent at camouflaging and concealing themselves.
• They are about 90 percent muscle, and because they lack bones, they can fit through very small spaces.
• Their skin contains cells called chromatophores that allow the octopus to change color and pattern.
• They are found in every ocean of the world.

Hence both statements are correct.

The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture, will celebrate Ashadha Purnima on July 3, as the Dharma Chakra Pravartana Divas at the National Museum, New Delhi.

About Ashadha Purnima:

• The day is also celebrated as Guru Purnima and it falls every year on the full moon day of the month of Ashadha as per the Indian lunar calendar.
• The day is also celebrated as Esala Poya in Sri Lanka and Asanha Bucha in Thailand. 
• The day is remembered for the first teaching of Gautam Budha after attaining Enlightenment to the first five ascetic disciples (pancavargiya) on at 'Deer Park', Risipatana Mrigadaya in the present day Sarnath, near Varanasi.
• This day is also aptly observed as Guru Purnima by both Buddhists and Hindus as a day to mark reverence to their gurus.
• This day also marks the beginning of the rainy season retreat for the Monks and Nuns also starts with this day.
• The season lasts for three months from July to October. During the season they remain in a single place, generally in their temples dedicated to intensive meditation. 

Hence both statements are correct.

Environmentalists recently advocated for the revival of the raja kaluve network and dead lakes in Bengaluru to resolve the city’s drinking water problem instead of moving ahead with the Mekedatu Reservoir Project.

About Mekedatu Resrvoir Project:

• The Mekedatu multi-purpose (drinking and power) project involves building a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district of Karnataka.
• It is 4 km from the Tamil Nadu border and 100 km from Bengaluru.
• The estimated Rs 9,000-crore project, once completed, is aimed at ensuring drinking water to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas (4.75 TMC) and it can also generate 400 MW of power.
• Named after the village where the project is expected to be constructed, the reservoir will have a capacity of 284,000 million cubic feet (TMC).
• The project is proposed at the confluence of Cauvery with its tributary Arkavathi. 
• Issue:
• Tamil Nadu — the lower riparian state — has claimed that the project is against the interest of the state’s water requirement.
• The lower riparian state has to give its no-objection for any project that comes up on the Cauvery as per the Cauvery tribunal and Supreme Court order

Hence both statements are correct.

While forest officials are attempting to ensure privacy and protection for tigers in the Nallamala forest areas to safeguard their reproductive cycle.

About Nallamala Forest:

• It is one of the largest stretches of undisturbed forest in South India, apart from the Western Ghats.
• Location:
• It is spread over five districts in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• It is located in Nallamala Hills, which is a part of the Eastern Ghats. 
• It lies south of the Krishna river.
• The forest has a good tiger population, and a part of the forest belongs to the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, the largest tiger reserve in the country.
• Climate:
• It has a warm to hot climate throughout the year, with summer especially hot and winters mostly cool and dry.
• It gets most of its rain during the South West monsoon.
• Vegetation: Tropical dry deciduous.
• Flora: It harbors endemic species like Andrographis nallamalayana, Eriolaena lushingtonii, Crotalaria madurensis var, Dicliptera beddomei and premna hamitonii.
• Fauna: It is home to as many as 700 species of animals besides tigers, leopards, such as black buck, wild hog, peacock, pangolin, Indian Python and King Cobras and several rare bird species.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Indian government has launched the Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) to spearhead the development of 6G technology in the country.

• It is a collaborative platform which aims to achieve universal and affordable connectivity, promote indigenous technology, and establish India as a global leader in the telecom sector.
• This platform consists of public and private companies, academia, research institutions, and standards development organizations, aims to lead the development and deployment of 6G technology in India.
• It will forge coalitions and synergies with other 6G Global Alliances, fostering international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• Aim: To bring together Indian startups, companies, and the manufacturing ecosystem to establish consortia that drive the design, development and deployment of 6G technologies in India.
• Funding for 6G technology projects: To support the advancement of 6G technology, the government has allocated a grant of 240.51 crores through the Telecom Technology Development Fund scheme. 
• The Telecom Technology Development Fund was launched in 2022.
• Under this 5% of annual collections from Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) will be available for TTDF Scheme for funding research & development of technologies, products, and services.
• The scheme is envisaged to bridge digital divide by developing and manufacturing state-of-the-art technologies and to form synergies among academia, start-ups, research institutes, and the industry to build and develop the telecom ecosystem

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the National Anti-Doping Agency, India (NADA India) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Asia Regional Anti-Doping Organization (SARADO) in New Delhi.

• It was formed on 16th May 2007 in the South Asian Anti-Doping Program Project Development Meeting held in Maldives.
• Member countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
• Mission: To promote and co-ordinate the fight against doping in sport in all its forms in among South Asia RADO member countries.
• India is not a founding member of this organization.

Key Facts about NADA

• It was established by the Government of India, with the objective of acting as the independent Anti-Doping Organization for India having a vision of dope-free sports.
• It was set up as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 on November 2005.
• The primary functions of NADA are as under:
• To implement the Anti-Doping Code to achieve compliance by all sports organizations in the Country.
• To coordinate dope testing program through all participating stakeholders.
• To promote anti-doping research and education to inculcate the value of dope free sports.
• To adopt best practice standards and quality systems to enable effective implementation and continual improvement of the program.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Prime Minister of India congratulated new home owners in Bengaluru’s first project under SWAMIH Fund.

• The Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Investment Fund I is a social impact fund specifically formed for completing stressed and stalled residential projects.
• The Fund is sponsored by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
• It is managed by SBICAP Ventures Ltd., a State Bank Group company.
• It has one of the largest domestic real estate private equity teams focused only on funding and monitoring the completion of stressed housing projects.
• It is a Category-II AIF (Alternate Investment Fund) debt fund registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

Eligibility criteria for funding

• Real estate project must be registered under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) 2016.
• Project must be classified as a non-performing asset (NPA) or be under insolvency proceedings.
• The project should have been declared as a "stalled" or "delayed" project by a competent authority.
• The fund is available only for projects that fall under the affordable and mid-income housing categories.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, eSARAS mobile App was launched by the Secretary of Union Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India at New Delhi.

• It is an e-commerce mobile app which will be used as a more effective platform for marketing of the products made by women of self-help groups.
• It is an initiative conceptualized by the DAY-NRLM, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), towards the marketing of the best, authentic handicrafts and hand-looms.
• This initiative promotes the spirit of Vocal for Local even further with easier marketing of products prepared by SHGs.
• Along with that eSARAS Fulfillment Centre was also inaugurated.
• These centres will be managed by the Foundation for Development of Rural Value Chains (FDRVC - a Not for Profit Company constituted jointly by Ministry of Rural Development and Tata Trust).
• This centre will be used for processing, packaging and shipping of products that customers purchase through the eSARAS Portal and eSARAS mobile App.
• It will handle the logistics required to bring an online order to a customer's doorstep.

Hence both statements are correct.

As per Scientists, the first supermoon of 2023, which will be seen in July, will appear brighter in the night sky compared to any other full moon that has been witnessed this year.

About Supermoon:

• A supermoon occurs when the Moon’s orbit is closest to the Earth at the same time that the Moon is full.
• As the Moon orbits the Earth, there is a point of time when the distance between the two is the least (called the perigee when the average distance is about 360,000 km from the Earth) and a point of time when the distance is the most (called the apogee when the distance is about 405,000 km from the Earth).
• Now, when a full Moon appears at the point when the distance between the Earth and the Moon is the least, not only does it appear to be brighter but it is also larger than a regular full moon.
• The term "Supermoon" was coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979, defining it as a special event when a full moon is within 90 percent of its closest point to Earth.
• In a typical year, there may be two to four full supermoons and two to four new supermoons in a row.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.