Daily Current Affairs MCQ- September 9, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

Recently, Phase Il of the Varuna naval exercise between Indian and French Navy was conducted in the Arabian Sea.

• It is the bilateral Naval Exercise between India and France.
• This bilateral exercise between the two navies was initiated in 1993.
• It was named ‘VARUNA’ in 2001 and has become a hallmark of India France strategic bilateral relationship.
• The exercise witnessed participation of guided missile frigates, tanker, Maritime Patrol Aircraft and integral helicopters from the two sides.
• The exercise was conducted over three days and witnessed joint operations, underway replenishment and various tactical manoeuvres.
• Units of both navies endeavoured to enhance and hone their war fighting skills, improve interoperability and demonstrate their ability to promote, peace, security and stability in the region.
• The first phase of 'Varuna-2023' was conducted off India's Western Seaboard from 16 to 20 Jan 23.
• The exercise also facilitates operational level interaction between the two Navies to foster mutual cooperation for good order at sea, underscoring the shared commitment to ensuring security, safety and freedom of the global maritime commons.

Hence option (b) is the correct answer.

Researchers studying the findings of the Solar Orbiter Aircraft, a joint mission by the European Space Agency and the U.S. space agency NASA, recently announced that they have detected picoflare jets from the sun’s outer atmosphere.

• These small-scale picoflare jets were observed within emissions from the coronal hole under observation.
• They lasted only a few dozen seconds, scientists calculated that they provide enough energy to supply a considerable fraction of solar winds. 
• “Pico” is an order of magnitude that denotes 10-12, or one trillionth of a unit.
• These jets from the sun are named so because they carry approximately one-trillionth the energy of the largest flares the sun is capable of producing,
• Significance:
• The discovery is important because strong gusts of solar winds, while creating beautiful auroras in polar areas, are capable of disrupting the earth’s magnetic field as well as damaging electronics in satellites in space and in circuits on the ground. 

Key facts about Solar Orbiter Aircraft

• It is the most complex scientific laboratory ever to have been sent to the Sun.
• It will take images of the Sun from closer than any spacecraft before.
• It contains six remote-sensing instruments and four sets of in situ instruments.
• Objectives
• To observe the Sun’s 11-year cycle of rising and subsiding magnetic activity.
• To study the upper layer of Sun’s atmosphere, the corona.
• It was launched in 2020.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, the Supreme Court of India hands over its green watchdog committee, the Central Empowered Committee to the Environment Ministry.

• It was set up in 2002 (reconstituted in 2008) by the Supreme Court.
• It served as a watchdog for issues pertaining to environmental conservation and compliance.
• Recent changes: According to the Union Environment Ministry’s notification, instead of an ad hoc body, CEC should be instituted as a permanent statutory body on environmental issues.
• Composition of the new CEC
• It will have a chairman with experience of 25 years in the field of environment, forests and wildlife or proven administrative experience of not less than 25 years in the central or state governments.
• He will be nominated by the central government for tenure of three years.
• Age limit 66 years and the level, not below the rank of additional secretary.
• The member secretary will be a full-time serving officer of the government not below the rank of Deputy Inspector General of forests or director in the Government of India.
• This person is required to have special knowledge in the field of environment, forests or wildlife, and experience of at least 12 years.
• The member secretary too will be appointed by the Centre.
• The three expert members will be one each from the fields of the environment, forests and wildlife with experience of at least 20 years.
• They will also be nominated by the Centre for a tenure of three years.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the patent office of Government of India has granted a patent to Botanical Survey of India for bamboo (Schizostachyum andamanicum) based reusable straw.

• It was discovered on the Andaman Island about three decades ago.
• This is only found in some forested areas of Andamans.
• It grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.
• This species of bamboo is characterized by a thin large hollow erect culm (stem) with long internodes and has potential for developing into a straw.
• It has small, white flowers that are arranged in clusters. The seeds are small and black, and the seedlings have thin, light green leaves.

Hence option (a) is the correct answer.

A new genus and species of titanosaurian dinosaur being named Igaisemkhu has been recently described by researchers from Midwestern University, USA.

About Igaisemkhu:

• It belongs to a diverse group of long-necked plant-eating dinosaurs called Titanosauria.
• Igaisemkhu roamed our planet during the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous epoch, approximately 75 million years ago.
• The group is known for large body sizes, long necks and wide stance and includes species ranging from the largest known terrestrial vertebrates to ‘dwarfs’ no bigger than elephants.
• Igaisemkhu constitutes one of the most informative dinosaurs yet recovered from the latest Cretaceous of Afro-Arabia.
• It is 10-15 m (33-49 feet) in estimated total body length.

What is Cretaceous epoch?

• It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, which is often referred to as the "Age of Dinosaurs."
• The Cretaceous Epoch lasted from approximately 145 million years ago to about 66 million years ago, making it one of the longest geological epochs.
• Mass Extinction:
• The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event marks the end of the Cretaceous Epoch.
• It occurred around 66 million years ago and resulted in the extinction of approximately 75% of Earth's species, including the non-avian dinosaurs.
• This event is believed to have been triggered by a combination of factors, including the impact of a large asteroid or comet and massive volcanic activity.

Hence option a is the correct answer.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is teaming up with the Drone Federation of India to co-host ‘Bharat Drone Shakti 2023’

About Bharat Drone Shakti 2023:

• The event will take place at the IAF’s airbase in Hindan (Ghaziabad) and feature live aerial demonstrations by the Indian drone industry.
• It will showcase the full potential of the Indian drone industry, with more than 50 live aerial demonstrations.
• These demonstrations will encompass a diverse range of drone applications, including survey drones, agriculture drones, fire-fighting drones, tactical surveillance drones, heavy-duty logistics drones, loitering munition systems, drone swarms, and anti-drone solutions.
• The event is expected to draw approximately 5,000 attendees, including representatives from the central government, state departments, public and private industries, armed and paramilitary forces, delegates from friendly nations, scholars, students, and drone enthusiasts.
• The event will also witness the active participation of more than 75 drone start-ups and corporate entities.
• The event promises to showcase the capabilities of Indian drones and provide a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among industry leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts.

Hence both statements are correct.

Airbus, a leading aircraft manufacturer globally, responds to the Indian Air Force's Request for Information (RFI) for a Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) with the A400M Atlas. 

About A400M Atlas:

• It is a multi-national four-engine turboprop.
• The aircraft is manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space, a division of the European aerospace and defence firm Airbus.
• It was designed to meet the requirements of the Belgium, French, German, Spanish, Turkish, Luxembourg and UK air forces.
• It is a multi-role aircraft that serves as both a tactical airlifter and a strategic airlifter.
• Features:
• It can carry up to 37 tons of cargo and be used for transport, air-to-air refueling, and paratroop missions.
• The A400M’s normal operating speed is 555km/h, but it can reach a maximum speed of 780km/h.
• The aircraft weighs approximately 76,500kg, and the maximum take-off weight is 141,000kg.
• It stands out for its ability to carry oversized cargo, including vehicles and helicopters.
• The A400M cockpit is fully night-vision compatible and provides accommodation for two pilots and an additional crew member for special mission equipment operations. 
• It can carry 116 paratroops and airdrop them and their equipment either by parachute or gravity extraction.
• It can be converted into a tactical tanker that has the ability to refuel a range of aircraft and helicopters.

Hence option b is the correct answer.

On the eve of the G20 leadership summit, the Ministry of Culture launched a portal of the mega exhibition—‘Bharat: The Mother of Democracy’.

About “Bharat: The Mother of Democracy” Portal:

• The portal showcases the content on the history of democracy in India, showcasing 7,000 years of democratic ethos starting from the Sindhu-Saraswati civilisation to 2019.
• It is available in 16 languages, including German, French, Spanish, Arabic, Portuguese, Italian, Turkish, and Russian besides English and Hindi.
• The portal is divided into five sections and 22 sub-sections starting from Sindhu-Saraswati Civilisation (6000-2000BCE), Mahajanapada and Gantantra (7-8 BCE), Vijayanagar Empire (14-16 century), and Mughal emperor Akbar reign (1556-1605) to Constitution of India (1947) and Elections in Modern India (1952 onwards). 
• Each section has a brief with images.    
• The visitors can also download a brochure in the language of their choice.
• The catalogue also has the message of the Indian Prime Minister.
• The website-- www.motherofdemocracyg20.com-- is curated by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).

Hence both statements are correct.

Deputy Chief of Air Staff recently flew the Hindustan Turbo Trainer Aircraft - 40 (HTT-40) Basic Trainer Aircraft in Bengaluru.

About HTT-40:

• The Hindustan Turbo Trainer-40 (HTT-40) is a Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA).
• Manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the aircraft has been indigenously designed and developed by the Aircraft Research & Design Centre of HAL and is based on the training requirements of the Indian Armed Force (IAF).
• The aircraft will meet the shortage of BTAs for the training of newly inducted pilots of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• It will be used for basic flight training, aerobatics, instrument flying, and close formation flights, in addition to undertaking secondary missions such as navigation and night flying flights.
• Features: 
• It is a turboprop aircraft designed to have good low-speed handling for better training effectiveness.
• It is a fixed-wing aircraft incorporating an all-metal airframe design. 
• It has a maximum take-off weight of 2.8 tonnes. 
• It can achieve a top speed of 450 Km/hr and a maximum range of 1,000km. 
• The fully aerobatic tandem seat HTT-40 has an air-conditioned cockpit, modern avionics with multifunction displays, hot refueling, and zero-zero (zero speed and zero altitude) ejection seats.

What is a Turboprop aircraft?

• A turboprop aircraft uses a turbo-prop engine rather than a piston-powered engine or a jet engine.
• They have one or more gas-turbine engines connected to a gearbox that turns the propeller(s) to move the aircraft on the ground and through the air.
• They have lower operating costs than jets because they burn less fuel, but they are also slower than jets.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

President of India will launch Vindhyagiri frigate at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, Kolkata, on August 17.

• It is named after a mountain range in Karnataka.
• It is the sixth ship of the Project 17A frigates.
• These warships are follow-ons of the Project 17 Class Frigates (Shivalik Class), with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
• Under the Project 17A programme, four ships by Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and three by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) are under construction.
• The project’s first five ships were launched by MDL and GRSE, between 2019-2022.
• These ships have been designed in-house by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
• As much as 75% of the orders for equipment and systems of Project 17A ships are from indigenous firms, including MSMEs.

Hence both statements are correct.