Daily Current Affairs MCQ- October 15, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

A recent blackbuck census by the Wildlife Institute of India stated that the blackbucks ‘are on the verge of extinction in Punjab.

• It is the sole extant member of the genus Antilope found in India. 
• It lives mainly in open grasslands or dry deciduous forests.
• The antelope is native to and found mainly in India (with a small population in Nepal and Pakistan).
• It is widespread in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and other areas throughout peninsular India.
• It has been declared as the state animal by the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. 
• Conservation status:
• IUCN Red List: Least concerned.
• Wildlife Protection Act of 1972: Schedule I
• CITES: Appendix III

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the American multinational corporation General Electric (GE) announced it has signed an agreement with India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to make GE’s F414 engines for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk2.

• It is a turbofan engine which has been in use by the US Navy for more than 30 years.
• It is featured with advanced technology such as Full Authority Digital Electronic Control (FADEC) — the latest aircraft ignition and engine control system that controls engine performance digitally.
• Only eight nations have F414-powered aircraft in operation in the world.

Key facts about LCA Mk2

• It is an advanced version of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, which is being used by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• It is capable of integrating all indigenous weapon systems and a number of foreign armaments along with eight Beyond Visual Range Missiles (BVRMs).
• No other fighter aircraft of this class is capable of carrying eight BVR missiles simultaneously.
• It will have a mission endurance of 120 minutes and is capable of carrying 6.5 tonnes of weapons payload.
• It will be equipped with standoff weapon systems. The weaponry will also include an air-to-ground, long-range deep strike missile, SCALP.

Hence both statements are correct.

India was recently inducted into the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP).

About Mineral Security Partnership:

• It is an ambitious new initiative to bolster critical mineral supply chains, announced by the United States (US) and key partner countries in June 2022.
• The goal of the alliance is to ensure that critical minerals are produced, processed, and recycled in a manner that supports the ability of countries to realise the full economic development benefit of their geological endowments.
• The focus of the grouping would be on the supply chains of minerals such as Cobalt, Nickel, Lithium and also the 17 “rare earth” minerals.

What is a critical mineral?

• There is no global definition of critical minerals, but essentially, they are mineral deposits with high economic vulnerability and high global supply chain risk.

What are major critical minerals?

• The major critical minerals are Graphite, Lithium and Cobalt.
• They are used for making EV batteries and are also critical for making semiconductors and high-end electronics manufacturing.
• These minerals are also used in manufacturing fighter jets, drones, radio sets and other critical equipment.

Who are the top producers of critical minerals?

• The major producers of critical minerals globally are Chile, Indonesia, Congo, China, Australia and South Africa.

What are rare earth elements?

• The 17 rare earth elements (REE) include the 15 Lanthanides (atomic numbers 57 — which is Lanthanum — to 71 in the periodic table) plus Scandium (atomic number 21) and Yttrium (39).

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Karnataka government recently submitted a revised proposal to the National Wildlife Board (NWD) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFC) for the Kalasa-Banduri project.

About Kalasa-Banduri Project:

• The project involves the construction of dams and a canal system to divert water from the Mahadayi River, located in Goa, to the Malaprabha River (a tributary of Krishna river) basin in Karnataka.
• The main goal of the project is to meet the drinking water needs of the districts of Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot, and Gadag in Karnataka.
• Though the project was first proposed in the early 1980s, it has remained on paper owing to a dispute between Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
• As per plans, barrages are to be built against Kalasa and Banduri streams — tributaries of Mahadayi — and water diverted towards Karnataka’s parched districts.

Key facts about Mahadayi river:

• Origin: Mahadayi river rises in the Western Ghats, from the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Khanapur taluk of Karnataka’s Belagavi district.
• The river travels 35 km in Karnataka; 82 km in Goa before joining the Arabian Sea at Panji (North-Goa).
• Also called Mandovi in Goa, Mahadayi is a rain-fed river that is shared between Karnataka and Goa for their water needs.
• The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary is located on the island of Chorao in the Mandovi river.
• Major Tributaries: Kalasa Nala, Banduri Nala, Surla Nala, Haltar Nala, Poti Nala, Mahadayi Nala, Pansheer Nala, Bail Nala, Andher Nala.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Prime Minister recently gifted an eco-friendly lab-grown 7.5 carat diamond, , to the US First Lady Jill Biden.

About Lab-Grown Diamonds:

• Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds that are produced using specific technology which mimics the geological processes that grow natural diamonds.
• The diamond simulants such as Moissanite, Cubic Zirconia (CZ), White Sapphire, YAG, and others are used to make them look like natural diamonds.
• How are LGDs produced? There are multiple ways in which LGDs can be produced.
• High pressure, high temperature” (HPHT) method:
• It is the most common and cheapest method.
• In this method, extremely heavy presses that can produce up to 730,000 psi of pressure under extremely high temperatures of at least 1500 celsius are applied.
• Usually, graphite is used as the “diamond seed” and when subjected to these extreme conditions, the relatively inexpensive form of carbon turns into one of the most expensive carbon forms.
• Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) and explosive formation create what is known as detonation nanodiamonds.
• Application of Lab-grown diamonds:
• Used for industrial purposes, in machines and tools and their hardness and extra strength make them ideal for use as cutters.
• Pure synthetic diamonds are used in electronics as a heat spreader for high-power laser diodes, laser arrays and high-power transistors.

Hence both statements are correct.

A recently conducted ecological survey has found the presence of 18 highly protected species in the alignment of Thane-Borivali Link Road (TBLR) which involves constructing twin tunnels under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) 

About Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP):

• Location: It is located within suburban region of Mumbai, Maharashtra. The park covers about 20% of Mumbai’s geographical area.
• It is popularly known as “Krishnagiri Upvan” or “Borivali National Park”.
• The 2400-year-old Kanheri caves are sculpted out of the rocky cliff lies within the park.
• Flora: Kadamba, Teak, Karanj, Shisham, and species of acacia, Ziziphus, euphorbias etc are found in this National Park.

Fauna: Chital, Rhesus macaque, Bonnet macaque, Black-naped, Bengal Tiger etc. 

Hence option c is the correct answer.

Recently, the Union Minister of Science & Technology inaugurated the Lavender festival at Bhaderwah in the Jammu region.

• It is the 2nd year of the lavender revolution. Bhaderwah has emerged as the Lavender capital of India and an Agri StartUp destination.
• The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-IIIM) in supporting farmers in the cultivation of Lavender in the Bhaderwah, Doda district, J&K under CSIR-Aroma Mission.

Key facts about CSIR-Aroma Mission:

• It is a flagship project of CSIR under which Lavender cultivation is being promoted in the temperate regions of J&K.
• It was launched under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• The project aims to increase the income of small and marginal farmers and develop agriculture-based Startups.

Hence both statements are correct.

Around 120 tribal women members of the Odisha state’s Van Dhan Vikas Kendras prepare laddus, cakes, jam, toffees, pickles, squash, pakodas and biscuits using dry mahua flowers and supply them in the local market. 

Key Facts about Mahua Tree

• It is mainly cultivated or harvested in the wild in South Asia countries for its edible flowers and oil seeds.
• It is commonly known as madhūka, madkam, mahuwa, Butter Tree, mahua, mahwa, mohulo, Iluppai , Mee or vippa chettu.
• It is a frost-resistant species that can grow in marginal areas of dry tropical and subtropical forests up to an altitude of 1200-1800 m.
• It can be found scattered in pastures, in crop fields in central India, and on river banks in semi-evergreen forests.
• It grows well where annual rainfall is between 500 mm to 1500 mm, and where temperatures are in the range of 2-46°C.
• It requires loamy or sandy-loam soils with good drainage and also occurs on shallow stony, clayey and calcareous soils.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Recently, under the Department of Justice's (Ministry of Law and Justice) Nyaya Bandhu, Pro Bono Club, ICFAI Law School, The ICFAI University, Tripura, in association with District Legal Services Authority West Tripura, organized a Door-to-Door Legal Aid Campaign. 

• It is formed under Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free legal aid and services to the weaker sections of this society to make sure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen because of economic or other disabilities.
• It is a statutory body organized at the district level to provide effective monitoring of legal aid programmes and their composition.
• Legal Services Authorities are statutory bodies that are formed or constituted in the various states of India by the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Constitutional provision:
• Article 39-A: Deals with the provision of providing free legal services to the citizens of India.
• The provision applies to the citizens if they are unable to bear the expenditure of legal services. It also helps the defendant in a case by appointing a lawyer to act for him in legal aspects.
• Composition of DLSA
• It is a body that shall be constituted by the State Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
• The act provides that a District Authority requires the district judge as its chairman.
• It shall also consist of a number of other members who have the experience and qualifications as prescribed by the State Government.
• The members possessing such requirements may be nominated by the Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.
• The person to be appointed shall belong to the State Judicial Service not lower rank than that of a Subordinate Judge or Civil Judge posted at the seat of the District Judiciary as Secretary of the District Authority.
• The Assistant Commissioner of the concerned District acts as the Member Secretary of the District Authority.
• The officers and other employees of the District Authority are entitled to salary and allowances and shall also be subject to such other conditions of the services as the State Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court prescribes

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

After digital payments and digital lending, the Reserve Bank of India is looking closely at platforms that facilitate direct, or peer-to-peer (P2P), lending between individuals.

• It is done through a website that connects borrowers and lenders directly.
• Those who want to lend money, open an account with a P2P platform as a lender. And those who require a loan register themselves as a borrower.
• It enables individuals to obtain loans directly from other individuals, cutting out the financial institution as the middleman.
• In 2017, the Reserve Bank of India brought this service under its regulatory purview.
• Only an NBFC can register as a P2P lender with the permission of RBI. Every P2P lender should obtain a certificate of registration from the RBI.
• The minimum capital requirement to set up a P2P platform is fixed at Rs. 2 Crores.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.