Daily Current Affairs MCQ- March 12, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

MIT chemists have designed a sensor that detects tiny quantities of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals found in food packaging, nonstick cookware, and many other consumer products.

• These are a group of human-made chemicals that have been widely used in various industrial and commercial applications.
• They were first used in the 1940’s and are now in hundreds of products.
• Properties
• These compounds are also known as "forever chemicals" because they do not break down naturally.
• Chemically, individual PFAS can be very different. However, all have a carbon-fluorine bond, which is very strong and therefore, they do not degrade easily.
• These are known for their unique properties, such as high chemical stability and resistance to heat, grease, and water.
• Applications: These are used in stain- and water-resistant fabrics and carpeting, cleaning products, paints, and fire-fighting foams.
• Impacts:
• The widespread use of PFAS has resulted in increasing levels of contamination of the air, water, and soil.
• Exposure to PFA attributes to variety of health risks including decreased fertility, developmental effects in children, interference with body hormones, increased cholesterol levels and increased risk of some cancers.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has announced the Revamped Pharmaceuticals Technology Upgradation Assistance (RPTUAS) Scheme.

• The objective is to offer "subsidies based on quality" reimbursement, aiding pharmaceutical companies in achieving revised Schedule M and WHO-GMP certifications.
• The revised guideline aims to support the pharmaceutical industry's up-gradation to the Revised Schedule-M & WHO-GMP standards, enhancing the quality and safety of pharmaceutical products manufactured in our country.
• Key Features of the Revised Scheme:
• Broadened Eligibility Criteria: Reflecting a more inclusive approach, eligibility for the PTUAS has been expanded beyond Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to include any pharmaceutical manufacturing unit with a turnover of less than 500 crores that requires technology and quality upgradation. Preference remains for MSMEs, supporting smaller players in achieving high-quality manufacturing standards.
• Flexible Financing Options: The scheme introduces more flexible financing options, emphasizing subsidies on reimbursement basis, over traditional credit-linked approach.
• Comprehensive Support for Compliance with New Standards: In alignment with revised Schedule-M and WHO-Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, the scheme now supports a broader range of technological upgrades. Eligible activities include improvements such as HVAC systems, water and steam utilities, testing laboratories etc.
• State Government Scheme Integration: The revised scheme allows integration with state government schemes, enabling units to benefit from additional top-up assistance. This collaborative approach aims to maximize support for the pharmaceutical industry in their technology upgradation efforts.
• The new benefit limit is based on turnover of the company. Units with less than Rs 5 crore turnover will get an incentive of 20 percent of investment under eligible activities.
• The units with turnover ranging from Rs 50 crore to less than Rs 250 crore will get an incentive of 15 percent of investment, while for those with turnover ranging from Rs 250 crore to less than Rs 500 crore, it will be 10 percent of investment under eligible expenses.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recently, the Prime Minister of India unveiled a 125-foot bronze statue of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan at his burial site in eastern Assam’s Jorhat district.

• He was a legendary army commander of the Ahom kingdom (1228-1826),
• He was known for his leadership in the 1671 ‘Battle of Saraighat’.
• He defeated the Mughal forces, led by Raja Ramsingh-I, in this battle, and thwarted a drawn-out attempt by them to take back Assam.
• He was chosen as one of the five Borphukans of the Ahom kingdom by king Charadhwaj Singha and given administrative, judicial, and military responsibilities. 
• Borphukan preferred guerrilla tactics which provided an edge to his smaller, but fast moving and capable forces.
• He was buried at the ‘maidam’ — burial grounds for Ahom royals and nobles — at Hollongapar, after passing away a year after the battle at the age of 49 due to illness.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) launched its 24th Center of Entrepreneurship (CoE) - "FinGlobe," dedicated to fostering innovation and growth in the financial technology sector, at STPI-Gandhinagar, GIFT City.

• It is a premier autonomous Science and Technology organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
• It is engaged in promoting IT/ITES Industry, innovation, R&D, start-ups, product/IP creation in the field of emerging technologies like IoT, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Computer Vision, Robotics and Robotics Process Automation (RPA) etc.
• Objectives
• To promote the development and export of software and software services including Information Technology (I.T.) Enabled Services / Bio-IT.
• To provide statutory and other promotional services to the exporters by implementing Software Technology Park/ Electronics and Hardware Technology Park Schemes and other such schemes this may be formulated and entrusted by the Government from time to time.
• To provide data communication services including value added services to IT / IT Enabled Services related industries.
• To promote micro, small and medium entrepreneurs by creating conducive environment for entrepreneurship in the field of IT / IT Enabled Services.
• It has expanded its presence pan-India since its inception in 1991 with 3 centres to disperse tech-driven entrepreneurship to Tier-II/III cities.
• Today, STPI has 64 centres of which 56 centres are in Tier-II/III cities.
• Significance: These centres have been playing a pivotal role in boosting IT/ITeS/ESDM exports from the respective region, generating employment, and fostering startups to develop software products.

Hence both statements are correct.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently notified the Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024 that would enable the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed by the Parliament in 2019.

About Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019:

• The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) amends the Citizenship Act of 1955 to provide a path to Indian citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis who migrated from neighbouring Muslim-majority countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, before December 31, 2014.
• Under the CAA, migrants who entered India till December 31, 2014, and had suffered “religious persecution or fear or religious persecution” in their country of their origin would be made eligible for accelerated citizenship.
• It relaxed the residence requirement for naturalisation of these migrants from twelve years to just six.
• The cut-off date for citizenship is December 31, 2014, which means the applicant should have entered India on or before that date.
• The law exempts the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, including the tribal areas of Karbi Anglong in Assam, Garo Hills in Meghalaya, Chakma district in Mizoram, and Tribal areas district in Tripura.
• It also includes a provision for the cancellation of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registration if the OCI cardholder violates any provision of the Citizenship Act or any other applicable law.

Hence both statements are correct.

INS Tushil, India's latest naval asset, initiated its sea trials from Russia's Baltiysk naval base recently.

About INS Tushil:

• It is the first Krivak-III frigate to be acquired under Project 11356M.
• Project 11356M:
• India in 2016 signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) with Russia to purchase/construct four additional Admiral Grigorovich-class (Project 11356M) frigates through a partnership between Russian and Indian shipyards. 
• Russia will supply two of the frigates (INS Tushil and INS Tamala), while the other two will be constructed in India.
• The Talwar-class frigates, or Project 11356, are a class of stealth-guided missile frigates.
• Under the IGA, Russia would provide technical assistance in setting up production of 11356 project frigates in India.
• The construction of the ships is based on the Indian Navy’s specific requirements to meet the entire spectrum of naval warfare in all three dimensions of air, surface, and sub-surface.
• Features:
• These ships feature "stealth technology" in terms of low radar and underwater noise signatures.
• These ships are being equipped with major Indian-supplied equipment such as surface-to-surface missiles, sonar systems, surface surveillance radar, communication suites, and anti-submarine warfare systems, along with Russian surface-to-air missiles and gun mounts.
• The frigates are designed to fight submarines and warships in brown and blue waters and repel air attacks both independently and within formations.
• The displacement is 3620 tons, the length is 124.8 meters. The full speed is 30 knots, and the cruising range is 4850 miles.

Hence option b is the correct answer.

Scientists have voted against a proposal to declare a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene to reflect how profoundly human activity has altered the planet.

About Anthropocene Epoch:

• It is an unofficial unit of geologic time, used to describe the most recent period in Earth’s history when human activity started to have a significant impact on the planet’s climate and ecosystems.
• The word Anthropocene is derived from the Greek words anthropo, for “man,” and cene, for “new,” coined and made popular by biologist Eugene Stormer and chemist Paul Crutzen in 2000.
• There are numerous phenomena associated with this proposed epoch, such as global warming, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, mass-scale soil erosion, the advent of deadly heat waves, deterioration of the biosphere, and other detrimental changes in the environment.
• What is the Geological Time Scale?
• Earth’s history is divided into a hierarchical series of smaller chunks of time, referred to as the geologic time scale.
• These divisions, in descending length of time, are called eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages.
• These units are classified based on Earth’s rock layers, or strata, and the fossils found within them. 
• From examining these fossils, scientists know that certain organisms are characteristic of certain parts of the geologic record. The study of this correlation is called stratigraphy.
• Current Epoch: Officially, the current epoch is called the Holocene, which began 11,700 years ago after the last major ice age. 
• Debate:
• Scientists still debate whether the Anthropocene is different from the Holocene.
• The term Anthropocene has not been formally adopted by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), the international organization that names and defines epochs. 
• The primary question that the IUGS needs to answer before declaring the Anthropocene an epoch is if humans have changed the Earth system to the point that it is reflected in the rock strata.

Hence option c is the correct answer.

The Government of India recently initiated a scheme through the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for the upgradation and strengthening of the laboratory network in the country. 

About Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):

• BIS is the National Standard Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016 for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking, and quality certification of goods and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• The BIS is the successor of the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), which was created in 1947 to ensure quality control and competitive efficiency in the rapid industrialization expected in the early decades of India’s independence.
• BIS is functioning under the administrative control of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
• BIS has been providing traceability and tangibility benefits to the national economy in a number of ways: providing safe, reliable quality goods; minimizing health hazards to consumers; promoting exports and imports substitute; control over proliferation of varieties etc. through standardization, certification, and testing.
• It operates product certification schemes through which it grants licenses to manufacturers covering practically every industrial discipline, from agriculture and textiles to electronics.
• Certification by the BIS is mandatory for certain classes of products—such as milk powder, X-ray equipment, and gas cylinders—that directly affect public health and safety.
• In other cases, voluntary, or optional certification or self-certification by the manufacturer may be permitted.
• The BIS employs a large staff of engineers, scientists, and statisticians; testing is carried out in its own laboratories as well as in independent facilities that demonstrate compliance with laboratory guidelines established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 
• The agency is headquartered in New Delhi and maintains regional and branch offices throughout the country.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) plans to convene a meeting with relevant stakeholders to discuss the development of specialised cylinders for green hydrogen storage.

• It is produced using electrolysis of water with electricity generated by renewable energy.
• The carbon intensity ultimately depends on the carbon neutrality of the source of electricity (i.e., the more renewable energy there is in the electricity fuel mix, the "greener" the hydrogen produced).
• Green Hydrogen has enormous potential to decarbonize several sectors, reduce carbon emissions and achieve energy independence.
• The production of Green Hydrogen using renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower is sustainable and environmentally friendly, making it an attractive option for the transition to a low-carbon future.
• Green hydrogen can replace traditional fossil fuels in transportation and industry, providing a constant and reliable source of energy.
• Hydrogen is stored in cylinders at a much higher pressure.
• Gas cylinders are typically categorised into four types, depending upon the materials used.
• Type 1 and Type 2 are suitable for storage, while Type 3 is preferred for storage and transportation, and Type 4 is recommended for on-board storage.
• Unlike Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), which is stored at a pressure of around 3,600 psi, the pressure at which hydrogen is stored ranges between 5,000-10,000 psi.
• A vehicle can be powered by hydrogen in two ways– burning it in an internal combustion engine or using a fuel cell to convert it into electricity to charge on-board batteries.
• While both Type 3 and Type 4 cylinders are reinforced with carbon fibre, which makes them light and ideal for use in vehicles, Type 4 cylinders are even lighter as they are lined with a polymer as opposed to the aluminium lining in Type 3 cylinders.

Application of Green hydrogen

• It has numerous applications and can be used in fuel cells to power vehicles and provide electricity.
• It can also be used in heating systems and in the production of chemicals and fertilizers.
• Furthermore, green hydrogen can be used in microgrids, providing electricity to remote areas and enabling energy independence.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A recent incident in the Second Thomas Shoal area, where the Philippines claims that China Coast Guard ships caused two collisions with their boats and water cannoned one of them, has renewed global interest in the flashpoint.

• It is a submerged reef located in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
• The Philippines first took possession of the Second Thomas Shoal in the late 1990s, setting an outpost on the drowned BRP Sierra Madre.
• This Second World War-era ship was intentionally grounded by the Philippines to create an outpost for the country and boost the Philippines’ claim over the Spratly Islands.
• The Philippines continues to maintain its presence there and the ship serves as a military outpost, manned by a small contingent of troops.
• It is a low-tide elevation located within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines
• What is the issue?
• The Philippines claims that the shoal lies within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which, under international law, extends up to 200 nautical miles.
• The Second Thomas Shoal lies about 108 nautical miles (200 km) from the Philippine island of Palawan.
• China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, including the Second Thomas Shoal, based on the historical and controversial Nine-dash line.
• China’s claims cut into the EEZs of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
• In 2013, the Philippines had filed a case against China with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, challenging the legality of China’s claims and activities in the South China Sea, including the Second Thomas Shoal.
• The Philippines took China to international court after the latter seized effective control of the Scarborough Shoal in 2012.
• The court ruled in favour of the Philippines in 2016, but China rejected the judgment.

Hence option (a) is the correct answer.