Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 8, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

 The practice of carbon farming is easy to adopt across various agro-climatic zones and it can also help ameliorate soil degradation, water scarcity, and challenges related to climate variability.

• It is a whole farm approach to optimizing carbon capture on working landscapes by implementing practices that are known to improve the rate at which CO₂ is removed from the atmosphere and stored in plant material and/or soil organic matter.
• The practice is easy to adopt across various agro-climatic zones. It can also help ameliorate soil degradation, water scarcity, and challenges related to climate variability.
• Its effectiveness varies depending on multiple factors — geographical location, soil type, crop selection, water availability, biodiversity, and farm size and scale. Its usefulness also depends on land management practices, sufficient policy support, and community engagement.

How can carbon farming help?

• A simple implementation of carbon farming is rotational grazing. Others include agroforestry, conservation agriculture, integrated nutrient management, agro-ecology, livestock management, and land restoration.
• Agroforestry practices: It includes silvopasture and alley cropping which can further diversify farm income by sequestering carbon in trees and shrubs.
• Conservation agriculture techniques: It includes zero tillage, crop rotation, cover cropping, and crop residue management (stubble retention and composting) can help minimise soil disturbance and enhance organic content, particularly in places with other intense agricultural activities.
• Integrated nutrient management practices promote soil fertility and reduce emissions by using organic fertilizers and compost.
• Agro-ecological approaches such as crop diversification and intercropping have benefits for ecosystem resilience.
• Livestock management strategies including rotational grazing, optimising feed quality, and managing animal waste can reduce methane emissions and increase the amount of carbon stored away in pasture lands.

Carbon Farming Schemes Worldwide

• ‘4 per 1000’ initiative: It was launched during the COP21 climate talks in 2015 in Paris highlights the particular role of sinks in mitigating greenhouse-gas emissions.
• Agricultural Carbon Project: It is Kenya’s initiative which is supported by the World Bank and highlights the potential for carbon farming.

Hence both statements are correct.

Recently, volatility gauge India VIX surged to as much as 15 percent to 16.58, prompting experts to advise caution against large leveraged positions.

• It is an index that serves as a measure of market expectation of volatility in the near term. It is also known as fear index.
• Volatility signifies the rate and magnitude of change in the stock price or index value.
• The movement in the VIX index reflects the overall market volatility expectations over the next 30 days.
• So, a spike in the VIX value means the market is expecting higher volatility in the near future.
• The VIX index was first created by the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) and introduced in 1993 based on the prices of S&P 500 index.
• Since then, it has become a globally recognised gauge of volatility in the U.S equity markets.
• The India VIX was launched with a similar intent in 2010 and is based on the computation methodology of CBOE though amended to align with the Indian markets.
• India VIX It is calculated by the National Stock Exchange.
• India VIX has a strong negative correlation with Nifty. When the India VIX falls, the Nifty is seen to rise and vice versa.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

In a new study, a group of researchers has identified a distinct subtype of the Fusobacterium nucleatum that’s found in relatively greater quantities in colorectal cancer (CRC) tumours.

• Fusobacteria are Gram-negative anaerobic bacilli with species-specific reservoirs in the human mouth, gastrointestinal tract and elsewhere.
• It has long been considered as an opportunistic pathogen given its frequent isolation and identification in anaerobic samples from patients with different infections.
• Highlights of the research
• The researchers first analyzed the genomes of F. nucleatum types taken from human colorectal tumors and from the mouths of people without cancer. Out of its several known subspecies, only one, called F. nucleatum animalis (or Fna), was routinely found in the tumor samples.
• Additional genetic analyses revealed that Fna could be divided even further, into two separate groups.
• While both groups were found in about equal proportions in the mouth, only one, dubbed Fna C2, was found in colorectal tumor samples in substantial numbers.
• Fna C2’s higher resistance to acid, which could allow it to potentially reach the intestines directly from the mouth, through the stomach. 
• Fna C2 also had the ability to hide inside certain tumor cells, which could protect it from the immune system. And it was able to use nutrients found in the gastrointestinal tract, which are very different from those found in the mouth.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

The U.S. State Department accused Russia of using chemical agent chloropicrin in Ukraine which is a violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

• It is a chemical compound which is also known as nitrochloroform. It is used both as a warfare agent and pesticide.
• Appearance: It is a colourless to yellow oily liquid.
• It is used broadly as a fungicide, herbicide, insecticide, nematicide and antimicrobial.
• It is an irritant with characteristics of a tear gas. It has an intensely irritating odour, and can be absorbed through inhalation, ingestion, and the skin.
• It was first made for use as a poison gas in the First World War, by both the Allied and the Central Powers.
• Manufacturing
• It’s manufactured in a chemical reaction involving sodium hypochlorite (which in dilute form is called bleach) and nitromethane (a common industrial solvent).
• It can also be made by combining chloroform with nitric acid, which yields chloropicrin and water.
• Impacts on Health
• Chloropicrin has documented irritating and tears-inducing effects on humans, and is also known to be highly toxic and carcinogenic and also induce vomiting.

Key facts about Chemical Weapons Convention

• It is a multilateral treaty that bans chemical weapons and requires their destruction within a specified period of time.
• It entered into force in 1997.
• It requires states-parties to declare in writing to the OPCW their chemical weapons stockpiles, chemical weapons production facilities (CWPFs), relevant chemical industry facilities, and other weapons-related information.
• It is open to all nations and currently has 193 states-parties.
• India is a signatory and party to the Chemical Weapons Convention. It has signed the treaty at Paris in 1993.
• It is pursuant to provisions of the Convention enacted the Chemical Weapons Convention Act, 2000.

Hence both statements are correct.

For those trying to look inside the human body without surgery, magnetic resonance imaging is an indispensable tool. 

• It is used to obtain images of soft tissues within the body. Soft tissue is any tissue that hasn’t become harder through calcification.
• It is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure widely used to image the brain, the cardiovascular system, the spinal cord and joints, various muscles, the liver, arteries, etc.
  • Its use is particularly important in the observation and treatment of certain cancers, including prostate and rectal cancer, and to track neurological conditions including Alzheimer’s, dementia, epilepsy, and stroke.
• The MRI technique’s use of strong magnetic fields, individuals with embedded metallic objects (like shrapnel) and metallic implants, including pacemakers, may not be able to undergo MRI scans.
• Working:
  • In MRI procedure reveals an image of a body part using the hydrogen atoms in that part.
  • It uses the body's natural magnetic properties to produce detailed images from any part of the body. For imaging purposes the hydrogen nucleus (a single proton) is used because of its abundance in water and fat.
  • The machine includes a superconducting magnet creating a stable magnetic field, aligning hydrogen atom spins. A radiofrequency pulse is emitted, exciting excess atoms.
  • When the pulse stops, these atoms emit energy, detected and converted into signals by a receiver. These signals are processed by a computer to generate detailed 2D or 3D images of the scanned body part.

Hence both statements are correct.

India’s first indigenous bomber UAV aircraft, the FWD-200B, developed by Flying Wedge Defence, an Indian defence and aerospace company, was unveiled recently.

About FWD-200B:

• It is an indigenous military grade bomber Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
• It is India’s first indigenous unmanned bomber aircraft.
• It is designed and manufactured by Flying Wedge Defence and Aerospace Technologies, an Indian defence and aerospace company.
• It has a payload capacity of 100 kg and is classified as a MALE (medium-altitude, long-endurance) Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle. 
• The Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) consists of optical surveillance payloads and is integrated with missile-like weapons for precision air strikes.
• It has a maximum speed of 370 kmph (200 knots), an endurance capacity of 12 to 20 hours, and a ground control station range of 200 km.
• At six metres long, with an eight-metre wingspan, the aircraft can carry a maximum take-off weight of 498 kg and has an operational altitude of 9,000 feet above mean sea level.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Scientists recently observed a wild male orangutan repeatedly rubbing chewed-up leaves of a medicinal plant on a facial wound in a forest reserve in Indonesia.

About Orangutans:

• Known for their distinctive red fur, Orangutans are the largest arboreal (animals that live in trees) mammals.
• They spend more than 90 percent of their waking hours in the trees.
• Distribution: They live on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and on both the Malaysian and Indonesian portions of the island of Borneo.
• Habitat: Habitats range from peat swamp forests near sea level to mountainous forests almost a mile (1.6 kilometers) above sea level. 
• There are three species of Orangutans-the Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli.
• They are one of humankind’s closest relatives. These great apes share 96.4% of our genes and are highly intelligent creatures.
• Features:
• The adult male is typically twice the size of the female and may attain a height of 1.3 metres (4.3 feet) and a weight of 130 kg (285 pounds) in the wild.
• They have long, sparse orange or reddish hair unequally distributed over their bodies. 
• They are very well adapted to life in the trees, with arms much longer than their legs. They have grasping hands and feet with long curved fingers and toes. 
• Older males develop wide cheek pads, a unique feature among primates. 
• Lifespan: Up to 50 years in the wild.
• Diet: Daytime eaters, their diet consists mostly of fruit and leaves, but they also eat nuts, bark, insects, and, once in a while, bird eggs, too.
• Social Structure: Orangutans live semi-solitary lives in the wild. While they are the most solitary of the great apes, they exhibit social tolerance during times of high fruit abundance when they come together in aggregations known as parties.
• Conservation status: All three species are classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ under the IUCN Red List.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Researchers recently discovered that an essential nutrient called choline is transported into the brain by a protein called FLVCR2.

About Choline:

• It is an essential nutrient that supports various bodily functions, including cellular growth and metabolism.
• It exists as both water-soluble and fat-soluble molecules. The body transports and absorbs choline differently depending on its form.
• The body can also produce small amounts of choline on its own in the liver, but not enough to meet daily needs. As a result, humans must obtain some choline from the diet. 
• The richest dietary sources of choline are meat, fish, dairy, and eggs. Many fruits, vegetables, and whole grains contain choline as well.
• Functions:
• Cell structure: It is a constituent of an important class of lipids (fats) called phospholipids (e.g., lecithin), which form structural elements of cell membranes. Therefore, all plant and animal cells need choline to preserve their structural integrity.
• It serves as a source of the methyl groups (―CH3 groups), which are required in various metabolic processes.
• Liver Health: Choline is also required to clear cholesterol from your liver. Deficiencies cause fat and cholesterol accumulation in your liver, which puts you at risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
• A healthy nervous system: This nutrient is required to make acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter. It’s involved in memory, muscle movement, regulating the heartbeat, and other basic functions.
• Choline also plays important roles in modulating gene expression, cell membrane signaling, lipid transport and metabolism, and early brain development.
• It is also “food” for beneficial gut bacteria. 
• Choline deficiency can lead to health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and muscular damage.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Recent study showed that ancient ecosystem of Lake Baikal is at risk of global warming.

• It is located in the southern part of eastern Siberia within the republic of Russia.
• It is the oldest existing freshwater lake on Earth (20 million–25 million years old), as well as the deepest continental body of water.
• It had its start in the time of the dinosaurs and began to take its modern form well before the appearance of the Homininae. 
• It is having a maximum depth of 5,315 feet (1,620 metres).
• It is also the world’s largest freshwater lake by volume, containing about one-fifth of the fresh water on Earth’s surface.
• Into Lake Baikal more than 330 rivers and streams flow.
• The largest of which include the Selenga, Barguzin, Upper (Verkhnyaya) Angara, Chikoy, and Uda.
• It is known as the 'Galapagos of Russia', its age and isolation have produced one of the world's richest and most unusual freshwater faunas, which is of exceptional value to evolutionary science.
• In 1996 Lake Baikal was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hence both statements are correct.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) uses ‘modelled pathways’ to estimate what it will take to limit the warming of the earth’s surface and these pathways are drawn using Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs).

• These are complex models that examine possible futures of the energy and climate system and economies.
• They are “integrated” because they combine different strands of knowledge to model human society alongside parts of the Earth system.
• Its macroeconomic models can point to future growth levels in terms of GDP; its energy models can project future consumption; vegetation models can examine land-use changes; and earth-system models use the laws of physics to understand how climate evolves.
• With such integration across disciplines, IAMs are meant to provide policy-relevant guidelines on climate action.
• They prioritise least-cost assessments — for example, the absolute cost of setting up a solar plant or undertaking afforestation in India is lower than in the U.S.
• However, experts have said they could exercise the option of enabling countries to equitably share the burden of action, where the richest undertake more drastic mitigation action more immediately.
• They capture human-society interactions by describing them as coupled systems on the relevant geographical and intertemporal scales for policy-making.
• They typically include a description of human activity (e.g. energy and land use), direct drivers of environmental change (e.g. emissions, land use and resource use), resulting impacts (e.g. climate change and consequences for crop yields) and response options.
• Significance
• The most common use of IAMs is in the field of climate mitigation.
• A key purpose of IAMs is to provide orientation knowledge for the deliberation of future climate action strategies by policymakers, civil society and the private sector.

Hence both statements are correct.