Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 27th August 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Statement-I correctly describes the motive behind the Great Moon Hoax of 1835, which aimed to satirize the intertwining of religious beliefs with scientific discourse, particularly in astronomy. The hoax was designed to showcase the absurdity that could arise when faith and science collide.
Statement-II accurately presents the objective of the Polaris Dawn Mission, which seeks to innovate commercial space travel by conducting a high-altitude mission and featuring the first-ever private spacewalk with non-professional astronauts. However, there is no direct explanatory link between the two statements, making option (b) the correct choice.

1. Correct. The Polaris Dawn Mission will indeed be the first non-governmental endeavor to perform a spacewalk. This is a significant milestone as it involves non-professional astronauts.

2. Correct. The mission will travel through the Van Allen Belts, which are regions of intense radiation. This is crucial for assessing the impact of radiation on future space missions, especially those aiming for Mars.

3. Incorrect. The Falcon Heavy rocket is not being used for this mission. Instead, the Falcon 9 rocket, along with the Dragon capsule, provided by SpaceX, will be used.

Thus, the correct statements are 1 and 2 only. Therefore, the correct answer is Option B.

Statement 1 is correct. Vaccine-derived poliovirus is indeed associated with the weakened live virus found in the OPV. This weakened virus, in rare cases, can mutate and regain its virulence, leading to vaccine-derived poliovirus infections.

Statement 2 is correct. The IPV does not contain a live virus and hence does not carry the risk of vaccine-derived poliovirus. However, it also does not prevent the transmission of the poliovirus from person to person, which is a limitation compared to OPV.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The last confirmed case of wild poliovirus in India occurred in 2011 in Howrah district, West Bengal, not in 2014. India was declared polio-free in 2014 after three years without any new cases of wild poliovirus.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only.

1. Article 324: This article actually establishes the Election Commission of India (ECI) as a permanent and independent body to oversee elections. It does not concern the enactment of laws, so this pair is incorrectly matched.

2. Article 326: This article indeed establishes adult suffrage, granting voting rights to all citizens aged 18 and above. This pair is correctly matched.

3. Article 328: This article empowers state legislatures to establish regulations related to elections within their jurisdiction. This pair is correctly matched.

4. Article 329: This article prohibits judicial interference in electoral issues. This pair is correctly matched.

Thus, pairs 2, 3, and 4 are correctly matched, making the correct answer Option C.

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are accurate in their depiction of the Election Commission of India (ECI). Statement-I correctly highlights the ECI's establishment as a permanent and autonomous constitutional authority under Article 324 of the Indian Constitution. Statement-II further elaborates on the ECI's responsibilities, emphasizing its role in overseeing, directing, and managing the electoral processes for Parliament and State Legislatures. Statement-II provides additional context that complements and explains the establishment and nature of the ECI as mentioned in Statement-I. Thus, both statements are correct, with Statement-II offering an explanation for Statement-I's assertion.

The National Medical Register (NMR) Portal, initiated by the National Medical Commission (NMC), aims to register all MBBS doctors eligible for practice in India. It functions as a comprehensive database of licensed medical practitioners, storing essential details such as qualifications and facilitating the maintenance of a national register in electronic format. The portal's linkage with Aadhaar IDs ensures the authenticity of registered doctors, thereby streamlining the registration process and enhancing healthcare services in the country.

1. Correct. Article 324 of the Indian Constitution empowers the Election Commission of India to oversee, direct, and manage the preparation of the electoral rolls and the conduct of elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, and the offices of the President and Vice-President of India.

2. Incorrect. Article 329 deals with the prohibition of judicial interference in electoral matters, not with the recognition of political parties or the allocation of election symbols. The ECI's quasi-judicial role in resolving disputes regarding the recognition of political parties and the allocation of election symbols is derived from other statutory provisions and rules, not Article 329.

3. Correct. The Chief Election Commissioner can only be removed from office in a manner similar to that of a Supreme Court judge, which requires a special majority in both Houses of Parliament.

Thus, statements 1 and 3 are correct, while statement 2 is incorrect. Therefore, the correct answer is Option B.

The primary role of the Election Commission of India (ECI) as established under the Indian Constitution is overseeing, directing, and managing the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of all elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures. This responsibility ensures fair and transparent elections at both the national and state levels, upholding the democratic principles of the country.

The Great Moon Hoax of 1835 was primarily conceived to satirize the intertwining of religious beliefs with scientific discourse, specifically targeting the field of astronomy. This hoax aimed to showcase the absurdity that could result from the collision of faith with scientific exploration.

1. Wild Poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) - Causes polio: This pair is correctly matched. WPV1 is one of the three types of wild poliovirus that causes polio.

2. Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) - Contains live weakened virus: This pair is correctly matched. OPV does contain a live, weakened form of the poliovirus.

3. Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV) - Contains live weakened virus: This pair is incorrectly matched. IPV contains an inactivated (killed) virus, not a live weakened virus.

4. National Medical Register (NMR) Portal - Aimed at registering all MBBS doctors: This pair is correctly matched. The NMR Portal is designed to register all MBBS doctors eligible for practice in India.

Pairs 1, 2, and 4 are correctly matched, while pair 3 is incorrectly matched.

Answer: Option C