Current Affairs MCQs – July 14-15

Which one of the following best describes the Earendil-1 Satellite, recently seen in the news?

1. A geostationary weather satellite developed to monitor cyclones over the Atlantic Ocean.
2. An experimental non-geostationary satellite equipped with a deployable mirror to reflect sunlight onto selected areas on Earth during nighttime.
3. A military reconnaissance satellite designed for nighttime surveillance using infrared sensors.
4. A space-based solar power satellite that transmits electricity to Earth using microwave beams.

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• Earendil-1 is an experimental satellite developed by the U.S.-based startup Reflect Orbital. It carries a large, steerable thin-film mirror designed to redirect sunlight onto specific locations on Earth at night. The project aims to support applications such as extending daylight for solar power generation, emergency response, and humanitarian operations

Answer: (b) An experimental non-geostationary satellite equipped with a deployable mirror to reflect sunlight onto selected areas on Earth during nighttime.; Difficulty Level: Medium

Consider the following statements regarding the Index of Services Production (ISP):

1. The Index of Services Production (ISP) has been introduced as a monthly counterpart to the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) to track the performance of India’s formal services sector.
2. The ISP is compiled using a chain-weighted Paasche index with 2021–22 as the base year.
3. The ISP relies on multiple administrative data sources, including GST data and records from sectors such as banking, insurance, railways, and aviation.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 2 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has introduced the Index of Services Production (ISP) as a monthly high-frequency indicator to measure changes in the real output of the formal services sector, analogous to the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) for manufacturing.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• ISP uses 2024–25 as the base year and is constructed using a fixed-weight Laspeyres volume index, not a chain-weighted Paasche index with 2021–22 as the base year.

Statement 3 is correct

• The index draws upon diverse administrative datasets, including aggregated GST data for market services and sector-specific records from railways, aviation, banking, and insurance, with health and education data expected to be incorporated through ASISSE.

Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Consider the following statements regarding Aldrin:

1. Aldrin is a persistent organic pollutant (POP) that is characterized by low water solubility and a tendency to biomagnify across food chains.
2. India continues to permit the manufacture and agricultural use of Aldrin under the Insecticides Act, 1968, subject to prescribed safety standards.
3. Recently, Aldrin was identified as the cause of several mugger crocodile deaths in the Chandraloi River in Rajasthan.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Aldrin is a toxic synthetic organochlorine insecticide classified as a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP). It is non-biodegradable, exhibits low water solubility and high fat solubility, and consequently bioaccumulates in living organisms and biomagnifies across successive trophic levels.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• India does not permit the manufacture or agricultural use of Aldrin. Owing to its toxicity and environmental persistence, the country banned its manufacture, import, and use in the 1990s under the Insecticides Act, 1968. Further, the Persistent Organic Pollutants Rules, 2018, regulate POPs in accordance with India’s obligations under the Stockholm Convention.

Statement 3 is correct

• Recently, an NGT-appointed joint committee concluded that Aldrin contamination was responsible for the deaths of several mugger crocodiles in the Chandraloi River in Kota district, Rajasthan, highlighting the long-term ecological impacts of persistent pollutants.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Medium

The “Red Data Books’’ published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) contain lists of

1. Endemic plant and animal species present in the biodiversity hotspots.
2. Threatened plant and animal species.
3. Protected sites for conservation of nature and natural resources in various countries.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 3 only

Explanation

• IUCN is an international NGO working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland.
• IUCN is involved in research, field projects, advocacy, lobbying and education. The organization is best known for compiling and publishing the IUCN Red List, which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide.

Only statement 2 is correct

• IUCN Red List or Red Data List or Red Book:
  • The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, founded in 1964, is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. When discussing the IUCN Red List, the official term “threatened” is a grouping of three categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable.
  • The pink pages in this publication include the critically endangered species. Green pages are used for those species that were formerly endangered but have now recovered to a point where they are no longer threatened. With time, the number of pink pages continue to increase.

Answer: (b) 2 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Willmott’s Whitebeam, recently uplisted as Critically Endangered, is a species of:

1. Tree
2. Bird
3. Mammal
4. None of the above

Explanation

Option (a) is correct

• Willmott’s Whitebeam (Aria wilmottiana or Sorbus wilmottiana) is a rare deciduous tree belonging to the family Rosaceae (rose family). It is endemic to the United Kingdom and occurs mainly on the limestone cliffs of the Avon Gorge in England. Due to its highly restricted distribution and habitat threats, it has recently been classified as Critically Endangered.

Answer: (a) Tree; Difficulty Level: Medium

Which one of the following saints envisioned Begampura, an ideal society free from sorrow, fear, and inequality?

1. Sant Kabir
2. Guru Nanak Dev
3. Guru Ravidas
4. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Explanation

Option (c) is correct

• Guru Ravidas, a prominent saint of the Bhakti Movement, envisioned Begampura (“the city without sorrow”) as an egalitarian society free from caste discrimination, suffering, fear, and social inequality. His teachings emphasised human dignity, social justice, and universal brotherhood.

Answer: (c) Guru Ravidas; Difficulty Level: Medium

Consider the following statements regarding the Atmanirbhar Panchayat Program:

1. It is a national challenge programme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj aimed at enabling Gram Panchayats and Block Panchayats to develop financially viable, revenue-generating projects.
2. The programme is implemented under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), and participation is open to all Panchayats irrespective of their Own Source Revenue (OSR).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Atmanirbhar Panchayat Program is a national challenge initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) that promotes financial self-reliance by assisting eligible Gram Panchayats and Block Panchayats in developing revenue-generating projects.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The programme operates under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), not MGNREGS. Moreover, participation is restricted to Panchayats meeting specified Own Source Revenue (OSR) thresholds—₹50 lakh for Gram Panchayats and ₹1 crore for Block Panchayats.

Answer: (a) 1 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Which one of the following best describes “Nemawashi”, recently seen in the news?

1. A Japanese method of cultivating bonsai trees using hydroponic techniques.
2. A Japanese afforestation programme aimed at restoring degraded mountain ecosystems.
3. A modern biotechnology technique used to develop drought-resistant plant varieties.
4. A traditional Japanese tree-transplantation technique that prepares a mature tree’s root system before relocation.

Explanation

Option (d) is correct

• Nemawashi (meaning “going around the roots“) is a Japanese tree-transplantation technique that prepares a mature tree’s root system before relocation, combining traditional horticulture with modern engineering to maximise survival.
• Significance: Used for historically, culturally, or ecologically significant trees, it has also become a metaphor in Japanese business and politics for building consensus before major decisions and serves as a model for balancing infrastructure development with environmental conservation.

Answer: (d) A traditional Japanese tree-transplantation technique that prepares a mature tree’s root system before relocation.; Difficulty Level: Medium

Consider the following statements regarding Trial in Absentia under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023:

1. Trial in absentia permits a competent court to conduct a criminal trial and pronounce judgment without the physical presence of the accused.
2. The provision applies to all accused persons irrespective of the nature and severity of the offence.
3. A proclaimed offender convicted in absentia cannot file an appeal unless he or she appears before the appellate court.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed is set to face a trial in absentia following the issuance of a non-bailable warrant by a special NIA court in Jammu for his role in the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.
• Section 356 of the BNSS, 2023, empowers courts to conduct criminal trials and deliver judgments in the absence of the accused.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The provision is limited to proclaimed offenders declared under Section 84 for offences punishable with imprisonment of 10 years or more, life imprisonment, or death.

Statement 3 is correct

• A proclaimed offender convicted through trial in absentia is barred from appealing unless they appear before the appellate court. Additionally, no appeal against conviction is permitted after three years from the date of judgment.

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only.; Difficulty Level: Medium