December 12 2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Subramaniya Bharati was also known as Mahakavi Bharathiyar.
• He was a Tamil poet, freedom fighter, and social reformer.
• He started his career as the Assistant Editor of the Tamil daily Swadesamitran in 1904 and later edited the Tamil weekly “India” and the English newspaper “Bala Bharatham” with M.P.T. Acharya.
• He assisted Sri Aurobindo in the “Arya” journal and later “Karma Yogi” in Pondicherry.
• His translation and adaptation of “Vande Mataram” became a potent rallying cry for the nation’s freedom fighters.

Statement 2 is correct

• He translated Vedic hymns, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, and the Bhagavad Gita into Tamil.
• His writings on nationalism and independence played an important role in inspiring the masses in Tamil Nadu to support the Indian freedom struggle.
• His best-known works include “Kaṇṇan Pattu” (Songs to Krishna), “Panchali Sapatham” (Panchali’s Vow), and “Kuyil Pattu” (Kuyil’s Song).
• Bharati wrote “Panchali Sabatham,” an epic poem based on the Mahabharata, criticising social injustice-es and advocating for reform.
• He faced persecution for his views from the British authorities and orthodox elements within his own community, which led to his exile in 1908.

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statements 1 and 2 are correct, but statement 3 is incorrect

• Scientists have developed a battery technology known as the carbon-14 diamond battery, which has the potential to power devices for thousands of years.
• Operational Mechanism:
  • Carbon-14 Isotope: The battery uses carbon-14 (C14), a radioactive isotope of carbon. It retains half its power even after thousands of years.
  • Diamond Encapsulation: Carbon-14 is safely encased within a diamond structure, the hardest known substance, which prevents radiation leakage.
  • Energy Capture: The battery functions similarly to solar panels but captures fast-moving electrons within the diamond structure instead of light particles.

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Option (a) is correct

• Recently, the CEO of an American company was shot dead with a ghost gun in the US.
• “Ghost gun” is a term broadly used to describe firearms bought as incomplete frames and receivers, two primary components of a firearm. It can be turned into functional guns by assembling them with other parts that can be ordered separately.

Answer: (a) It is a firearm bought as incomplete parts and assembled into a functional gun; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• Saydnaya Prison in Syria highlights systemic torture, secret executions, and human rights violations during the civil war.
• Saydnaya Prison was established in the 1980s. It consists of two main buildings, the “Red Building” for civilians and the “White Building” for military personnel.
• Amnesty International described Saydnaya as a “human slaughterhouse” due to the mass executions and brutal treatment of detainees.

Answer: (b) Syria; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• 10,000 years ago, people in China began domesticating rice to make rice beer.
• It represents one of the earliest known uses of mold-based fermentation. Early brewers may have dis-covered fermentation by observing mouldy grains naturally turning sweeter and alcoholic.
• Rice beer GI tag from Odisha: Bodo Jou Gwran (highest alcohol content of 16.11% in rice beer), Mai-bra Jou Bidwi (A welcome drink) and Bodo Jou Gishi.
• Regional Importance of Rice Beer in India:
  • Northeast India: Varieties like Apong in Arunachal Pradesh and Sujen in Assam are widely consumed. These beverages are known for their mild alcohol content and distinct flavours.
  • Central India: Hadia is prevalent in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. It is a significan’t part of tribal life and a staple beverage.

Answer: (b) Rice beer with GI tag from Odisha; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Option (a) is correct

• Google has unveiled an advancement in quantum computing with its new state-of-the-art chip, Willow. It promises to shift the technology from theoretical possibilities to practical applications.
• The Willow chip is capable of solving an exceptionally complex computation in under five minutes—a task that would take a classical supercomputer approximately 10 septillion years to complete.
• Functions:
  • Quantum Processing.
  • Error Correction.
  • Algorithm Optimisation.
  • Material Simulation.

Answer: (a) Google; Difficulty Level: Easy