December 29-30 2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Key Findings:
  • Decline in Domestic Migration: Decreased by 11.78%, from 45.57 crore in 2011 to 40.20 crore in 2023.
  • Migration Rate: Reduced from 37.64% in 2011 to 28.88% in 2023, indicating a slowdown.

Statement 2 is correct

• Other findings:
  • Rising States: West Bengal, Rajasthan and Karnataka have seen an increase in migrant arrivals.
  • Declining States: Maharashtra & AP have experienced a reduction in their share of migrants.
  • Top Districts: Mumbai, Bengaluru, Howrah, Central Delhi, and Hyderabad attract migrants most.
  • Peak Periods: Migration peaks from April to June, with secondary peaks in November and December, likely due to festivals and family events.
  • Pandemic Impact: Post-pandemic migration during peak months (e.g., May 2023) was 6.67% lower than in 2012, indicating a permanent shift in migration trends.

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

Explanation

Option (c) is correct

• National Ayurveda Day is celebrated on Dhanvantri Jayanti (29 October), which is believed to be the birth anniversary of the god Dhanvantri.
• Dhanvantri is considered the physician of Gods and an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
• Ministry of AYUSH initiated National Ayurveda Day in 2016 to create more awareness about Ayurveda.
• 2024 Theme: ‘Ayurveda Innovation for Global Health’.
• Focus: women’s health, workplace wellness, school wellness programmes, and food innovation.
• The other options refer to previous themes: ‘Ayurveda for Pain Management’ (2017), ‘Ayurveda for Public Health’ (2018), and ‘Ayurveda for Poshan’ (2021), each focusing on specific aspects of health management, public wellness, and nutrition.

Answer: (c) Ayurveda Innovation for Global Health; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• GPS Spoofing: A cyberattack that uses false GPS signals to mislead navigation systems.
• It commonly targets drones and disrupts navigation in conflict zones. Attackers mimic legitimate GPS signals, tricking systems into perceiving incorrect locations, speeds, or altitudes.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• GPS Interference: A disruption in the accuracy of GPS signals used for navigation that can be caused by intentional jamming or environmental factors.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Inertial Reference System (IRS): A self-contained navigation system that provides position, velocity, and orientation without external signals like GPS.
  • Key Components: Gyroscopes measure angular velocity for orientation; Accelerometers track linear acceleration to calculate movement.
  • Functionality: Integrates data to calculate position relative to a known starting point.
• Significance in Aviation: Acts as a backup system ensuring navigation accuracy and safety during GPS failures or attacks for up to five hours.

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• Recently, a web series was made in India based on the book Freedom at Midnight.
• Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre co-authored the book, which explores the events surrounding India’s independence movement and partition.
• It details the last year of the British Raj, from 1947 to 1948, beginning with the appointment of Lord Mountbatten of Burma as the last viceroy of British India to Mahatma Gandhi’s death and funeral.
• It also includes the reactions of princely states towards independence, including descriptions of the lifestyles of the Indian princes, the partition of British India (into India and Pakistan) on religious grounds, and the bloodshed that followed.

Answer: (b) Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

• The Donald Trump has sparked tensions by suggesting US control over Panama Canal, citing rising shipping charges and Chinese influence.

Statement 1 is correct

• Panama Canal:
  • Location and Length: 82 km canal in Isthmus of Panama connecting Pacific & Atlantic Oceans.
  • Importance for Shipping: Saves 13,000 km of travel by eliminating navigation around Cape Horn.
  • Economic Lifeline: Annually transits 14,000 ships, with US ships constituting 74% and China 21%.
  • Geopolitical Role: A vital trade route supporting global commerce and US strategic interests.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• It is operational since 1914, enabling efficient cargo movement.

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

Explanation

• Former PM Manmohan Singh’s key economic ideas & legacy revisited following his passing.

Statement 3 is correct

• Inequality and Elite-Mass Contradictions:
  • Against Inequality: Warned that excessive inequality could destabilise society and distort resource allocation toward luxury goods over basic necessities.
  • Avoiding “Soak the Rich” Policies: Opposed populist measures targeting the wealthy; emphasised fostering trust between government and private industry to ensure productive entrepreneurship.

Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect

• Economic Planning vs Market Forces:
  • Balanced View on Planning: Advocated planning with caution; emphasised institutional efficiency and honest public administration.
  • Advocated Public Ownership: Highlighted the need for public ownership in early development due to inadequate infrastructure and skewed wealth distribution.
• Critique of Licence-Permit Raj:
  • Advocated Industrial Licensing: Called for reducing industrial licensing to critical sectors and empowering entrepreneurs with investment decisions.

Answer: (c) 3 only; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Options 1, 2 and 3 are correct, and Option 4 is incorrect

•   Half-Masting of National Flag:

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Only 2 options are correct

• F-22 and Sukhoi Su-57 are examples of fifth-generation fighter jets.
• MiG-23 is third-generation and HAL Tejas is fourth-generation.
• There are currently five generations of fighter jets that are (or were in the past) in active service, with sixth-generation jets currently in development.

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