January 13-14 2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• A Classical Language is a language with original, independent literary tradition and a large body of ancient written literature.
• India recognizes six classical languages:
  • Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013) and Odia (2014).

Statement 2 is correct

• All the Classical Languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the IC.

Statement 3 is correct

• The Ministry of Culture provides guidelines regarding Classical languages. They are:
• High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over 1500-2000 years.
• A body of ancient literature/texts is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
• The literary tradition should be original and not borrowed from another speech community.

Statement 4 is correct

• Classical language and literature are distinct from modern, but there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or offshoots.

Answer: (d) 2, 3 and 4; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Article 351 of the Constitution provides that it shall be the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India and to secure its enrichment by assimilating without interfering with its genius, the forms, style and expressions used in Hindustani and in the other languages of India specified in the Eighth Schedule, and by drawing, wherever necessary or desirable, for its vocabulary, primarily, on Sanskrit and secondarily on other languages.

Statement 2 is correct

• The Official Language Commission is made up of a Chairman and other members representing the different languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
• As a convention, the Union Home Minister is elected as the chairman of the Committee.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The Official Language Commission is made up of thirty members, of whom 20 must be members of the Lok Sabha and 10 shall be members of the Rajya Sabha, who will be elected from their respective houses.
• The election method will be through a system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

Statement 4 is correct

• It shall be the duty of the Commission to make recommendations to the President as to
  • the progressive use of the Hindi language for the official purposes of the Union,
  • restrictions on the use of the English language for all or any of the official purposes of the Union,
  • the language to be used for all or any of the purposes mentioned in article 348,
  • the form of numerals to be used for any one or more specified purposes of the Union,
  • And any other matter referred to the Commission by the President as regards the official language of the Union and the language for communication between the Union and a State or between one State and another and their use.

Answer: (c) Only three; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Under Grant for Research and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT), Ministry of Textiles shall provide grant-in-aid of normally up to INR 50 Lakhs for a period of 18 months.
• GREAT believes in utilizing the in exhaustive talent pool and expertise of India in Technical Textiles sector to bring innovative products/technologies to the market to:
  • Support young innovators/entrepreneurs in Technical Textiles to translate their prototypes to technologies/products.
  • Support commercialization of technologies developed by innovators/start-ups in Technical Textiles.
  • Bring forward a culture of rapid translation of ideas/prototypes to products through collaboration.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Textiles.
• The Ministry of Textiles is all set to organize a hackathon on “Fostering Innovations in Technical Textiles”, in the event the ministry will announce the top 3 winners of the GREAT initiative.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• It has evolved under the Research, Development and Innovation Component of National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) and not a part of the Multiplier Grants Scheme (MGS).
• National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Textiles.
• NTTM primarily focusses on research, development, and innovation (RD &I) along with education, skill and market promotion for the technical textiles.
• It has funded several projects in the form of ideation, prototype grants along with applied projects of national importance.

Answer: (a) Only one; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The Indian Army has indigenously developed a secure mobile ecosystem Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version (SAMBHAV).
• The ecosystem SAMBHAV operates on state-of-the-art contemporary 5G technology.
• SAMBHAV will have multi-layered encryption with a pan-India secure ecosystem.

Statement 2 is correct

• SAMBHAV will ride on a commercial network with inherent security.
• This leverages the potential of indigenous public cellular networks in the country.
• It will secure defence communication from eavesdropping on conventional mobile networks.
• This aligns with the government of India’s efforts towards “dual-use infrastructure”.
• It also manifests “civil-military fusion” in emerging technology.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• A genetic predisposition results from specific genetic variations that are often inherited from a parent. These genetic changes contribute to the development of a disease but do not directly cause it.
• Some people with a predisposing genetic variation will never get the disease while others will, even within the same family.

Statement 2 is correct

• One of the major reasons for the occurrence of multi-drug resistance in microbial pathogens is the improper use of antibiotics by individuals.
• This includes taking incorrect doses, not completing the full course of antibiotics, or using them without a prescription.
• These practices can lead to the survival of bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotics, allowing them to multiply and spread.
• Over time, this can result in the development of multi-drug resistance, where bacteria become resistant to multiple antibiotics.

Statement 3 is correct

• The use of antibiotics in livestock farming is another significant contributor to the occurrence of multi-drug resistance in microbial pathogens.
• Antibiotics are often used in large-scale animal farming to promote growth and prevent diseases in animals.
• However, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in livestock can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in animals.
• These resistant bacteria can then be transmitted to humans through the consumption of contaminated meat or through direct contact. This can contribute to the spread of multi-drug resistance in microbial pathogens.

Statement 4 is correct

• Individuals with multiple chronic diseases are often exposed to a higher number of antibiotics compared to those without chronic diseases.
• The frequent and prolonged use of antibiotics to treat these conditions can increase the risk of developing multi-drug resistance.
• Additionally, individuals with chronic diseases may have compromised immune systems, making them more vulnerable to infections and the development of multi-drug resistance.

Answer: (b) 2, 3 and 4; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The DRDO‘s counter-drone system is designed to provide a comprehensive solution for detecting, identifying, and neutralizing drones, making it a fully integrated anti-drone system.
• As per DRDO, considering the unique nature of drones in terms of speed, size, hovering capability and resemblance to birds, no sensor system in standalone will be able to provide sufficient detection, tracking and identification capability to guarantee a reliable and effective defence against threats from drones.

Statement 2 is correct

• The technology is capable of countering attacks, soft kill and hard kill of all types of drones, including micro drones, which is being developed in the DRDO.
• These Counter Drone System has a soft skill method to disrupt functionality and hard skill method to outrightly destroy detected drones.

Statement 3 is correct

• Radar systems are a crucial component of DRDO’s counter-drone system. These operate across different frequencies to detect and track drones, even stealthy ones, at considerable distances. This allows for early identification and response to potential threats.

Answer: (d) None; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• AMU was originally established by social reformer Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875.
• In the aftermath of the 1857 Indian War of Independence, the College was built on Khan’s conviction that it was important for Muslims to gain education and become involved in public life and government services in India.
• Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College became AMU in 1920, following the Aligarh Muslim University Act.

Statement 2 is correct

• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was against religious intolerance, ignorance and irrationalism.
• He denounced purdah, polygamy and easy divorce.
• Tahzebul Akhlaq (Social Reformer in English), a magazine founded by him, tried to awaken people’s consciousness on social and religious issues in a very expressive prose

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• He started living and preaching in Ajmer after 2nd Battle of Tarain (1192), where Mohammed of Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan.
• His Mission was to establish the kingdom of God on Earth.
• He was popular among the locals, kings, nobles, and peasants for his instructive discourses full of spiritual insights.

Statement 2 is correct

• Khwaja Chishti is also known by different names as, Khawaja Gharib Nawaz, ‘Sultan-Ul-Hind’ (Benefactor of the Poor).

Statement 3 is incorrect

• He established the Chishti order of ‘fakirs’ in India.
• It emphasised the unity of being with God (waḥdat al-wujūd) and members of the order were also pacifists.
• They rejected all material goods as distractions from the contemplation of God.
• They abstained from connection with the secular state.
  

  Qadiriyya Order was founded by Sheikh Abdul Qadir of Badaun in the 14th century. They were supporters of the Mughals under Akbar.

Statement 4 is correct

• Urs festival is an annual festival held at Ajmer in Rajasthan to commemorate his death anniversary.

Answer: (a) Only one; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Kalaram temple derives its name from a black statue of the Lord, which is Kala Ram that translates to “Black Ram”.
• The sanctum sanctorum has statues of Ram, Sita and Lakshman.
• A black idol of Hanuman is located at the main entrance of the temple.
• The New temple was built in 1792 with the efforts of one Sardar Rangarao Odhekar.
• Sardar Odhekar dreamt of a black-coloured statue of Lord Ram in the Godavari, recovered the statues from the river, and built the temple.
• The place where statues were found was named Ramkund.

Statement 2 is correct

• In 1930, B R Ambedkar and the Marathi teacher and social activist Pandurang Sadashiv Sane, known as Sane Guruji, led an agitation to demand access for Dalits to Hindu temples.
• Babasaheb Ambedkar led a landmark agitation demanding temple entry rights for Dalits in this temple.
• Over the next few days, they sang songs, raised slogans, and demanded the right to enter the temple.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Atal Setu Nhava Sheva Sea Link is also known by the name Mumbai Tans Harbour Link (MTHL).
• Atal Setu is the India’s longest sea bridge.
• The longest sea bridge in the world is Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (55 km).
• Atal setu is a 22-km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) that connects Sewri in Mumbai to Chirle in the Maharashtra’s mainland district of Raigad at Navi Mumbai.

Statement 2 is correct

• The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) is a 22-km-long twin-carriageway six-lane bridge over the Thane Creek in the Arabian Sea.
• The MTHL includes a 16.5 km sea link and viaducts on land at either end with a cumulative length of 5.5 km.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• He was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world.
• He encouraged a synthesis of modern scientific thinking with ancient spiritual wisdom.
• He emphasised the need for education that nurtures character and instils a sense of duty.
• He advocated for an education system that combines Western science with Indian spiritual values.
• Vivekananda preached neo-Vedanta, an interpretation of Hinduism through a Western lens.

Statement 2 is correct

• The Powers of the Mind is a book written by Swami Vivekananda.
• Originally, it’s a lecture delivered by Swami Vivekananda Ji delivered at Los Angeles, California, January 8, 1900.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Belur Math is the headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission, founded by Swami Vivekananda, the chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
• It is located on the west bank of the Hooghly River in India, at Belur, and is one of the notable institutions in Kolkata. The temple is the heart of the Ramakrishna movement.
• It is notable for its architecture, which symbolizes the unity of all religions, Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, and Christian.

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