November 26 2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• It is a form of Hindustani classical music sung in havelis. The essential component is dhrupad.
• Musical Styles: This includes Prabandh, Dhrupad, Dhamar, Khyal, Kirtana, and Bhajan, but is not limited to the Dhrupad style alone.

Statement 2 is correct

• Origin: Govardhan, Mathura in Braj, northern India. It is also linked to the Pushti Margiya temples of the Vaishnava Tradition, where people sang daily to Krishna.
• Historical Background: Revived during the Bhakti movement; declined during the medieval period due to socio-political changes.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Languages Used: Songs are performed in Brij Bhasha, Sanskrit, Punjabi, and Marwari.
• Significant Figures: Vallabhacharya, Shri Vitthalnathji (Shri Gusaiji), Surdas, Pandit Jasraj.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The Union Cabinet approved the launch of NMNF as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.

Statement 2 is correct

• It targets behavioural change in farmers to shift from chemical-based inputs to desi cows and locally available resources.

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

Explanation

Option (d) is correct

• At COP29 in Baku, nations adopted Article 6 of the Paris Agreement after nearly a decade of negotiations.
• Article 6 aims to establish frameworks for international carbon markets to help countries meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• Safeguarding against cowboy carbon markets with low-quality credits undermining the system.
• Cowboy Carbon Markets: Unregulated or poorly governed carbon trading systems that lack transparency, accountability, and environmental integrity, often allowing low-quality or fraudulent carbon credits to circulate.

Answer: (d) Poorly regulated or ungoverned carbon trading systems, often allowing low-quality carbon credits.; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Option (b) is incorrect, and all other options are correct

• The Union Cabinet approved the One Nation One Subscription scheme to provide nationwide access to high-impact international scholarly research and journal publications.
• It aligns with India’s vision of Viksit Bharat@2047, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and NEP 2020.
• It is Central Sector Scheme for 2025, 2026 & 2027. It responds to the PM’s call for “Jai Anusandhan” to emphasise the importance of research and innovation in the Amrit Kaal.
• Key Features of ONOS:
  • Access to High-Impact Journals: This includes providing access to publications from various major international journal publishers. Beneficiaries include Higher Education and central govt R&D institutions.
  • Digital Access via INFLIBNET: The Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET), an autonomous inter-university centre under the University Grants Commission (UGC), will be the central access coordinating agency. The process is designed to be entirely digital through a unified portal.
  • Target Audience: It will benefit students, faculty members, and researchers from government institutions across tier 2 and 3 cities.
  • Promotion of Interdisciplinary Research: The scheme will encourage core research and interdisciplinary studies by providing access to quality resources.
  • Centralised Coordination: Department of Higher Education will administer ONOS through a portal.
  • Usage Review: The ANRF will periodically monitor the scheme’s usage and assess the output regarding publications and research contributions by Indian authors.

Answer: (b)  The University Grants Commission (UGC) will serve as the central coordinating agency for access under this scheme; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

• Balloons are typically made of polyethylene and filled with helium gas, balloons can stay aloft for hours to months, depending on their design and purpose.
• High-Altitude Balloons: Can ascend to 40-50 km, carrying payloads of thousands of kilograms.
• Gondolas: Attached to the balloon, these carry instruments or personnel, equipped with parachutes for a safe descent.
• Some balloons may include solar panels and onboard propulsion devices, enhancing their capabilities.
• Balloon-based experiments have contributed to two Nobel prizes in Physics (1936 and 2006).
• Ballooning in India:
  • Balloons have been used for scientific purposes in India since 1948, starting with cosmic ray research by Homi Bhabha.
  • The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) initiated balloon fabrication in the 1950s, with a major facility in Hyderabad that remains active today.
  • Current Applications: Balloons are used by ISRO and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
  • Research Contributions: Indian institutions have conducted over 500 balloon launches for various scientific and space-related studies.

All Options are correct

• Historical Role: Scientific research, weather monitoring (before satellites).
• Scientific Measurements: Measures temperature, pressure, wind speed & aerosol concentrations.
• Astrophysics: Balloons provide a unique vantage point for space observation, offering cost-effective alternatives to space-based research above aircraft levels but below satellite orbits.
• Espionage: Balloons can remain in the air for extended periods, carrying significant payloads for surveillance.
• Cost-effective: Balloons are cheaper than satellites and can be reused since they bring instruments back to Earth.
• Discreet Operations: Their slow movement makes them less detectable by traditional defense radar systems, which may confuse them with birds

Answer: (d) All four; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statements 1 and 3 are correct

• Evolution of Early Hominids
• Dryopithecus:
  • Ancestor of both humans and apes, lived in dense forests and was likely herbivorous. Fossils have been found in China, Africa, Europe, and India.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Ramapithecus:
  • Characterized by thick tooth enamel, strong jaws, and shorter canines. It lived in grasslands, using hands for food and defence. Fossils were discovered in Shivalik Hills (Punjab), Africa, and Saudi Arabia.
• Australopithecus:
  • A ground-dwelling species that walked upright and used stones as weapons. It stood about 4 feet tall, with fossils primarily found in South Africa.
• Homo Erectus:
  • Known for its large brain capacity, use of quartz tools, and possible use of fire. It lived in communities and caves, with fossils found in Java and China.
• Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis:
  • Evolved from Homo Erectus and had two subspecies. They hunted large animals like mammoths, with fossils discovered in Europe.
• Homo Sapiens Sapiens:
  • The modern human ancestor, distinguished by smaller jaws, a pronounced chin, and a rounded skull with a brain capacity of approximately 1350 cc. They started creating art, and their fossils are found in Europe.

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Options (a) and (d) are correct

• Permanent Account Number a unique ten-digit alphanumeric identifier issued by the Income Tax Department of India to individuals, companies, and other entities.
• Tax Purposes: It is primarily used for various tax-related transactions such as filing income tax returns, making tax payments, and receiving tax refunds.
• Financial Transactions: It is also required for certain high-value financial transactions, including the purchase or sale of immovable properties, large bank deposits, and investments in securities.
• Lifetime Validity: Once issued, a PAN is valid for the holder’s lifetime.

Option (b) is incorrect

• Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number (TAN) is a unique ten-digit alphanumeric identifier issued to entities responsible for deducting or collecting tax at source in India.
• Purpose: TAN is required by businesses, organisations, and individuals who need to deduct or collect tax on behalf of the Income Tax Department. This is commonly seen in salary payments, contractor payments, rent, and other transactions where tax is deducted at the source.
• Legal Requirement: TAN must be quoted in all TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) or TCS (Tax Collected at Source) returns, payments, and other related communications with the Income Tax Department.

Option (c) is correct

• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is the cabinet committee that makes decisions on the government’s economic matters.
• Chaired by: Prime Minister of India (Cabinet ministers from various ministries are also included).
• Key Functions:
  • Directing and coordinating government activities in the economic sector.
  • To consider issues related to disinvestment, etc.
  • To review the economic trends in the country.
  • To review activities related to rural development.
  • Industrial licensing for setting up joint sector undertakings

Answer: (b) Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number (TAN) is required for all individuals and entities filing income tax returns in India; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Lucy is the collection of several hundred pieces of bone fossils representing 40 % of the skeleton of a female hominin species Australopithecus afarensis. 

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Discovered in 1974 in Ethiopia, Lucy is one of the oldest and most complete fossil skeletons of any adult, erect-walking human ancestor.
• Lucy stood about 4 feet tall, and her small brain size was similar to that of a chimpanzee, but she walked upright on two legs, a key characteristic of human ancestors.

Statement 3 is correct

• Lucy’s discovery is important because her bones show a mix of human-like walking and ape-like features. Her nearly complete skeleton helps scientists learn about the look and behaviour of our early ancestors.

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