October 02-03 2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

• Israel’s multi-layered air defense system is designed to protect the country from a wide range of threats, including rockets, artillery, ballistic missiles, and drones, from various distances.

Statement 1 is correct

• The Iron Dome is a short-range, ground-to-air system designed to intercept and neutralize rockets, artillery, mortars, aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).
• It operates in all weather conditions, day or night, making it an effective solution during times of inclement weather or poor visibility.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• David’s Sling is a medium to long-range interceptor, designed to neutralize ballistic missiles fired from distances of 100 km to 200 km.
• It uses hit-to-kill technology, which means it destroys incoming missiles by sheer force without carrying a warhead itself.
• This system fills the gap between the Iron Dome, which covers short-range threats, and the Arrow system, which is designed for long-range missile threats.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Arrow 3 does not use explosive warheads; instead, it employs hit-to-kill technology.
• Arrow Family Overview: The Arrow missile defense system has two main components: Arrow 2 and Arrow 3. Both are designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles. While Arrow 2 operates in the upper atmosphere (destroying missiles in their terminal phase), Arrow 3 is capable of intercepting threats in outer space.

Statement 4 is correct

• Iron Beam is an advanced laser-based weapon system designed for intercepting short-range rockets and artillery shells.
• It uses a high-energy laser (HEL) to destroy threats within a range of up to 10 km. Unlike traditional missile defense systems, which rely on kinetic interceptors, the Iron Beam uses directed energy, making it a cost-effective solution for countering low-cost threats like drones, mortars, and short-range rockets.

Answer: (c) 1 and 4 | Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Option (c) is correct

• The Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) 2022-23, released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), highlights key sectors driving manufacturing growth.
• Major contributors include industries such as basic metals, refined petroleum products, food, chemicals, and motor vehicles, which together accounted for about 58% of the sector’s total output.
• The sector saw an output growth of 24.5% and a Gross Value Added (GVA) growth of 2.6% compared to 2021-22.
• In terms of state performance, Maharashtra ranked first in GVA, followed by Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh, which together contributed more than 54% of the total manufacturing GVA.
• Regarding employment, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Karnataka topped the list, accounting for 55% of the total manufacturing jobs in 2022-23.

Answer: (c) Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation | Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• FNDs are essentially carbon nanoparticles (nanodiamonds) that are created using a high-temperature and high-pressure process.
• These diamonds contain nitrogen-vacancy defects which contribute to their unique fluorescent and quantum properties.

Statement 2 correct

• When levitated and spun at high speeds, FNDs are highly sensitive to environmental factors such as acceleration and electric fields.
• This sensitivity enables their use as sensors in various high-value industries, allowing for precise measurements in areas such as navigation, quantum computing, and advanced diagnostics.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Unlike many other nano-scale fluorescent materials, FNDs possess infinite photostability, meaning they can continuously emit light without degrading over time or experiencing photoblinking (the intermittent turning on and off of fluorescent light).
• This makes them superior to many other fluorescent materials, such as quantum dots.
• FNDs have high biological compatibility, which allows them to be used in biological and medical applications, such as high-resolution imaging and drug delivery.

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

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• BharatGen is a pioneering generative AI initiative recently launched by the Government of India.
• It is designed to transform public service delivery and enhance citizen engagement.
• This platform is developed by IIT Bombay under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), which is part of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• The key features of BharatGen include:
  • Multilingual content generation: BharatGen supports the creation of high-quality text and multimodal content in various Indian languages, promoting inclusivity and ease of access for diverse linguistic communities.
  • Bhartiya dataset-based development: The platform uses data that reflects India’s linguistic and cultural diversity, ensuring that the AI-generated content is culturally relevant and tailored to the Indian context.
  • Open-source platform: BharatGen aims to address national priorities like cultural preservation and inclusive technology development, making AI accessible beyond just industrial and commercial applications.
  • Data-efficient learning: BharatGen focuses on developing AI models that work effectively even with minimal data, making it an efficient and scalable platform for public use.
• This initiative is a step towards leveraging AI technology for improving public services and ensuring that the benefits of technological advancements reach all sections of society, especially through support for regional languages and cultural preservation.

Answer: (b) A generative AI initiative for public service delivery | Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The initiative was jointly launched by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the National Legal Services Authority.
• It seeks to align with the UN SDGs, primarily concerned with ending poverty, reducing inequality, and advancing social protection programs.
• Additionally, it will empower the following groups: transgender people, senior folks, victims of alcoholism and other drugs, SC, ST, OBC, Denotified and Nomadic tribes, beggars, etc

Statement 2 is correct

• It seeks to align with the UN SDGs, primarily concerned with ending poverty, reducing inequality, and advancing social protection programs.
• The 2018 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations members in 2015, created 17 world Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• They were created with the aim of “peace and prosperity for people and the planet.”

Statement 3 is correct

• As part of this collaboration, State Legal Service Authorities (SLAs) and District Legal Service Authorities (DSLAs) will organise public awareness campaigns across the country.
• It will raise awareness of five significant Acts such as:
  1. Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955.
  2. Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
  3. The Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.
  4. The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
  5. Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013..

Answer: (d) 2 and 3 only | Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Jal Hi AMRIT initiative was launched by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under AMRUT 2.0 initiative.
• It is envisaged to incentivise State & UTs to manage the used water (sewage) treatment plants (UWTPs/ STPs) efficiently for ensuring recyclable good quality treated water and meeting environmental standards on a sustained basis.
• It would open up future avenues for suitable ‘fit for purpose’ reuse and hence enable achieving the objective of augmenting water availability, under the Mission.

Statement 2 is correct

• The key purpose is to ensuring good quality water after recycling used water and treating sewage.
• The objective is to incentivise States and UTs to manage used water (sewage) treatment plants (UWTPs/STPs) efficiently to ensure recyclable, high-quality treated water.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The Clean Water Credit System will be awarded to STPs in terms of a star-rating certificate between 3 stars to 5 stars (valid for six months) to build competition among the cities, develop capacities and incentivise them to attain the best quality of used treated water at the treatment facilities.
• Incentives to the STPs based on clean water credits.

Credits: PIB

Answer: (b) 2 only | Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Option (a) is correct

• Herpatofauna survey was conducted at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve for identify and catalogue all reptiles and amphibians, including frogs within a designated area.
• Mudumalai Tiger Reserve is located in the Nilgris district of Tamil Nadu, surrounded by the Western Ghats.
• It is the largest tiger reserve in Tamil Nadu. Other Tiger Reserves include Anamalai, Srivilliputtur Megamalai, Sathyamangalam and Mundathurai.

Option (b) is incorrect

• Bandipur Tiger Reserve is situated in the Chamarajnagar district of Karnataka.
• The Tiger Reserve is also a national park and is a part of Nilgiri biosphere reserve.
• It is the largest Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. Other Tiger Reserves include Bhadra, Nagarhole, Dandeli-Anshi and Biligirirangana.

Option (c) is incorrect

• Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh named after Rani Durgavati, a queen of Gondi people. It was declared as a Tiger Reserve in 2023.
• Other Tiger Reserves in the state include Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Kanha, Panna, Pench and Sanjay Dubri.

Option (d) is incorrect

• Corbett Tiger Reserve is located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand.
• It is the first national park of India and was originally established as Hailey National Park in 1936.
• Rajaji Tiger Reserve is also situated in Uttarakhand.

Answer: (a) Mudumalai Tiger Reserve | Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• The vaccines available for the Respiratory Synctial Virus are:
  1. Pfizer’s Abrysvo: Only available RSV vaccine for pregnant women in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Canada.
  2. Sanofi and AstraZeneca’s Beyfortus: The only approved antibody shot for infants and toddlers in the U.S., U.K., and other countries. However, its supply has been limited.
• The Respiratory Synctial Virus infects the lungs and respiratory tract that transmits through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes; or touching surfaces contaminated with the virus.
• Symptoms: Mild, cold-like symptoms. It can lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis in severe cases.

Option (a) is incorrect

• The Wetland virus was first identified in a 61-year-old patient in Jinzhou city in June 2019 after being bitten by ticks in Inner Mongolia’s wetlands.
• It spread to humans through tick bites, causing neurological disease in some cases
• It belongs to a group of viruses known for being transmitted by ticks, similar to the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, which can cause severe illness in humans.

Option (c) is incorrect

• Nipah virus is an RNA virus that is closely related to the Hendra virus.
• It causes Nipah infection which is is a zoonotic disease (transmitted from animals to humans).
• Host of the Virus: Fruit bat (Pteropus species), commonly known as flying fox.

Option (d) is incorrect

• The Marburg virus is a highly lethal illness caused by a virus that belongs to the same family as Ebola.
• It spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids like blood, vomit, saliva, and other secretions from an infected person, as well as through contact with fruit bats, which are known to carry the virus.
• It is not airborne, which limits the speed of its spread but makes direct exposure extremely dangerous.

Answer: (b) Respiratory Synctial Virus | Difficulty Level: Hard