Daily Current Affairs MCQ / UPSC / IAS / 24-09-19 | Free PDF

MCQ 1

Recently in news the ‘Big Feast’ phenomenon in space is related to

1. Mars habitation
2. Celebrating 20 years of International Space Station ISS
3. Blackhole
4. Production of space food

Sagittarius A

• It is a supermassive black hole sits 26,000 light years away from Earth, near the ‘Galactic Centre’ or the centre of the ‘Milky Way’.
• Since the discovery of Sagittarius A 24 years ago, it has been fairly calm.
• This year, however, Sagittarius A has shown unusual activity, and the area around it has been much brighter than usual.
• Reason for this unusual activity,
• Sagittarius A may become hungrier and has been feeding on nearby matter at a faster rate, it is described as a “Big feast”.
• A black hole does not emit light by itself, but the matter that it consumes can be a source of light.
• Sagittarius A could be growing faster than usual in size.
• The current model that measures its level of brightness maybe inadequate and is in need of an update.
• Another possibility involves a bizarre object known as G2.
• It is most likely a pair of binary stars, which made its closest approach to the black hole.
• It is possible the black hole could have stripped off the outer layer of G2.
• This could help explain the increased brightness just outside the black hole
• The supermassive black hole lurking at the center of the Milky Way is normally fairly calm as it shapes the orbits of nearby stars. But on 13 May, the area just outside the black hole’s event horizon, the point of no return for gas and dust falling into the hole’s gravity well, suddenly flared with unprecedented intensity. It was the third such outburst this year.

MCQ 2

1. Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) works under MHRD
2. Around new 4,000 words are likely to be added to the Indian sign language dictionary in 2020, including words about agriculture for the first time

Choose correct

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

MCQ 3

 Marsiya poetry is related to

1. Zoroastrians
2. Jews
3. Shia Muslims
4. Sikhism

• Marsiya Poetry in India
• The word ‘Marsiya’ means ‘Elegy’, meaning a poem which is a lament for the dead.
• Recently, Former Vice President, praised Marsiya tradition of Urdu poetry, calling the art form an important part of ‘Adab’ (literature)
• Marsiya poetry, holds special significance for Shia Muslims.
• It is a form of literary expression that is dedicated to describing the persona of ‘Imam Hussain’,
• He is the grandson of the Prophet and a revered figure in the Islamic world.
• He and his kin underwent hardships during the historic Battle of Karbala.
• It praise his family members who died at the Battle of Karbala in the year 680 CE in present-day Iraq.
• Marsiya is typically read in the month of Muharram.
• The Marsiya tradition first evolved in Delhi and the Deccan.
• It reached its zenith under the patronage of the Nawabs of Lucknow,
• He encouraged the art form in 18th and 19th centuries around the same time when Mughal power was steadily receding.
• Its most iconic poets are ‘Mir Anis’ and ‘Mirza Dabir’, who made a profound impact on Marsiya.
• Marsiya is usually sung, and set to Indian Ragas, creating a fusion of music and poetry.

MCQ 4

1. Using ‘Happy Seeders’ (HS) for direct wheat sowing leads to increased productivity
2. They are harmful for the environment as stubble burning is a must before sowing 3. It is developed by ICAR

Choose correct

(A) 1 & 2
(B) 2 & 3
(C) 1 only
(D) All

Happy Seeder (HS) and it affects on Wheat yield

• Recently, Punjab C.M faced opposition from farmers, when he said that,
• Using ‘Happy Seeders’ (HS) for direct wheat sowing leads to increased productivity,
• hence farmers must ‘stop burning paddy stubble’ to clear the fields.
• ‘Happy Seeder’ (HS) or ‘Turbo Happy Seeder’ (THS) is a tractor-operated machine.
• It is developed by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in collaboration with Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).
• It is for in-situ management of paddy stubble (straw).
• It costs around Rs 1.50 to 1.60 lakh and is manufactured by different companies.
• The agriculture department gives 80% subsidy to farmer groups and 50% subsidy to individual farmers.
• The average wheat yield a farmer gets using traditional sowing method (after burning stubble) is 19-22 quintal/acre.
• By using Happy Seeder, in the first year, the yield was 17 q/acre but after that it’s increased to 19-22 q/acre.
• Initially, farmers faces problems because after sowing with HS, fields require proper management.
• According to farmers, Happy Seeder doesn’t work on thick bunches of straw left behind, so it made them to burn stubble.
• According to experts, wheat yield will start increasing after 2-3 years, as the stubble will add to the organic quality of the soil.

 MCQ 5

 Eastern coast of India is more vulnerable to cyclones as,

1. Arabian Sea is colder than the Bay of Bengal
2. Arabian Sea cyclones are mostly their own formations and they also generally move north-west, away from India’s west coast.

 Choose correct reason

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
 (C) Both
(D) None

Tropical Storm Hikka develops into Cyclone.

• How are cyclones named?
• Each Tropical Cyclone basin in the world has its own rotating list of names.
• For cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, the naming system was agreed by eight member countries of a group called WMO/ESCAP and took effect in 2004.

How the names are chosen?

• The member countries submitted eight names each. The first cyclone after the list was adopted was given the name in the first row of the first column — Onil, proposed by Bangladesh.
• Subsequent cyclones are being named sequentially, column-wise, with each cyclone given the name immediately below that of the previous cyclone.
• Once the bottom of the column is reached, the sequence moves to the top of the next column. So far, the first seven columns have been exhausted. Tropical Storm Hikka develops into Cyclone.

Why eastern coast of India is more vulnerable?

1. In addition to the storms that originate in the southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining Andaman Sea, breakaway typhoons over the Northwest Pacific move across the South China Sea into the Bay of Bengal, intensifying into cyclones.
2. In contrast, Arabian Sea cyclones are mostly their own formations and they also generally move north-west, away from India’s west coast. 3. Besides, the Arabian Sea is colder than the Bay of Bengal, which inhibits the formation and intensification of the cyclonic system in the former. Warm sea surface temperature is an ideal platform for cyclones.

• Cyclones are given many names in different regions of the world – They are known as typhoons in the China Sea and Pacific Ocean; hurricanes in the West Indian islands in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean;
• Tornados in the Guinea lands of West Africa and southern USA.;
• Willy – willies in north-western Australia and tropical cyclones in the Indian Ocean.

 MCQ 6

 The Union Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan launched UMMID initiative and inaugurated NIDAN Kendras, they are related to

1. Better nutrition in kids
2. Enhancing child birth possibilities to childless parents
3. NCDs management
4. None

• The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan today launched UMMID (Unique Methods of Management and treatment of Inherited Disorders) initiative and inaugurated NIDAN (National Inherited Diseases Administration) Kendras, which is being supported by Department of Biotechnology (DBT),M/o Science and Technology.
• Speaking on the occasion in New Delhi, the Minister for Science & Technology brought attention to the issue of ensuring proper treatment to children and creation of awareness amongst the masses and urged upon all to dwell more into finding solutions. Congratulating DBT for supporting this path-breaking initiative, Dr Harsh Vardhan said “With the program being implemented at government hospitals, people who cannot afford expensive care for genetic disorders will be benefited”. He further emphasized on the use of cutting edge scientific technology and molecular medicine for extending Universal Health Coverage for all.
• Taking into account that congenital and hereditary genetic diseases are becoming a significant health burden in India, and realizing the need for adequate and effective genetic testing and counselling services. DBT has started the UMMID Initiative which is designed on the concept of ‘Prevention is better than Cure’.
• In India’s urban areas, congenital malformations and genetic disorders are the third most common cause of mortality in newborns.
• With a very large population and high birth rate, and consanguineous marriage favored in many communities, prevalence of genetic disorders is high in India, the UMMID initiative aims (i) to establish NIDAN Kendras to provide counselling, prenatal testing and diagnosis, management, and multidisciplinary care in Government Hospitals wherein the influx of patients is more, (ii) to produce skilled clinicians in Human Genetics, and (iii) to undertake screening of pregnant women and new born babies for inherited genetic diseases in hospitals at aspirational districts.
• The department is planning to expand the program and establish more Nidan Kendras in other parts of the country, train more clinicians in clinical genetics and cover more aspirational districts for screening of pregnant women and new born babies for inherited genetic diseases to provide comprehensive clinical care, in the next phase under this UMMID initiative.
• The Government of India has launched the National Health Policy, 2017 aiming to shift focus from “sick-care” to “wellness”. UMMID initiative shall work towards achieving wellness by promoting prevention of genetic diseases

MCQ 7

1. Union Agriculture Ministry’s Participatory Guarantee Scheme (PGS) is a process of certifying organic products
2. It will be applicable for individual farmers

Choose correct

(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

• The head of India’s food safety regulator has said that she expects the Union Agriculture Ministry’s Participatory Guarantee Scheme (PGS) to incentivise more farmers to grow organic food.

Participatory Guarantee Scheme (PGS):

• Union Agriculture Ministry’s PGS is a process of certifying organic products, which ensures that their production takes place in accordance with laid-down quality standards.
• The certification is in the form of a documented logo or a statement.
• According to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the Bonn-based global umbrella organisation for the organic agriculture movement, PGSs are “locally focused quality assurance systems” that “certify producers based on active participation of stakeholders and are built on a foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge exchange”

 Advantages of PGS:

• Procedures are simple, documents are basic, and farmers understand the local language used.
• All members live close to each other and are known to each other. As practising organic farmers themselves, they understand the processes well.
• Because peer appraisers live in the same village, they have better access to surveillance; peer appraisal instead of third-party inspections also reduces costs
• Mutual recognition and support between regional PGS groups ensures better networking for processing and marketing.
• Unlike the grower group certification system, PGS offers every farmer individual certificates, and the farmer is free to market his own produce independent of the group.

However, the operational manual also identifies some limitations of PGS:

• PGS certification is only for farmers or communities that can organize and perform as a group within a village or a cluster of continguous villages, and is applicable only to farm activities such as crop production, processing, and livestock rearing, and off-farm processing “by PGS farmers of their direct products”
•  Individual farmers or group of farmers smaller than five members are not covered under PGS. They either have to opt for third party certification or join the existing PGS local group.

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