Daily Current Affairs (MCQ) | Date 06.04.22

Q1. Mullaperiyar Dam is situated in the state of

a. Kerala
b. Tamil Nadu
c. Karnataka
d. Telangana

Answer : a

Why is the Question ?

‘Let dam committee continue for a year’
1. The Centre suggested to the Supreme Court to let the Mullaperiyar dam supervisory committee continue for a year, by which time the National Dam Safety Authority under the new Dam Safety Act will become fully functional.
2. “During the period of one year, when the National Dam Safety Authority becomes fully functional, the Supervisory Committee on Mullaperiyar Dam may continue its functioning as per the existing mandate in regulating the operations of the dam,” a note submitted by the Centre, represented by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, said.
3. The Centre suggested that the Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu and Kerala be made accountable in order to ensure that the decisions of the supervisory committee on the maintenance and safety of the dam are duly complied with by the two States. “To address the technical concerns of both the States, their Chief Secretaries may be requested to nominate technical experts to attend the meetings conducted by the supervisory committee,” the Centre recommended.

4. Once the National Dam Safety Authority is fully functional, the functions of the supervisory committee would be taken over by the authority and the committee could be dissolved.

Q2. Which of the following is/are ways in which the virus increases its genetic diversity?

1. Mutation
2. Recombination

Select the correct answer from the codes given below

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer : c

Why is the Question ?

The recombinant variants of SARS-CoV-2
How are variants created?
1. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is an RNA virus that evolves by accumulating genetic errors in its genome. These errors are produced when the virus infects a person and makes copies of itself inside the host’s cells.
2. The PANGO network, an open global consortium of researchers from across the world, provides a system for naming different lineages of SARS-CoV-2. These variants or lineages are widely followed by epidemiologists for tracking the evolution of SARS-CoV-2.
Mutation and Recombination:
1. Apart from mutation, another process through which a virus increases its genetic diversity is recombination.

2. Recombination occurs when two different lineages of the virus co-infect the same cell in the host and exchange fragments of their individual genomes which generates a descendent variant having mutations that occurred in both the original lineages of the virus.
3. There is little evidence to suggest that recombinant lineages have a varied clinical outcome compared to the currently dominant Omicron variant.
4. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has flagged the emergence of a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus — the XE recombinant. 

Q3. Which of the following are Indian research stations in the Antarctic?

1. Bharati
2. Maitri
3. Himadri

Select the correct answer from the codes given below

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 2 only
d. 1, 2 and 3

Answer : a

Why is the Question ?

The Indian Antarctic Bill and its various provisions
1. The Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022 introduced in the Lok Sabha envisages regulating visits and activities to the Antarctic. It also prescribes penal provisions for certain serious violations.
2. India has now established two standing research stations in Antarctica, Bharati and Maitri. The major thrust areas of the Indian Antarctic Programme are climate processes and links to climate change, environmental processes and conservation and polar technology.
What does the Antarctic Bill envisage?
1. The Bill envisages regulating visits and activities to Antarctica as well as potential disputes that may arise among those present on the continent.
2. It also prescribes penal provisions for certain serious violations. If the Bill were to become law, private tours and expeditions to Antarctica would be prohibited without a permit or the written authorisation by a member country.
3. A member country is one of the 54 signatories of the Antarctic Treaty signed in 1959 — India joined the Treaty System in 1983.
4. The Bill also lays out a structure for government officials to inspect a vessel and conduct checks of research facilities.
5. The draft also directs the creation of a fund called the Antarctic fund that will be used for protecting the Antarctic environment.
6. The Bill extends the jurisdiction of Indian courts to Antarctica and lays out penal provisions for crimes on the continent by Indian citizens, foreign citizens who are a part of Indian expeditions or are in the precincts of Indian research stations.
7. The Bill also establishes a ‘Committee on Antarctic Governance and Environmental Protection.’
8. The Bill prohibits mining, dredging and activities that threaten the pristine conditions of the continent. It bans any person, vessel or aircraft from disposing of waste in Antarctica and bars the testing of nuclear devices.

Q4. India is signatory to following treaties/protocols

1. Antarctic Treaty

2. The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
3. The Protocol on the Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty

Select the correct answer from the codes given below

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 2 only
d. 1, 2 and 3

Answer : d

Why is the Question ?

Why was the Antarctic Bill necessary?
1. India had been a signatory to the Antarctic Treaty since 1983, which obliged it to specify a set of laws governing portions of the continent where it had its research bases.
2. India is also a signatory to treaties such as the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the Protocol on the Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty — both of which enjoin India to help preserve the pristine nature of the continent.
3. In the future, the private ship and aviation industry will also start operations and promote tourism and fishing in Antarctica, which needs to be regulated.
What is the history of the Antarctic Treaty?
1. The Antarctic Treaty came into force in 1961 after ratification by the 12 countries then active in Antarctic science.
2. The Treaty covers the area south of 60°S latitude. Its key objectives are to demilitarise Antarctica, to establish it as a zone free of nuclear tests and the disposal of radioactive waste, and to ensure that it is used for peaceful purposes only; to promote international scientific cooperation in Antarctica and to set aside disputes over territorial sovereignty.
3. India is a signatory to the Antarctic Treaty which came into force in June 1961. Of the 54 signatory countries, 29 have ‘consultative’ status that gives them voting rights. The Treaty parties meet each year at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.

Q5. Consider the following statements

1. BrahMos is jointly developed by Russia and India
2. India can export BrahMos to Philippines

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer : c

Why is the Question ?

‘BrahMos sale to the Philippines a bilateral deal’
1. While the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was a joint development between India and Russia, the sale of the systems to the Philippines was a transaction between the two countries, and India would be able to move ahead on a “bilateral basis”, India said, amid the global developments following the Russian war in Ukraine.
2. This is a frontline system in the Indian defence forces and the fact that we are willing to share was appreciated by the Philippines. There is definitely, in terms of the Philippines ' self-defence national security requirements, a clear requirement on the part of their armed forces for this capability.
3. To a question, if China may have an issue with the sale, the envoy referred to a Philippines statement that it saw it as a self-defence platform and so he did not see “how this can be a concern in other capitals.”

Q6. Recently seen in news Pango network is

a. A network for conservation of Pangolins of India
b. Global spyware network
c. Ransomware that regularly attacked power infrastructure in maharashtra in india
d. A system for identifying SARS-CoV-2 genetic lineages of epidemiological relevance 

Answer : d

Why is the Question ?

Pango network:
1. The Pango dynamic nomenclature is a system for identifying SARS-CoV-2 genetic lineages of epidemiological relevance. It was first proposed in early April 2020 and a scientific paper describing the system was published in July 2020.
2. The Pango nomenclature is being used by researchers and public health agencies worldwide to track the transmission and spread of SARS-CoV-2, including variants of concern. You may have come across Pango lineage names such as B.1.1.7 and P.1 in the news.
3. Researchers at the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh had formalised the Pango Network, an international team of experts to oversee the identification and naming of different lineages of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
4. The Pango Network is a resource for scientists, public health specialists, journalists, and other stakeholders worldwide who need to communicate clearly about the different genetic types and variants of SARS-CoV-2.
Process and significance:
1. The lineages and their names are decided by a small team in two committees, made up of experts from around the world who analyse virus genomic information and make a judgement about whether a new lineage is warranted.
2. Pango was inspired by the influenza virus naming system which is an established system that informs vaccination plans and public health decisions. The Pango nomenclature limits lineage names to a maximum of four levels of ancestry, to ensure lineage names don’t get too long.
3. Most scientists studying the pandemic believe that we will not be able to completely eliminate COVID-19 and that vaccines will be key to the long-term management of the virus.
4. The Pango nomenclature has been created with this future in mind and provides a consistent system for tracking various SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks across the world.
5. By using Pango to categorise different lineages, professionals can better understand virus transmission and spread and make informed decisions about public health responses.