Daily Current Affairs (MCQ's) | 05-06-2023

Q1. The Shanan power project is a colonial era project contested by states

a. Himachal and Punjab

b. Punjab and Haryana

c. Himachal and Uttarakhand

d. Punjab and Rajasthan

Answer (a)

Explanation:

• Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are set for a face-off as the 99-year lease on the British-era 110 MW Shanan hydropower project situated at Jogindernagar in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, presently under the control of the Punjab government, will expire in March 2024.

• The issue may snowball into a major controversy between the two neighbouring States as the Himachal Pradesh government has made it clear that it will not renew or extend the lease.

• Himachal Pradesh wants the project handed over to the State on expiry of the lease period. The Punjab government, on the other hand, is in no mood to part with its prized project, and is prepared to take legal recourse to retain it.

Q2. Which of the following statements are correct?

1. The Indian flapshell turtles are ubiquitous in slow-moving streams and rice paddies

2. The flapshells are pure carnivorous

3. The flapshells are covered under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act

Select the correct answer from codes given below

a. Only one

b. Only two

c. All three

d. None

Answer (b)

Explanation:

56 flapshell, black turtles dead in fire in private land in Kasaragod

• Flapshell and black turtles that were charred to death in a fire that broke out in a wetland in Kasaragod.

• The private land, which has paddy, trees and shrubs, has been ablaze for the past two days. Twenty-two Indian flapshell and 34 black turtles, which come under Schedule I and Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, were burnt to death.

• A case had been registered under Section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act. There has been a demand for a police investigation into the frequent fires in the area.

• The Indian and Burmese flapshell turtles (genus Lissemys) are ubiquitous in slow-moving streams and rice paddies. Their mud coloring and relatively small size (carapaces up to 28 cm [11 inches]) make them inconspicuous and more likely to be overlooked in cultures that view all turtles as harvestable for food or medicine.

• They are poorly protected from habitat loss and harvesting, and some are critically endangered species. All softshell turtles are predominantly carnivores, though the flapshells eat some plant matter.

Q3. Which of the following statements are correct?

1. The KAVACH is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system by the DRDO.

2. It is a state-of-the-art electronic system with Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards.

3. The system also relays SoS messages during emergency situations

Select the correct answer from codes given below

a. Only one

b. Only two

c. All three

d. None

Answer (c)

Explanation:

What is Kavach?

• The KAVACH is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian industry.

• The trials were facilitated by the South Central Railway to achieve safety in train operations across Indian Railways. It is a state-of-the- art electronic system with Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards.

• It is meant to provide protection by preventing trains to pass the signal at Red (which marks danger) and avoid collision. It activates the train’s braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train as per speed restrictions. In addition, it prevents the collision between two locomotives equipped with functional Kavach systems.

• The system also relays SoS messages during emergency situations. An added feature is the centralised live monitoring of train movements through the Network Monitor System. ‘Kavach’ is one of the cheapest, SIL-4 certified technologies where the probability of error is 1 in 10,000 years.

How does Kavach work on Railway Systems?

• The Traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), with the help of equipment on board the locomotive and transmission towers at stations connected with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, helps in two-way communication between the station master and loco-pilot to convey any emergency message.

• The instrument panel inside the cabin helps the loco-pilot know about the signal in advance without visual sighting, and the permissible speeds to be maintained. If a red signal is jumped and two trains come face to face on the same line, the technology automatically takes over and applies sudden brakes.

• Additionally, the hooter activates by itself when approaching a level crossing which serves as a big boon to loco-pilots during fog conditions when visibility is low.

Q4. Which of the following countries share a border with North Korea?

1. Russia

2. South Korea

3. China

Select the correct answer from codes given below

a. Only one

b. Only two

c. All three

d. None

Answer (c)

Explanation:

Q5. Consider the following statements

1. Satellite launch vehicles use the same core technology as long-range missiles

2. North korea has spy satellite development program

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)

Explanation:

Why does North Korea want spy satellites?

On May 31, a North Korean military reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1 was launched through a new type of rocket named Chollima-1. The satellite is said to have flown for about 10 minutes before crashing into the Yellow Sea. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported the failure as the instability in the rocket’s engine and fuel system. The launch, however, prompted evacuation warnings and emergency alerts in parts of South Korea and Japan. The U.S., Japan and South Korea expressed ‘strong condemnation’ to the launch.

What is N. Korea’s space programme?

• North Korea in the past decade has had an active space program that is closely related to its missile program. Satellite launch vehicles use the same core technology as long-range missiles that deliver warheads capable of destroying intercontinental targets. (the Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles or ICBMs).

• Starting from 1998, North Korea successfully orbited its first satellite in 2012 after three failed attempts. The launch vehicle used was Unha- 3, a likely variant of Taepodong-2 ICBM. The Unha-type launch vehicle was also used in the 2016 launch of Pyongyang’s Earth Observation satellite. The flight on May 31 was the sixth satellite launch by Pyongyang. It was done through the Chollima-1 which is a new space launcher known to have an engine that is similar to North Korea’s dual-nozzle liquid-fuel machine used in Hwasong-15 ICBM.

• Additionally, in April, North Korea announced that it had completed the construction of its first spy satellite.

Why does it want assets in space?

• The North Korean spy satellites are expected to play a crucial role in providing advanced surveillance technology, that covers a large portion of the region, to improve the ability to strike targets during conflict. Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, stated that the nation would have the capability to “use preemptive military force when the situation demands.”

• Moreover, North Korea’s space programme is a response to other strategic developments in the region. Earlier, the U.S. announced that it would be activating U.S. Space Forces Korea. This system would provide South Korea with advanced capabilities of missile warning and satellite communications throughout the Korean peninsula and its proximate areas.

• On May 25, South Korea successfully launched its Nuri rocket that is designed to assist Seoul’s efforts to develop a space-based surveillance system. These developments nudged Pyongyang to hasten the launch of Malligyong-1.