UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 3rd December 2021

Solution (d)

The snail species was first brought to Kerala for research. Today, they have settled in almost every district in the state.

The first snail invasion was traced near the Government Victoria college area in Palakkad. The snails reproduced aggressively and turned into a serious scourge for locals. To get rid of them, a programme was started by the district administration where Rs 1 would be given in exchange for one snail. However, the snail population was so large that people collected dozens of them and the scheme had to be shelved for lack of funds. Metaldehyde, a chemical toxin can kill the snails. However, this was soon shelved as the chemical killed aquatic life when it mixed with surrounding water bodies.

Metaldehyde was replaced with a mixture of copper sulphate and tobacco decoction, discovered by two research students who were studying snail eradication independently.

They enter kitchens, stick on compound walls for calcium and feed on 500 different plants including papaya, tapioca, colocasia, ginger and all tuber crops.

The snail requires large amount of calcium for maintaining its huge shell. As the soil in Kerala is very poor in calcium content, the snails utilize the calcium content in the compound walls and buildings, thus damaging them

Research has also found that wild populations of the Giant African Snails carry Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a parasite which causes meningitis.

“If they enter the kitchens, this could lead to the parasite’s spread

The Giant African snails, originally from Kenya and Tanzania, have found new homes in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and the North East.

Like most snails, the Giant African species too is hermaphroditic, with each snail having both male and female reproductive parts. This means that 100 percent of these snail populations have reproductive capabilities.

The snails have ‘mating ducts’ which fuse together to transfer the sperm into the female. Usually, the bigger snail assumes the role of the male and the smaller one, the female. If no other snails are found, an individual snail will self mate,

An adult snail lives for 5-7 years and can start laying eggs within a year.

Article Link:

https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/giant-african-snail-has-turned-kerala-its-home-locals-want-them-leave-103389

Solution (c)

Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Services has halted pre-booking of its upcoming satellite-based internet services in India. The company was asked by the Indian government to stop accepting pre-orders as it was not a licensee in India.

Starlink is a collection of small internet satellites that orbit closer to the earth’s surface (at an altitude of 550km) compared to large navigation and communication satellites which operate from medium earth orbit of 2,000 km to 35,000 km or the satellites in geosynchronous orbit, which operate from beyond 35,000 km. Due to their closer proximity to earth’s surface Starlink and other similar satellites fair better in terms of latency and interference, resulting in better internet services.

Satellite internet has a lot of potential in India as it can transcend geographical barriers and enable access to internet services in remotest of areas where providing coverage through on-ground mobile tower is difficult

The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) has made it clear that the company needs to get a license before offering satellite-based services in India. This means that the company will be allowed to offer services once it gets the license and clears due regulatory terms in India.

Article Link:

https://www.livemint.com/technology/tech-news/elon-musk-s-starlink-satellite-internet-service-expected-in-india-in-2022-11614672324074.html

Solution (d)

10,645 foreigners applied for Indian citizenship from 2016 to 2020, says Centre

More than six lakh Indians renounced citizenship in the past five years, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed the Lok Sabha recently. This year, till September 30, 1,11,287 Indians gave up their citizenship.

The reason for a large number of Indians surrendering their citizenship was not stated in the reply. Though, in 2018, the MHA revised Form XXII under Citizenship Rules for declaration of renunciation of citizenship, which, for the first time, included a column on “circumstances/reasons due to which applicant intends to acquire foreign citizenship and renounce Indian citizenship”. Recently, the MHA had simplified the process and provisions were made for the applicants to upload documents online and an upper limit of 60 days was fixed for the renunciation process to be completed.

According to a Global Wealth Migration Review report, in 2019, India came second only to China when it came to high net worth individuals (HNIs) leaving the country. As many as 7,000 HNIs left India in 2019.

Citizenship is listed in the Union List under the Constitution and thus is under the exclusive jurisdiction of Parliament. The Conferment of a person as a citizen of India is governed under Articles 5 to 11 by Part II of the Constitution of India.

The Citizenship Act, 1955 also lays down the three modes by which an Indian citizen, whether a citizen at the commencement of the Constitution or subsequent to it, may lose his/her citizenship. It may happen in any of the three ways : renunciation, termination and deprivation.

Article Link:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/6-lakh-indians-renounced-citizenship/article37777526.ece

Solution (b)

In age of hybrid crops, the importance of preserving landraces

Rahibai Popere’s Padma Shri is a recognition of her work that has helped save hundreds of landraces (wild varieties of commonly grown crops) at the village level.

Landraces refer to naturally occurring variants of commonly cultivated crops. These are as opposed to commercially grown crops, which are developed by selective breeding (hybrids) or through genetic engineering to express a certain trait over others. With hybrid rice and wheat, for example, selective breeding over a period of time has allowed scientists to develop varieties that have higher yield or other desirable traits. Over the years, farmers have adopted these varieties.

Naturally occurring landraces have a large pool of still untapped genetic material, which can provide solutions. “Genetic diversity is nature’s survival mechanism. The wider the gene pool, the more the chance of developing a trait that can help in surviving extreme climate events

Article Link:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-hybrid-crops-importance-preserving-landraces-7620396/

Solution (d)

The government’s fiscal deficit has worked out to be Rs 5.47 lakh crore or 36.3% of the budget estimates at the end of October 2021, as per the data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) on Tuesday

The deficit figures in the current fiscal appear much better than the previous financial year when it had soared to 119.7% of the estimates mainly on account of a rise in expenditure to deal with the pandemic.

In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit or gap between expenditure and revenue was Rs 5,47,026 crore at end of October, the CGA said.

Fiscal Deficit is the difference between the total income of the government (total taxes and non-debt capital receipts) and its total expenditure. A fiscal deficit situation occurs when the government’s expenditure exceeds its income. This difference is calculated both in absolute terms and also as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country. 

What constitutes the government’s total income or receipts? It has two components revenue receipts and non-tax revenues.

1. Revenue receipts of the government

• Corporation Tax
• Income Tax
• Custom Duties
• Union Excise Duties
• GST and taxes of Union territories.

2. Non-tax revenues

• Interest Receipts
• Dividends and Profits
• External Grants
• Other non-tax revenues
• Receipts of union territories

Article Link:

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/indias-fiscal-deficit-for-april-october-reaches-36-3-of-full-year-target/articleshow/88006644.cms