UPSC Quiz – 2023 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 8th September 2023

IASbaba Daily Prelims Quiz

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The Current Affairs questions are based on sources like ‘The Hindu’, ‘Indian Express’ and ‘PIB’, which are very important sources for UPSC Prelims Exam. The questions are focused on both the concepts and facts. The topics covered here are generally different from what is being covered under ‘Daily Current Affairs/Daily News Analysis (DNA) and Daily Static Quiz’ to avoid duplication. The questions would be published from Monday to Saturday before 2 PM. One should not spend more than 10 minutes on this initiative.

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Question 1 of 5

1. Question

Consider the following statements about Treasury Bills

These are long term debt instruments issued by the Government of India.
These are zero coupon securities and pay no interest.

Choose the incorrect statements:

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

Correct

Solution (a)

Statement Analysis

Statement 1

Statement 2

Incorrect

Correct

· T-Bills are money market instruments.

· These are short term debt instruments issued by the Government of India.

· Tenure: These are presently issued in three tenors, namely, 91 day, 182 day and 364 day.

· These are zero coupon securities and pay no interest. Instead, they are issued at a discount and redeemed at the face value at maturity.

· Treasury bills are issued at a discount to original value and the buyer gets the original value upon maturity.

Context: T-Bill yields ease by up to 7 bps in three weeks as liquidity conditions improve.

Incorrect

Solution (a)

Statement Analysis

Statement 1

Statement 2

Incorrect

Correct

· T-Bills are money market instruments.

· These are short term debt instruments issued by the Government of India.

· Tenure: These are presently issued in three tenors, namely, 91 day, 182 day and 364 day.

· These are zero coupon securities and pay no interest. Instead, they are issued at a discount and redeemed at the face value at maturity.

· Treasury bills are issued at a discount to original value and the buyer gets the original value upon maturity.

Context: T-Bill yields ease by up to 7 bps in three weeks as liquidity conditions improve.

Question 2 of 5

2. Question

Consider the following statements

Cauvery wildlife sanctuary is located in the state of Tamil Nadu.
The area is drained by three rivers, namely, Cauvery, Arkavathi and Shimsha.
Sambar Deer listed as critically endangered in IUCN Red list can be found here.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None of the above

Correct

Solution (a)

Statement Analysis

Option a

Correct

Cauvery wildlife sanctuary

· It is extended over three districts, namely, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Ramanagara in Karnataka.

· The sanctuary provides a vital link between Bannerghatta National Park in the north and BRT Tiger Reserve and Male Mahadev Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in the south.

· The area is drained by three rivers, namely, Cauvery, Arkavathi and Shimsha.

· Flora: The forest is primarily of dry deciduous and scrub types, but a wide range of forest types including moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, evergreen, shola, riverine, Hardwicke forest, etc.

· Fauna: Important animals found in the sanctuary are tigers, elephants, leopards, bison, wild dog etc.

Sambar Deer

· The Sambar (Rusa unicolor) is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

· They are quite elusive and are most active at dusk and at night.

· They are found in a broad range of forest habitats like dry deciduous forest, rainforest and mixed forests.

· These deer play an important role in the ecosystem they live in by dispersing seeds throughout their native range.

· Distribution: Their range is distributed from the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains across southern Asia and reaching the islands of Taiwan, Sumatra and Borneo.

· Threats

· Hunting and habitat encroachment are the main threats.

· Sambar have developed more of a nocturnal activity pattern as a response to hunting by humans, who hunt them for trade and for food.

Conservation status

· IUCN: Vulnerable

· The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule-III

Context: Researchers discover ‘white’ sambar in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

Incorrect

Solution (a)

Statement Analysis

Option a

Correct

Cauvery wildlife sanctuary

· It is extended over three districts, namely, Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Ramanagara in Karnataka.

· The sanctuary provides a vital link between Bannerghatta National Park in the north and BRT Tiger Reserve and Male Mahadev Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in the south.

· The area is drained by three rivers, namely, Cauvery, Arkavathi and Shimsha.

· Flora: The forest is primarily of dry deciduous and scrub types, but a wide range of forest types including moist deciduous, semi-evergreen, evergreen, shola, riverine, Hardwicke forest, etc.

· Fauna: Important animals found in the sanctuary are tigers, elephants, leopards, bison, wild dog etc.

Sambar Deer

· The Sambar (Rusa unicolor) is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

· They are quite elusive and are most active at dusk and at night.

· They are found in a broad range of forest habitats like dry deciduous forest, rainforest and mixed forests.

· These deer play an important role in the ecosystem they live in by dispersing seeds throughout their native range.

· Distribution: Their range is distributed from the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains across southern Asia and reaching the islands of Taiwan, Sumatra and Borneo.

· Threats

· Hunting and habitat encroachment are the main threats.

· Sambar have developed more of a nocturnal activity pattern as a response to hunting by humans, who hunt them for trade and for food.

Conservation status

· IUCN: Vulnerable

· The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule-III

Context: Researchers discover ‘white’ sambar in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary

Question 3 of 5

3. Question

Consider the following statements about Marine Sand Watch portal

The portal monitors large vessels dredging sand, sediment and rock in the marine environment all around the world.
The portal is developed by The Global Resource Information Database – Geneva (GRID-Geneva).
GRID-Geneva, is a partnership between the UNEP and IUCN.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

a) Only one
b) Only two
c) All three
d) None of the above

Correct

Solution (b)

Statement Analysis

Option b

Correct

the Marine Sand Watch portal was developed by The Global Resource Information Database – Geneva to monitor dredging activities all around the world

· The portal will track and monitor dredging activities of sand, clay, silt, gravel, and rock in the world’s marine environment including hotspots like the North Sea, Southeast Asia, and the East Coast of the US.

· The portal is developed by The Global Resource Information Database – Geneva (GRID-Geneva).

· Geneva (GRID-Geneva), is a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the University of Geneva (UniGe).

· This platform provides all stakeholders and the dredging sector with the required data and information to engage in talks with UNEP to improve dredging standards around the world.

· It will use Automatic Identification System signals from vessels and Artificial Intelligence to identify the operations of dredging vessels.

The platform identifies:

· Dredging vessels around the world,

· Areas where sediment is being extracted,

· Estimation of volume of sediment extracted and

· Other types of activities such as cleaning channels, land reclamation projects, etc.

Context: Recently the Marine Sand Watch portal was developed by The Global Resource Information Database – Geneva to monitor dredging activities all around the world

Incorrect

Solution (b)

Statement Analysis

Option b

Correct

the Marine Sand Watch portal was developed by The Global Resource Information Database – Geneva to monitor dredging activities all around the world

· The portal is developed by The Global Resource Information Database – Geneva (GRID-Geneva).

· Geneva (GRID-Geneva), is a partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the University of Geneva (UniGe).

· This platform provides all stakeholders and the dredging sector with the required data and information to engage in talks with UNEP to improve dredging standards around the world.

· It will use Automatic Identification System signals from vessels and Artificial Intelligence to identify the operations of dredging vessels.

The platform identifies:

· Dredging vessels around the world,

· Areas where sediment is being extracted,

· Estimation of volume of sediment extracted and

· Other types of activities such as cleaning channels, land reclamation projects, etc.

Context: Recently the Marine Sand Watch portal was developed by The Global Resource Information Database – Geneva to monitor dredging activities all around the world

Question 4 of 5

4. Question

Consider the following statements about Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Scheme

It provides financial support of up to 60% of the capital cost as budgetary support in the form of Viability Gap Funding (VGF).
The entire VGF for this scheme will be borne by the Central Government.

Choose the correct statements:

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

Correct

Solution (b)

Statement Analysis

Statement 1

Statement 2

Incorrect

Correct

· The scheme aims to provide clean, reliable, and affordable electricity to the citizens.

· The scheme envisages development of 4,000 MWh of BESS projects by 2030-31, with a financial support of up to 40% of the capital cost as budgetary support in the form of Viability Gap Funding (VGF).

· The VGF for development of BESS Scheme, with an initial outlay of Rs.9,400 crore, including a budgetary support of Rs.3,760 crore.

· The entire VGF of Rs. 3,760 crore for this scheme will be borne by the Central Government

· The VGF shall be disbursed in 5 tranches linked with the various stages of implementation of BESS projects.

· To ensure that the benefits of the scheme reach the consumers, a minimum of 85% of the BESS project capacity will be made available to Distribution Companies (Discoms).

· VGF grants will be carried out through a transparent competitive bidding process, promoting a level playing field for both public and private sector entities.

Context: Recently the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister approved the Scheme for Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for development of BESS to Energize the Nation for a Brighter Tomorrow

Incorrect

Solution (b)

Statement Analysis

Statement 1

Statement 2

Incorrect

Correct

· The scheme aims to provide clean, reliable, and affordable electricity to the citizens.

· The VGF for development of BESS Scheme, with an initial outlay of Rs.9,400 crore, including a budgetary support of Rs.3,760 crore.

· The entire VGF of Rs. 3,760 crore for this scheme will be borne by the Central Government

· The VGF shall be disbursed in 5 tranches linked with the various stages of implementation of BESS projects.

· To ensure that the benefits of the scheme reach the consumers, a minimum of 85% of the BESS project capacity will be made available to Distribution Companies (Discoms).

· VGF grants will be carried out through a transparent competitive bidding process, promoting a level playing field for both public and private sector entities.

Question 5 of 5

5. Question

Erg Chech 002, recently seen in the news is related to?

a) A new variant of Coronavirus
b) It is the oldest volcanic rock ever found
c) It refers to a comet that appear twice in a decade
d) It is an ESA Space initiative to clear space debris

Correct

Solution (b)

Option b

Correct

· Erg Chech – It is a sandy region of the Sahara in western Algeria and northern Mali.

· It consists largely of shifting dunes.

· Erg Chech 002 – On close inspection of the rocks containing distinctive greenish crystals, it turned out to be from outer space, left over from the dawn of the Solar System.

· They were all pieces of a meteorite known as Erg Chech 002, which is the oldest volcanic rock ever found.

· Erg Chech 002 is an “ungrouped achondrite” (its parent body and family relationship is unknown.)

· Achondrites are rocks formed from melted planetesimals, which is what we call solid lumps in the cloud of gas and debris that formed the Solar System. Ex – Angrites, Erg Chech 002.

· Chondrites are the most abundant meteorite class, constituting more than 85 % of meteorite falls.

· Erg Chech 002 contains abundant lead-206 and lead-207, as well as undecayed uranium-238 and uranium-235.

· Findings – By analyzing it, it was found that it is some 4.56556 billion years old (around 120,000 years).

· It was also found that the Aluminium-26 was distributed quite unevenly throughout the cloud of dust and gas which formed the solar system.

· Aluminium-26 decays relatively quickly (after around 705,000 years). It is useful for determining the relative ages of different objects, but not their absolute age in years.

Context: Sahara space rock, 4.5 billion years old, upends assumptions about the early Solar System.