DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 14th November 2023

Syllabus

• Prelims – IMPORTANT EVENTS

Context: The 42nd edition of the India International Trade Fair -2023 began recently.

Background:-

• Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel will inaugurate the fair which will continue till the 27th of this month.

About International Trade Fair:-

• Date: 14^th – 27^th November 2023.
• Timings: The timings of the fair will be from 10 A.M. to 7.30 PM.
• Venue: Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
• The 42 edition of the India International Trade Fair(IITF) will be held in the newly built halls of the International Exhibitioncum Convention Centre (IECC).
• It is a fourteen-day fair.
• Theme: The theme is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
• The theme emphasizes the significance of interconnectedness and cooperation in trade for achieving sustainable growth and well-being.
• In line with the G20, the theme shares India’s ancient wisdom and strength in diverse sectors, perspectives and opinions on key socio-economic issues and to participate in shaping global economic policies.
• Participants: Over three thousand exhibitors from both India and abroad will participate in the fair.
• Representatives from 13 countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Oman, Egypt, Nepal, Thailand, Turkiye, Vietnam, Tunisia, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Iran and UAE are participating in the event from overseas.
• The First five days of the Trade Fair will be reserved for the business category and for the general public, it will be open from the 19th of this month.
• Bihar and Kerala are the Partner States while Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh are the Focus States.
• Visitors can purchase the trade fair tickets online and also from select 55 metro stations. For Divyang and Senior citizens, entry into the fair will be free.
• It has a wide spectrum of Business, Social, Cultural and Educational Dimensions that are weaved together where visitors and exhibitors, media persons, marketing professionals, social activists, NGOs etc. source their needs and objectives.

Significance:-

• A number of Government Organizations use this platform to spread awareness about their programmes and policies among the public.
• Almost all States and Union Territories of the Federal Government of India participate in this mega event. IITF 2023 will feature the country’s latest export potential in diverse fields especially when we are celebrating India’s presidency of the G20. (Free Trade Agreements regime)

MUST READ: New Foreign Trade Policy

SOURCE: AIR

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q1) Consider the following statements about G-20: (2023)

The G-20 group was originally established as a platform for the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss international economic and financial issues.

Digital public infrastructure is one of India’s G-20 priorities.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.2)  With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the following statements: (2022)

1. A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from a baseline determined in accordance with the convention.
2. Ships of all states, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.
3. The Exclusive Economic Zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Syllabus

• Prelims –INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Context: Recently, NASA recently shared an incredible picture of an aurora captured from the International Space Station.

Background:-

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Tuesday shared a remarkably beautiful image of an aurora taken from the International Space Station as it flew above the American state of Utah.

About Aurora:-

• Auroras are a space weather phenomenon that occurs when electrically charged electrons and protons collide with neutral atoms in the upper atmosphere.
• An Aurora is a display of light in the sky predominantly seen in the high-latitude regions (Arctic and Antarctic).
• It is also known as a Polar light.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called the northern lights (aurora borealis), while in the Southern Hemisphere; it’s called the southern lights (aurora australis).
• Auroras result from emissions of photons in the Earth’s upper atmosphere (above 80 km), from ionized nitrogen atoms regaining an electron, and from electrons from oxygen and nitrogen atoms returning from an excited state to the ground state.
• The solar wind coming from the sun is the origin of the charged protons and electrons that excite oxygen and nitrogen and cause auroras.
• The aurora’s colour depends on the type of atom that is excited and how its electrons return from those excited states to the ground state.
• High-energy electrons cause oxygen to emit green light (the most familiar colour of the aurora), while low-energy electrons cause red light.
• Nitrogen generally gives off a blue light.
• The blending of these colours can also lead to purples, pinks, and whites.
• The oxygen and nitrogen also emit ultraviolet light, which can be detected by special cameras on satellites.
• Auroras are not just something that happens on Earth.
• If a planet has an atmosphere and magnetic field, they probably have auroras.
  • Discrete Auroras on Mars: Unlike auroras on Earth, which are seen only near the north and south poles, Discrete Auroras (DA) on Mars are seen all around the planet at night time. (Discrete Auroras of Mars)
  • Auroras have been observed on Saturn and Jupiter.

MUST READ: Aditya-L1 Mission

SOURCE: THE INDIAN EXPRESS

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Which one of the following countries has its own Satellite Navigation System? (2023)

1. Australia
2. Canada
3. Israel
4. Japan

Q.2) With reference to India’s satellite launch vehicles, consider the following statements: (2018)

1. PSLVs launch satellites useful for Earth resources monitoring whereas GSLVs are designed mainly to launch communication satellites.
2. Satellites launched by PSLV appear to remain permanently fixed in the same position in the sky, as viewed from a particular location on Earth.
3. GSLV Mk III is a four-stage launch vehicle with the first and third stages using solid rocket motors, and the second and fourth stages using liquid rocket engines.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3
3. 1 and 2
4. 3 only

Syllabus

• Prelims –GOVERNMENT SCHEMES

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the PM PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) Development Mission soon.

Background:-

• Sources said the Modi Government will launch a 24 thousand crore rupee scheme to ensure holistic development of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups on the occasion of JanJaatiya Gaurav Divas.

About PM PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) Development Mission:-

• Expected Launch: 2023.
• Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• The launch of Pradhan Mantri PVTG Development Mission was announced in the budget of this year.
• Objective: to improve the socio-economic conditions of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.
• There are 75 PVTGs in 18 States and Union Territories living in 22 thousand 544 villages having a population of around 28 lakhs.
• These tribes stay in scattered, remote and inaccessible habitations, often in forest areas.

Salient Features:-

• The Mission plans to saturate PVTG families and habitations with basic facilities.
• These include road and telecom connectivity, electricity, safe housing, clean drinking water and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition and sustainable livelihood opportunities. (Significance of Tribal Culture in Sustainable Development)
• A fund of Rs 15,000 crore for the next three years has been allocated for the socio-economic development of the group.
• It will be launched as part of ‘Reaching The Last Mile’, one of the seven Saptarishi priorities enlisted in this year’s Budget.
• The Mission will be implemented through the convergence of 11 interventions of nine Ministries.
• In addition, saturation will be ensured for schemes such aper Centradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna, Sickle Cell Disease Elimination, TB Elimination, 100 percent immunisation, PM Surakshit Matritva Yojana, PM Matru Vandana Yojana, PM Poshan, and PM Jan Dhan Yojana.
• Implementation: Among the ministries that are expected to be roped in to implement the PM-PVTG Mission are the Rural Development Ministry, the Water Resources Ministry, the Education Ministry, the Health Ministry and the Women and Child Development Ministry.

MUST READ: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)

SOURCE: AIR

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Consider the following statements in relation to Janani Suraksha Yojana : (2023)

1. It is a safe motherhood intervention of the State Health Departments.
2. Its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among poor pregnant women.
3. It aims to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women.
4. Its objective includes providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All four

Q.2) With reference to the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, consider the following statements: (2022)

1. Private and public hospitals must adopt it.
2. As it aims to achieve universal health coverage, every citizen of India should be part of it ultimately.
3. It has seamless portability across the country.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Syllabus

• Prelims – ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

Context: Recently, a Paintbrush swift butterfly was photographed for the first time in Himachal Pradesh.

Background:-

• The State is home to 25% of the butterfly species found in India; 120 species of butterflies have been documented by the Wild Bhattiyat Project initiated by the State Forest Department in 2022

About Paintbrush Swift Butterfly:-

• Its scientific name is Baoris Farri.
• It is from the Hesperiidae family.
• The species’ larvae feed on bamboo and some other grass species.
• Its habitat is distributed in northeast, central and south India.
• It is identified based on two separated spots in the upper forewing cell.
• The species’ larvae feed on bamboo and some other grass species.
• Habitat loss and scarcity of larval host plants are major causes of the decline in the butterfly population.
• Conservation status:-
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule IV
• The paintbrush swift (Baoris farri), a butterfly species of the Hesperiidae family, was sighted and photographed during a field survey conducted under the Wild Bhattiyat Project initiated by the Bhattiyat Forest Range of the Dalhousie Forest Division of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department in 2022. (Atapaka Bird Sanctuary)

MUST READ: Kerala Bird Atlas (KBA)

SOURCE: THE HINDU

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Consider the following statements : (2023)

• In India, the Biodiversity Management Committees are key to the realization of the objectives of the Nagoya Protocol.
• The Biodiversity Management Committees have important functions in determining access and benefit sharing, including the power to levy collection fees on the access of biological resources within its jurisdiction.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.2) Consider the following trees : (2023)

1. Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus.)
2. Mahua (Madhuca indica)
3. Teak (Tectona grandis)

How many of the above are deciduous trees?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three

Syllabus

• Prelims – ECONOMY

Context: The Retail inflation eased to 4.87% in October 2023 compared to 5.02 % in September 2023.

Background:-

• Retail inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), eased to 4.87 per cent in October compared to 5.02 per cent in September this year.

About Inflation:-

• Inflation refers to a sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.
• It is the rise in the prices of most goods and services of daily or common use, such as food, clothing, housing, recreation, transport, consumer staples, etc.
• Inflation measures the average price change in a basket of commodities and services over time.
• The opposite and rare fall in the price index of this basket of items is called ‘deflation’.
• Inflation is indicative of the decrease in the purchasing power of a unit of a country’s currency.
• This is measured in percentage.

Measures of Inflation in India:-

• In India, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation measures inflation.
• There are two main sets of inflation indices for measuring price level changes in India
  • the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) and the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
• GDP deflator is also used to measure inflation.

Impacts of inflation:-

• Reduces people’s purchasing power
• Reduces overall demand
• Harms savers and helps borrowers
• Helps the government meet debt obligations: In the short term, the government, which is the single largest borrower in the economy, benefits from high inflation.
• In the short term, corporates, especially the large and dominant ones, could enjoy higher profitability because they might be in a position to pass on the prices to consumers.
• Worsens the exchange rate.

MUST READ: Inflation Targeting as Monetary Policy

SOURCE: AIR

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) With reference to the Indian economy, consider the following statements:

1. If the inflation is too high, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is likely to buy government securities.
2. If the rupee is rapidly depreciating, RBI is likely to sell dollars in the market.
3. If interest rates in the USA or European Union were to fall, that is likely to induce RBI to buy dollars.

Which of the statements given above are correct? (2022)

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Q.2) With reference to the Indian economy, what are the advantages of “Inflation-Indexed Bonds (IIBs)”?

1. Government can reduce the coupon rates on its borrowing by way of IIBs.
2. IIGs provide protection to investors from uncertainty regarding inflation.
3. The interest received as well as capital gains on IIBs are not taxable.

Which of the statements given above are correct? (2022)

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Syllabus

• Prelims –ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

Context: Recently, an elusive Attenborough echidna was rediscovered in Indonesia.

Background:-

• An elusive echidna feared extinct after disappearing for six decades has been rediscovered in a remote part of Indonesia, on an expedition that also found a new kind of tree-dwelling shrimp.

About Attenborough echidna:-

• It is a long-beaked echidna named for famed British naturalist David Attenborough.
• It had last been seen in 1961.
• Echidnas are nocturnal and shy, making them difficult to find at the best of times.
• The Attenborough long-beaked echidna has never been recorded outside the extremely remote Cyclops Mountains of Indonesia’s Papua region.
• They are the last vestiges of an ancient animal line.
• It is a monotreme: an evolutionarily distinct group of egg-laying mammals that includes the platypus.
• This echidna species is so special because it is one of only five remaining species of monotremes, the sole guardians of this remarkable branch of the tree of life.

Conservation status:-

• IUCN: Critically Endangered.

MUST READ: H5N1 virus/Bird Flue

SOURCE: THE HINDU

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) With reference to India’s biodiversity, Ceylon Frogmouth, Coppersmith Barbet, Gray Chinned Minivet and White-throated Redstart are (2020)

1. Birds
2. Primates
3. Reptiles
4. Amphibians

Q.2) Consider the following statements: (2019)

1. The Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only
2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only
3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Syllabus

• Prelims – SPACE

Context: The mysterious ‘Devil Comet’ is approaching Earth for the first time in decades.

Background:-

• The 12P/Pons-Brooks comet is passing by Earth for the first time in the 21st century.

About Devil Comet:-

• The so-called Devil Comet is scientifically named Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks. (Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet)
• It is larger than typical comets and has been dubbed the “Devil Comet” for appearing to have horns.
• Its “horns” are actually tails of gas and dust formed by an odd series of explosive outbursts that scientists still do not understand.
• An “outburst,” is where comets suddenly get much more active, throwing off tons of gas and dust in a short period of time.
• When this happens, the comet brightens really rapidly and then sort of fades back to the brightness it had before.
• In Pons-Brooks, these are really, really large outbursts which makes this comet interesting to scientists.
• This short-period comet orbits the Sun once every 71.2 years, similar to the famous Halley’s Comet.
• This comet is not a newcomer to the solar system scene.
• Scientists have known about Pons-Brooks ever since 1812.
• Comet hunter Jean-Louis Pons spotted it at 4th magnitude.
• However, observations of the comet weren’t precise enough to predict exactly when or where it would return, so it was rediscovered in 1883 by William Brooks.
• Judging by its brightness, astronomers have estimated that the solid part of the comet, or its nucleus, is about 12.4 miles across — roughly twice the size of Mount Everest.
• It might be bright enough to be seen with naked eyes or with binoculars.

MUST READ: IN-SPACe

SOURCE: LIVE SCIENCE

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Consider the following statements: (2023)

1. Ballistic missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their flights, while cruise missiles are rocket-powered only in the initial phase of flight.
2. Agni-V is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile, while BrahMos is a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.2) Which one of the following statements best reflects the idea behind the “Fractional Orbital Bombardment System” often talked about in media? (2022)

1. A hypersonic missile is launched into space to counter the asteroid approaching the Earth and explode it in space.
2. A spacecraft lands on another planet after making several orbital motions.
3. A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.
4. A spacecraft moves along a comet with the same surface. speed and places a probe on its

Q1) Consider the following pairs:

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Q2) Consider the following statements

Statement-I :

PM PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups) Development Mission is under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Statement-II :

The mission is aimed at improving the socio-economic condition of particularly tribal Group C.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

1. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
2. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
3. Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
4. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement II is correct

Q3) With reference to the Aurora, consider the following statements:

1. In the Northern Hemisphere, the phenomenon is called the Northern Lights (aurora australis).
2. It is a phenomenon exclusively seen on planet Earth.
3. In the Southern Hemisphere; it’s called the southern lights (aurora borealis).

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 2 only
2. 1, 2 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. None

Comment the answers to the above questions in the comment section below!!

ANSWERS FOR ’  14th November 2023 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – d

Q.2) – b

Q.3) – b