DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 19th December 2023

Syllabus

• Prelims –GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

Context: Recently, the Mines Ministry launched the National Geoscience Data Repository Portal To Foster Innovation in Exploration.

Background:-

• The launch ceremony will be graced by Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi in the presence of Shri Raosaheb Patil Danve, Minister of State for Coal, Mines and Railways.

About National Geoscience Data Repository Portal:-

• Launched on : 19th December 2023.
• Launched by: Ministry of Mines.
• The National Geoscience Data Repository (NGDR) Portal will be launched in a ceremony in New Delhi. (National Geoscience Awards -2022)
• Objective: to Foster Innovation in Exploration.
• NGDR is a comprehensive online platform for accessing, sharing, and analyzing geospatial information across the nation.
• The NGDR initiative, spearheaded by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Bhaskarachaya Institute of Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N).
• It represents a significant leap forward in democratizing critical geoscience data, empowering stakeholders across industries and academia with unprecedented access to invaluable resources.

About the Geological Survey of India:-

• Established: 1851.
• HQ: Kolkata.
• It has six regional offices located in Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong and Kolkata and state unit offices in almost all states of the country.
• GSI is an attached office of the Ministry of Mines.
• The Geological Survey of India (GSI) was set up primarily to find coal deposits for the Railways.
• Its main functions relate to creating and updating national geoscientific information and mineral resource assessment.
• These objectives are achieved through ground surveys, air-borne and marine surveys, mineral prospecting and investigations, multi-disciplinary geoscientific, geo-technical, geo-environmental and natural hazards studies, glaciology, seismo-tectonic study and carrying out fundamental research.

About BISAG-N:-

• Ministry: MeitY, Government of India. (Indian Bureau of Mines)
• At present, BISAG is a state agency of the Department of Science and Technology Government of Gujarat, located at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics [BISAG (N)] is an Autonomous Scientific Society registered under the Societies Registration Act, of 1860.
• Objective: to undertake technology development & and management, research & and development, facilitate National and international cooperation, capacity building and support technology transfer & and entrepreneurship development in the area of geo-spatial technology.
• BISAG has implemented GIS and geospatial technologies for major Ministries and almost all States.
• For this purpose, geo-spatial science (GIS Remote Sensing, Image Processing, Photogrammetry, GPS, Cell Phone etc.), Information Science Systems (MIS, Database, ERP, Project Management, Web, Artificial Intelligence etc.) and Mathematics Science Systems (Geometry, Fluid, Mechanics, Trigonometry, Algebra etc.) have been integrated in-house by BISAG.

MUST READ: ‘Wetlands of India’ Portal

SOURCE: PIB

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) In India, what is the role of the Coal Controller’s Organization (CCO)? (2022)

1. CCO is the major source of coal Statistics in the Government of India.
2. It monitors the progress of the development of Captive Coal/ Lignite blocks.
3. It hears any objection to the Government’s notification relating to the acquisition of coal-bearing areas.
4. It ensures that coal mining companies deliver the coal to end users in the prescribed time.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Q.2) Consider the following statements: (2022)

1. The Climate Group is an international non-profit organization that drives climate action by building large networks and running them.
2. The International Energy Agency in partnership with the Climate Group launched a global initiative “EP100”.
3. EP100 brings together leading companies committed to driving innovation in energy efficiency and increasing competitiveness while delivering on emission reduction goals.
4. Some Indian companies are members of EP100.
5. The International Energy Agency is the Secretariat to the “Under2 Coalition”.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. 1,2, 4 and 5
2. 1,3 and 4 only
3. 2,3 and 5 only
4. 1,2, 3, 4 and 5

Syllabus

• Prelims –GEOGRAPHY/ ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

Context: Kawal Tiger Reserve turned into a haven for smooth-coated otters recently.

Background:-

• These creatures live along the banks of the Kadam River, on the bunds of the canals, and also on the banks of the Godavari River.

About Kawal Tiger Reserve:-

IMAGE SOURCE: adivasiresurgence.com

• Location: Telangana.
• Kawal Tiger Reserve is in the North Eastern part of Telangana.
• The reserve is flanked by the Godavari River on one side and shares its border with Maharashtra on the other.
• The River Kadam (a tributary of Godavari) flows through this area.
• It forms a significant part of the Deccan peninsula-central highlands.
• Additionally, Kawal serves as a catchment for the rivers Godavari and Kadam, both flowing southward within the sanctuary.
• Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2012. (Amrabad Tiger Reserve)
• Vegetation: Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest.
• Flora: Teak and Bamboo stands, Anogeissus latifolia, Mitragyna parviflora, Terminalia crenulata, Terminalia arjuna, Boswellia serrata, and many more.
• Fauna: nilgai, chousinga, chinkara, black buck, sambar, spotted deer, wild dog, wolf, jackal, fox, tiger, leopard, and jungle cat etc.

About Smooth-Coated Otter:-

• Scientific name: Lutrogale perspicillata.
• Smooth-coated otter is characterised by a very smooth, sleek pelage.
• Their eyes and ears are small, the tail is flattened, limbs are short and strong, and the fore and hind paws are large and well-webbed.
• These otters have generally been described as fish specialists.
• They are strong swimmers.
• They hunt in groups.
• They are mostly found in lowlands, coastal mangrove forests, peat swamp forests, freshwater wetlands, large forested rivers, lakes, and rice paddies.

Threats:-

• Construction of large hydroelectric projects
• Conversion of wetlands for settlements and agriculture
• Reduction in prey biomass
• Poaching and
• Contamination of waterways by pesticides.

Conservation Status:-

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

MUST READ: Global Conservation Assured|Tiger Standards (CA|TS)

SOURCE: THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”?  (2020)

1. Corbett
2. Ranthambore
3. Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam
4. Sundarbans

Q.2) The term M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of    (2017)

1. Captive breeding of Wild Fauna
2. Maintenance of Tiger Reservoirs
3. Indigenous Satellite Navigation System
4. Security of National Highways

Syllabus

• Prelims –ECONOMY

Context: Gross Direct Tax collections for the current Financial Year registered over 17 per cent growth recently.

Background:-

• The Ministry of Finance has said that the Direct Tax collections for this finance year up to 17th December, show that net collections are at 13 lakh 70 thousand crore rupees which is an increase of 20.66 per cent. ( Increase in Direct Tax Collections)

About Direct Tax:-

• A direct tax is one that is levied directly on the taxpayer.
• It is paid directly to the government by those who are subjected to it.
• The Central Board of Direct Taxes is responsible for levying and collecting direct taxes as well as formulating other direct tax policies.
• Examples of Direct Tax: Income Tax, Corporation Tax, Minimum Alternate Tax, Capital Gain Tax etc. (Tax-GDP ratio)

Advantages of Direct Tax:-

• Economic Balance: The tax rate is set according to the country’s economic position.
• Ensures equality: Individuals and businesses with larger profits must pay higher taxes.
• Gives Certainty: The direct tax provides both the government and the taxpayers with a sense of certainty because the amount of tax that must be paid and collected is known to both the taxpayer and the government.
• During periods of high inflation, the government raises taxes in order to limit the demand for goods and services, resulting in a fall in inflation.
• It ensures that the government is held accountable.

Disadvantages of Direct Tax:-

• It can be easily evaded.
• Taxes are set arbitrarily by the Finance Minister if they are progressive.
• High taxes disincentivize people from saving and investing, causing the country’s economy to suffer.
• Paying direct taxes is quite inconvenient.

MUST READ: CBDT and Income Tax Return Forms

SOURCE: AIR

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Which among the following steps is most likely to be taken at the time of an economic recession? (2020)

1. Cut in tax rates accompanied by an increase in interest rate
2. Increase in expenditure on public projects
3. Increase in tax rates accompanied by reduction of interest rate
4. Reduction of expenditure on public projects

Q.2) Consider the following statements (2018)

1. The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Review Committee Report has recommended a debt-to-GDP ratio of 60% for the general (combined) government by 2023, comprising 40% for the Central Government and 20% for the State Government.
2. The Central Government has domestic liabilities of 21% of GDP as compared to that of the war of GDP of the State 2 Governments.
3. As per the Constitution of India, it is mandatory for a State to obtain the Central Government’s consent for raising any loan if the former owes any outstanding liabilities to the latter.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Syllabus

• Prelims –SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Context: Scientists recently suspected a major glitch in NASA’s Voyager 1 as it sent weird signals to Earth.

Background:-

• Voyager 1, is facing difficulties in transcribing data to planet Earth, scientists have suspected a major crack in the spacecraft.
• NASA’s Voyager 1 has been travelling in space for the past 46 years and has travelled 24 billion kilometres.

About Voyager 1:-

• Launch: September 5, 1977.
• Launch Site: Cape Canaveral, Fla. / Launch Complex 41.
• Launch Vehicle: Titan IIIE-Centaur (TC-6 / Titan no. 23E-6 / Centaur D-1T).
• Agency: NASA (NASA’s DART mission)
• Objective: It was launched to fly by Jupiter and Saturn.
• Voyager 1 is the oldest human-made spacecraft in history.
• No spacecraft has gone farther than NASA’s Voyager 1.
• It crossed into interstellar space in August 2012 and continues to collect data.
• Voyager 1 has been exploring our solar system for more than 45 years.
• The probe is now in interstellar space, the region outside the heliopause, or the bubble of energetic particles and magnetic fields from the Sun.
• Voyager 1 and its sister ship Voyager 2 have been flying longer than any other spacecraft in history.

Scientific Instruments:-

• Imaging Science System (ISS)
• Ultraviolet Spectrometer (UVS)
• Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS)
• Planetary Radio Astronomy Experiment (PRA)
• Photopolarimeter (PPS)
• Triaxial Fluxgate Magnetometer (MAG)
• Plasma Spectrometer (PLS)
• Low-Energy Charged Particles Experiment (LECP)
• Plasma Waves Experiment (PWS)
• Cosmic Ray Telescope (CRS)
• Radio Science System (RSS)

Journey Timeline:-

• 5, 1977: Launched
• March 5, 1979: Jupiter flyby
• 12, 1980: Saturn flyby
• 17, 1998: Became the most distant human-made object after overtaking NASA’s Pioneer 10
• 1, 1990: Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM) officially began
• 16, 2006: 100 astronomical units reached
• 1, 2012: Voyager 1 enters interstellar space

Significance:-

• Not only are the Voyager missions providing humanity with observations of truly uncharted territory.
• They are also helping scientists understand the very nature of energy and radiation in space—key information for protecting future missions and astronauts.

MUST READ: SpaceTech Innovation Network (SpIN)

SOURCE: FINANCIAL EXPRESS

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? (2014)

Spacecraft                          Purpose

1. Cassini-Huygens           Orbiting Venus and transmitting data to the Earth
2. Messenger                     Mapping and investigating the Mercury
3. Voyager 1 and 2          Exploring the outer solar system

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Q.2) The experiment will employ a trio of spacecraft flying in formation in the shape of an equilateral triangle that has sides one million kilometres long, with lasers shining between the craft.” The experiment in question refers to     (2021)

1. Voyager-2
2. New Horizons
3. LISA Pathfinder
4. Evolved LISA

Syllabus

• Prelims – GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the participants of the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2023 through video conferencing on 19^th Dec,2023.

Background:-

• Mr Modi will also address the participants on the occasion.

About Smart India Hackathon 2023:-

• Launched: August 2023.
• Objective: to inculcate a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem-solving.
• Smart India Hackathon is a nationwide initiative to provide students with a platform to solve some of the pressing problems we face in our daily lives. (Agri India Hackathon)
• It is an initiative by the Ministry of Education, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Persistent Systems and Inter-Institutional Inclusive Innovation Centre (i4C).
• SIH has been conducted every year since 2017 in two formats, SIH Software and SIH Hardware Editions for higher education students.
• The first four editions SIH2017, SIH2018, SIH2019, SIH2020 and SIH2022 proved to be extremely successful in promoting innovative out-of-the-box thinking in young minds, especially engineering students from across India.
• The Grand Finale of the Smart India Hackathon 2023 is being held from the 19th to the 23rd December 2023.
• Participants: This year, more than 50 thousand ideas were received from 44 thousand teams, which is almost a sevenfold increase compared to the first edition of the Smart India Hackathon.
• Over 12 thousand participants and more than two thousand 500 mentors will take part in the grand finale, scheduled to be held at 48 nodal centres across the country.
• Themes: A total one thousand 282 teams have been shortlisted this year for the grand finale to provide solutions on various themes including Space Technology, Smart Education, Disaster Management, Robotics and Drones, Heritage and Culture and others.

MUST READ: ‘Hack The Crisis-India’ Hackathon

SOURCE: AIR

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) With reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, consider the following statements : (2018)

1. It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
2. It, among other things, will also impart training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy.
3. It aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the National Skill Qualification Framework.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Q.2) What is the aim of the programme ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’? (2017)

1. Achieving 100% literacy by promoting collaboration between voluntary organizations the government’s education system and local communities.
2. Connecting institutions of higher education with local communities to address development challenges through appropriate technologies.
3. Strengthening India’s scientific research institutions in order to make India a scientific and technological power.
4. Developing human capital by allocating special funds for health care and education of rural and urban poor, and organizing skill development programmes and vocational training for them.

Syllabus

• Prelims –IMPORTANT ORGANIZATIONS

Context: Recently, the Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)  signed $250 million loan for Industrial Corridor Development in India.

Background:-

• The loan will continue support to industrial corridor development to make manufacturing more competitive, strengthen national supply chains and links with regional and global value chains, and create more and better jobs.

About Asian Development Bank (ADB):-

IMAGE SOURCE: CORPORATEFINANCEINSTITUTE.COM

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank.
• It was established in 1966.
• First President: Takeshi Watanabe
• HQ: Manila, Philippines
• Objective: to promote social and economic development in Asia. (Multi-tranche financing facility)
• Membership: the bank admits members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and non-regional developed countries.
• Shareholders: Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% of total shares), the People’s Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia (5.8%).
• Voting rights: votes are distributed in proportion to members’ capital subscriptions.
• ADB is the official United Nations Observer.
• Roles and functions:-
  • It is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.

Key Publications:-

• ADB Annual Report 2022
• Asian Development Outlook April 2023
• Asian Economic Integration Report 2023: Trade, Investment, and Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific
• Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2022

India and ADB

• India is a founding member of ADB.
• India is the bank’s fourth-largest shareholder.
• ADB operations promote private sector development, gender empowerment, regional integration, knowledge solutions, and capacity development.
• ADB supports India’s priorities for robust, climate resilient, and inclusive growth, aligned with ADB’s Strategy 2030 and the forthcoming country partnership strategy, 2023–2027.
• ADB Projects in India:-
  • Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor Development Program (Tranche 2)
  • Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation, and Value Addition Project
  • Nhava Sheva Container Terminal Financing Project
  • Strengthening Vocational High Schools in South Asia
  • Olam Global Agri Food Security Support Project
  • Improving Bengaluru’s Livability Through Transit-Oriented Development
• Proposed projects:-
  • State Road Safety Incentive Program
  • Manipur State Road Connectivity Investment Program
  • Nashik Metro Neo Project
  • Road Sector Development in Tripura
  • Promoting Disaster Risk Insurance

MUST READ: ( Differences between the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). )

SOURCE: PIB

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) “Rapid Financing Instrument” and “Rapid Credit Facility” are related to the provisions of lending by which of the following: (2022)

1. Asian Development Bank
2. International Monetary Fund
3. United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative
4. World Bank

Q.2) With reference to the “G20 Common Framework”, consider the following statements: (2022)

1. It is an initiative endorsed by the G20 together with the Paris Club.
2. It is an initiative to support Low-Income Countries with unsustainable debt.

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

Syllabus

• Prelims –ART AND CULTURE

Context: Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur recalling his martyrdom.

Background:-

• He said his teachings, emphasizing unity and righteousness, “light our way” in the pursuit of brotherhood and peace.

About Guru Teg Bahadur:-

• Born: at Amritsar in 1621.
• Died: 17 December,1675.
• Guru Tegh Bahadur was the ninth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion., was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind.
• He was born to Mata Nanki and Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh guru, who raised an army against the Mughals and introduced the concept of warrior saints.
  • After Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru, the guruship became hereditary.
• He is known as a great teacher.
• Guru Tegh Bahadur was also an excellent warrior, thinker, and poet, who wrote detailed descriptions of the nature of God, mind, body, and physical attachments among other things spiritual.
• His writings are housed in the sacred text, ‘Guru Granth Sahib,’ in the form of 116 poetic hymns.
• During one such mission, he founded the town of Chak-Nanki in Punjab, which later became a part of Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib.
• He was publicly killed in 1675 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi for refusing Mughal rulers and defying them.
• Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi mark the places of execution and cremation of his body.

MUST READ: Guru Nanak Dev

SOURCE: TIMES OF INDIA

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

Q.1) The Prime Minister recently inaugurated the new Circuit House near Somnath Temple Veraval. Which of the following statements are correct regarding Somnath Temple? (2022)

1. Somnath Temple is one of the Jyotirlinga shrines.
2. A description of Somnath Temple was given by Al-Biruni.
3. Pran Pratishtha of Somnath Temple (installation of the present-day temple) was done by President S. Radhakrishnan.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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 Indian history, who of the following was known as “Kulah-Daran”? (2022)

1. Arab merchants
2. Qalandars
3. Persian calligraphists
4. Sayyids

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 :

Guru Teg Bahadur was the ninth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion.

Statement-II :

He was the oldest Guru in Sikhism.

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 Voyager 1, consider the following statements:

1. It is the oldest human-made spacecraft in history.
2. It was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla. / Launch Complex 41.
3. It was launched to fly by Jupiter and Neptune.

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

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

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

ANSWERS FOR ’  19th December 2023 – Daily Practice MCQs’ will be updated along with tomorrow’s Daily Current Affairs.st

Q.1) – a

Q.2) – b

Q.3) – b