Daily Current Affairs for UPSC

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

Q) Which one of the following statements is not correct with reference to Landslide?

Explanation:

Option (1) is correct: Landslide is the rapid sliding of large mass of bedrocks. It is defined as themovement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope. They are a type of mass wasting, which denotes any downward movement of soil and rock under the direct influence of gravity.
Option (2) is incorrect: As per the ‘Land Slide Atlas of India 2023’ approximately 0.42 million sq. km or 12.6% of land area of India, excluding snow covered area, is prone to landslide hazard. In India, landslides mostly occur in the monsoon season. Himalayas and Western Ghats are highly susceptible to mass movements due to hilly topography and heavy rainfall.
Option (3) is correct: The steep escarpments of the Western Ghats record occurrences of landslides, but however, these are primarily controlled by the soil cover on the slopes. The vulnerability of the inhabitants and households is more significant in the Western Ghats due to the very high population and household density, especially in Kerala, even when fewer landslides exist than in the Himalayan regions.
Option (4) is correct: The term landslide encompasses five modes of slope movement i.e., falls, topples, slides, spreads, and flows. Lateral Spreads is the lateral movement usually occurs on very gentle slopes or flat terrain. The failure is caused by liquefaction due to earthquake.

Q) Consider the following statements about Star Rating of mines:

It provides rating for all the mines in India.
The participants can also review the performance of other mines.
It aims to increase competitiveness among mines by recognizing their compliance with statutory provisions.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Ministry of Coal has announced the commencement of Star Rating Registration process of only Coal and Lignite Mines for the financial year 2022-23. The Government’s Star Rating policy aims to evaluate mines based on various factors across seven key parameters namely:
Mining operations
Environment-related parameters
Adoption of technologies
Best mining practices
Economic performance
Rehabilitation & resettlement
Worker-related compliance
Safety and security
Statement 2 is correct: The ratings awarded range from Five Star to NO Star, comprehensively evaluating each mine’s achievements. Participating mines are encouraged to undertake a comprehensive self-evaluation process, which should be completed by July 31, 2023. Upon completion, the top 10% of the highest-scoring mines will be selected for further validation through an inspection conducted by a committee. While the remaining 90% of the mines will undergo an online review process, all participants can contribute to the evaluation by reviewing other mines.
Statement 3 is correct: The policy has been introduced to foster competitiveness among mines and recognize their outstanding performance based on compliance of statutory provisions, adoption of advanced mining technology and economic achievements.

Q) With reference to National Health Mission (NHM), consider the following statements:

NHM is a central-sector scheme to provide affordable healthcare.
NHM aims to reduce the maternal mortality ratio to 90 by 2025.
The Infant Mortality Rate has decreased by as much as 60 percent in the last three decades due to NHM.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: The National Health Mission (NHM) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme which envisages to provide financial and technical support to States / Union Territories (UTs) enabling them to provide accessible, affordable, accountable, and effective healthcare up to District Hospitals (DHs), especially to the poor and vulnerable sections of the population.
Statement 2 is correct: NHM is implemented for universal benefit that is entire population; services are offered to everyone visiting the public healthcare facilities with a special focus to vulnerable sections of the society. Targets under NHM by 2025:
Reduce Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) to 90 from 113
Reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to 23 from 32
Reduce Under 5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) to 23 from 36
Sustain Total Fertility Rate (TFR) to 2.1
Statement 3 is correct: Under-five mortality rate(U5MR) has declined from 49 in 2013 to 36 in 2018. As per SRS 2020, U5MR has further reduced to 32. Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined by 443 points from 556 per one lakh live births in 1990 to 113 in 2016-18. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has declined from 80 in 1990 to 32 (nearly 60 percent) in the year 2018. As per Sample Registration System (SRS) 2020, IMR has further reduced to 28.

Q) Consider the following statements:

Statement-1: Biofortified foods have higher nutritional content compared to their conventional counterparts.
Statement-2: In these foods specific genes responsible for nutrient production are added through CRISPR-Cas9 technology.

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

Both Statement-1 and Statement-2 are correct and Statement-2 is the correct explanation for Statement-1
Both Statement-1 and Statement-2 are correct and Statement-2 is not the correct explanation for Statemeht-1
Statement-1 is correct but Statement-2 is incorrect
Statement-1 is incorrect but Statement-2 is correct

Explanation:

Option (1) is correct: Biofortified foods are crops that have been deliberately bred and developed to have higher nutritional content compared to their conventional counterparts. The process of biofortification involves using conventional plant breeding techniques to enhance the concentration of essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients in food crops. The goal is to address micronutrient deficiencies, also known as hidden hunger, which affects millions of people around the world, particularly in developing countries. In some cases, genetic engineering techniques are used to introduce specific genes responsible for nutrient production into the crop’s genome. CRISPR-Cas9 is advanced biotechnological tool allows for targeted modifications of specific genes in the crop’s genome to enhance nutrient content.

Q) With reference to start-ups in India, consider the following statements:

As per the Economic Survey 2021–22, most of the startups are in the services sector.
The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme provides financial assistance to startups at the product trial stage.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The Indian startup ecosystem has evolved dynamically over the last two decades. Startups in India are emerging in the fields of IT, agriculture, aviation, education, energy, health and space sectors. As per the Economic Survey 2021-22 India has become the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world after the US and China. Most of the startups are in the services sector and 49% of the startups are from tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Statement 2 is correct: Startup India Seed Fund Scheme aims to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization. The Union Government has also established FFS with a corpus of Rs. 10,000 crores, to meet the funding needs of startups.