Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 23 December 2022

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2022

Q) Recently seen in news, the ‘Dokra Art’ is best related to which one of the following?

1. A traditional painting done by the Bhil tribal group during the harvest season.
2. A basket-weaving technique which is associated with the women of Garo tribe.
3. A unique painting done on handloom using a mixture of rice and natural gum.
4. An ancient craft of metal casting through the use of hollow wax method.

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 22 December 2022

Explanation:

• Option (4) is correct: Dokra Art is an ancient craft of metal casting through the hollow wax method, and is believed to be over 4,000 years old. The craft is believed to have originated from Chota Nagpur in neighboring Jharkhand state several centuries ago. Its documented history is about 5,000 years old. The dancing girl of Mohenjo Daro is believed to be one of the earliest artifacts of Dokra. Lalbazar is emerging as an art hub and moving towards becoming a centre for Dokra, a metalcraft popular in West Bengal. Lalbazar, also known as Khwaabgram (‘village of dreams’), is located about 4 km from Jhargram and is peopled by members of the Lodha tribe, once outlawed by the British. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the state government and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2013 enabled the formation of rural craft hubs (RCH).

Q) Consider the following statements about New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC):

1. NDIAC is recognized as an institution of national importance.
2. A judge of the Supreme Court or High Court can only be appointed as the chairman of NDIAC.
3. The accounts of the NDIAC will be audited and certified by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India.

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: NDIAC was setup in 2019 under the provisions of New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) Act, 2019 for better management of arbitration in India. The Act declared NDIAC as an institution of national importance. NDAIC has replaced the International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ICADR), an existing institution established in the year 1995.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (NDIAC) consist of seven members:
  • A Chairperson who may be a Judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court, or an eminent person with special knowledge and experience in the conduct or administration of arbitration.
  • Two eminent persons having substantial knowledge and experience in institutional arbitration
  • Three ex-officio members, including a nominee from the Ministry of Finance and a Chief Executive Officer (responsible for the day-to-day administration of the NDIAC).
  • A representative from a recognized body of commerce and industry, appointed as a part-time member, on a rotational basis.
• Statement 3 is correct: The NDIAC will be required to maintain a fund which will be credited with grants received from the central government, fees collected for its activities, and other sources. The accounts of the NDIAC will be audited and certified by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India. The NDIAC will establish a Chamber of Arbitration which will maintain a permanent panel of arbitrators. Further, the NDIAC may also establish an Arbitration Academy for training arbitrators and conducting research in the area of alternative dispute resolution. The NDIAC may also constitute other committees to administer its functions.

Q) With reference to ‘InSight lander’, consider the following statements:

1. It is part of NASA’s Discovery Program.
2. It uses the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to gather information.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: InSight lander, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, was a part of the NASA’s Discovery Program for Mars. InSight was one of four missions currently on the Red Planet -along with the US rovers Perseverance and Curiosity and China’s Zhurong.
• Statement 2 is correct: InSight uses the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. Based on the lander’s seismic observations scientists were able to confirm that the core of Mars is liquid and to determine the thickness of the Martian crust, less dense than previously thought and likely consisting of three layers. The lander yielded details about the weather on Mars and lots of quake activity.

Q) Consider the following statements about hydrogen fuel:

1. Hydrogen has the highest energy content of any common fuel by weight.
2. Metals such as platinum and iridium are used as catalysts in hydrogen fuel cells.
3. Purple hydrogen is made from the thermal splitting of methane through pyrolysis.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Hydrogen is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic and highly combustible gaseous substance. It is the lightest, simplest and most abundant element in the Universe. It is a Clean and Flexible Energy Source to support Zero-Carbon Energy Strategies. Hydrogen fuel cell technology provides a high-density source of energy with good energy efficiency. Hydrogen has the highest energy content of any common fuel by weight.
• Statement 2 is correct: Despite being the most abundant element in the Universe, hydrogen does not exist on its own so needs to be extracted from water via electrolysis or separated from carbon fossil fuels. Hydrogen fuel cells need investment to be developed to the point where they become a genuinely viable energy source. Precious metals such as platinum and iridium are typically required as catalysts in fuel cells and some types of water electrolyser, which means that the initial cost of fuel cells (and electrolysers) can be high. Storage and transportation of hydrogen is more complex than that required for fossil fuels. This implies additional costs to consider for hydrogen fuel cells as a source of energy.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Purple hydrogen is made using nuclear power and heat through combined chemo thermal electrolysis splitting of water. Whereas turquoise hydrogen is made from the thermal splitting of methane through methane pyrolysis. A recent study shows that if 10% leaks during hydrogen production, transportation, storage, or use, the benefits of using green hydrogen over fossil fuels would be completely wiped out. It estimates that leakage rates could reach up to 5.6% by 2050 when hydrogen is being used more widely.

Q) With reference to ‘TVS-2M fuel’, consider the following statements:

1. It is a type of nuclear fuel that contains more uranium than the usual nuclear fuel.
2. It contains an anti-debris filter that will protect it from debris damage.

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Russian State-owned nuclear energy corporation (Rosatom) has offered a more advanced TVS-2M type fuel to the Kudankulam Nuclear power plant. The TVS-2M contain gadolinium-oxide which is mixed with U-235 enrichments. However, the core does not contain BARs (Burnable Absorbers Rods). The new fuel contains more uranium, with one TVS-2 M assembly containing 7.6% more fuel material than that of the usual UTVS fuel.
• Statement 2 is correct: TVS-2M fuel assemblies in KKNPP reactors will ensure 18-month operating cycles as against a 12-month operating cycle with UTVS Fuel Assemblies. The efficiency of a plant will increase as reactors have to undergo stoppage and refueling less frequently, producing more electricity. The plant needs to buy less fuel as operating cycles are more, thereby saving cost. The fuel bundles contain anti-debris filter ADF-2, that protects bundles from debris damage, which may be caused by small-size objects in the reactor core. Because of the welded frame of the new fuel bundle, the fuel assemblies in the reactor core retain their geometry. This makes them more vibration resistant.

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