Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 3 May 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

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

1. A technology to restore coral reefs
2. Development of oceanic thermal energy
3. Creation of eco-friendly space based technology
4. A form of hacking that uses discoverable Bluetooth connection

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 2 May April 2023

Explanation:

• Option (4) is correct: Bluebugging is a form of hacking that lets attackers access a device through its discoverable Bluetooth connection. Once a device or phone is bluebugged, a hacker can listen to the calls, read and send messages and steal and modify contacts. Several smartphones have their Bluetooth settings on discovery mode as it is a default setting, making it easy for hackers to access the phones when they are within 10 metres from the device. Once a connection is established, hackers can use brute force attacks to bypass authentication. They can install malware in the compromised device to gain unauthorised access to it. Recently, Andhra Pradesh district Superintendent of Police has asked the people to be wary of “bluebugging.”

Q) Consider the following statements about World Trade Organization (WTO):

1. A multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement is an alternative system for resolving WTO disputes.
2. The WTO developed a Harmonised System of Nomenclature to standardise the names and numbers used to classify traded products.
3. Recently, the WTO upheld various tariffs imposed by India on certain information and communication technology products as illegal.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: MPIA (Multi-party interim appeal arbitration arrangement) is an alternative system for resolving WTO disputes that are appealed by a member in the absence of a functioning and staffed WTO Appellate Body. The MPIA embodies the WTO appellate review rules and in a dispute between members, it will supersede the previous appeal processes and also apply to future disputes between members. Any member can join the MPIA by notifying the Dispute Settlement Body and a range of members have done so.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) is an international standardized system of names and numbers to classify traded products. It was developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and is used by over 200 countries as a basis for their customs tariffs and for the collection of international trade statistics. The HSN contains over 5,000 product groups, organized into 21 sections, each identified by a two-digit code. The system provides a common language for international trade and simplifies the process of customs clearance by standardizing the classification of products.
• Statement 3 is correct: In its recent panel ruling, the WTO upheld all EU claims against India and found that India’s tariffs on certain ICT products, such as mobile phones, were not in line with its WTO commitments, and thus is illegal. The dispute involves India’s tariffs on certain information and communication technology (ICT) products such as mobile phones, which the EU, Japan, and Taiwan have claimed to be inconsistent with India’s WTO obligations. The EU deemed these duties a direct breach of WTO rules and argued that India was obliged under the WTO commitments to apply a zero-duty rate to such products.

Q) With reference to Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), consider the following statements:

1. PMI includes economic trends in both the manufacturing and service sectors.
2. PMI data helps suppliers set prices and also affects the bond market in the country.
3. PMI is released and compiled annually by the Central Statistical Organization.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct but statement 3 is correct:India’s manufacturing PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index) has risen to a four-month in April 2023. It is an index of the prevailing direction of economic trends in the manufacturing and service sectors which is derived after monthly surveys of different companies. There are two types of PMI -Manufacturing PMI and Services PMI. A combined index is also made using both manufacturing PMI and services PMI. Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) is released and compiled by the Institute for Supply and Management (ISM) every month based on the survey that is conducted monthly and is sent to the senior executives of over 400 companies
• Statement 2 is correct:Manufacturing activities in India have accelerated as Manufacturing PMI increased from 56.4 (March 2023) to 57.2 (April 2023).It has been boosted by robust new business growth, mild price pressures, better international sales, and improving supply-chain conditions. When compared to competitive economies, an economy’s attractiveness is improved by a positive PMI reading. Suppliers may set prices in response to changes in the PMI. Academics, investors, business people, traders, and financial experts regularly monitor it as a reliable indicator of economic boom-and-bust cycles. Since it is released at the start of every month, PMI is also viewed as a leading indicator of economic activity. Central banks set interest rates based on the PMI. Releases of the PMI have an effect on the bond and currency markets in addition to the equities market.

Q) Consider the following statements about Cantonment:

1. It is an administrative civic body that operates under the regulation of the Ministry of Defence in India.
2. Currently, state welfare programmes are not available to civilian residents of cantonments.

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:

• Both statements are correct: Recently, central government has decided to dissolve all 62 army cantonment boards in the country thereby discontinuing the colonial era cantonment system. Khasyol Cantonment Board (KCB) in Dharamshala has become the first cantonment in the country to have its civilian area separated and removed from Army control. The civilian areas will be merged with the local municipalities, which will be responsible for their maintenance among other things.
• A cantonment board is an administrative civic body that operates under the regulation of the Ministry of Defense in India. They are deemed municipalities and running municipalities is a state subject. They are governed by Cantonment Boards through the Defence Estates Department of the Ministry of Defence. Affairs related to the cantonments, including construction of new buildings, height of building, commercial conversion, sewage and rest were all controlled by the Cantonment Board. At the time of Independence there were 56 cantonments and 6 more were notified after 1947, the last one being Ajmer in 1962. Currently, Civilian residents of cantonments are not benefited from state welfare schemes.

Q) With reference to Dengue, consider the following statements:

1. It is a tropical disease caused by a flavivirus.
2. It can spread directly from person to person.
3. Recently, Bharat Biotech developed the Dengvaxia vaccine to curb dengue.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is correct: Recently, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have found that dengue virus has evolved dramatically over the last few decades in the Indian subcontinent. Dengue is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus (Genus Flavivirus), transmitted by several species of female mosquito within the genus Aedes, principally Aedes aegypti.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Dengue cannot be spread directly from person to person. However, a person infected and suffering from dengue fever can infect other mosquitoes. Although it usually results in mild illness, severe dengue infections can sometimes prove fatal. In recent years, Dengue 2 has become more dominant across India, while Dengue 4—once considered the least infectious—is now making a niche for itself in South India
• Statement 3 is incorrect: There are no approved vaccines against dengue in India, although some vaccines have been developed in other countries. Dengvaxia was approved by the US Food & Drug Administration in 2019, the first dengue vaccine to get the regulatory nod in the US.

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