UPSC 2024: Weekly GK and Current Affairs Quiz Jan 13 - Jan 19

Deepfakes are digital media – video, audio, and images edited and manipulated using Artificial Intelligence.  Deepfakes can be used to damage reputation, fabricate evidence, defraud the public, and undermine trust in democratic institutions.

• Paradip Port is a natural, deep-water port on the East coast of India in the Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha. It is situated at the confluence of the Mahanadi river and the Bay of Bengal.
• The port is administered by the Paradip Port Trust (PPT), an autonomous corporation wholly owned by the Government of India.
• Paradip Port Trust (PPT) is a Major Port under Government of India and administered under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963, was commissioned in 1966 as a mono commodity port for export of iron ore.
• In December 2022, the Paradip Port handled 12.6 million metric tonnes of cargo, the highest monthly cargo volume recorded by any major port in the nation.
  • As of December 2022, PPA has handled 96.81 MMT of cargo, compared to 83.6 MMT over the same period in the prior fiscal year.

• Statement 01 is incorrect,The Indian Science Congress is the annual gathering of researchers in India. It is organised by ISCA (Indian Science Congress Association), headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• Statement 02 is correct, The Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) owes its origin to the foresight and initiative of two British Chemists, namely, Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P.S. MacMahon.
• Statement 03 is correct, The first meeting of the Congress was held from January 15-17, 1914 at the premises of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta.

• The evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA) is a mission aiming at exploring the Gravitational Universe from space for the first time.
• The eLISA mission consists of a “Mother” and two “Daughter” spacecraft. These will orbit the Sun in a triangular configuration.
• The three satellites will form a precision interferometer, with the two Daughter spacecraft connected to the Mother one by 1 million km long laser beams.
•  This interferometer will be capable of detecting gravitational waves at frequencies in the range of 0.1 mHz to 1 Hz.
• eLISA is designed with orbits that allow the three satellites to maintain their near-equilateral triangular configuration.

• Statement 1 is correct, Kanikkaran is a tribal community found in the southern parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Statement 2 is not correct, Kanikkaran tribal community dwells in forests near Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam in Kerala, and Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts in Tamil Nadu.
• Statement 3 is correct, Kaanikkar Nritham is a group dance performed as a ritual offering.
  • The steps of the dancers are perfectly synchronised with the waving of the hands and beating of drums.

• Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP) envisages coverage of border villages on the northern border having a sparse population, limited connectivity and infrastructure, which often get left out of the development gains.
• The Programme was announced through the Union Budget 2022.

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has released draft amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 in order to regulate Online Gaming.
• The draft has been formulated to make sure that online games should be offered in conformity with Indian laws and that the users of such games be safeguarded against potential harm.

• The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) have launched the ‘SMART’ (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals) programme.
• The Programme aims at boosting scientific research in priority healthcare research areas through Ayurveda colleges and hospitals.
• NCISM and CCRAS are the two prominent institutions under the Ministry of Ayush, for regulating medical education and conducting scientific research respectively.

• Statement 1 is correct, AIIB has about 105 member nations.
• Statement 2 is not correct, China is the AIIB’s largest shareholder followed by India and Russia.
• Statement 3 is not correct, AIIB has both regional (Asian) as well as non-regional members.
  • AIIB is a multilateral development bank focused on developing Asia, but has members from all over the world.

• Statement 1 is not correct, The Delimitation commission is set up by the Government of India (Union government) under the provisions of the Delimitation Commission Act.
  • The Parliament has enacted delimitation Acts in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002 providing for the appointment of the Delimitation Commission.
• Statement 2 is not correct, The Delimitation Commission works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India.

• Statement 1 is correct, 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC) will be held from the 3rd to the 7th of January 2023.
• Statement 2 is correct, The focal theme of the 108th ISC is “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment”.
• Statement 3 is not correct, India moved to the 40th position in the Global Innovation Index in 2022.
  • The Global Innovation Index (GII) is published by INSEAD, Cornell University, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 

• The ranking of Indian states based on the availability of Bauxite, as per the Indian Minerals’ Yearbook,
  • Odisha (51%)
  • Andhra Pradesh (16%)
  • Gujarat (9%)
  • Jharkhand (6%)

• Statement 1 is not correct, The Border Roads Organisation functions under the control of the Ministry of Defence.
• Statement 2 is correct, The Border Roads Organisation is also operational and functional in India’s friendly countries like neighbouring countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.
• Statement 3 is correct, The Border Roads Organisation also undertakes reconstruction works in case of a calamity or natural disaster.

• Statement 1 is correct, Coal ash contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium and arsenic.
• Statement 2 is correct, Coal-fired power plants release oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter (PM), mercury, and dozens of other substances known to be hazardous.
• Statement 3 is correct, Indian coal has comparatively higher ash content due to the drift theory of the formation of coal deposits in India.
  • The ash content of coal produced in the country is generally 25 to 45% whereas the average ash content of imported coal varies from 10 to 20%.

• Statement 1 is not correct, Kala-azar or black fever is a protozoan parasitic disease, spread by sandfly bites.
• Statement 2 is not correct, Kala Azar or Black fever disease is endemic to Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
  • It is a notifiable disease in these states.
• Statement 3 is not correct, India is committed to eliminating Kala Azar from the country by 2023.
  • There has been a 98.7% decline in Kala Azar cases from 44,533 (2007) to 834 (2022).
  • 99.8% endemic blocks have already achieved elimination status (<1 case/10,000) and only one block i.e. Littipara of Pakur district, Jharkhand is in the endemic category.

• Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) is a personal health viewer application from the National Health Authority.
• ABHA is a 14-digit unique number used to identify people, authenticate them, and thread their health records across multiple healthcare service providers under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme.

• Statement 1 is correct, The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 provides for the establishment of the National Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Board.
• Statement 2 is not correct, Parliament passed the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act and the Surrogacy Act in December 2021.
  • The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act aims to regulate the ART industry.
  • The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 regulates surrogacy in India.
• Statement 3 is correct, Under Section 21(g) of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, the upper age limit for ART treatment is fixed at 55 years for men and 50 years for women.

• Statement 1 is correct, A satellite town or satellite city is a concept in urban planning and is developed to depopulate the main urban or city centres.
• Statement 2 is not correct, Satellite cities are different from suburbs because satellite cities have their own centres whereas suburbs are merely the extension of a large city.

• Statement 1 is not correct, China is the world’s largest manufacturer of Silicon, followed by Russia, the US, and Brazil.
  • India is not one of the top producers of Silicon and Silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units.
• Statement 2 is not correct, The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) determines the solar tariffs in India.

• Sweet Revolution in India also known as Honey Mission was launched to increase the promotion of the development of scientific beekeeping and the production of honey.
• The Prime Minister of India called for the Sweet Revolution in 2016 with the vision to double the income of the farmers by 2024. It was launched to promote beekeeping and associated activities.

• Statement 1 is correct, A Cold Wave is defined as a sudden fall in temperature in the same region and date as compared to its normal temperatures for previous years.
  • Cold Wave is declared when the minimum temperature dips 4.5 to 6.4 degrees Celsius below the normal minimum temperature.
• Statement 2 is correct, As per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), a cold wave in the plains occurs when the temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and the minimum temperature falls below 4 degrees Celsius.

• Statement 1 is correct, High-interest rates help in controlling/reducing inflation while low-interest rates may lead to a rise in inflation.
• Statement 2 is correct, A real interest rate is one that has been adjusted for inflation and the real rate of return will be low if inflation is high.
• Statement 3 is not correct, Interest rates on the small saving scheme are fixed by the Union Government from time to time.

• Statement 1 is not correct, The National Education Policy [NEP], 2020 has envisioned that top universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India.
  • A foreign university with a rank among the top 500 global rankings or a foreign educational institution of repute in its home jurisdiction can apply to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to set up a campus in India.
• Statement 2 is correct, The universities can formulate their own admission process, criteria for admission of domestic and foreign students and also have the autonomy to decide their fee structure.
  • The universities will face no caps that are imposed on Indian institutions but the fee should be “reasonable and transparent”.

• Statement 1 is not correct, The concept of Bodhisattva is central to the Mahayana sect of Buddhism.
• Statement 2 is correct, Bodhisattva refers to an enlightened and compassionate being.
• Statement 3 is correct, Bodhisattva compassionately refrains from entering nirvana in order to save others and is worshipped as a deity.

• Statement 1 is correct,  United Nations military personnel are the Blue Helmets on the ground who work alongside the U.N. Police and civilian colleagues to promote “stability, security, and peace processes”.
  • Blue Helmets protect personnel and property, and work with local communities, and security forces to promote lasting peace.
• Statement 2 is not correct, The Indian Army deployed the first-ever all-women contingent in Liberia in 2007 as part of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
• Statement 3 is correct, Abyei is a disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan and is situated on the border between South Sudan and Sudan.

• Pair 1 is correct, The Six Degree Channel also known as “the Great Channel” separates Indira Point in Great Nicobar Islands and Rondo Island in Aceh Province, Indonesia.
• Pair 2 is correct, The Eight Degree Channel separates the islands of Minicoy in Lakshadweep and Maldives.
• Pair 3 is correct, The Ten Degree Channel separates the Little Andaman (Andaman Islands) and Car Nicobar (Nicobar Islands) in the Bay of Bengal.

• The Arab Spring was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world in the early 2010s.
• The Arab Spring started in Tunisia and spread to many countries such as Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Morocco.

• Modern polo is said to have originated from Sagol Kangjei which is an ancient traditional sport indigenous to Manipur.
• In Sagol Kangjei, players ride horses, specifically the Manipur Ponies, which are referenced in records dating back to the 14th century.
• The Manipur Pony is among the five recognised equine breeds of India, and is of cultural significance for Manipuri society.

• Statement 1 is correct, Coffee is a tropical plantation crop. It requires a hot and humid climate with a temperature varying between 21°C to 27°C and rainfall of 150 to 250 cm.
  • Tea is cultivated around the world today, mostly in tropical and subtropical regions and it requires deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus, and organic matter.
• Statement 2 is not correct, Coffee can be propagated through seeds or from cloned plants in the form of cuttings, grafts or tissue-cultured plants.
  • Tea is propagated from seeds and also from rooted leaf cuttings.

The Living Root bridges are seen throughout the East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. They embody the self-sufficiency of the Khasi tribes and their relationship with forests. The structure of the bridge is entirely made from tree branches, trunks, and roots.

Image Source: National Geographic