Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC & State PSC Exams (03 August 2023)

Current Affairs MCQs Quiz for UPSC, IAS, UPPSC/UPPCS, MPPSC. BPSC, RPSC & All State PSC Exams

Date: 03 August 2023

1. With reference to Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, consider the following statements:

1. It is a micro credit scheme, facilitating a working capital collateral free loan without any interest.
2. It is launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2020 and covers whole India.
3. Recently, lending period of this scheme has been extended till December 2025.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Answer: (D)

Explanation:

  • It is a micro credit scheme, facilitating a working capital collateral free loan of ₹10,000, with subsequent loans of ₹20,000 and ₹50,000 with 7% interest subsidy. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
  • It is launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2020. The Scheme is available for beneficiaries belonging to only those States/UTs which have notified Rules and Scheme under Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
  • The scheme incentivizes digital transactions by vendors through cash back facility. Recently lending period extended till December 2024. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

2. Consider the following statements, with reference to Hela Cells:

Statement I - HeLa cells are used by scientists to develop a cancer research method that tests whether a cell line is cancerous or not.
Statement II - HeLa cells can continuously grow and reproduce in lab cultures.

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

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I.
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement II is incorrect.
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.

Answer: (B)

Explanation: HeLa is an immortal cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line is named after and derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951, from Henrietta Lacks, a 31-year-old African-American mother of five, who died of cancer on October 4, 1951. HeLa cells are used by scientists to develop a cancer research method that tests whether a cell line is cancerous or not. This method proves so reliable that scientists use it to this day. HeLa cells can continuously grow and reproduce in lab cultures. Hence, both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

3. With reference to Paleo Proxies, consider the following statements:

1. Paleo Proxies are indirect evidence or indicators that scientists use to reconstruct past environmental conditions, such as climate, vegetation, or ocean conditions.
2. They can only provide a larger scale or seasonal timescale temperature anomaly estimates of a past era.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (C)

Explanation: Paleo Proxies are indirect evidence or indicators that scientists use to reconstruct past environmental conditions, such as climate, vegetation, or ocean conditions. They can only provide a larger scale or seasonal timescale temperature anomaly estimates of a past era. They cannot estimate daily temperatures or short-term changes, and global estimates based on averaging local proxies have higher uncertainties. Paleo Proxies offer valuable insights into climate responses over longer timescales, like the Holocene epoch. Examples: Tree rings, ice cores, sediment layers, fossilised pollen, coral data etc. Hence, both statements are correct.

4. LK-99, sometimes seen in the news is related to:

(a) A tool to analyse lightweight minerals
(b) An instrument to convert lightning into electricity
(c) A superconductor at room temperature
(d) A procedure to produce Nano particles at low cost

Answer: (C)

Explanation: LK-99 is a lead-based compound, is purportedly a room-temperature, ambient-pressure superconductor. The material is a copper-doped lead apatite, a type of phosphate mineral. The labels ‘L’ and ‘K’ are traced to the initials of the 3 South Korean scientists – Sukbae Lee, Ji-Hoon Kim, and Young-Wan Kwon who have discovered this material. Elemental mercury, a liquid metal at ambient conditions, becomes a superconductor at an unimaginably cold temperature of -268 degrees Celsius. Hence, option (c) is correct.

5. Consider the following statements with reference, to PM Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India (PM –YASASVI):

1. It is a Centrally Sector Scheme that provides scholarship for Other Backward Class (OBCs) students only.
2. The scheme is implemented by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
3. Scholarship under the Scheme will be available for studies in India only.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Answer: (B)

Explanation:

  • PM –YASASVI is Centrally Sponsored Schemes for vulnerable groups comprising of Other Backward Class (OBCs), Economically Backward Class (EBC) and Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNT/S-NT). Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
  • Scholarship under the Scheme will be available for studies in India only and will be awarded by the Government of the State/Union Territory to which the applicant belongs. The scholarship will be provided for students studying in Government Schools only. The students should be studying in class IX and X on a full-time basis in Government Schools only. The students shall be given a consolidated academic allowance of Rs. 4000 per annum. The scheme is implemented by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Hence, statement 2 and 3 are correct.