Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC & State PSC Exams (13 October 2023)

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

Date: 13 October 2023

1. Consider the following statements, with reference to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in India:

1. It is the handling of sperm or the oocyte outside the human body and transferring into the reproductive system of a woman.
2. In India, ART is open only to married couples.
3. Only a married woman with a child of her own can become a surrogate mother in India.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (B)

Explanation: It defines ART procedures as all techniques that attempt to obtain a pregnancy by handling the sperm or the oocyte (the immature female egg) outside the human body and transferring into the reproductive system of a woman. This is open to married couples, live-in partners, single women, and also foreigners. ART procedures include gamete donation, intrauterine insemination, and in-vitro fertilisation or IVF. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 (SRA) says the surrogate mother should be married and have a child of her own. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

2. Consider the following statements regarding the Sovereign Green Bonds (SGB):

1. They are fixed-income instruments designed to finance projects that have been specifically earmarked as climate or environment-related.
2. SGBs are issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change.
3. India is the only country to have issued SGBs exclusively to fund climate sustainability and green infrastructure projects.

How many of the statements is/are correct?

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

Answer: (A)

Explanation: They are fixed-income instruments designed to finance projects that have been specifically earmarked as climate or environment-related. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issues the sovereign green bonds in line with global standards in India. The proceeds will be deployed in public sector projects which help in reducing the carbon intensity of the economy. The issuance of green bonds is part of the Union Budget 2022-23 announcement. India is among 25 other countries to have issued bonds to exclusively fund climate sustainability and green infrastructure projects and initiatives. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

3. Consider the following statements regarding the Mahakal Temple:

1. The Mahakal temple is located in Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
2. Ujjain is geographically situated at a spot where the zero meridian longitude and the Tropic of Cancer intersect.
3. The temple is built using both the Chalukya and Maratha Style of architecture.

How many of the statements is/are correct?

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

Answer: (C)

Explanation: The temple is located in Ujjain in the state of Madhya Pradesh. There are 12 jyotirlinga sites in India, considered a manifestation of Shiva. 12 temples: Mahakal, Somnath and Nageshwar in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna in Andhra Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, Bhimashankar, Triyambakeshwar and Grishneshwar in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi, Baidyanath in Jharkhand, and Rameshwar in Tamil Nadu. Mahakal is the only jyotirlinga facing the south, while all the other jyotirlingas face east. The Mahakal temple finds a mention in several ancient Indian poetic texts. In the early part of the Meghadutam (Purva Megha) composed in the 4th century, Kalidasa gives a description of the Mahakal temple. It is described as one with a stone foundation, with the ceiling on wooden pillars. There would be no shikharas or spires on the temples prior to the Gupta period. The present five-storeyed structure was built by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde in1734, in the Bhumija, Chalukya and Maratha styles of architecture. A century later, its marble walkways were restored by the Scindias. Ujjain is geographically situated at a spot where the zero meridian of longitude and the Tropic of Cancer intersect. Hence, all statements are correct.

4. Consider the following statements, with reference to International Big Cat Alliance:

1. It is a mega global alliance launched by India during the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger.
2. The alliance aims at the conservation of the world's seven principal big cats.

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: International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is a mega global alliance launched by India in April 2023 during the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger. The Intergovernmental body has 97 countries with many Asian and African countries becoming a part of the alliance. The alliance aims at the conservation of the world's seven principal big cats, which include the tiger, lion, snow leopard, leopard, jaguar, puma, and cheetah. Through the alliance, the member nations exchange experiences, provide faster assistance to their neighbours and place a strong emphasis on capacity building. Hence, both statements are correct.

5. With respect to the rescue missions conducted by India, consider the following pairs?

Operations Area of Operation
1. Operation Sukoon Yemen
2. Operation Ajay Israel
3. Operation Kaveri Turkey

How many of the above pairs are correct?

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

Answer: (C)

Explanation:

  • Operation Sukoon was an operation launched by the Indian Navy to evacuate Indian, Sri Lankan and Nepalese nationals, as well as Lebanese nationals with Indian spouses, from the conflict zone during the 2006 Lebanon War.
  • Operation Safe Homecoming was an operation launched by the Indian government in 2011, to evacuate its citizens who were fleeing from the Libyan Civil War.
  • Operation Raahat was an operation of the Indian Armed Forces to evacuate Indian citizens and foreign nationals from Yemen during the 2015 military intervention by Saudi Arabia and its allies in that country during the Yemeni Crisis.
  • India announced the launch "Operation Ajay" on Wednesday to help Indians stuck in Israel to return home as fresh tension triggered in the region as Hamas militants made a series of brazen attacks on Israeli towns over the weekend.
  • Operation Kaveri is a codename for India's evacuation effort to bring back its citizens stranded in Sudan amid intense fighting between the army and a rival paramilitary force there.

Hence, only pair 2 is correctly matched.