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Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 12 January 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

Q) Which one of the following statements is not correct about Ozone layer in atmosphere?

  1. It is formed by photo-dissociation of oxygen atoms.
  2. It absorbs about 99 per cent of the Ultra Violet-A rays.
  3. It is mainly found in the lower part of the stratosphere.
  4. Vienna Convention of 1985 is associated with ozone protection.

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 11 January 2023

Explanation:

  • Option (1) is correct: The ozone layer or ozone shield is a region of Earth’s stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation. The ozone layer contains less than 10 parts per million of ozone, while the average ozone concentration in Earth’s atmosphere as a whole is about 0.3 parts per million. The production of ozone in the stratosphere results primarily from the breaking of the chemical bonds within oxygen molecules (O2) by high-energy solar photons. This process is called photo-dissociation and it results in the release of single oxygen atoms, which later join with intact oxygen molecules to form ozone.
  • Option (2) is incorrect: It effectively blocks almost all solar radiation of wavelengths less than 290 nm from reaching Earth’s surface, including certain types of ultraviolet (UV) and other forms of radiation that could injure or kill most living things. Ozone absorbs about 50 per cent of the UV-A rays. Ozone absorbs more than 99 per cent of UV-C rays — the most dangerous portion of the spectrum. Ozone absorbs about 90 per cent of the UV-B rays — but the 10 per cent that makes it through is a big factor in inducing sunburns and triggering skin cancer.
  • Option (3) is correct: It is mainly found in the lower portion of the stratosphere, from approximately 15 to 35 kilometers above Earth’s surface, although its thickness varies seasonally and geographically. The Ozone layer is made up of Ozone (chemically, a molecule having three Oxygen atoms, or O3). Rising atmospheric oxygen concentrations some two billion years ago allowed ozone to build up in Earth’s atmosphere, a process that gradually led to the formation of the stratosphere.
  • Option (4) is correct: The 1985 Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer provided a framework for international cooperation on ozone protection. The chief cause of ozone depletion was the use of a class of industrial chemicals that contained chlorine, bromine or fluorine. Most common of these were the chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, which were used extensively in the air conditioning, refrigeration, paints, and furniture industries.

Q) Consider the following statements about Lal Bahadur Shastri:

  1. He participated in both the non-cooperation movement and the Salt Satyagraha before India’s independence.
  2. He advocated for the white revolution for increasing the milk production in country.
  3. The Tashkent Declaration was signed by him after the Indo-China War of 1962.

Which of the statements given above 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: Lal Bahadur Shastri was born on 2nd October 1904 and was the second Prime Minister of India, who served from 1964 to 1966. In the 1920s, he became an active member of the Indian Independence Movement, in which he joined the non-cooperation movement. He was sent to jail by the British for his participation in the Salt Satyagraha (1930), and Quit India Movement (1942).
  • Statement 2 is correct: He took office as India’s prime minister in 1964. He advocated for the White Revolution, and assisted the Amul milk cooperative in Gujarat and founded the National Dairy Development Board. He supported the Green Revolution, which increased food grain productivity in states like Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. He also gave the slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisaan”. He died in 1966 and was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1966, by the Government making him the first posthumous laureate of this prestigious award.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: The Tashkent Declaration was a historic document signed on 1966, by the Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistani President Ayub Khan, to end the 1965 war. It was a peace agreement to resolve the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965. The main aim was to restore economic and diplomatic relationships in the respective countries and to work towards the progress of bilateral relations.

Q) With reference to the ‘National Clean Air Program’ (NCAP), consider the following statements:

  1. NCAP aims to reduce the level of sulphur and nitrogen oxide emissions from the vehicles.
  2. All the cities covered under the NCAP have achieved the pollution reduction targets.

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 incorrect: National Clean Air Program (NCAP) was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019. It is the first-ever effort in the country to frame a national framework for air quality management with a time-bound reduction target. It seeks to cut the concentration of coarse (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5) by 40% by 2026, with 2017 as the base year for comparison.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: It covers 132 non-attainment cities which were identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Only 49 of 132 cities that were given pollution reduction targets have recorded an improvement in air quality. The 132 cities covered under the NCAP did not meet the prescribed national ambient air quality standards for five consecutive years (2011-2015).

Q) With reference to the Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) under Sixth Schedule Area, consider the following statements:

  1. ADCs under sixth schedule can make rule related to forest and mining.
  2. The Sixth Schedule applies to the all of the north-eastern states of India.

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 but statement 2 is incorrect: The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 of the Indian Constitution provides for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions i.e., Autonomous District Councils (ADCs), that have some legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy within a state. ADCs have up to 30 members with a term of five years, and can make laws, rules and regulations with regard to land, forest, water, agriculture, village councils, health, sanitation, village- and town-level policing, inheritance, marriage and divorce, social customs and mining, etc. The Sixth Schedule applies to the Northeastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram (three Councils each), and Tripura (one Council). For tribal areas in the rest of the country, there is the Fifth Schedule.

Q) Consider the following statements about ‘Blackbuck’:

  1. It is found only in the Indian subcontinent.
  2. The Blackbuck National Park is located in the state of Rajasthan.
  3. It is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and Appendix I of CITES.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct: Blackbuck (Indian Antelope) is a species of antelope found only in the Indian subcontinent. They inhabit grassy plains and thin forest areas. In India, they can be found in three clusters spanning across the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and other areas of peninsular India. Males have corkscrew-shaped horns and black-to-dark brown coats, and females are fawn-coloured.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: The Blackbuck National Park is situated in the Bhal region, Saurashtra, Gujarat. A new IISc study highlights how blackbucks have faced natural and human-induced challenges for their survival. Male blackbuck appears to disperse more than expected, thus contributing to gene flow in this species. Females, on the other hand, appear to stay largely within their native population ranges, which the researchers inferred from unique mitochondrial signatures in each population.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: Dense human habitation makes it difficult for them to migrate from one cluster to another. Other threats faced by them are Illegal hunting, decrease in habitat due to expansion of agriculture. The Blackbuck is protected under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and Appendix III of CITES. Its IUCN Red list status is Least Concerned.

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FAQs

where ‘Blackbuck’ found

It is found only in the Indian subcontinent.

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