Daily Current Affairs for UPSC

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

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

Missile control world regime
Climate change negotiations
Paramilitary organization
Space research organization

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 24 June April 2023

Explanation:

Option (3) is correct: The Wagner Group, officially called PMC Wagner, is a Russian paramilitary organization that operates beyond the law in Russia. The Wagner Group has called off its rebellion against Moscow and agreed to leave Russia, under the terms of a peace deal brokered by Belarus. It is basically a private military company and a network of mercenaries. The group was first identified in 2014 while backing pro-Russian separatist forces in eastern Ukraine. It is said that the Wagner Group was involved in Russia’s capture of Bakhmut city which is situated in eastern Ukraine. Western countries and UN experts have accused Wagner mercenaries of human rights abuses throughout Africa, including in Central African Republic, Libya, and Mali. The U.S. designated Wagner a transnational criminal organization in January, a month after finding that the group had an estimated 50,000 personnel inside Ukraine — around 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convicts from Russian prisons.

Q) Consider the following statements about Cell Cultivated Meat:

It is laboratory-produced meat that is suitable for human consumption.
An organism’s cells are isolated during the procedure so they can grow into muscle tissue.
The final product’s texture and flavour cannot be improved by the use of additives.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

Only one
Only two
All three
None

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2 are correct: Cell-cultivated meat or Lab grown meat refers to meat that is produced through a process called cell culture or cell cultivation. It is grown in a laboratory for human consumption. Instead of raising and slaughtering live animals, the meat is grown from animal cells in a laboratory setting. The process involves isolating cells from the chicken, such as muscle cells, and providing them with the necessary nutrients, growth factors, and environmental conditions to replicate and grow. These cells multiply and develop into muscle tissue, which is the main component of chicken meat. Two California-based companies were cleared to make and sell cell-cultivated chicken, the ‘official’ name of chicken meat that is grown in a laboratory for human consumption.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Over time, the cell-cultivated meat accumulates and forms a mass of minced meat that can be further processed and transformed into various chicken products. Additives may be used to enhance the texture and taste of the final product. The goal of cell-cultivated chicken is to provide an alternative method of meat production that reduces reliance on traditional animal agriculture and offers a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly approach.

Q) With reference to Flash floods, consider the following statements:

These floods happen few minutes of the start of heavy rainfall.
Wildfires are one of the potential causes of Flash floods.
This phenomenon occurs more frequently along broad, steep rivers.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

Only one
Only two
All three
None

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: Flash floods are floods which occur within 6 hours of the beginning of heavy rainfall. Flash Floods are usually associated with cloud bursts, storms and cyclones requiring rapid localized warnings and immediate response if damage is to be mitigated. Cloudburst is a sudden, very heavy rainfall, usually local in nature and of brief duration.
Statement 2 is correct: The other reason of flash floods is cloudburst or thunderstorm. It is common in places such as hilly, not too hilly regions and sloping lands. Sudden release of waters from upstream reservoirs, breaches in landslide dams and embankments on the banks of the rivers can also lead to disastrous floods. Flash floods may also begin to take place after wildfires. This is because wildfires destroy forests and other vegetation, which in turn weakens the soil and makes it less permeable for water to seep through.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Flash flooding commonly happens more where rivers are narrow and steep, so they flow more quickly. They can occur in urban areas located near small rivers, since hard surfaces such as roads and concrete do not allow the water to absorb into the ground. India is the worst flood-affected country in the world after Bangladesh and accounts for one-fifth of the global death count due to floods. In India, flash floods are often associated with cloudbursts. The young Himalayan Mountain range is highly prone to flash floods owing to overflowing glacial lakes formed due to the melting of glaciers. Depression and cyclonic storms in the coastal areas of Orissa, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh cause flash floods.

Q) Consider the following statements about Chandrayaan-3 mission:

The Chandrayaan-3 lander will bear the name ‘Vikram’.
It will carry the payload ‘RAMBHA’ to measure thermal conductivity of lunar surface.
Launch Vehicle Mark-III will be used by ISRO to launch the mission.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

Only one
Only two
All three
None

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to retain the names of the Chandrayaan-2 lander and rover for their Chandrayaan-3 equivalents as well. This means, the Chandrayaan-3 lander will bear the name ‘Vikram’ (after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian space programme) and the rover, ‘Pragyan’. Chandrayaan-3 is a planned 3rd lunar exploration mission by the Indian Space Research Organization to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing through the lander Vikram, and roving through the rover Pragyan on the lunar surface. Unlike Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 will not have an orbiter and its propulsion module will behave like a communications relay satellite.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Payloads for Chandrayaan-3:
Propulsion Module Payload: It has Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload to study the spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from lunar orbit.
Lander Payload: It will have 4 payloads –
Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) to study the temporal evolution of electron density in the Lunar ionosphere.
Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature.
Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) for measuring the seismicity around the landing site.
Langmuir Probe (LP) to estimate the plasma density and its variations.
Rover Payloads: Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) for deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of the landing site.
Statement 3 is correct: A propulsion module will carry the lander-rover configuration to a 100-km lunar orbit. Once the ‘Vikram’ lander module makes it safely to the moon, it will deploy ‘Pragyan’. Pragyan will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during its mobility. ISRO plans to launch the third moon mission in mid-July aboard the Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3) (formerly GSLV Mk-III) rocket from Sriharikota.

Q) With reference to ‘Submersible vessel’, consider the following statements:

It is a watercraft that is connected to a mother vessel through a tether.
It lacks the capability to independently drive to the ocean’s bottom and return.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2 are correct: The Titan submersible is believed to have imploded. The Titan submersible vessel which was on a tourism expedition to explore the wrecks of the Titanic, went missing off the coast of Canada. A submersible is a watercraft, and it operates like a submarine. It is fitted with cameras outside, and it has a viewport. The passengers inside the submersible can watch through this viewport and can have a view of the nearby outside world. A submersible is generally used for research and exploration. It can also be used for searching the wreckage of the ship and documenting the underwater environment. Submersibles are generally connected to a mother vessel through a tether. A submersible has no crew, and it is controlled and operated from outside. Submersibles are very small and simply constructed and are only equipped for short-term dives. Submersibles need oxygen supply in tanks. A submersible has very limited power reserves so it needs a mother ship that can launch it and recover it. This means it does not, unlike a submarine, have the power to drive down to the bottom of the ocean and come back under its own steam.