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Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 30 January 2023

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC 2023

Q) Which one of the following rulers was contemporary of the poet Goswami Tulsidas?

  1. Bahlul Lodi
  2. Akbar
  3. Alauddin Khilji
  4. Muhammad bin Tughluq

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC – 28 January 2023

Explanation:

  • Option (2) is correct: Tulsidas time period around-(1511–1623), whose original name was Ram Bola Dubey, is believed to have been born in Rajapur in the Banda district, Uttar Pradesh. He composed the Ramcharitmanas on the bank of the Ganga in Varanasi.
    • Ramcharitmanas, is an epic poem in the Awadhi language, based on the Ramayana. It is a retelling of the life and teachings of Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, as described in the Hindu epic the Ramayana. The sacred chant ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ is a part of it.
    • Tulsidas lived in the time of Emperor Akbar (October 1542 – 1605) and some believe that he was in touch with Abdurrahim Khan-e-Khanan, the son of Akbar’s commander Bairam Khan. He established the Sankat Mochan temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman in Varanasi. His other important literary works include Vinaya Patrika and Kavitavali.
  • The Lodi Dynasty Founder, Bahlul Lodi died in 1489.
  • Alauddin Khilji died in 1316
  • Muhammad bin Tughluq died in 1351.

Q) Consider the following statements:

  1. Methane is the second most abundant anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) after carbon dioxide (CO2).
  2. Methane does not contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone.
  3. By adding seaweed to cow feed, methane formation in cow guts could be completely eliminated.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

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

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct: Methane is a hydrocarbon that is a major component of natural gas. Methane is also a greenhouse gas (GHG).  Anthropogenic emission sources include landfills, oil and natural gas systems, agricultural activities, coal mining, stationary and mobile combustion, wastewater treatment, and certain industrial processes.  Methane is the second most abundant anthropogenic GHG after carbon dioxide (CO2), accounting for about 20 per cent of global emissions.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: Methane is one of the main contributors of climate change, responsible for 30 per cent of the warming since preindustrial times, second only to carbon dioxide. Methane is 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide, over a 20-year period. Methane also contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone, a colourless and highly irritating gas that forms just above the Earth’s surface. According to some reports, exposure to ground-level ozone could be contributing to 1 million premature deaths every year.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: Efforts have been going on to curb methane emissions from ruminant species. They have been trying to make these animals more sustainable and less gassy. A study has found that adding seaweed to cow feed can reduce methane formation in their guts by more than 80 per cent (not completely). Scientists are also trying to find gene-modifying techniques to curtail methane emissions in these animals.

Q) With reference to the National Mission for a Green India (GIM), consider the following statements:

  1. GIM is one of the eight Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
  2. GIM is being implemented by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
  3. GIM put its sole focus on adaptation measures as response to climate change.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is correct: The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was released by the Prime Minister in 2008. It outlines a national strategy that aims to enable the country to adapt to climate change and enhance the ecological sustainability of India‘s development path. There are eight ―National Missions which form the core of the National Action Plan. They focus on promoting understanding of climate change, adaptation and mitigation, energy efficiency and natural resource conservation. Eight National Missions on climate change:
    • National Solar Mission
    • National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
    • National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
    • National Water Mission
    • National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system
    • National Mission for a Green India
    • National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
    • National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change.
  • Statement 2 is correct: As per RTI information, India is lagging behind in the targets to increase the number and quality of tree- and forest-cover plantations set in the Green India Mission, GIM Implementing Agency is Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Mission Objectives:
    • Increased forest/tree cover on 5 m ha of forest/non-forest lands and improved quality of forest cover on another 5 m ha (a total of 10 m ha).
    • Improved ecosystem services including biodiversity, hydrological services and carbon sequestration as a result of treatment of 10 m ha.
    • Increased forest-based livelihood income of about 3 million households living in and around the forests.
    • Enhanced annual CO2 sequestration by 50 to 60 million tonnes in the year 2020.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: The Mission aims at responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures, which would help:
    • Enhancing carbon sinks in sustainably managed forests and other ecosystems.
    • Adaptation of vulnerable species/ecosystems to the changing climate.
    • Adaptation of forest-dependent communities

Q) Consider the following statements about the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), 2020-2021:

  1. India witnessed around Ten percent decrease in student enrolments across the country compared to 2019-20.
  2. The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education has reached above Twenty-Five percent.
  3. Less than Thirty percent universities and only Fifty percent colleges are located in Rural Areas.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation:

The education ministry has been conducting AISHE since 2011, covering all higher educational institutions in the country. The survey collects detailed information on different parameters, such as student enrolment, teacher’s data, infrastructural information, and financial information.

  • Statement 1 is incorrect: Recently, the Union Ministry of Education released data on the All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), 2020-2021. Total student enrolments in higher education increased to nearly 4.13 crore in 2020-21 from 3.85 crore in 2019-20. India witnessed 7.5% increase in student enrolments across the country compared to 2019-20. Since 2014-15, there has been an increase of around 7,200,000 in the enrolment (21%).
  • Statement 2 is correct: The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education has reached 27.3 per cent.
    • GER is the ratio of 18-23-year-old adults attending college to the total population. It has been calculated according to the 2011 census.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: As per the data released- Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat topped the states with the maximum number of colleges. 43% universities and 61.4% colleges are located in Rural Areas. Enrolment in Institute of National Importance (INIs) has increased by nearly 61% during the period 2014-15 to 2020-21.

Q) Which one of the following statements about short selling is not correct?

  1. It is based on the expectation that price of the security will fall.
  2. Only retail investors may enter into short selling.
  3. It occurs when an investor borrows a security and sells it on the open market, planning to buy it back later for less money.
  4. It can offer big profits, but losses can mount quickly and infinitely due to margin calls.

Explanation:

  • Option (2) is the correct answer: Short selling is a trading strategy based on the expectation that the price of the security will fall. While fundamentally it is based on the “buy low, sell high” approach, the sequence of transactions is reversed in short selling — to sell high first and buy low later.
    • It occurs when an investor borrows a security and sells it on the open market, planning to buy it back later for less money.
    • Short sellers bet on, and profit from, a drop in a security’s price. This can be contrasted with long investors who want the price to go up.
    • Short selling has a high risk/reward ratio: It can offer big profits, but losses can mount quickly and infinitely due to margin calls.
    • Institutional as well as retail investors may enter into short selling.
    • Short selling is typically practised in bearish markets.
    • Short Selling is only allowed in intraday trading.

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FAQs

Which one rulers was contemporary of the poet Goswami Tulsidas?

Akbar

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