[MISSION 2023] RTM(Revision through MCQs)- 8 Mar 2023

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The forest fire season in India lasts between November to June. Several factors like temperatures, precipitation, vegetation, and moisture contribute to the scale and frequency of these fires. According to the Forest Survey of India, nearly 36 per cent of India’s forests are prone to frequent fires. Higher fire incidents are reported in March, April and May due to ample availability of dry biomass (fuel load) following the end of winter and the ongoing summer season. Most forest fires, according to experts, are man-made due to changes in agriculture and unchecked land-use patterns.
• Forest fires are broadly categorised into three categories – ground, surface and crown fire. Fires that burn organic material in the soil are called ground fires, and they burn slowly, under vegetation. Surface fires are caused largely by burning of dry leaves, branches and other materials on the ground. Such fires spread swiftly, as in the case of fires in Himachal. Crown fires burn quickly, from one tree top to another and have huge flames with intense heat. Such fires are rare in India.
• Apart from Himachal and Uttarakhand, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tripura, Mizoram and Odisha report frequent forest fires annually.
• Incidentally, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha — along with Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra — have been the top five states reporting high number of large forest fires ranging between 143 to 441 between November 2021 and April 2022.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/03/08/odisha-reports-542-forest-fires-in-last-7-days-highest-in-india-fsi/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Crown fires burn trees up their entire length to the top. These are the most intense and dangerous wildland fires.
• Surface fires burn only surface litter and duff. These are the easiest fires to put out and cause the least damage to the forest.
• Ground fires (sometimes called underground or subsurface fires) occur in deep accumulations of humus, peat and similar dead vegetation that become dry enough to burn. These fires move very slowly, but can become difficult to fully put out, or suppress. Occasionally, especially during prolonged drought, such fires can smoulder all winter underground and then emerge at the surface again in spring.
• A zombie fire is a fire that continues to burn underground and then reignites on the surface after a period of time.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/03/08/odisha-reports-542-forest-fires-in-last-7-days-highest-in-india-fsi/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• Pongala is a ten-day-long festival of Attukal Bhagavathy Temple.
• The festival commences with the musical rendering of the story of the Goddess (Kannaki Charitam) during the “Kappu Kettu ceremony”.
• The story invokes the presence of Kodungallur Bhagavathy and the slaying of the Pandyan King. This festival commemorates the victory of Good over Evil, by the slaying of the Pandyan King.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/03/08/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-08-march-2023/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• The Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) on NW-1 (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system) is being implemented by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) with the financial and technical support of the World Bank.
• The Project entails development of a fairway with 3 meters depth between Varanasi and Haldia (Phase-I) covering a distance of 1380 km. The NW-1 passes through West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and serves major cities and their industrial hinterlands.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/03/08/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-08-march-2023/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• S3: Mandakini originates from the Chorabari Glacier near Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, India. Mandakini is fed by Vasukiganga River at Sonprayag.
• S5: The Manas river system as a whole in Bhutan constitutes a length of 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi), the main stem of the river is the Manas or Gongri river, which originates in the West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh in India. Zemu is located in Sikkim.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/03/08/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-08-march-2023/

Ans; (a)

Explanation:

• Inland Waterways Authority of India (statutory, est. 1986, HQ: Noida) is in charge of the waterways in India. It was constituted under IWAI Act-1985 by the Parliament of India.
• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is the ministry responsible for formulation and administration of the rules, regulations and laws relating to ports, shipping and waterways.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/03/08/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-08-march-2023/

Ans; (a)

Explanation:About the Mission

• Under the mission Payment System Operators (PSOs) will adopt 75 villages across the country and conduct camps in each of these villages with an aim to improve awareness and onboard merchants for digital payments ( thus making them Digital payment enabled villages)

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/03/08/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-08-march-2023/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Nano Urea (Liquid) contains nanoscale nitrogen particles which have more surface area (10,000 times over 1 mm Urea prill) and number of particles (55,000 nitrogen particles over 1 mm Urea prill) which makes it more impactful. In comparison to Urea the uptake efficiency of Nano Urea is more than 80 %.It is thus, required in lesser measure compared to the conventional urea fertiliser to fulfil plant’s nitrogen requirement.
• It has better use efficiency than conventional urea.
• Environment friendly products can improve Soil, Air & Water quality thus, helps in addressing the concerns of Global Warming and in meeting the UN SDGs.
• Cheaper than conventional urea.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/03/08/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-08-march-2023/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The BrahMos is a medium-range stealth ramjet supersonic cruise missile.
• BrahMos is a joint venture between the DRDO and Russia’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya and the missile derives its name from Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers. The range of the missile was originally capped at 290 km as per obligations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Following India’s entry into the club in June 2016, DRDO officials had stated that the range would be extended to 450 km and to 600 km at a later stage.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/03/08/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-08-march-2023/

Ans: (C)

Explanation:

• Statement 1: Bioremediation uses naturally occurring organisms to break down hazardous substances into less toxic or non toxic substances.
• Statement 2: Always be cautious of extreme statements and words as we have repeatedly pointed out in our 2017 Prelims Test Series. Completely and readily (quickly) are such words here.
• Bio-remediation is a slow process, so. Heavy metals such as cadmium and lead are NOT readily absorbed or captured by microorganisms. UPSC had lifted this straight from Wikipedia.
• Statement 3: This will be a standard practice in the industry in coming years. For e.g.  Alcanivorax, a bacteria with oil-eating abilities, can be used to create species that are much more capable of cleaning oil spills.

Refer: UPSC CSE 2017