UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 16 August 2024

Solution: c)

The Tarang Shakti exercise is the largest multilateral air exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force, involving the participation of various countries to enhance interoperability and strengthen defense cooperation. It has been announced that the exercise will be held biennially.

Solution: a)

• The Union government’s centralised portal — the Civil Registration System (CRS) — to register births and deaths is facing glitches since the past four months. The malfunction has led to delays in issuance of birth and death registration certificates.
• According to the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act enacted in 2023, all reported births and deaths in the country occurring from October 1, 2023 are to be digitally registered through the Centre’s portal — https://dc.crsorgi.gov.in/crs/.
• The digital birth certificates will be a single document to prove the date of birth for various services such as admission to educational institutions, government jobs, marriage registration among others.
• The centralised database will also update the National Population Register (NPR), ration cards, property registration and electoral rolls.
• The NPR, first collected in 2010 and updated in 2015 through door-to-door enumeration, already has a database of 119 crore residents. The NPR is the first step to the creation of National Register of Citizens (NPR), as per the Citizenship Act.

So far, 23 States and six union territories have migrated to the new portal. States such as Tamil Nadu which have their own portals send the data compulsorily to the Centre in real-time basis as mandated by the 2023 amendment.

Answer: c)

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on August 13, 2024 successfully carried out the maiden flight test of the long-range glide bomb (LRGB) Gaurav from a Su-30 MK-I fighter jet of the Indian Air Force.

The test was conducted off the coast of Odisha. Gaurav is an air-launched 1,000 kg class glide bomb capable of hitting targets at long distances. After being launched, the glide bomb steer towards the target using a highly accurate hybrid navigation scheme

Solution: c)

The Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on August 13, 2024 launched the Jiyo Parsi Scheme portal, a Central Sector Scheme to arrest the population decline of the Parsi community in India.

Emphasising on the rich heritage and culture of the community, the Minister said the Parsi population is decreasing and this needs to be addressed. He added that the government’s intervention in the form of the Jiyo Parsi Scheme is expected to help the community in the future.

The portal will enable Parsi couples to apply online under the scheme which aims to reverse the declining trend of Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol and structured interventions, and to stabilise their population.

The scheme provides financial assistance to Parsi couples for medical treatment under standard medical protocol and towards childcare, and assistance to dependent elderly.

The beneficiaries and applicants will be able to check the status of their application and will be able to receive the financial assistance online through Direct Benefit Transfer mode.

Since inception in 2013-14, the scheme has supported more than 400 Parsi children.

Solution: d)

Ballast water is used by ships for stability during their voyages. However, when this water is taken in from one part of the world and discharged at another port, it can carry various marine organisms like fish, algae, and bacteria. These organisms can become invasive species in the new environment, potentially disrupting the local ecosystem by competing with or preying on native species.

Ballast water can carry toxic algae from one part of the world to another. When these algae are introduced into a new environment, they can proliferate and cause harmful algal blooms, including red tides. These blooms can have devastating effects on marine life, human health, and local economies.

Invasive species introduced through ballast water can be highly competitive and adaptable to new environments. They often outcompete native species for resources or prey on them, leading to a decline in native biodiversity and disruption of the ecological balance. This can have cascading effects on the entire ecosystem, affecting not just the marine life but also the human communities that rely on these ecosystems for their livelihoods.

Solution: b)

Statement 1 is correct because the ‘FloodWatch India’ app provides real-time data from 592 flood monitoring stations.

Statement 2 is incorrect; the app is available in both English and Hindi and provides information in both text and audio formats.

Statement 3 is correct as the app also includes data on the storage levels of 150 major reservoirs, aiding in the assessment of potential flood risks.

Solution: d)

Researchers have developed a ground-breaking technique to track and manage “forever chemicals,” scientifically known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

• The researchers employed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, which uses magnetic fields and radio waves to analyse the molecular structure of these chemicals without breaking them apart.
• This method identifies unique “fingerprints” of carbon isotopes in the molecules, enabling the tracking of the chemicals from their source to their destination.
• This technique, described as a “built-in barcode” for molecules, offers a new way to trace the spread of PFAS in the environment.

Solution: c)

PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because of their extreme durability and persistence in the environment. They do not break down easily and can remain in the environment for thousands of years, leading to significant pollution.

Solution: d)

Statement 1 is correct as a DDoS attack involves overwhelming a server with traffic from multiple sources, making it challenging for legitimate users to access the service.

Statement 2 is incorrect because DDoS attacks are harder, not easier, to counter compared to traditional DoS attacks due to the multiple sources involved, often using botnets or spoofed IP addresses.

Statement 3 is correct as DDoS attacks can indeed result in slow loading times or complete inaccessibility of online services.

• Solution: a)

  A “Smurf Attack” is a method used in Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks where malicious ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) broadcast packets with a spoofed IP address are sent to flood the target’s servers. This method overwhelms the server with excessive traffic, making it difficult for legitimate users to access the service.