UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 11 April 2025

Solution: d)

• Statement 1 is incorrect —ZooWIN is an Indian initiative developed by NCDC under MoHFW, not a WHO-led global programme.
• Statement 2 is incorrect—although the portal is digital, it does not use AI to predict outbreaks. Its focus is on stock visibility and patient tracking for rabies and snakebite cases.
• Statement 3 is incorrect —ZooWIN is currently being piloted in a few states, namely Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, and Puducherry. It has not yet been rolled out nationwide.

• What is ZooWIN?

• • ZooWIN (Zoonoses-WIN) is a digital portal to monitor stocks of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Anti-Snake Venom (ASV) across India.
  • It ensures better coordination among healthcare systems, especially in rural and underserved areas.

• Developed By:

• • The portal is developed by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
  • It is technically supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

• Aim of ZooWIN:

• • To strengthen the prevention, control, and treatment of zoonotic diseases like rabies and snakebite.
  • To ensure real-time visibility of vaccine stocks for timely availability and distribution.

• Key Features of ZooWIN:

• • Real-Time Tracking: Enables real-time data on vaccine availability using eVIN and U-WIN architecture.
  • Health Facility Locator: Helps users locate the nearest health centre stocked with ARV or ASV.
  • Follow-Up Tracking: Tracks patients for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to ensure full treatment adherence.
  • Integration with One Health Approach: Supports the National Action Plan for Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE), targeting 50% reduction in deaths by 2030.
  • Public Helpline Service: Operates helpline 15400 in pilot states for awareness and treatment guidance.

• Pilot Rollout: The platform is being piloted in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh.

Solution: a)

Only Statement 2 is correct.

• The report explicitly flags human error, poor password hygiene, phishing vulnerability, and lack of cybersecurity awareness as major contributors to data breaches and ransomware incidents.
• Statement 1 is incorrect—it does not advocate a blanket replacement of cloud with on-premise systems. Instead, it recommends cloud security controls and zero-trust architecture.
• Statement 3 is also incorrect. It does not call for banning AI chatbots; instead, it flags the risks associated with improper training and misuse but recognizes the role of AI in enhancing user experience.

Solution: c)

• Mount Kanlaon is an andesitic stratovolcano, meaning its lava is intermediate in silica content—more viscous than basalt, less so than rhyolite. This stratification makes it prone to explosive eruptions, a hallmark of andesitic systems.
• Located on Negros Island in the central Philippines, it is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, where subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate creates such volcanoes.
• It features a Lugud crater, a summit crater that has shown historic eruptions, and the Margaja caldera, which occasionally forms a crater lake.
• Shield volcanoes (like Mauna Loa) are basaltic and gentle-sloped, and rhyolitic domes (like Novarupta) are more viscous and explosive.

Solution: c)

• The Supreme Court, invoking Articles 200 and 163, reaffirmed that the Governor is not an unelected legislative authority and must act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers in most cases.
• In this judgment, the Court clarified that the Governor cannot delay or indefinitely withhold assent to Bills passed by the State Legislature. Such conduct undermines constitutional morality and federalism.
• Importantly, the judgment emphasized the necessity of prompt action, aligned with democratic practices. The Court also invoked Article 142 to grant “complete justice,” compelling action by the Governor.
• The Governor may return a Bill once, but if it is passed again by the Assembly, assent cannot be denied. Thus, (c) reflects the constitutional obligation reinforced by the Court.

Solution: a)

Statement 1 is incorrect—while two quarters of GDP contraction defines a recession, a bear market is determined by a 20% fall in stock indices, independent of formal GDP data.

Statement 2 is correct. In bear markets, investors become risk-averse and reallocate funds to safe-haven assets like gold, government bonds, and sometimes US dollars. This reflects a strategy to protect capital from equity market volatility.

Statement 3 is incorrect—economic forecasts are usually revised downward during bear markets due to declining corporate earnings, unemployment, and global uncertainty.

Solution: c)

• The Biomass Mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) is the first satellite to employ P-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for global forest biomass measurement.
• Unlike higher-frequency bands (X, C, or L), the P-band has a longer wavelength (~70 cm), allowing it to penetrate through dense canopies to measure not just the top of the forest, but also its structure beneath.
• This ability to generate detailed 3D models of forest biomass is crucial in estimating above-ground carbon stocks and monitoring their changes over time.
• Other technologies like optical or thermal sensors are hindered by cloud cover and cannot penetrate forest canopies, and while LIDAR is excellent for canopy height, it lacks the wide-area coverage SAR provides.
• Hence, the key innovation is not the measurement of vegetation per se, but the unprecedented depth and scale of forest structural data via P-band SAR.
• This directly supports climate models and carbon accounting by tracking absorption and release patterns in the forest carbon cycle.

Solution: d)

• Statement 1 is incorrect. Only concave mirrors can produce real images, and only under certain conditions. Plane mirrors always produce virtual images.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The glass layer does not reflect most light; it’s primarily transparent, allowing light to pass to the metallic coating, which performs the reflection.
• Statement 3 is correct. A concave mirror can produce real images (when the object is beyond the focal point) and virtual images (when the object is between the mirror and focal point).
• Statement 4 is correct. Plane mirrors reverse the front and back, not the left and right. The illusion of left-right reversal is a result of how we perceive orientation changes relative to ourselves.

Solution: c)

• Statements 1, 3, and 4 are correct.
• The Sanchi Stupa, originally built by Ashoka, saw additions during the Shunga and Satavahana periods.
• The Ajanta Caves house murals that depict Buddha’s past lives from the Jataka tales with refined artistic detail.
• Gandhara art, centered in present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan, used Greco-Roman styles, portraying the Buddha with Hellenistic drapery and facial features.
• Statement 2 is incorrect – Viharas often served as monastic residences and educational centers, and Chaityas sometimes housed assemblies.

Solution: b)

• Statement 1 is correct. Environmentalism has evolved to encompass environmental justice, especially by protecting marginalized groups who live closest to forests, rivers, and farmlands. Acts like the Forest Rights Act (2006) and Biodiversity Act (2002) bridge ecological protection with livelihood security.
• Statement 2 is incorrect. The Environment Protection Act, 1986 is a regulatory law aimed at pollution control and environmental degradation, not specifically for tribal resettlement or afforestation. While those may occur as outcomes, the law’s primary focus is pollution abatement and enforcement of environmental standards.
• Statement 3 is correct. Environmentalism strongly backs renewables like solar and wind energy, and organic or sustainable farming, promoting long-term ecological balance and reducing dependence on fossil fuels and chemical-intensive agriculture.

Solution: b)

• Statement 1 is incorrect: 3D Printing excels at creating lattice or hollow structures, which are often impossible with traditional manufacturing. These designs are widely used in biomedical implants and aerospace parts.
• Statements 2, 3, and 4 are correct:
  • IP Concerns (2): The easy sharing of design files can lead to unauthorized production of patented or copyrighted products.
  • Delamination (3): Weak bonds between layers may result in structural weaknesses, especially under mechanical stress.
  • Build Size Limits (4): Most printers have limited bed size, so large objects must be printed in smaller segments, increasing post-processing and complexity.