Day-532 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS

Answer: A
Explanation:
Context: Arunachal Pradesh has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Arunachal Yak Churpi, Khaw Tai (Khamti rice), and Tangsa textile.
Given below is the correctly matched pairs:
Geographical Indication Tag – States
1. Yak Churpi – Arunachal Pradesh
2. Khaw Tai – Arunachal Pradesh
3. Tangsa Textile – Arunachal Pradesh
Additional information:
• Arunachal Yak Churpi: Arunachal Yak Churpi is derived from the milk of the Arunachali yak, a rare breed found primarily in the West Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh. This milk is obtained from yaks reared by Brokpas, a tribal community known for their expertise in yak husbandry. These pastoralists practice seasonal migration, taking their yaks to higher altitudes during summers and descending to mid-altitude mountainous regions in winters, as yaks cannot survive at lower altitudes during summer.
• Khaw Tai or Khamti Rice: It is a chewy sticky rice variety, hails from the Namsai region in Arunachal Pradesh and is cultivated by traditional Khampti tribal farmers.
• Tangsa Textile: The Tangsa Textile products crafted by the Tangsa tribe of Changlang district are renowned for their exotic designs and vibrant colors. This traditional craftsmanship reflects the cultural richness of the region.

Answer: A
Explanation:
Context: Recently, a study conducted in Assam’s Manas National Park revealed a surprising positive relationship between dholes (Asiatic wild dogs) and tigers.
• Statement 1 is correct: Dhole or Asiatic wild dog is the only endangered wild pack-living canid or animal of dog family in the tropical Indian forests.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Dhole shares a coexistence or even cooperative behaviour with tiger. The positive association between dholes and tigers may be attributed to overlapping prey availability or habitat suitability, suggesting a more complex ecological dynamic at play and prompting the need for further research.
Additional information:
• Dhole is a wild carnivorous animal and is a member of the family Canidae and the class Mammalia.
• Dholes, historically widespread across southern Russia to southeast Asia, are now mainly found in south and southeast Asia, with northern populations in China.
• In India, they are clustered in the Western and Eastern Ghats, central India, and northeast India, with Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh playing a crucial role in their conservation, according to a 2020 study.
• In 2014, the Indian government sanctioned its first dhole conservation breeding center at the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (IGZP) in Visakhapatnam.
Protection status:
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 2.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List: Endangered.
• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix II.

Answer: A
Explanation:
Context: Petitioners expressed concerns about voter privacy and alleged that the Centre and Election Commission were compelling voters to submit their Aadhaar numbers without providing an alternative option.
• Statement 1 is correct: Linking of Aadhar number with the electoral roll comes under the provisions of Section 23 of the Representation of People Act, 1950.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Linking of Aadhaar numbers with the Electoral roll is not mandatory according to Rule 26-B of the Registration of Electors (Amendment) Rules 2022.
Additional information:
• Rule 26B, of RPA, 1950 deals with “special provision for providing Aadhaar number by existing electors”.
• It states that “every person whose name is listed in the roll may intimate his Aadhaar number to the registration officer in Form 6B in accordance with sub-section (5) of Section 23 of the Representation of People Act, 1950.
• Form 6B is a letter of information that contains a person’s Aadhaar number for the purpose of electoral roll authentication.

Answer: C
Explanation:
Context: The Ministry of Power and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy have jointly launched a National Mission named “Mission on Advanced and High-Impact Research (MAHIR)”.
The MAHIR initiative aims to identify emerging technologies and areas of future relevance for the global power sector and develop them indigenously.
The Mission is planned for an initial period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28 and will follow the technology life cycle approach of Idea to Product.
Objectives of the Mission:
• To identify emerging technologies and areas of future relevance for the global power sector and develop them indigenously.
• To provide a platform for collective brainstorming and synergetic technology development among power sector stakeholders.
• To support pilot projects of indigenous technologies developed by Indian start-ups and facilitate their commercialization.
• To leverage foreign alliances and partnerships for research and development of advanced technologies and technology transfer.
• To promote scientific and industrial R&D in the power sector and create an innovative ecosystem.
• To position India among the leading countries in power system-related technologies and applications development.
Funding:
• It will be funded by pooling resources from the Ministry of Power, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, and Central Public Sector Enterprises under these ministries.
• Additional funding, if required, will be mobilized from the Government of India’s budgetary resources.
Areas Identified for Research under MAHIR:
• Alternatives to Lithium-Ion storage batteries
• Modifying electric cookers/pans to suit Indian cooking methods
• Green hydrogen for mobility (High Efficiency Fuel Cell)
• Carbon capture
• Geo-thermal energy
• Solid state refrigeration
• Nano technology for EV battery
• Indigenous CRGO technology

Answer: C
Explanation:
Context: Recently, Fermi energy has gained significant attention due to its wide range of daily practical applications in various fields, driven by the principles of quantum physics.
▪ Statement 1 is correct: Fermi energy is the energy of the highest occupied state of electrons in a material at absolute zero temperature (-273º C or 0K).
▪ Statement 2 is correct: Fermi energy determines various physical properties of materials, including electrical and thermal conductivity, heat capacity, magnetism, and superconductivity.
▪ Statement 3 is correct: Metals, such as copper, aluminum, and silver, exhibit high Fermi energies, even at extremely low temperatures.
• Fermi energy determines electron velocity in conduction, as only electrons with energies close to the Fermi energy can participate in the conduction process.
• The Fermi energy and fermionic behavior of electrons, governed by quantum mechanics, are responsible for various properties of metals, including their reflectivity, electrical conductivity, and thermal conductivity.
• Understanding Fermi energy is essential for comprehending the fundamental behaviors and applications of metals in our daily lives.
Additional information:
• Quantum physics is the branch of physics that deals with the behavior and properties of the smallest particles of matter and energy, such as atoms, electrons, photons, and quarks.
• Quantum physics reveals that these particles can behave in strange and surprising ways, such as being in two places at once (superimposition), tunneling through barriers, or entanglement with each other over long distances.
• Quantum physics also explains how atoms and molecules form the basis of all matter and how light and other electromagnetic waves are produced and interact with matter.
• Quantum physics impacts daily life through electronics, computing, lasers, and optics. It enables technologies like MRI for medical imaging and improves renewable energy systems.
• Quantum cryptography ensures secure communication, while materials science and nanotechnology benefit from quantum principles.