Daily Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC IAS Prelims - 12 May 2023

Welcome to the RAYACADEMY Daily Current Affairs MCQs! Our focus is to provide you with engaging and informative questions that primarily revolve around current affairs, derived from reliable sources such as 'The Hindu', 'Indian Express', and 'PIB'. Our MCQs test your understanding of factual and conceptual knowledge, which is essential for cracking the UPSC IAS and State PCS prelim exams. Below are some of Today's Current Affairs MCQs. We hope you make the most of this initiative and wish you all the best in your preparation.

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Q1. Which of the following statements about alumina is/are correct?

1. Alumina is a synthetic compound produced from bauxite.

2. Alumina is used as a starting material for smelting aluminium metal.

3. Alumina is only used in the production of aluminium metal.

4. Alumina is used as an abrasive due to its hardness and as a refractory material due to its high melting point.

A. 1, 2, and 3

B. 2, 3, and 4

C. 2 and 4 only

D. 1, 2 and 4

Answer: D

Explanation: Alumina is a white or nearly colourless crystalline substance used as a starting material for smelting aluminium metal. It is synthetically produced from bauxite, a naturally occurring ore containing variable amounts of hydrous (water-containing) aluminium oxides. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.

Alumina is used as a starting material for the smelting of aluminium metal and also serves as the raw material for a broad range of advanced ceramic products. Therefore, statement 2 is correct.

Alumina is not only used in the production of aluminium metal but is also used as an abrasive due to its hardness and as a refractory material due to its high melting point. Therefore, statement 3 is incorrect.

Alumina is used as an abrasive due to its hardness and as a refractory material due to its high melting point. Therefore, statement 4 is correct.

Q2. Which of the following statements is/are correct about the Centre’s flagship programme, ‘Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi’?

1. The programme focuses on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) at anganwadis across the country.

2. The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) will not be involved in training Anganwadi workers.

3. The aim of the programme is to make Anganwadi centres nutrition hubs and education-imparting centres.

4. The ECCE will not focus on education in the mother tongue, as per the New Education Policy.

A. 1, 2, and 3

B. 1, 2, and 4

C. 1 and 3 only

D. 2 and 4 only

Answer: C

Explanation:

The Centre’s flagship programme, ‘Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi’, focuses on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) at anganwadis across the country. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.

The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) has been roped in for the training of Anganwadi workers. Therefore, statement 2 is incorrect.

The aim of the programme is to make Anganwadi centres nutrition hubs and education-imparting centres. Therefore, statement 3 is correct.

The ECCE will focus on education in the mother tongue, as per the New Education Policy. Therefore, statement 4 is incorrect.

Q3. Which of the following statements is/are correct about the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)?

1. CTBTO is an international organization established to verify the ban on nuclear tests.

2. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans all nuclear explosions for military or civilian purposes.

3. The CTBTO operates a worldwide monitoring system and may conduct on-site inspections.

4. The Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO and its Provisional Technical Secretariat are headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

A. 1 and 3

B. 1, 2, and 4

C. 2 and 4 only

D. 1, 2, and 3

Answer: D

Explanation:

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is an international organization that will be established upon the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, a Convention that outlaws nuclear test explosions. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral treaty opened for signature in 1996. States agree to ban all nuclear explosions in all environments for military or civilian purposes. It was signed by 183 states and ratified by 164 but has not entered into force as eight specific states among 44 (so-called Annex-2 states whose signatures are required for the Treaty to enter into force, namely the US, China, Iran, Egypt, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea) have not ratified the Treaty yet. Therefore, statement 2 is correct.

The CTBTO will be tasked with verifying the ban on nuclear tests and will operate, therefore, a worldwide monitoring system and may conduct on-site inspections. Therefore, statement 3 is correct.

The Preparatory Commission for the CTBTO and its Provisional Technical Secretariat are headquartered in Vienna, Austria. Therefore, statement 4 is incorrect.

Q4. Which waterway connects the Aegean Sea via the Sea of Marmara?

A) Bosphorus Strait

B) Suez Canal

C) Panama Canal

D) Dardanelles Strait

Answer: D

Explanation: The Dardanelles Strait is a narrow waterway located in northwestern Turkey, connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. The Bosphorus Strait, also located in Turkey, connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, but not the Aegean Sea. The Suez Canal and the Panama Canal are man-made waterways that connect two larger bodies of water and are not related to the Dardanelles Strait.

Q5.Which of the following statements about the Mpox virus is correct?

A) Mpox is caused by infection with a bacteria

B) Mpox virus causes symptoms that are more severe than smallpox

C) Mpox is related to chickenpox

D) Mpox was discovered in colonies of monkeys kept for research

Answer: D

Explanation: Mpox virus is a rare viral disease caused by infection with the mpox virus, which is part of the same family of viruses as the variola virus, which causes smallpox. The symptoms of Mpox are similar to smallpox symptoms but milder, and Mpox is rarely fatal. It is important to note that Mpox is not related to chickenpox, which is caused by a different virus. Mpox was discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research, but the source of the disease remains unknown.