Daily Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC IAS Prelims - 23 Mar 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 regarding the Padma Awards is correct?

A) Bharat Ratna is a Padma Award and is conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee.

B) Padma Awards are conferred in four categories.

C) The Padma Awards seek to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.

D) The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the President of India to the Prime Minister.

Answer: C

Explanation: The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India, announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.

They are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. These awards seek to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved. The awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year. Self-nomination can also be made.

On the other hand, Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award in the country, awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. It is treated on a different footing from Padma Awards, and the recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President of India. No formal recommendations for Bharat Ratna are necessary. The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.

Q2.Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Sharda Peeth corridor proposed by the Union Home Minister?

1)The Sharda Peeth is located in the Neelum Valley in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

2)The Kartarpur corridor links two important Hindu shrines in India and Pakistan.

3)The Sharda Peeth corridor will allow visa-free travel for devotees.

A) 1 and 2 only

B) 1 and 3 only

C) 2 and 3 only

D) 1, 2, and 3

Answer: B

Explanation: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has proposed opening a corridor to the Sharda Peeth in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on the lines of the Kartarpur corridor. The Sharda Peeth is a revered site for the Hindu community and is located in the Neelum Valley in PoK, across Teetwal village along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.

The Kartarpur corridor links two important Sikh shrines - Dera Baba Nanak in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab and Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan - and allows pilgrims to travel visa-free. However, statement 2 is incorrect as the Kartarpur corridor does not link any Hindu shrines.

The proposed Sharda Peeth corridor is expected to allow visa-free travel for devotees, as the Union Home Minister mentioned.

Q3.Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Red Corner Notice (Red Notice)?

1)A Red Notice is an international arrest warrant.

2)Interpol issues Red Notices for fugitives who are wanted internationally.

3)RNs contain information such as the wanted person's name, date of birth, and physical attributes.

A) 1 and 2 only

B) 2 and 3 only

C) 1 and 3 only

D) 1, 2, and 3

Answer: B

Explanation: A Red Corner Notice, or Red Notice (RN), is a notice circulated by Interpol that alerts police forces across the world about fugitives who are wanted internationally. RNs contain information that helps identify wanted persons, such as their names, dates of birth, nationality, and physical attributes, such as the colour of their hair and eyes, as well as pictures and biometric data, such as fingerprints if they are available. RNs also mention the crime(s) they are wanted for. Therefore, statements 2 and 3 are correct.

However, an RN is not an international arrest warrant. It is only an international wanted persons' notice. An RN is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.

Q4.Which of the following statements regarding the "Call Before u Dig" mobile application are true?

1)It is an initiative of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications.

2)It aims to prevent damage to underlying assets like optical fibre cables.

3)Uncoordinated digging and excavation lead to losses of about Rs 3,000 crore every year.

4)The app connects excavators and asset owners through SMS/Email notifications and click-to-call.

5)Utility owners can inquire about impending work at a location through the app.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

A. 1, 2, and 3 only

B. 1, 2, and 4 only

C. 1, 2, 4, and 5 only

D. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

Answer: C

Explanation: The "Call Before u Dig" mobile application is an initiative of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications. It aims to prevent damage to underlying assets like optical fibre cables due to uncoordinated digging and excavation, which leads to losses of about Rs 3,000 crore every year, according to a Press Information Bureau (PIB) release. The app connects excavators and asset owners through SMS/Email notifications and click-to-call, allowing for planned excavations while ensuring the safety of underground assets. It also aims to give excavating companies a point of contact to inquire about existing subsurface utilities before starting excavation work. Additionally, utility owners can find out about impending work at a location through the app.

Q5.Which of the following statements is true regarding the Gandhamardan Hill Range in Odisha?

A) The hill range is a site of ongoing bauxite mining.

B) It is the only Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) in Odisha.

C) The hill range is ecologically fragile and rich in floral and faunal diversity.

D) The hill range has no cultural or historical significance.

Answer: C

Explanation:

The Odisha government has declared the Gandhamardan Hill Range in Bargarh and Balangir district as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) three decades after a highly successful people's resistance against bauxite mining there. This is the third BHS of Odisha after Mandasuru Gorge in the Kandhamal district and Mahendragiri Hill Range in the Gajapati district.

The hill range is an ecologically fragile ecosystem that is rich in floral and faunal diversity and has diverse socio-economic, ecological, and biological significance for the people of Odisha. In addition, the hill range has two historical monuments, the Nrusinghanath Temple, located on the northern slope and the Harishankar Temple, situated on the southern slope of the foothills of Gandhamardan, which have immense cultural significance. These two hill shrines are major pilgrimage sites of Odisha.