26 APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. With reference to the cybercrime volunteers, consider the following statements:

1. The National Cybercrime Ecosystem Management Unit, of which the Cybercrime Volunteers Programme is a constituent, is part of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) scheme.

2. Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) scheme is an initiative of Union Ministry of Science and Technology.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: a)

Explanation:

The Union Home Ministry has said it does not maintain a centralised list of volunteers enrolled under the cybercrime volunteer programme since the police is a “State subject” under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.

• The Ministry, through its cybercrime grievance portal, cybercrime.gov.in, aims to raise a group of “cybercrime volunteers” to flag “unlawful content” on the Internet.
• A digital rights group, the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), has said the programme enables a culture of surveillance and could create potential social distrust by encouraging civilians to report the online activities of other citizens.
• In response to a RTI application on the total number of volunteers who have applied under the Cybercrime Volunteers Programme of the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, the Ministry said the information could be sought directly from the respective States and Union Territories.
• The programme was expected to include 500 volunteers, 200 “cyber awareness promoters” and 50 “cyber experts”.
• The National Cybercrime Ecosystem Management Unit, of which the Cybercrime Volunteers Programme is a constituent, is part of the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) scheme launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in January 2020.
• The project was approved in October 2018 at an estimated cost of ₹415.86 crore. The I4C scheme that includes other components also has been allocated ₹69.80 crore in the 2021-22 Budget.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q2. With reference to the Liquid oxygen, consider the following statements:

1. It has a pale blue color and is strongly paramagnetic.

2. It is a very powerful oxidizing agent.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: c)

Explanation:

Invoking the Disaster Management Act, the Centre ordered States that all liquid oxygen, including the existing stock with private plants, should be made available to the government and will be used for medical purposes only.

• Liquid oxygen—abbreviated LOx, LOX or Lox in the aerospace, submarine and gas industries—is the liquid form of molecular oxygen.
• Liquid oxygen has a pale blue color and is strongly paramagnetic: it can be suspended between the poles of a powerful horseshoe magnet.
• Because of its cryogenic nature, liquid oxygen can cause the materials it touches to become extremely brittle.
• Liquid oxygen is also a very powerful oxidizing agent: organic materials will burn rapidly and energetically in liquid oxygen.

Uses

• It was used as the oxidizer in the first liquid-fueled rocket invented in 1926 by Robert H. Goddard, an application which has continued to the present.
• In commerce, liquid oxygen is classified as an industrial gas and is widely used for industrial and medical purposes. Liquid oxygen is obtained from the oxygen found naturally in air by fractional distillation in a cryogenic air separation plant.
• Liquid oxygen is the most common cryogenic liquid oxidizer propellant for spacecraft rocket applications, usually in combination with liquid hydrogen, kerosene or methane.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Q3. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?

	Region	Country
1.	Marib	Sudan
2.	Quetta	Iraq
3.	Hambantota	Sri Lanka

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 3 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Solution: a)

Explanation:

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have taken full control of the northwest Kassara battlefield, advancing close to the centre of Marib city despite heavy casualties.

• Marib is the capital city of Marib Governorate, Yemen.
• It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Sabaʾ which some scholars believe to be the ancient Sheba of biblical fame. It is located in the region of the Sarawat Mountains.
• Marib and its surrounding oil fields make up the last significant pocket of government-held territory in the north, the rest of which is under rebel control, including the capital Sanaa.
• The loss of Marib would be a major blow for the Yemeni government and for Saudi Arabia which has supported its militarily since March 2015, after the rebels captured Sanaa.
• Hambantota is the main town in Hambantota District, Southern Province, Sri Lanka. 
• Quetta; formerly known as Shalkot is the provincial capital and largest city of the Province of Balochistan in Pakistan.

Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q4. With reference to the PM CARES Fund, consider the following statements:

1. It was created in 1982.

2. Donations to this fund will be exempted from income tax under section 80(G).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: b)

Explanation:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered setting up of 551 oxygen plants inside government hospitals across the country. PM CARES Fund will provide financial aid in setting up these plants.

• The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund).
• It was created on 27 March 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
• The fund will be used for combating, and containment and relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic like situations in the future.
• Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is the chairman of the fund, and trustees include the Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh; Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah, and Minister of Finance, Nirmala Sitharaman, in the Government of India.
• Donations to this fund will be exempted from income tax under section 80(G).

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Q5. KRI Nanggala, recently seen in news, is a diesel-electric attack submarine of which country?

1. Japan
2. China
3. Indonesia
4. India

Solution: c)

Explanation:

The Indian Navy dispatched its deep submergence rescue vessel (DSRV) from Visakhapatnam to support the Indonesian Navy in the search and rescue efforts for its submarine KRI Nanggala that went missing with 53 personnel aboard.

• KRI Nanggala (402) is a diesel-electric attack submarine of the Indonesian Navy, one of two Cakra-class submarines (Type 209 design).
• On 21 April 2021, it went missing in deep waters during a SUT torpedo drill north of Bali.
• The boat is named after the Nanggala, a divine and powerful short spear that was owned by Prabu Baladewa (the elder brother of Kresna), a recurring character in wayang puppet theatre.
• India is amongst the few countries in the world capable of undertaking search and rescue of a disabled submarine through a DSRV.
• Indian Navy’s DSRV system can locate a submarine up to 1,000-metre depth utilising its state-of-the-art side scan sonar and remotely operated vehicle.
• After the submarine is successfully located, another sub module of DSRV — the submarine rescue vehicle (SRV) — links with the submarine to rescue the trapped personnel. The SRV can also be used to provide emergency supplies to the submarine.
• Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.