Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC & State PSC Exams (14 June 2023)

Current Affairs MCQs Quiz for UPSC, IAS, UPPSC/UPPCS, MPPSC. BPSC, RPSC & All State PSC Exams

Date: 14 June 2023

1. With reference to Co-WIN, consider the following statements:

1. CoWIN is a digital platform developed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to facilitate the registration and verification of COVID-19 vaccination in India.
2. It is mandatory to have Aadhar card to register for vaccination on Co-WIN portal.
3. It provides access to third-party applications that have been authorised by the government to use its APIs (application programming interfaces).

How many statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Answer: (B)

Explanation:

  • CoWIN is a digital platform developed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to facilitate the registration and verification of COVID-19 vaccination in India. It stands for COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network and is integrated with the Aarogya Setu app. CoWIN allows users to book vaccination slots, download vaccination certificates, and access other related information. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • To register on CoWIN, users have to provide their mobile number and valid identity proof, such as Aadhaar, PAN, passport, voter ID, or driving license. They also have to enter their year of birth and gender. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
  • CoWIN provides access to third-party applications that have been authorised by the government to use its APIs (application programming interfaces). APIs are a set of rules that allow two applications to communicate and share data. For example, some private hospitals and online platforms use CoWIN APIs to offer vaccination booking services to their customers. However, these third-party applications can only access the personal data of vaccinated people after OTP authentication. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • The CoWIN portal, which is used by millions of Indians to register for COVID-19 vaccination, has been in the spotlight recently after reports of a data breach by a Telegram bot. The bot allegedly shared the personal information of vaccinated people, such as their name, Aadhaar and passport numbers, when their phone number was entered. The government has denied the reports of data leak as a hoax, while experts claim that the leak did happen.

2. Jatan, often seen in news, is related to which of the following?

(a) Program related to weaker section
(b) Program to regulate NPA’s of banks
(c) Platform for digitization of museums
(d) Platform to store CoWIN vaccination data

Answer: (C)

Explanation: JATAN is a digital collection management system for Indian museums. It can create 3D virtual galleries and provide public access through web, mobile or touch screen kiosks. This process is being carried out by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Central government plans to complete 3D digitisation of all museums under its administrative control by 2023 end for better conservation of artefacts. It is a digital collection management system for Indian museums which has many enabling features like unique numbering of artefacts, efficient management of digital objects with multimedia representations, image cropping, watermarking etc. Hence, option (c) is correct.

3. Consider the following pairs:

Puppetry State
1. Kundhei Odisha
2. Putul Nautch Bihar
3. Pavakoothu Tamil Nadu
4. Yampuri Bihar

How many pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) Only three pairs
(d) All four pairs

Answer: (B)

Explanation:

Puppetry and its type and location:

  • String Puppets
  • Kathputli, Rajasthan
  • Kundhei, Odisha
  • Gombeyatta, Karnataka
  • Bommalattam, Tamil Nadu
  • Shadow Puppets
  • Togalu Gombeyatta, Karnataka
  • Tholu Bommalata, Andhra Pradesh
  • Ravanachhaya, Odisha
  • Rod Puppets
  • Putul Nautch, West Bengal
  • Yampuri, Bihar
  • Glove Puppets
  • Pavakoothu, Kerala

Hence, option (b) is correct.

4. Consider the following statement:

1. Budapest Convention on Cybercrime was the first international treaty addressing the Internet and cybercrime by harmonizing national laws.
2. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) was established by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (A)

Explanation:

  • Budapest Convention on Cybercrime: It is the first international treaty that seeks to address Internet and cybercrime by harmonizing national laws, improving investigative techniques and increasing cooperation among nations. It came into force in 2004.India is not a signatory to this convention. Hence, statement 1 is correct
  • Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): it was established by MHA in 2018 to combat cybercrime in India in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

5. Recently, the Tamil Nadu Department of Archaeology has declared five 'Menhir' (single stone) and Megalithic burial sites at Kodumanal. Consider the following in the context of the purpose of ‘Menhir and Megalithic’:

1. Burial Sites
2. Commemorative Memorials
3. Religious or Ritualistic Sites
4. Markers of Land or Territory
5. Cultural and Social Significance

How many of the above are correct?

(a) Only two
(b) Only three
(c) Only four
(d) All five

Answer: (D)

Explanation: Megaliths served various purposes in ancient times, including:

  • Burial Sites: Used as tombs or funerary monuments.
  • Commemorative Memorials: Erected to commemorate individuals or events.
  • Religious or Ritualistic Sites: Used for religious ceremonies or observances.
  • Markers of Land or Territory: Used to demarcate boundaries or indicate territorial claims.
  • Cultural and Social Significance: Represented architectural and engineering capabilities and acted as focal points for community gatherings and activities.