Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC & State PSC Exams (30 January 2023)

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

Date: 30 January 2023

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 empowers the government to establish carbon markets in India.
2. The share of agriculture-based carbon credits is the maximum out of total carbon credits traded globally.

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:

  • The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 empowers the government to establish carbon markets in India and specify a carbon credit trading scheme. Thus, statement 1 is correct.
  • As per the 2022 Report of the Ecosystem Marketplace, about 500 million carbon credits, valued at $1.98 billion, were traded globally in the voluntary carbon market in 2021. However, the share of agriculture-based carbon credits was minuscule — one million carbon credits worth $8.7 million. Thus, statement 2 is incorrect.

Q2. With reference to Employment elasticity, consider the following statements:

1. Employment elasticity is a measure of the percentage change in employment associated with a 1 percentage point change in economic growth.
2. When the employment elasticity is 1, employment increases at the same pace as economic growth.

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: (C)

Explanation:

  • Employment elasticity is a measure of the percentage change in employment associated with a 1 %-point change in economic growth. So, statement 1 is correct.
  • An employment elasticity of 1 denotes that employment grows at the same rate as economic growth. So, statement 2 is correct.

Q3. Which of the following can be security concern/s of 5G technology?

1. Decentralized security.
2. More bandwidth will strain current security monitoring.
3. Lack of encryption early in the connection process.

Which of the following option(s) is/are correct?

a) 1 and 3 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1,2 and 3

Answer: (D)

Explanation:

5G Security Concerns

  • When it comes to 5g and cybersecurity, here are a few of the main concerns:
  • Decentralized security. Pre-5G networks had less hardware traffic points-of-contact, which made it easier to do security checks and upkeep. 5G's dynamic software-based systems have far more traffic routing points. To be completely secure, all of these need to be monitored. Since this might prove difficult, any unsecured areas might compromise other parts of the network. (Hence option 1 is correct).
  • More bandwidth will strain current security monitoring. While existing networks are limited in speed and capacity, this has helped providers monitor security in real-time. So, the benefits of an expanded 5G network might hurt cybersecurity. The added speed and volume will challenge security teams to create new methods for stopping threats. • (Hence option 2 is correct).
  • Lack of encryption early in the connection process. It reveals device info that can be used for device specific IoT targeted attacks. This information helps hackers know what devices are connected to the network. Details such as operating system and device type (smartphone, vehicle modem, etc.) can help hackers plan their attacks with more precision. (Hence option 3 is correct).

Solution. As all the options are correct, Hence the correct option is (d).

Q4. Consider the following statements-

1. India occupies about 2.4% of the total geographical area and consumes 4% of the total water resources.
2. There is no central law governing the use of groundwater in India.
3. The 2022 assessment suggests that groundwater extraction is the highest since 2004.

Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (C)

Explanation:

  • India, with nearly 18% of the world’s population, occupies about 2.4% of the total geographical area and consumes 4% of total water resources. Thus statement 1 is correct.
  • There is no central law governing the use of groundwater and various States have their own laws on regulating its extraction that is deployed in a perfunctory manner. Hence statement 2 is also correct.
  • The 2022 assessment suggests that groundwater extraction is the lowest since 2004 when it was 231 bcm. Thus statement 3 is NOT correct.