Daily Quiz

Solution (b)
Explanation:
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) deals with internal security, disaster management, and border management. While the MHA oversees technological upgrades in law enforcement and surveillance, the PAN 2.0 project is unrelated to these domains.
• The PAN 2.0 project is an initiative under the Ministry of Finance to upgrade and modernize the Permanent Account Number (PAN) system in India. The project aims to:
o Enhance the usability and integration of PAN with other government systems.
o Improve data accuracy and fraud detection.
o Enable seamless compliance with tax regulations through advanced digital tools. PAN 2.0 aligns with the government’s broader push towards Digital India and better tax administration. (Option (b) is correct)
• The Ministry of Commerce focuses on trade policies, export promotion, and industrial development. While it deals with initiatives like Ease of Doing Business and integrating business-related data, the PAN 2.0 project is primarily related to tax compliance and financial systems, not trade or commerce.
• The Ministry of Agriculture oversees projects related to farmers’ welfare, crop insurance, and agricultural development. It does not manage initiatives related to the PAN system or financial compliance mechanisms.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/government-announces-1435-crore-pan-20-project/article68911346.ece#:~:text=Government%20announces%20%E2%82%B91%2C435%20crore%20PAN%202.0%20Project&text=The%20Cabinet%20Committee%20on%20Economic,Broadcasting%20Minister%20Ashwini%20Vaishnaw%20said.

Solution (d)

Explanation:

• While both Hansa Mehta and Amrit Kaur were active in the freedom struggle, their key contributions are more specifically aligned with advocating for women’s rights and reforms during the drafting of the Constitution. Women like Aruna Asaf Ali and Usha Mehta were prominent leaders in the Quit India Movement. (Option (a) is incorrect)
• Though both leaders emphasized the importance of education, their contributions are more closely associated with post-independence reforms and their roles in framing policies for women’s empowerment during and after the Constitution’s drafting. Prominent figures in pre-independence educational reforms include leaders like Gopal Krishna Gokhale and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. (Option (b) is incorrect)
• The cooperative movement in India was spearheaded by leaders like Vithalbhai Patel and Dhananjay Ramchandra Gadgil. While Hansa Mehta and Amrit Kaur were involved in social and political reforms, they were not directly associated with the cooperative movement. (Option (c) is incorrect)
• Both Hansa Mehta and Amrit Kaur played significant roles in advocating for gender equality and rights for women during the drafting of the Indian Constitution:
  • Hansa Mehta was instrumental in ensuring that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) included gender-neutral language. She also advocated for equal rights for women in education, marriage, and property in India.
  • Amrit Kaur, as India’s first Health Minister, championed women’s healthcare reforms and played a vital role in promoting gender equity through the Indian Constitution. She also advocated for reforms in education and political representation for women. (Option (d) is correct)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/feminist-ideology-in-indias-constitutional-discourse/article68909507.ece

Solution (a)

Explanation:

• Both Aqua and Suomi-NPP are satellites launched by NASA as part of its Earth Observing System program:
  • Aqua (2002): Equipped with the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instrument, it monitors changes in the lower atmosphere, such as temperature, humidity, and vegetation.
  • Suomi-NPP (2011): Carries the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) instrument, which is the successor to MODIS. It tracks similar parameters with greater precision.
• These satellites are crucial for studying climate change, atmospheric patterns, and land use changes globally. (Option (a) is correct)
• Space probes designed to study the outer solar system, such as Voyager 1 and 2 or New Horizons, are not related to Earth observation. These probes focus on planets, moons, and interstellar phenomena, unlike Aqua and Suomi-NPP, which study Earth’s atmosphere and surface.
• Communication satellites like those used for global internet services (e.g., SpaceX’s Starlink or Amazon’s Project Kuiper) facilitate broadband connectivity.
• Satellites like the NOAA-20 or the MetOp series specialize in weather data collection, including polar observations.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/the-discrepancy-between-satellite-data-of-farm-fires-and-air-pollution-explained/article68904814.ece

Solution (c)

Explanation:

• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) was established in 2016 by the NITI Aayog. It is part of the Government of India’s initiative to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the country, aligning with the broader goal of enhancing India’s innovation ecosystem. (Statement 1 is correct)
• AIM is a flagship initiative of the NITI Aayog. It aims to foster a culture of innovation through initiatives that encourage entrepreneurship and create an enabling ecosystem for startups and MSMEs. (Statement 2 is correct)
• One of AIM’s flagship programs is the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) initiative. ATLs are innovation labs established in schools to encourage STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) learning and foster creativity among students. These labs provide access to tools like 3D printers, robotics kits, and IoT devices to nurture problem-solving and innovation skills. (Statement 3 is correct)

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2077101

Solution (c)

Explanation:

• The MACE telescope is a ground-based facility located at Hanle, Ladakh, approximately 4.3 km above sea level. It studies gamma rays, which are the highest-energy form of electromagnetic radiation, indirectly by detecting Cherenkov radiation produced when gamma rays interact with the Earth’s atmosphere. (Statement 1 is correct)
• The MACE telescope does have a 21-metre-wide dish, making it the largest imaging Cherenkov telescope in Asia and the second-largest in the world. However, the world’s largest dish for this category of telescopes is held by other facilities like the H.E.S.S. array in Namibia or the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) under construction. (Statement 2 is incorrect)
• The MACE telescope is an Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT). This type of telescope indirectly detects gamma rays by capturing Cherenkov radiation, a faint blue light produced when high-energy gamma rays interact with air molecules in the atmosphere. (Statement 3 is correct)
• Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs): IACTs like MACE detect Cherenkov radiation to study high-energy gamma rays. They help in understanding astrophysical phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts, etc.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/mace-in-ladakh-opens-its-one-of-a-kind-eye-to-cosmic-gamma-rays/article68908565.ece