Current Affairs MCQs [ 10 and 11 December 2017 ] PIB TheHindu IndianExpress & Other leading newspapers

Sumant Kumar, B.Tech NIT Allahabad sumant.magadh@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/SumantKM/

Which of the following conditions form basis for reservation according to Indian Constitution? 1. Social backwardness 2. Economic backwardness 3. Educational backwardness

Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans C

• The Constitution has used various expressions like 'socially and educationally backward classes of citizens' in Article 15, 'backward class of citizens' in Article 16, 'weaker sections of the people' in Article 46 and again 'socially and educationally backward classes' in Article 340.

• In 1991, the Narasimha Rao Government introduced two changes: • (a) preference to the poorer sections among the OBCs in the

27% quota, i.e., adoption of the economic criteria in granting reservation, and

• (b) reservation of another 10% of jobs for poorer (economically backward) sections of higher castes who are not covered by any existing schemes of reservation.

• In the famous Mandal case (1992), the scope and extent of Article 16(4), which provides for reservation of jobs in favour of backward classes, has been examined thoroughly by the Supreme Court. Though the Court has rejected the additional reservation of 10% for poorer sections of higher castes, it upheld the constitutional validity of 27% reservation for the OBCs.

In the ‘Indra Sawhney case’, the Supreme Court held that 1. Directive principles of state policy were subordinate to Fundamental Rights 2. The decision of the presiding officer

Mandal case (Indra Sawhney v. Union of India 1992) • the scope and extent of Article 16(4), which provides for

reservation of jobs in favour of backward classes, has been examined thoroughly by the Supreme Court.

• The Court

of the House regarding disqualification arising out of defection under the tenth schedule of the Constitution is subject to judicial review 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 Solution: d.

o rejected the additional reservation of 10% for poorer sections of higher castes

o upheld the constitutional validity of 27% reservation for the OBCs with certain conditions, viz, • The advanced sections among the OBCs (the creamy layer)

should be excluded from the list of beneficiaries of reservation.

• No reservation in promotions; reservation should be confined to initial appointments only. Any existing reservation in promotions can continue for five years only (i.e., upto 1997).

• The total reserved quota should not exceed 50% except in some extraordinary situations. This rule should be applied every year.

• The ‘carry forward rule’ in case of unfilled (backlog) vacancies is valid. But it should not violate 50% rule.

• A permanent statutory body should be established to examine complaints of over-inclusion and under-inclusion in the list of OBCs.

Who composed the song Vande Mataram? a) Shree Aurobindo Ghosh b) Bankim Chandra Chatterji c) Rabindranath Tagore d) Satyajit Ray Ans B National Song • Vande Mataram is the National Song

• It is composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterjee.

• It was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom.

• It has an equal status with Jana-gana-mana.

• The first political occasion when it was sung was the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.

• Why in news? The Madras High Court ordered that “Vande Mataram” must be played and sung in all schools, colleges and universities at least once a week.

UPSC Prelims 2014 Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was? (a) the mosque for the use of Royal Family. (b) Akbar's private prayer chamber. (c) the hall in which Akbar held discussions with scholars of various religions. (d) the room in which the nobles belonging in different religions gathered to discuss religious affairs. Ans C Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was the hall in which Akbar held discussions with scholars of various religions on every Thursday to debate on religious issues raised by Akbar.

Do we have anything today as representative of Modern Architecture which could be compared with our old buildings? Critically examine. (150 Words)

[UPSC Prelims 2012] [Also asked in 1996] With reference to the history of ancient India, which of the following was/were common to both Buddhism and Jainism? 1. Avoidance of extremities of penance and enjoyment. 2. Indifference to the authority of the Vedas. 3. Denial of efficacy of rituals. Select the correct answer using the codes given below: (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans B

Which of the following correctly describes the idea of Nirvana in Buddhism? • Annihilation of the self • Disappearance of the flames of desire and passion • State of bliss and rest • All of the above

Ans B Nirvana in Buddhism: • Nirvana is part of the Third Truth on “cessation of

dukha” in the Four Noble Truths. • The term nirvana describes a state of freedom from

suffering and rebirth. • Nirvana literally means extinguishing or unbinding.

The implication is that it is freedom from whatever binds you, from the burning passion of desire, jealousy, and ignorance. Once these are totally overcome, a state of bliss is achieved, and there is no longer the need the cycle of birth and death. All karmic debts are settled.

Which one of the following states is not included in the ‘Empowered Action Group’ of states? a) Uttarakhand b) Uttar Pradesh c) Bihar d) West Bengal Solution: d. • There are Eight Empowered Action Group

States: Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Rajasthan;

• Often, the mention of “EAG States” is followed by a mention of Assam. These nine States, which account for about 48 percent of the total population in the country, are the high focus States in view of their relatively higher fertility and mortality indicators.

The basic cause of the warm temperate western margin climate is the shifting of the wind belts. The best developed form of this climate can be found in a) Area around the Mediterranean Sea b) California c) Central Chile d) South-western tip of Africa Solution: c. This type of climate is known commonly as the Mediterranean Climate; it is also known as the ‘winter rain climate’; the best developed form of this peculiar climatic type is found in Central Chile.

“Global Financial Development Report” is published by a) International Monetary Fund b) World Economic Forum c) United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC) d) World Bank Solution: d)

Which of the following will reduce Global Warming in the short-term? a) Increased rice cultivation b) Greater promotion of cattle breeding in developing countries c) Melting of permafrost In the Arctic region d) Major and sustained volcanic explosions Solution: d) Rice fields are wetlands that release methane which is a GHG accelerating global warming. • Cattle breeding also release methane. • Permafrost contains carbon that was trapped since ages, and

its release after melting accelerates global warming. The concept has been covered in an earlier test.

• Suspended particles from volcanic ash, when spread in the atmosphere, reduce solar insolation and help cool off the earth.

In context of The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, consider the following statements:

1. It states that any person aged between 16 to 18 years accused of heinous offence may be tried under IPC.

2. It empowers the High Court to decide whether a juvenile should be considered as an adult.

3. It establishes Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB) and Child Welfare Committees (CWC) in each district.

Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans C

• The Bill replaces the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.

• It addresses children in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection.

• The Bill permits juveniles between the ages of 16-18 years to be tried as adults for heinous offences.

• Also, any 16-18 year old, who commits a lesser, i.e., serious offence, may be tried as an adult only if he is apprehended after the age of 21 years.

• Juvenile Justice Boards (JJB) and Child Welfare Committees (CWC) will be constituted in each district. • The JJB will conduct a preliminary inquiry to determine

whether a juvenile offender is to be sent for rehabilitation or be tried as an adult.

• The JJB consists of a metropolitan magistrate or a judicial magistrate of the first class and two social workers, at least one of whom should be a woman.

• The CWC will determine institutional care for children in need of care and protection.

• Eligibility of adoptive parents and the procedure for adoption have been included in the Bill.

• Penalties for cruelty against a child, offering a narcotic substance to a child, and abduction or selling a child have been prescribed.

The target of 90-90-90 is an ambitious global treatment target to help end which one of the following epidemics? a) AIDS b) Cholera c) Malaria d) Zika fever Solution: A The 90-90-90 target: o By 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status. o By 2020, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive

sustained antiretroviral therapy. o By 2020, 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have

viral suppression. • To “achieve the global target of 2020 which is also termed as target of

90:90:90, for HIV/AIDS”, is one of the key targets that the NHP seeks to achieve.

The "90-90-90 strategy" recently unveiled by a UN agency is: (a) to combat terrorist groups and terrorism from the world. (b) to help end the AIDS epidemic. (c) to help in reducing malnutrition cases in developing countries. (d) to help end the gender discrimination and promote gender equality.Ans B Which of the following persons is the first Bengali to become President of India? a) Zakir Husain b) Mohammad Hidayatullah c) Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed d) Pranab Mukherjee Solution: d) • The 13th and current President

Pranab Mukherjee, is the first Bengali to be elected as President.

• Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was Assamese. Zakir Husain was born in Telangana (then Andhra Pradesh), but grew up in UP.

• Mohammad Hidayatullah is from UP

Which of these do NOT form part of a marine ecosystem? a) Ocean minerals which is an abiotic element b) Coral reefs which are biotic elements c) Energy flow within the trophic levels which is an abiotic element d) All the above biotic and abiotic elements form part of the marine ecosystem. Solution: d) An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system. • These biotic and abiotic components are

regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows.

• Energy, water, nitrogen and soil minerals are essential abiotic components of an ecosystem.

UN Refugee Convention (1951) safeguards the rights of people fleeing

• The UN Refugee Convention (1951) grants certain rights to people fleeing persecution

persecution due to which of the following reasons? • Race • Religious beliefs • War • Climate change • Variant Political ideology

Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1, 2 and 3 only (b) 4 and 5 only (c) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 Ans C

because of race, religion, nationality, affiliation to a particular social group, or political opinion.

• The rights they are entitled to follow principles of non-discrimination, non-penalization, and non-refoulement.

• However, people migrating due to environmental disasters have no such recognition of their ‘refugee’ status in international law, leaving them without any basic rights of rehabilitation and compensation.

The primary objective of the Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) is to: (a) develop a high speed digital library. (b) develop a database of Indian teachers and research scholars across the world. (c) develop a road-map for research to solve major engineering and technology challenges. (d) facilitate faculty from highly rated foreign institutions to deliver specialized courses in India. Ans D

Global Initiative for Academics Network (GIAN) • was launched as an initiative to attract the

best foreign academics to Indian Universities of Excellence.

• The programme has been launched to facilitate the partnership between Higher Education Institutions of India and other foreign universities.

• Under this (352) courses are being offered by foreign faculty from 38 Countries.

• The cost of the travel and honorarium ranging from $8,000 - $12,000 is being met from the scheme funds.

• These courses are being looked at as a starting point of long-term research collaboration between Indian Institutions and the other Global institutions; and therefore signal a major chapter in the higher education system.

With regard to "Vittiya Saksharta Abhiyan", consider the following statements: • Its purpose is to create awareness

about cashless modes of transactions.

• It actively engage students of Higher Education Institutions.

• It is implemented by Ministry of Finance .

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans B

The purpose of the 'Vittiya Saksharta Abhiyan' (VISAKA) is to actively engage the youth/ students of Higher Education Institutions to encourage and motivate all payers and payees to use a digitally enabled cashless economic system for transfer of funds. • Under it, young students and faculty members

will be roped to encourage and motivate people to use a digitally enabled cashless economic system for transfer of fund.

• It was launched by Ministry of HRD and is being implemented by it.

Consider the following statements about Gender Parity Index (GPI): • It is the ratio of female to

male enrollment in primary, secondary and tertiary education.

• India has not achieved gender parity in either primary or secondary or higher education.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2

• The Gender Parity Index (GPI)

• is a socioeconomic index

• usually designed to measure the relative access to education of males and females.

• In its simplest form, it is calculated as the quotient of the number of females by the number of males enrolled in a given stage of education (primary, secondary and tertiary).

• A GPI of 1 indicates parity between sexes. • The recent data shows an improvement in girls

education, with parity having been achieved between girls and boys at all levels of education, except higher education in the case of total and Scheduled Caste (SC) students.

(d) Neither 1 nor 2 Ans A

• In the case of Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, parity between girls and boys has not been achieved across all levels of school and higher education.

Dr. Ambedkar called which of the following fundamental rights as the most important article of the constitution, without which Indian constitution would be a nullity? (a) Right to Constitutional Remedies (b) Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression (c) Right to Religious and Cultural freedom

Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? Dam/Project River 1. Tilaiya : Hooghly 2. Hirakud : Mahanadi 3. Koyna : Kaveri Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only

(d) Right against Exploitation Ans A Dr Ambedkar called Article 32 as the most important article of the constitution - an article without which this constitution would be nullity. It is the very soul of the Constitution and the very heart of it. Supreme Court also held that Article 32 is a basic feature of the constitution.

(b) 2 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 2 and 3 only Ans B • Tilaiya Dam is located on Barakar

River(Jharkhand)

• Hirakud Dam located on Mahanadi River (Odisha)

• Koyna Dam is on Koyna River, tributary of Krishna River (Maharashtra)