Daily Current Affairs MCQ UPSC / IAS / 21-06-19 | PDF Downloads

 
MCQ 1

1. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) enables duty free trading of diamonds
2. India is not a member

Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None
 

What is the Kimberley Process?

• The Kimberley Process is an international certification scheme that regulates trade in rough diamonds. It aims to prevent the flow of conflict diamonds, while helping to protect legitimate trade in rough diamonds.
• The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) outlines the rules that govern the trade in rough diamonds.
• The KP is not, strictly speaking, an international organisation: it has no permanent offices or permanent staff. It relies on the contributions – under the principle of ‘burden-sharing’ – of participants, supported by industry and civil society observers. Neither can the KP be considered as an international agreement from a legal perspective, as it is implemented through the national legislations of its participants.

 What are Conflict diamonds?

• “Conflict Diamonds” means rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments. It is also described in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
• How does the Kimberley Process work?
• The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as ‘conflict-free’ and prevent conflict diamonds from entering the legitimate trade.
• Under the terms of the KPCS, participating states must put in place national legislation and institutions; export, import and internal controls; and also commit to transparency and the exchange of statistical data.
• Participants can only legally trade with other participants who have also met the minimum requirements of the scheme, and international shipments of rough diamonds must be accompanied by a KP certificate guaranteeing that they are conflict-free.
• Rough diamond trading under the KPCS:
• As per the Scheme, each shipment of rough diamonds being exported and imported by crossing an international border be transported in a tamper proof container and accompanied by a validated Kimberley Process Certificate. The shipment can only be exported to a co-participant country in the KPCS. No uncertified shipments of rough diamonds are permitted to enter a participant country.

Who is involved?

• The Kimberley Process (KP) is open to all countries that are willing and able to implement its requirements. The KP has 55 participants, representing 82 countries, including the European Union and its Member States counting as a single participant. KP members account for approximately 99.8% of the global production of rough diamonds.
• In addition, the World Diamond Council, representing the international diamond industry, and civil society organisations, such as Partnership-Africa Canada, participate in the KP and have played a major role since its outset.

 
MCQ 2
Spitzer, Chandra, hubble are missions for
(A) Searching blackholes
(B) Searching goldilocks zone planets
(C) Observing universe in different wavelengths
(D) Mars exploration

• Spitzer space telescope of NASA will be retired on January 30, 2020. Spitzer is going to shut down permanently after about 16 years of exploring the cosmos in infrared light. By 2020, Spitzer space telescope will have operated for more than 11 years beyond its prime mission.
• Launched into solar orbit on August 25, 2003, Spitzer was initially scheduled for a minimum 2.5-year primary mission. But the space telescope has lasted far beyond its expected lifetime.
• Spitzer’s discoveries extend from our own planetary backyard, to planets around other stars, to the far reaches of the universe. And by working in collaboration with NASA’s other Great Observatories, Spitzer has helped scientists gain a more complete picture of many cosmic phenomena.
• Spitzer has logged over 106,000 hours of observation time in the past 15 years. It has illuminated some of the oldest galaxies in the universe, revealed a new ring around Saturn, and peered through shrouds of dust to study newborn stars and black holes.
• The space telescope also assisted in the discovery of planets beyond our solar system, including the detection of seven Earth-size planets orbiting the star TRAPPIST-1, among other accomplishments.
• NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope was launched in 2003 to study the universe in the infrared. It is the last mission of the NASA Great Observatories program, which saw four specialized telescopes (including the Hubble Space Telescope) launched between 1990 and 2003.
• The goal of the Great Observatories is to observe the universe in distinct wavelengths of light. Spitzer focuses on the infrared band, which normally represents heat radiation from objects. The other observatories looked at visible light (Hubble, still operational), gamma-rays (Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory, no longer operational) and X-rays (the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, still operational.) • Spitzer’s highly sensitive instruments allow scientists to peer into cosmic regions that are hidden from optical telescopes, including dusty stellar nurseries, the centers of galaxies, and newly forming planetary systems.
• Spitzer’s infrared eyes also allows astronomers see cooler objects in space, like failed stars (brown dwarfs), extrasolar planets, giant molecular clouds, and organic molecules that may hold the secret to life on other planets.

 
MCQ 3

1. The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) was constituted in December, 2010.
2. It’s a statutory body under ministry of finance
3. Its chaired by Prime minister

Choose correct
(A) 1 & 2
(B) 1 only
(C) 2 & 3
(D) None

• The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) was constituted in December, 2010. The FSDC was set up to strengthen and institutionalise the mechanism for maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination and promoting financial sector development.
• The Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and its members are Governor, Reserve Bank of India; Finance Secretary and/or Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs; Secretary, Department of Financial Services; Chief Economic Adviser, Ministry of Finance; Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India; Chairman, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority and Chairman, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority. It also includes the chairman of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board (IBBI).
• Recently, the government through a gazette notification, had included ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) secretary in the FSDC in view of the increased focus of the government on digital economy.
• The Council deals, inter-alia, with issues relating to financial stability, financial sector development, inter–regulatory coordination, financial literacy, financial inclusion and macro prudential supervision of the economy including the functioning of large financial conglomerates.
• No funds are separately allocated to the Council for undertaking its activities.

 
MCQ 4

1. University rankings by quacquarelli symonds (QS) is an annual release
2. IISc, bengaluru has topped the indian list
3. There are 23 institutions from india in top 200 in the world

Choose correct
(A) 1 & 2
(B) 1 & 3
(C) 1 only
(D) None

• QS World University Rankings for 2020 has been released.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is at the top of the global list for the eighth consecutive year.
• QS World University Rankings is an annual publication of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).
• QS evaluates universities and institutions on parameters such as academic and employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations per faculty and international students and faculty on campuses.
• IIT-Bombay has been ranked India’s best university for the second year in a row.
• Two other Indian universities — IIT Delhi (182) and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (184) — have also cracked the top 200.
• There are a total of 23 Indian institutions in the top 1,000. While most are government-funded universities, five are privately funded.
• The Manipal Academy of Higher Education, which falls within the 701-750 ranking band, is the top private university in the country. The O.P. Jindal Global University, founded in 2009, is the only new entrant in the list this year, ranking in the 751-800 band.
• Indian science and technology institutions funded by the government scored high in terms of citations per faculty, with the IISc, Bengaluru, achieving a perfect 100 in that indicator.
• For private institutions on the list, on the other hand, it was other indicators such as teacher-student ratio, and international faculty and student populations that propelled them to the top.

 
MCQ 5

1. Countries use bilateral/regional trade agreements to increase market access and expand trade in foreign markets. These agreements are called reciprocal trade agreements (RTAs) because members grant special advantages to each other.
2. They are not helpful according to WTO and create trade distortions and disrupts equality in world trade.

Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only
(C) Both
(D) None

• Countries use bilateral/regional trade agreements to increase market access and expand trade in foreign markets. These agreements are called reciprocal trade agreements (RTAs) because members grant special advantages to each other.
• RTAs include many types of agreements, such as preferential arrangements, free trade agreements, customs unions, and common markets, in which members agree to open their markets to each other’s exports by lowering trade barriers.
• Need: They have become an increasingly prominent feature of the multilateral trading system in recent years, in part, because of stalled global negotiations taking place under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Many observers believe that RTAs deepen market integration and complement efforts by the WTO to liberalize international markets. While acknowledging that RTAs can open up markets, other observers contend that these agreements also distort trade and discriminate against nonmember countries.

 
MCQ 6
Recently in news ReCAAP is related to
(A) Biotechnology
(B) Governance
(C) Maritime security
(D) Space technology

• Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will be co-hosting 12th Capacity Building workshop with Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC).

About ReCAAP:

• The ReCAAP is the first regional Government-to-Government agreement to deal with piracy and armed robbery at sea in Asia.
• Presently 20 countries are members of ReCAAP. India played an active role in the setting up and functioning of ReCAAPISC along with Japan and Singapore.
• Union Government has designated ICG as the focal point within India for ReCAAP.
• Information sharing, capacity building and mutual legal assistance are the three pillars of co-operation under the ReCAAP agreement.
• An ISC has been established at Singapore to collate and disseminate the information among the contracting parties and the maritime community.

 
MCQ 7

1. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an international institute based in Norway, dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament.
2. According to the new report India has highest no. of deployed nuclear warheads in south Asia

Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

• The 2019 Yearbook of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which is part-funded by the Swedish government, was recently released.

Key findings:

• Worldwide total of nuclear warheads has decreased since 2018 but countries are modernizing their nuclear arsenals.
• Nine nuclear-armed countries (including India) had a total of some 13,865 nuclear weapons at the start of 2019, which is a decrease of 600 nuclear weapons from 14,465 at the start of 2018.

• The Swedish Riksdag decided that the Institute be established on 1 July 1966 with the legal status of an independent foundation. All SIPRI research is based exclusively on open sources.
• Contacts are maintained with other research centres and individual researchers throughout the world. SIPRI cooperates closely with several intergovernmental organisations, notably the United Nations and the European Union, and regularly receives parliamentary, scientific and government delegations as well as visiting researchers. Frequent contacts are maintained with diplomatic missions in Stockholm and with Swedish research centres.

 
MCQ 8
AWaRe is a
(A) Air born warning system
(B) Initiative by women ministry for young girls
(C) App for internal security complaints
(D) tool for safer use of antibiotics

WHO launches tool for safer use of antibiotics, curb resistance- AWaRe

• It is an online tool aimed at guiding policy-makers and health workers to use antibiotics safely and more effectively.
• The tool, known as ‘AWaRe’, classifies antibiotics into three groups:
• Access — antibiotics used to treat the most common and serious infections.
• Watch — antibiotics available at all times in the healthcare system.
• Reserve — antibiotics to be used sparingly or preserved and used only as a last resort.
• Concerns:
• Antibiotic resistance is already one of the biggest health risks and is estimated to kill 50 million by 2050 worldwide.
• The threat continues to escalate globally because more than 50 per cent of antibiotics in many countries are used inappropriately such as for treatment of viruses when they only treat bacterial infections or use of the wrong (broader spectrum) antibiotic.
• Besides, reduced access to effective and appropriate antibiotics in many low- and middleincome countries contributes to childhood deaths and lack of funding and implementation of national plans to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

 
MCQ 9

1. Anthrax is a zoonotic disease
2. It is caused by Anthrax RNA virus
3. It spreads by sexual contacts and blood mixing

Choose correct
(A) Only 2
(B) Only 1
(C) 2 & 3
(D) All

• DRDO, JNU scientists develop more potent Anthrax vaccine. Claim new vaccine superior than existing ones as it can generate immune response to anthraxtoxin as well as spores.
• Anthrax is a disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, a germ that lives in soil.
• It affects animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats more often than people. People can get anthrax from contact with infected animals, wool, meat, or hides. It can cause three forms of disease in people.
• Spread
• : Anthrax does not spread directly from one infected animal or person to another; it is spread by spores. These spores can be transported by clothing or shoes.

• Symptoms & Infection:
• In most cases, symptoms develop within seven days of exposure to the bacteria. The one exception is inhalation anthrax, which may take weeks after exposure before symptoms appear.
• Respiratory infection in humans initially presents with cold or flu-like symptoms for several days, followed by pneumonia and severe (and often fatal) respiratory collapse.
• Gastrointestinal (GI) infection in humans is most often caused by consuming anthrax-infected meat and is characterized by serious GI difficulty, vomiting of blood, severe diarrhea, acute inflammation of the intestinal tract, and loss of appetite.
• Cutaneous anthrax, also known as Hide porter’s disease, is the cutaneous (on the skin) manifestation of anthrax infection in humans. It presents as a boil-like skin lesion that eventually forms an ulcer with a black center (eschar).
• Exposure:
• Occupational exposure to infected animals or their products (such as skin, wool, and meat) is the usual pathway of exposure for humans. Workers who are exposed to dead animals and animal products are at the highest risk, especially in countries where anthrax is more common.
• It does not usually spread from an infected human to a noninfected human. But, if the disease is fatal to the person’s body, its mass of anthrax bacilli becomes a potential source of infection to others and special precautions should be used to prevent further contamination. Inhalational anthrax, if left untreated until obvious symptoms occur, may be fatal.
• Anthrax can be contracted in laboratory accidents or by handling infected animals or their wool or hides.
• Treatment:
• The standard treatment for anthrax is a 60-day course of an antibiotic. Treatment is most effective when started as soon as possible.
• Although some cases of anthrax respond to antibiotics, advanced inhalation anthrax may not. By the later stages of the disease, the bacteria have often produced more toxins than drugs can eliminate.
• Use in Bioterrorism:
• Anthrax has been used in biological warfare by agents and by terrorists to intentionally infect.
• It was spread in US through a mail. It killed 5 people and made 22 sick.

 
 

 

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