Daily Current Affairs MCQ / UPSC / IAS / 31-07-19

Table of Contents

MCQ 1

Under the Consumer Protection Bill, 2019, there is provision for central government to set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).
The authority will have power to impose a penalty on a manufacturer or an endorser of up to 10 crore rupees and imprisonment for up to two years for a false or misleading advertisement.

Choose correct

(A) Only 1

(B) Only 2

(D) None

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution

Lok Sabha passes Consumer Protection Bill, 2019
The Lok Sabha todaypassed the Consumer Protection Bill 2019 after due consideration and discussion. The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Shri Ram Vilas Paswan said that the bill aims at protecting the interests of consumers by establishing authorities for timely and effective administration and settlement of consumers’ dispute. Moving the Bill, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Raosaheb Patil Danve said the Bill aims to simplify a number of rules. Shri Danve said consumers do not get quick redressal of their complaints and with the passage of the Bill, consumers will be able to get speedy justice. He said the government aims to simplify the entire process of redressal of consumer grievances.
Under the Bill, there is provision for central government to set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers and will be empowered to investigate, recall, refund and impose penalties. It will regulate matters related to violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and misleading advertisements. There is also a provision for class action law suit for ensuring that rights of consumers are not infringed upon. The authority will have power to impose a penalty on a manufacturer or an endorser of up to 10 lakh rupees and imprisonment for up to two years for a false or misleading advertisement.

Salient Features of the Bill

Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA): Executive Agency to provide relief to a class of consumers. The CCPA will be empowered to

a) Conduct investigations into violations of consumer rights and institute Complaints /Prosecution
b) Order recall of unsafe goods and services
c) Order discontinuance of Unfair Trade Practices and Misleading Advertisements
d) Impose penalties on Manufactures /Endorsers /Publishers of Misleading Advertisements

2) Simplified Dispute Resolution process

i) Pecuniary Jurisdiction enhanced to-

District Commission –Up to Rs1 crore
State Commission- Between Rs1 crore and Rs 10 crore
National Commission –Above Rs.10 crore

ii) Deemed admissibility after 21days of filing

iii) Empowerment of Consumer Commission to enforce their orders

iv) Appeals only on question of law after second stage

v) Ease of approaching consumer commission

Filing from place of residence
E-filing
Videoconferencing for hearing

3) Mediation

An Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism
Reference to Mediation by Consumer Forum wherever scope for early settlement exists and parties agree for it.
Mediation cells to be attached to Consumer Forum
No appeal against settlement through mediation

4) Product Liability

A manufacturer or product service provider or product seller to be responsible to compensate for injury or damage caused by defective product or deficiency in services The Basis for product liability action will be:
Manufacturing defect
Design defect
Deviation from manufacturing specifications
Not conforming to express warranty
Failing to contain adequate instruction for correct use
Services provided are faulty, imperfect or deficient

New Bill- Benefit to Consumers

Presently Consumer only have a single point of access to justice, which is time consuming. Additional swift executive remedies are proposed in the bill through Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)
Deterrent punishment to check misleading advertisements and adulteration of products
Product liability provision to deter manufacturers and service providers from delivering defective products or deficient services
Ease of approaching Consumer Commission and Simplification of Adjudication process
Scope for early disposal of cases through mediation
Provision for rules for new age consumer issues: e-commerce & direct selling

MCQ 2

India has eradicated and eliminated following

Small Pox
Polio
Measels
Tetanus
Guinea worm
Yaws

Choose correct

(A) 1,2,3,6

(B) 1,2,3,5,6

(C) 1,2,5,6

(D) All

MCQ 3

Central Wakf Council is a statutory body established in 1964 by the Government of India
It is a permanent dedication of movable or immovable properties for religious education only

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(A)Only 1

(B) Only 2

(D) None

Central Wakf Council is a statutory body established in 1964 by the Government of India under Wakf Act, 1954 (now a sub section the Wakf Act, 1995).
It has been established for the purpose of advising Centre on matters pertaining to working of the State Wakf Boards and proper administration of the Wakfs in the country.
It is a permanent dedication of movable or immovable properties for religious, pious or charitable purposes as recognized by Muslim Law, given by philanthropists.

Composition and appointments:

The Council is headed by a Chairperson, who is the Minister of State for Ministry of Minority Affair and there are maximum 20 other members, appointed by Government of India as stipulated in the Wakf Act.
The State Wakf Boards are established by the State Governments in view of the provisions of section 13 & 14 of the Wakf Act, 1995.
These work towards management, regulation and protect the Wakf properties by constituting District Wakf Committees, Mandal Wakf Committees and Committees for the individual Wakf Institutions.
The wakf Boards shall be body corporate having perpetual succession and common seal with power to acquire and hold property.
In case more than fifteen percent of total number of wakf property is shia wakf or income thereof is more than fifteen percent the Act envisages about separate Shia Wakf Board.

MCQ 4

The renaming of a state requires Parliamentary approval under Article 1 of the Constitution
Before the introduction of the bill, the President shall send the bill to the respective state assembly for expressing their views within a stipulated time. The views of the state assembly are binding.

Choose correct

(A) Only 1

(B) Only 2

(D)None

Context: Over the years, several demands have been made, for reasons that could be either political or administrative, to change the name of West Bengal.
A request in 2018 was rejected by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in November 2018 due to the similarity between “Bangla” and “Bangladesh”.

Rationale behind renaming:

The state government first proposed the renaming in 2016. West Bengal argues for the change saying bureaucrats and politicians from the state often complain that they are asked to speak at the end of every national-level meeting in Delhi. This was because the speakers’ lists at such meeting are prepared according to alphabetical order of the states they represent. If West Bengal gets the new name, it will leapfrog from bottom of the list to the top of the pecking order.
The renaming will help the state appear at the fourth spot after Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Assamin the alphabetic order of the states.
The procedure of renaming of the state can be initiated by either the Parliament or the State Legislator and the procedure is as follows:
The renaming of a state requires Parliamentary approval under Article 3 and 4 of the Constitution.
A bill for renaming a state may be introduced in the Parliament on the recommendation of the President.
Before the introduction of the bill, the President shall send the bill to the respective state assembly for expressing their views within a stipulated time. The views of the state assembly are not binding, neither on the President nor on the Parliament.
On the expiry of the period, the bill will be sent to the Parliament for deliberation. The bill in order to take the force of a law must be passed by a simple majority.
The bill is sent for approval to the President. After the approval of the said bill, the bill becomes a law and the name of the state stands modified.

Initiation by a State:

If any fresh proposal comes from states to the Home Ministry, it will prepare a note for the Union Cabinet for an amendment to the Schedule 1 of the Constitution. Thereafter, a Constitution Amendment Bill will be introduced in Parliament, which has to approve it with a simple majority, before the President gives his assent to it.
There is no need of an amendment as under Article 368 of the Constitution of India for renaming a particular state or union territory or a city or a street.

MCQ 5

International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’ is a non binding UN Charter
Only agencies that possess and are able to provide satellite-based Earth Observation data can be members of the International Charter.

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(A) Only 1

(B) Only 2

(D) None

Context: India, by virtue of being a member of the International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’ has received a satellite data related to the Assam floods from other member nations including France, Russia and China.

About International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’:

It is a non-binding charter.
It provides for the charitable and humanitarian related acquisition of and transmission of space satellite data to relief organizations in the event of major disasters.
Initiated by the European Space Agency and the French space agency CNES after the UNISPACE III conference held in Vienna, Austria in July 1999.
It officially came into operation on November 1, 2000 after the Canadian Space Agency signed onto the charter on October 20, 2000.
Only agencies that possess and are able to provide satellite-based Earth Observation data can be members of the International Charter. The members cooperate on a voluntary basis.

How it works?

The Charter is a worldwide collaboration, through which satellite data are made available for the benefit of disaster management. By combining Earth observation assets from different space agencies, the Charter allows resources and expertise to be coordinated for rapid response to major disaster situations; thereby helping civil protection authorities and the international humanitarian community.
This unique initiative is able to mobilise agencies around the world and benefit from their know-how and their satellites through a single access point that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and at no cost to the user.

MCQ 6

Odisha has bagged the geographical indication (GI) tag for its local version of “Rasagola”.
It is the first GI tag won by Odisha

Choose correct

(A) Only 1

(B) Only 2

(D) None

Context: Odisha has bagged the geographical indication (GI) tag for its local version of “Rasagola”.
This GI tag, numbered 612, is the second for Odisha. It got its first GI tag for Kandhamal Haldi.
Background:
This tag comes amid a years-long debate between West Bengal and Odisha over where the sweet had originated.
West Bengal and Odisha had staked their claim on GI tag for Rasagola. In 2017, West Bengal secured the GI tag for its “Banglar Rasogolla”.
Bengalis claim that the Rasgulla was invented in the 19th century by Nobin Chandra Das at his Bagbazar residence in Kolkata, while Odias believe that the tradition of Niladri Bije where Rasgulla is offered started in the 12th century.
Now with Odisha also securing a certificate for a similar but somewhat differently named delicacy, it seems both will be relishing the sweet end.

About GI tag:

What is it?
A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.
Significance of a GI tag:
Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin.
Security:
Once the GI protection is granted, no other producer can misuse the name to market similar products. It also provides comfort to customers about the authenticity of that product.
Provisions in this regard: GI is covered as element of intellectual property rights (IPRs) under Paris Convention for Protection of Industrial Property.
At international level, GI is governed by WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
In India, Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection Act), 1999 governs it.

MCQ 7

Benin is located between

Niger & Chad
Niger & Nigeria
Ghana & Liberia
Nigeria & Togo

President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Benin at Cardinal Bernadine de Cotonou International Airport in Cotonou, the largest city in the West African country This visit is part of first leg of his 3 nations’ tour to West African region which includes Gambia and Guinea from July 28 to August 3. This is first visit by either a head of state or head of government to three West African countries. This is the 23rd country to be visited by President Kovind during his tenure

MCQ 8

Almost 1,000-year-old Shawala Teja Singh Temple located in city of Afghanistan
It’s a buddhist temple, opened after 72 years

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(A) Only 1

(B) Only 2

(D) None

MCQ 9

India signs deal to acquire R-27 Air-to-Air Missiles from ______

Russia
Israel
USA
None

R-27 air-to-air missiles have been acquired under 10-I projects which mandate all the 3 services (Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force) to maintain critical weapon systems and spares for a specified minimum period called as War Wastage Reserve (WWR).
The Vympel R-27 missile (NATO reporting name AA-10 Alamo) is a medium-tolong-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It remains in service with the Russian Air Force and air forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
The R-27 is manufactured in infrared-homing (R-27T), semi-active-radarhoming (R-27R), and active-radar-homing (R-27EA) versions, in both Russia and Ukraine. The R-27 missile is carried by the Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su27 fighters, and some of the later-model MiG-23MLD fighters have also been adapted to carry it. The R-27 missile is also license-produced in China, though the production license was bought from Ukraine instead of Russia.