Daily Current Affairs MCQ / UPSC / IAS / 12-11-19 | Free PDF

MCQ 1

1. The earth is a bad conductor of electricity
2. Most number of deaths due to lightning strikes were reported from Odisha this year

Choose correct

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

• As per IMD, With 9 lakh lightning strikes between April 1 and July 31 this year, Odisha recorded the highest number of lightning strikes in the country, while Jammu and Kashmir recorded the least with about 20,000 strikes.

 Significance:

• This is the first time the weather monitoring body has released the data on total lightening strikes across the country. The date for the months of April till July was compiled by IMD’s Climate Resilient Observing Systems Promotion Council (CROSPC).
• The report was prepared as part of a three-year study period under Lightning Resilient India campaign.
• Most number of deaths due to lightning strikes were reported from Uttar Pradesh.
• The highest intensity lightning strikes were observed in Chhotanagpur plateau in East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. The area also received the maximum number of strikes for a district.
• The number of lightning days (number of days when lightning strikes happened) across India has been increasing every month. July witnessed the highest number of lightning days, especially in the latter half due to the onset of monsoon.

What is lightning?

• It is a very rapid — and massive — discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, some of which is directed towards the Earth’s surface.
• These discharges are generated in giant moisture-bearing clouds that are 10-12 km tall

 How does it strike?

• The base of these clouds typically lies within 1-2 km of the Earth’s surface, while their top is 12-13 km away. Temperatures towards the top of these clouds are in the range of minus 35 to minus 45 degrees Celsius.
• As water vapour moves upward in the cloud, the falling temperature causes it to condense. Heat is generated in the process, which pushes the molecules of water further up.
• As they move to temperatures below zero degrees celsius, the water droplets change into small ice crystals. They continue to move up, gathering mass — until they are so heavy that they start to fall to Earth.
• This leads to a system in which, simultaneously, smaller ice crystals are moving up and bigger crystals are coming down.
• Collisions follow, and trigger the release of electrons — a process that is very similar to the generation of sparks of electricity. As the moving free electrons cause more collisions and more electrons, a chain reaction ensues.
• This process results in a situation in which the top layer of the cloud gets positively charged, while the middle layer is negatively charged. The electrical potential difference between the two layers is huge — of the order of a billion to 10 billion volts. In very little time, a massive current, of the order of 100,000 to a million amperes, starts to flow between the layers.
• An enormous amount of heat is produced, and this leads to the heating of the air column between the two layers of the cloud. This heat gives the air column a reddish appearance during lightning. As the heated air column expands, it produces shock waves that result in thunder.
• How does this current reach the Earth from the cloud?
• While the Earth is a good conductor of electricity, it is electrically neutral. However, in comparison to the middle layer of the cloud, it becomes positively charged. As a result, about 15%-20% of the current gets directed towards the Earth as well. It is this flow of current that results in damage to life and property on Earth.
• There is a greater probability of lightning striking tall objects such as trees, towers or buildings. Once it is about 80-100 m from the surface, lightning tends to change course towards these taller objects. This happens because air is a poor conductor of electricity, and electrons that are travelling through air seek both a better conductor and the shortest route to the relatively positively charged Earth’s surface.

MCQ 2

1. The Ministry of Textiles has allocated a separate Harmonised System (HS) code for Khadi.
2. Developed by the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Choose correct

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

• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has allocated a separate Harmonized System (HS) code for Khadi.
• Khadi is India’s signature handspun and handwoven cloth that was made iconic by Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom struggle.

What does this mean for Khadi?

• The move is expected to boost Khadi exports in the coming years. Earlier, Khadi did not have its exclusive HS code.

What does the HS code mean?

• The Harmonised System, or simply ‘HS’, is a six-digit identification code. Of the six digits, the first two denote the HS Chapter, the next two give the HS heading, and the last two give the HS subheading.
• Developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO).
• Called the “universal economic language” for goods.
• It is a multipurpose international product nomenclature.
• The system currently comprises of around 5,000 commodity groups. HS code are used by Customs authorities, statistical agencies, and other government regulatory bodies, to monitor and control the import and export of commodities through:
• Customs tariffs
• Collection of international trade statistics
• Rules of origin
• Collection of internal taxes
• Trade negotiations (e.g., the World Trade Organization schedules of tariff concessions)
• Transport tariffs and statistics
• Monitoring of controlled goods (e.g., wastes, narcotics, chemical weapons, ozone layer depleting substances, endangered species, wildlife trade)
• Areas of Customs controls and procedures, including risk assessment, information technology and compliance.

MCQ 3

Sometimes in news, what is a gig economy ?

1. An economy with a very high growth
2. Economy with a declining growth
3. Economy of a developing country
4. None

MCQ 4

As a part of its ease of doing business initiative, the government will be subsuming a total of 44 labour laws into codes. The newly proposed codes of Labour laws are:

1. Code on Wages Bill
2. Code of Occupational, Safety, Health and Working Conditions Bill, 2019
3. Code on Industrial Relations
4. Code on Social Security
5. Code on PF & Medical facilities
6. Code on labour reforms

(A) 1,2,5,6
(B) 1,3,5,6
(C) 1,2,3,4
(D) All

• As a part of its ease of doing business initiative, the government will be subsuming a total of 44 labour laws into four codes — on wages, social security, industrial safety and welfare and industrial relations.
• The Four codes of Labour laws are:
• Code on Wages Bill
• Code of Occupational, Safety, Health and Working Conditions Bill, 2019
• Code on Industrial Relations
• Code on Social Security
• As part of its commitment to simplify and consolidate labour rules and laws under four codes, the Union Cabinet has cleared the Occupational, Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, earlier it approved the Code on Wages Bill.
• The draft code on social security, which subsumes eight existing laws covering provident fund, maternity benefits and pension, is being further worked upon after a recent round of public consultations.
• Objectives of the draft:
• To amalgamate a clutch of existing laws and proposes several new initiatives including universal social security for unorganized sector workers and, insurance and health benefits for gig workers.
• To Corporatize of existing organizations like EPFO and ESIC headed by people other than the labour minister.
• Key highlights of the draft:
• Insurance, PF, life cover for unorganized sector employees: Central Government shall formulate and notify, from time to time, suitable welfare schemes for unorganized workers on matter relating to life and disability cover; health and maternity benefits; old age protection; and any other benefit as may be determined by the central government.
• Corporatization of EPFO and ESIC: The pension, insurance and retirement saving bodies including EPFO and ESIC will be body corporate. Labour minister, labour secretary, the central PF commissioner and Director General of ESIC may not be by default the head of such organizations.
• Benefits for Gig workers: “Central Government may formulate and notify, from time to time, suitable social security schemes for gig workers and platform workers” and such schemes would encompass issues like “life and disability cover”, “health and maternity benefits” , “old age protection” and “any other benefit as may be determined by the Central Government”.
• Maternity Benefit: Subject to the other provisions of this Code, every woman shall be entitled to, and her employer shall be liable for, the payment of maternity benefit at the rate of the average daily wage for the period of her actual absence, that is to say, the period immediately preceding the day of her delivery, and any period immediately following that day.
• The Code on Social Security, 2019 once in place will merge eight exiting labour laws including Employees’ Compensation Act, 1923; Employees‘ State Insurance Act, 1948, Employees‘ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952; Maternity Benefit Act, 1961; Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972; Cine Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1981; Building and Other Construction Workers Cess Act, 1996 and Unorganized Workers‘ Social Security Act, 2008.

 MCQ 5

1. The fall armyworm (FAW) feeds exclusively on maize crop
2. It is a native of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa.

 Choose correct

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

• Proper precaution and timely management by the state agriculture department and awareness among farmers have succeeded in thwarting an attack by the Fall Armyworm (FAW) on maize crop in Odisha.

 Background:

• Odisha produces over 7 lakh tonnes maize every year. The coverage of maize has increased to 2.40 lakh hectares in 2019-20 from 2.28 lakh ha a year ago.
• What is FAW?
• It is a native of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas.
• First detected in the African continent in 2016. Since then, it has spread to other countries such as China, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
• The pest can attack at least 80 types of crops including bajra, jawar, ragi, paddy, wheat and vegetables.
• In India: It was reported in India for the first-time in Karnataka. Within a span of only six months, almost 50 per cent of the country, including Mizoram, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal, has reported FAW infestations.
• What makes FAW dangerous?
• It is the polyphagous (ability to feed on different kinds of food) nature of the caterpillar and the ability of the adult moth to fly more than 100 km per night.
• Given its ability to feed on multiple crops — nearly 80 different crops ranging from maize to sugarcane — FAW can attack multiple crops.
• Similarly, it can spread across large tracts of land as it can fly over large distances. This explains the quick spread of the pest across India.

How FAW affects output?

• Till date, India has reported FAW infestation on maize, sorghum (jowar) and sugarcane crops. Maize has been the worst affected as most maize-growing states in southern India have been affected by the pest.
• FAW infestation and drought has led to a shortfall of nearly 5 lakh tonnes in output, prompting the central government to allow import of maize under concessional duty. Maize is the third most important cereal crop grown in the country and the infestation, if not checked in time, can wreck havoc.

 MCQ 6

1. The latest cyclone- bulbul, is the seventh to be formed in the Indian Ocean this year.
2. Hurricane Dorian was the most severe in Arabian sea in 2019.

Choose correct

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

• 2019 may be the record-breaking cyclone year for India. We are already on a par with 2018 when a record of seven Cyclones was made.
• The latest cyclone- bulbul, is the seventh to be formed in the Indian Ocean this year.
• It is the highest in the last 34 years — a record held jointly with 2018.
• It will also be the second storm to form in the Bay of Bengal this year after extremely severe Cyclone Fani in April-May.
• Previously there was Cyclone Maha formed in the Arabian Ocean.
• In the Indian Ocean region, cyclones Bulbul and Maha came in quick succession after super cyclone Kyarr — a first in the region after the Odisha super cyclone of 1999.
• The Arabian sea, usually not known to be prone to cyclones, has had four major cyclones this year — very severe cyclone Vayu, very severe cyclone Hikaa, super cyclone Kyarr and extremely severe cyclone Maha. This equals the record for the highest number of severe cyclones in the Arabian sea in the last 117 years.
• There have been two extremely severe cyclones and one super cyclone in the Indian Ocean region in 2019, taking the total number of severe cyclones to five.
• Super typhoon Halong in the western north Pacific Ocean.
• Hurricane Dorian– Bahamas.
• Nakri– West Philippine’s Sea. A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain or squalls. Depending on its location and strength, a tropical cyclone is referred to by different names, including hurricane tropical storm, cyclonic storm, tropical depression, and simply cyclone. A hurricane is a tropical cyclone that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and northeastern Pacific Ocean, and a typhoon occurs in the northwestern Pacific Ocean; in the south Pacific or Indian Ocean, comparable storms are referred to simply as “tropical cyclones” or “severe cyclonic storms

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