Daily Current Affairs MCQ / UPSC 2020 / IAS / 29-11-19 | Free PDF

MCQ 1

1. A Starred Question is one to which a member desires a written answer from the Minister in the House
2. An Unstarred Question is one to which oral reply is enough in the house

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

• Starred Questions: A Starred Question is one to which a member desires an oral answer from the Minister in the House and is required to be distinguished by him/her with an asterisk **. Answer to such a question may be followed by supplementary questions by members.
• Unstarred Questions: An Unstarred Question is one to which written answer is desired by the member and is deemed to be laid on the Table of the House by Minister. Thus it is not called for oral answer in the House and no supplementary question can be asked thereon.

MCQ 2

1. The National University of Singapore is ranked best in QS World University Asia Rankings
2. Only IISc Bengaluru appears in QS University Rankings: Asia—Top 10

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

QS World University Rankings for Asia has been released.

• The National University of Singapore is ranked Asia’s best for the second consecutive year. Performance of Indian Institutes:
• India does not yet have a university among the top 30.
• The best performing institution from India is IIT Bombay, which is at 34th position. It is followed by IIT Delhi at 43rd place and IIT Madras at 50th. QS University Rankings: BRICS—Top 10

MCQ 3
 CBDR–RC is a principle related to

1. UNCBD
2. UNFCCC
3. UNCCD
4. Montreal Protocol

• The Union Cabinet has approved India’s approach for the 25th Conference of Parties (COP) scheduled to be held in Spain.
• India’s approach will be guided by principles and provisions of the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement particularly the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capability (CBDR-RC).
• CBDR–RC is a principle within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• It acknowledges the different capabilities and differing responsibilities of individual countries in addressing climate change.
• Reflecting CBDR-RC, the Convention divided countries into “Annex I” and “non-Annex I,” the former generally referring to developed countries and the latter to developing countries.
• Under the Convention Annex I countries have a greater mitigation role than non Annex-I countries.
• CBDR-RC and the annex classifications were codified in the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, and Annex I country emissions reductions were legally bound.

MCQ 4

1. “Contract for the Web” is the project to create a standard policy for a Web that benefits all
2. Its developed by Facebook & USA govt.

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

• Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, has announced a “Contract for the Web” — aimed at saving the future of his invention.

What is the Contract for the Web?

• The idea is to create a global plan of action for all stakeholders to together commit to building a “better” Web.
• The goal is to create a standard policy for a Web that benefits all.
• The Contract consists of nine principles — three each for governments, private companies, and individuals and civil society to endorse.
• It has been created by representatives from over 80 organizations, including governments, companies, civil society activists, and academics.

What are the principles in the Contract?

• Governments will “Ensure everyone can connect to the Internet”, “Keep all of the Internet available, all of the time”, and “Respect and protect people’s fundamental online privacy and data rights”. Companies will
• “Make the Internet affordable and accessible to everyone”,
• “Respect and protect people’s privacy and personal data to build online trust”, and
• “Develop technologies that support the best in humanity and challenge the worst”. Citizens will “Be creators and collaborators on the Web”, “Build strong communities that respect civil discourse and human dignity”, and “Fight for the Web” so that it “remains open and a global public resource for people everywhere, now and in the future”.

 How will the Contract be implemented?

• The ‘Contract for the Web’ is not a legal document, or a United Nations document — though the organization is in talks with the UN.
• It cannot currently bend governments or companies — even those that are on board — to its will. Need of the hour:
• The Web, which is now almost an essential condition for human existence, is at a tipping point and needs radical intervention from all stakeholders — governments, companies, civil society groups, as well as individual users.
• Citizen action is an important part of the Contract, and the organisation hopes citizens would hold governments and companies accountable for violations of its terms.

MCQ 5

1. Emissions Gap Report is an annual report by UNFCCC
2. Also called as the “Commitment Gap”, between what we need to do and what we are actually doing to tackle climate change.

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

• The annual United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) flagship Emissions Gap Report has been released.

What is the “Emissions Gap”?

• Also called as the “Commitment Gap”, it is the difference between the low level of emissions that the world needs to drop to, compared with the projected level of emissions based on countries’ current commitments to decarbonization.
• It measures the gap between what we need to do and what we are actually doing to tackle climate change.

Why does the Emissions Gap Matter?

• The gap is important because if we can’t close it and meet the emissions reduction target, we will face increasingly severe climate impacts worldwide.
• Therefore, it is important that policymakers, and their citizens, know what the gap is so that the commitments countries are making are sufficient to close the gap. The Emissions Gap Report measures and projects three key trendlines:

1. The amount of greenhouse gas emissions every year up to 2030.
2. The commitments countries are making to reduce their emissions and the impact these commitments are likely to have on overall emission reduction.
3. The pace at which emissions must be reduced to reach an emission low that would limit temperature increase to 1.5 C, affordably.

 Key findings of the report:

• The world will fail to meet the 1.5°C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement unless global greenhouse gas emissions fall by 7.6 per cent each year.
• Global temperatures are set to rise about 3.2 degrees C by 2100, the report says, bringing catastrophic weather including hotter, deadlier heatwaves and more frequent floods and drought.
• The top four emitters (China, USA, EU and India) contributed to over 55% of the total emissions over the last decade, excluding emissions from land-use change such as deforestation.
• The rankings would change if land-use change emissions were included, with Brazil likely to be the largest emitter.

 MCQ 6

1. 15 G20 members have no net-zero emission target legislation.
2. Top 4 emitters China, USA, Russia & EU, contribute 55% of the total global emissions

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

Widening gap

• The UN’s Emissions Gap Report comes as a sharp warning to countries preparing to meet in Madrid in December.
• Paris Agreement: to keep the rise in global temperature over pre-industrial times well below 2°C, and ideally at 1.5°C.
• 2.7% average annual cut in emissions from 2020 to 2030 for temperature rise to be contained at 2°C
• The more ambitious 1.5° C target would require a 7.6% reduction.
• Two G20 members (United Kingdom, France) have passed legislation.
• Three G20 members (Germany, Italy, and the EU28) are currently in the process of passing legislation. https://www.unenvironment.org/interactive/emissions-gap-report/2019/ 15 G20 members have no net-zero emission target legislation.
• The EU, where public pressure to act on climate change is high, is working on legislation to bring about net zero emissions.
• The U.K., responsible for a large share of historical emissions, has turned its net zero 2050 goal into a legal requirement.
• For these rich nations, the road to lower emissions is mainly through innovation and higher efficiencies in energy use.
• China and India, on the other hand, have to reconcile growing emissions with development needs.
• Their best options are a scaling up of investments in renewable energy, leapfrogging to clean technologies in buildings and transport, and greater carbon sequestration.

India

• India is the fourth highest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, accounting for 7 % of global emissions in 2017, acc to a study by the Global Carbon Project
• The top four emitters in 2017, which covered 58 per cent of global emissions, were China (27 per cent), the US (15 per cent), the European Union (10 per cent) and India (7 per cent), according to the projection by the Global Carbon Project.
• The rest of the world contributed ~41 per cent last year.

MCQ 7

1. Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) has given nod for procurement of Six additional P-8I long-range patrol aircraft from Russia
2. IAF & DRDO jointly have the credit for developing an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWAC) system 1st in the world

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

Nod for Defence purchase worth ₹22,800 cr.

• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, met on Thursday and approved the procurement of weapons and equipment worth ₹22,800 crore.
• Among them are six additional P-8I long-range patrol aircraft to be procured from the U.S. for the Navy and additional indigenous Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). A-50EI (Il-76) of the Indian Air Force with the EL/W-2090.

• As a follow-up to the successful indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) programme, the DAC revalidated the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of additional AWACS aircraft, the Ministry said.

• The IAF now operates three Israeli Phalcon AWACS and three smaller indigenous Netra AEW&C systems mounted on Embraer aircraft.
•  A shortage of these force multipliers was felt during the aerial engagement with the Pakistan Air Force, a day after the Balakot air strike in February.
• These platforms would provide on-board command and control and ‘early warning’, which would assist the IAF in achieving effective air space dominance in the least possible time, the statement said. The new systems are likely to be mounted on Airbus aircraft.
• In 2003, the IAF and DRDO began a study of requirements for developing an Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWAC) system.
• In 2015, DRDO delivered 3 AWACs, called Netra, to the air force with an advanced Indian AESA radar system fitted on the Brazilian Embraer EMB-145 air frame.
• Netra gives a 240-degree coverage of airspace.
• The Emb-145 also has air-to-air refueling capability for longer surveillance time.
• IAF also operates three Israeli EL/W-2090 systems, mounted on Ilyushin Il-76 airframes, the first of which first arrived on May 25, 2009.
• The DRDO is now developing a more advanced AWACS with a longer range and with a 360-degree coverage

MCQ 8
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

•  Gig economy is a labor market characterized by the prevalence of short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent jobs. Temporary work or temporary employment (also called odd jobs or gigs) refers to an employment situation where the working arrangement is limited to a certain period of time based on the needs of the employing organization.
• Temporary employees are sometimes called “contractual”, “seasonal”, “interim”, “casual staff”, “outsourcing”, “freelance”; or the words may be shortened to “temps”.
• In some instances, temporary, highly skilled professionals (particularly in the white-collar worker fields, such as human resources, research and development, engineering, and accounting) refer to themselves as consultants.

MCQ 9
 If the supply of a commodity is very inelastic in the exporting country and demand for the same is fairly elastic in the importing country, the imposition of tariff will have which one of the following?
(a) A very large protective effect
(b) No protective effect at all
(c) A very large revenue effect
(d) A very small protective effect

• Because Importing country will not be able to pay high prices if the demand in their own country can be lowered
•  Countries only pay high prices when demand cannot be lowered.
•  E.g..: Crude oil for India (we cannot go without oil or lower supply of it, so if prices go high then we have to pay.)

MCQ 10
In which one of the following Islands of India is an active volcano found?

1. Car Nicobar Island
2. Nancowry Island
3. Barren Island
4. Maya Bunder Island

• Barren Island is an island located in the Andaman Sea.
• It is the only confirmed active volcano in South Asia.
• It is a part of the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and lies about 138 km northeast of the territory’s capital, Port Blair

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