Daily Current Affairs MCQ / UPSC / IAS / 12-07-19 | PDF Downloads

 
MCQ 1

1. The POCSO Act defines a child as any person below 12 years of age

2.. It is totally a gender neutral law
Choose correct
(A) Only 1
(B) Only 2
(C) Both
(D) None

• Definitions: The Act defines a child as any person below eighteen years of age. It defines different forms of sexual abuse, including penetrative and non-penetrative assault, as well as sexual harassment and pornography. It deems a sexual assault to be “aggravated” under certain circumstances, such as when the abused child is mentally ill or when the abuse is committed by a person in a position of trust or authority like a family member, police officer, teacher, or doctor.

MCQ 2

1. Inter-state river disputes are under original jurisdiction of Supreme Court
2. The Inter State Water Dispute Act, 1956 provides the legal framework to address such disputes

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

• Cabinet approves Inter-State River Water disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
• The Bill seeks to amend the Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 with a view to streamline the adjudication of inter-state river water disputes and make the present institutional architecture robust.
• Features of the bill:
• Disputes Resolution Committee: The Bill requires the central government to set up a Disputes Resolution Committee (DRC), for resolving any inter-state water dispute amicably. The DRC will get a period of one year, extendable by six months, to submit its report to the central government.
• Members of DRC: Members of the DRC will be from relevant fields, as deemed fit by the central government.
• Tribunal: The Bill proposes to set up an Inter-State River Water Disputes Tribunal, for adjudication of water disputes, if a dispute is not resolved through the DRC. This tribunal can have multiple benches. All existing tribunals will be dissolved and the water disputes pending adjudication before such existing tribunals will be transferred to this newly formed tribunal.
• Composition of the Tribunal: The tribunal shall consist of a Chairperson, ViceChairperson, and not more than six nominated members (judges of the Supreme Court or of a High Court), nominated by the Chief Justice of India.
• Drawbacks of interstate Water Dispute Act, 1956:
• The Inter State Water Dispute Act, 1956 which provides the legal framework to address such disputes suffers from many drawbacks as it does not fix any time limit for resolving river water disputes.
• Delays are on account of no time limit for adjudication by a Tribunal, no upper age limit for the Chairman or the Members, work getting stalled due to occurrence of any vacancy and no time limit for publishing the report of the Tribunal.
• The River Boards Act 1956, which is supposed to facilitate inter-state collaboration over water resource development, remained a ‘dead letter’ since its enactment.
• Surface water is controlled by Central Water Commission (CWC) and ground water by Central Ground Water Board of India (CGWB). Both bodies work independently and there is no common forum for common discussion with state governments on water management.

MCQ 3

1. India has a “Locust Control and Research scheme” that is being implemented through the ‘Locust Warning Organisation’(LWO).
2. Locust swarms can devastate crops and cause major agricultural damage mainly in eastern part of the country

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

• Locust outbreak
• Locust outbreak reported in Rajasthan and Gujarat from areas bordering Pakistan.
• Locusts are related to grasshoppers.
• The common name which it generally refers is ‘short-horned grasshoppers’.
• The desert locust is potentially the most dangerous because of the ability of swarms to fly rapidly across great distances.
• When environmental conditions produce many green plants, locusts can congregate into thick, mobile, ravenous swarms.
• Locust swarms can devastate crops and cause major agricultural damage.
• Desert locust plagues threatens the economic livelihood of one-tenth of the world’s humans.
• A desert locust swarm can pack between 40 and 80 million locusts into less than half a square mile.
• Each locust can consume the equivalent of their body weight (2 g) in plants each day, so a swarm of such size would eat 423 million pounds of plants every day.
• An outbreak of desert locusts in the villages of Rajasthan and Gujarat has posed a threat to the crops.
• India has a “Locust Control and Research scheme” that is being implemented through the ‘Locust Warning Organisation’(LWO).
• It was established in 1939 and amalgamated in 1946 with the Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage (PPQS) of the Ministry of Agriculture.
• The LWO’s responsibility is monitoring and control of the locust situation in Scheduled Desert Areas mainly in Rajasthan and Gujarat and partly in Punjab and Haryana.
• It publishes a fortnightly bulletin on the locust situation.
• It has set up a helpline for farmers in the State.

MCQ 4
ASRAAM recently in news is a

1. Artillery system
2. Fighter jets
3. Surface to air missile
4. None

ASRAAM

• Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) is the next generation infraredguided missile of UK.
• It is also known as ‘heat seeking’, because infrared is radiated primarily by heat.
• It is designed and built by MBDA, UK to provide enhanced aerial combat capabilities for fighter aircraft.
• It is widely used as a ‘Within Visual Range’(WVR) air dominance missile with a range of over 25km.
• It can also be fired at targets behind its aircraft.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to adopt ASRAAM across its fighter fleet.
• This plan is to bridge the missile gap between the IAF and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which displayed an edge during the 27 February dogfight.
• The missile was shortlisted through a tender and MBDA was working with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on the integration.

MCQ 5
Kharchi Pooja is a festival of

1. West Bengal
2. Assam
3. Karnataka
4. None

Kharchi Pooja

• It is an important festival celebrated in Tripura.
• The word Kharchi is derived from the word ‘Khya’ which means ‘Earth’. It is basically done to worship mother Earth.
• It is performed after ‘Ama pechi’ or ‘Ambu bachi’ period.
• According to Tripuri, ‘Ama Pechi’ is menstruation of mother goddess or mother Earth.
• Among Tripuri the menstruation of a woman is considered as unholy.
• During this period all the auspicious functions performed by women are prohibited.
• After the menstruation period ‘Ama pechi’, mother Earth is considered to become unholy.
• So even the soil is not ploughed nor digging of any where on this day, to give it time to cleanse.
• The Puja is performed to wash out the sins and to clean the post menstrual phase of mother earth’s menstruation.
• The festival lasts for 7 days and 14 gods of the dynasty deity of Tripuri people are worshipped.
• The 14 gods are worshipped by the royal priest called Chantai.
• Only members of chantai family descendants are allowed to take the post of ‘Chantai’.
• All of rituals are of tribal origin but both tribal and non-tribal people join together to celebrate the festival.

MCQ 6

1. Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS) is a scheme for promotion of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in the age group of 12-19 year in rural areas
2. It comes under Ministry of WCD.
3. MHS is a part of Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram, which is to ensure holistic development of adolescent population.

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

Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS)

• It is a scheme for promotion of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 year in rural areas.
• It comes under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The major objectives of the scheme are,
• To increase awareness among adolescent girls on Menstrual Hygiene
• To increase access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins to adolescent girls in rural areas.
• To ensure safe disposal of Sanitary Napkins in an environmentally friendly manner.
• Funds are provided to States/UTs through National Health Mission (NHM).
• The funds are for decentralized procurement of sanitary napkins packs primarily to rural adolescent girls at a subsidized rate of Rs 6 for a pack of 6 napkins.
• The ASHA will be responsible for distribution of napkins.
• They will receive an incentive of Re 1 per pack sold and a free pack of napkins every month for her own personal use.
• A range of IEC (Information Education and Communication) material has been developed around MHS.
• It is a 360 degree approach to create awareness about safe and hygienic menstrual health practices.
• It includes audio, video and reading materials for adolescent girls.
• MHS is a part of Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram, which is to ensure holistic development of adolescent population.

MCQ 7

1. ‘Central Apprenticeship Council’ works under ministry of corporate affairs
2. It is an apex statutory body under the Apprentices Act, 1961.

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

• Apprenticeship training reforms
• The ‘Central Apprenticeship Council’ under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, proposed new reforms in apprenticeship training.
• Major proposals are,
• To raise the upper limit of apprentices from the existing 10% of total strength of establishment to 15%
• To lower the limit of an establishment with mandatory obligation to engage apprentices from 40 to 30.
• To lower the limit of establishments eligible to engage apprentices on optional basis from 6 to 4.
• Rationalization of stipend payable to all categories of apprentices.
• Fixed stipend for apprentices linked to their educational qualification to make it easier for an apprentice to understand the program.
• Central Apprenticeship Council (CAC)
• It is an apex statutory body under the Apprentices Act, 1961.
• Its function is to assist and advice the Central Government for the implementation of Apprentice Act.
• Central Government can establish the CAC by notification in the official Gazette under Section 24(1) of the Apprentices Act, 1961.
• It functions under,
• Chairman– Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
• Vice Chairman– Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
• Other members of council includes,
• representatives of the Establishment in the PSUs,
• Private Sector, representative from Central Ministries and State /UT Governments,
• persons having special knowledge and experience on the matters relating to industries
• persons having special knowledge and experience on the matters relating to Labour, and
• representatives of the AICTE and UGC.
• It aims to meet the aspirations of the Indian youth who strive to gain on-the-job training and secure better opportunities for employment.

MCQ 8

1. According to the Section 9 of the Foreigners Act 1946, the complainant now has to prove he or she is an Indian.
2. After detention they can appeal only in supreme court

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

Foreigners’ Tribunal in Assam

• Between 1985 and 2019, more number of people in Assam have been declared foreigners by ‘ex parte orders’(in the absence of these persons) in Foreigners’ Tribunals.
• Foreigners’ Tribunals declared 1,03,764 persons as foreigners (1985-2019) of which 63,959 were decided by ex parte orders.
• These tribumals are a key player in the exercise to identify illegal immigrants in Assam.
• There are 100 existing and 200 more tribunal to be functional by September 2019.
• They are quasi-judicial bodies meant to decide whether a person is a foreigner or not within the meaning of Foreigners Act, 1946.
• They get two kinds of cases –
• those against whom a “reference” has been made by border police, and
• those whose names in the electoral rolls have a “D” (Doubtful) against them.
• According to the Section 9 of the Foreigners Act, the accused has to prove he or she is an Indian.
• Since the onus is on the person, if he or she is absconding and doesn’t appear before the tribunal, the member can pass an ex- parte order.
• Previously, under the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983, the onus of proving one’s nationality lay on the complainant.
• The Supreme Court struck down the IMDT Act stated that, it created the biggest hurdle in the identification illegal migrants.
• The suspected foreigner has to appear before the Tribunals on receipt of the notice to prove his citizenship status.
• But most of the people are moving continuously to work at different site in another district, so they are not getting the notice and do not know that, they has to appear at the Tribunal.
• If they remains absent for quite a long period, the cases are disposed of ex parte orders.
• In a majority of cases, police are not serving the notice of the Tribunal upon the accused, as a result these persons are declared foreigners without their knowledge.
• In some cases, despite receiving the notice, many don’t appear because of poverty, illiteracy and complexity of the procedure.
• According to the Rule 3A of the Foreigners’ (Tribunal) Order, 1964,
• if a Tribunal has passed an ex parte order and if the person has “sufficient cause” for non-appearance, then the person has to file an application within 30 days of the order.
• If that happens, the tribumal can set aside the ex parte order and decide the case accordingly.
• The person will be arrested and put into a detention camp, if police track the person after the ex- parte order. • If not able to track, the person will be an ‘Untraced foreigner’.
• They can appeal in the High Court and then the Supreme Court against an order.
• There are many in detention camps as a result of ex-parte order whose appeals are pending in higher courts.

MCQ 9
Recently in news, What is Antifa ?

1. A decree by caliphate in Iraq for ISIS members
2. A terrorist group in Africa
3. a far-right group in Lebanon
4. None

Antifa

• It is a far-left group, short for “Antifascist”.
• They clashed with those of a far-right group called Proud Boys in what is called the Portland violence in USA.
• It happened during a pro-Donald Trump demonstration in Portland.
• The Proud Boys are known as a white supremacist, exclusively male group based in the US.
• Antifa has a more international background and has been around for several decades, dates back to Nazi Germany.
• The movement has had a presence in several European countries and has now come into focus in the United States.
• Antifa members follow far-left ideologies such as anti-capitalism.
• Apart from public-protests, they run websites that track white extremist and ultra-right groups.
• Because of Antifa’s repeated involvement in violence, many liberal figures have criticised the group for bringing disrepute to existing anti-fascism movements in U.S.
• Antifa’s activities allow right-wing organisations to portray organisers of peaceful events too, as extremists.

MCQ 10
Mahesh’s Rath Yatra is an event of

1. Tripura
2. Odisha
3. West Bengal
4. Uttarakhand

• Mahesh’s Rath Yatra
• It is the second biggest rathayatra in the world after Puri’s Rath Yatra.
• It has been celebrated since 1396, held in Mahesh, a historical locality within Serampore city in the West Bengal.
• It is referred to as ‘Naba Nilachal’, meaning new Puri. This year marks its 623rd edition.
• The establishment of this Mahesh temple indicates that religious custom of following Jagannath had spread to Bengal.
• Bengali sadhu ‘Drubananda Brahmachari’ established the temple at Mahesh and the chariot festival was started by one of Sri Chaitanya’s early disciples.
• The new Mahesh temple in Kolkata was built by Nayanchand Mallik of Pathuriaghata in 1755 and the present Rath was donated by Krishnaram Basu.
• Unlike the idols in Puri’s Jagannath temple, which are changed every 12 years, the idols made by the temple’s founder for the first Rath Yatra are used till date.
• One big part of the local ritual is treating the lord to his favourite sweet called the ‘Ghutke sandesh’.

MCQ 11

1. New Space India Ltd. Will be the 1st commercial arm of ISRO
2. It will be responsible for manufacturing of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) through technology transfer mechanisms.

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

• New Space India Ltd. (NSIL)
• The Public Sector Enterprise, “New Space India Ltd. (NSIL)” has been incorporated as a new commercial arm of Department of Space, as announced in the Budget 2019-20.
• It will commercialise ISRO’s space products like launch vehicles, Transfer of Technology (TOT) and marketing of space products.
• It will tap the benefits of the Research & Development carried out by ISRO.
• It will be responsible for manufacturing of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) through technology transfer mechanisms.
• It will develop private entrepreneurship in space related technologies.
• NSIL will act in the presence of another commercial arm of ISRO, “Antrix”, which has been carrying out all the commercial business of the ISRO.
• India is currently processing its ‘Space Activities Bill’ to align its liability in outer space with international standard.
• This means that in case any Indian space objects cause damage to another (natural or man-made) object in space, India will have a financial plan in place.

MCQ 12

1. SFURTI aims to skill artisans for textile sector
2. It’s a scheme of ministry of skill development

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

SFURTI

• SFURTI aims to set up more ‘Common Facility Centres’ for generating sustained employment opportunities, cluster based development for the traditional industries as mentioned in the Budget 2019-20.
• The new clusters will help 50,000 artisans economically.
• SFURTI is “Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries”, launched by ‘Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises’ (MSME).
• The MSME Ministry through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and the Coir Boardimplements the scheme.
• The objective of SFURTI is to organize the traditional industries and artisans into clusters to make them competitive and provide support for their long term sustainability by,
• Enhancing the marketability of products,
• Improving the skills of artisans,
• Making provision for common facilities and
• Strengthening the cluster governance systems.
• The financial assistance provided for any specific project shall be subject to a maximum of Rs 8 crore to support Soft, Hard and Thematic interventions.
• NGOs, Central, State Governments and semi-Government institutions, field functionaries of State and Central Govt, Panchayati Raj institutions (PRIs), Private sector by forming cluster specific SPVs, Corporates and corporate Responsibility (CSR) foundations are eligible for the scheme.

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