Daily Current Affairs MCQ / UPSC / IAS / 12-08-19 | Free PDF

MCQ 1

1. PM Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana scheme is compulsory and contributory for farmers in the entry age group of 18 to 40 years.
2. SBI life insurance shall be the Pension Fund Manager and responsible for Pension pay out.

Choose correct

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

1. The scheme is voluntary and contributory for farmers in the entry age group of 18 to 40 years.
2. A monthly pension of Rs. 3000/– will be provided to them on attaining the age of 60 years.
3. The farmers will have to make a monthly contribution of Rs.55 to Rs.200, depending on their age of entry, in the Pension Fund till they reach the retirement date i.e. the age of 60 years.
4. The Central Government will also make an equal contribution of the same amount in the pension fund.
5. The spouse is also eligible to get a separate pension of Rs.3000/- upon making separate contributions to the Fund.
6. The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) shall be the Pension Fund Manager and responsible for Pension pay out.
7. In case of death of the farmer before retirement date, the spouse may continue in the scheme by paying the remaining contributions till the remaining age of the deceased farmer.
8. If the spouse does not wish to continue, the total contribution made by the farmer along with interest will be paid to the spouse.
9. If there is no spouse, then total contribution along with interest will be paid to the nominee.
10. If the farmer dies after the retirement date, the spouse will receive 50% of the pension as Family Pension.
11. After the death of both the farmer and the spouse, the accumulated corpus shall be credited back to the Pension Fund.
12. The beneficiaries may opt voluntarily to exit the Scheme after a minimum period of 5 years of regular contributions.
13. On exit, their entire contribution shall be returned by LIC with an interest equivalent to prevailing saving bank rates.
14. The farmers, who are also beneficiaries of PM-Kisan Scheme, will have the option to allow their contribution debited from the benefit of that Scheme directly.
15. In case of default in making regular contributions, the beneficiaries are allowed to regularize the contributions by paying the outstanding dues along with prescribed interest.

MCQ 2

Rotavirus kills kids by

1. Blocking breathing
2. Destroying Immunity
3. Swelling brain membranes
4. Diarrhoea

• Rotavirus is a genus of double-stranded RNA viruses in the family Reoviridae. Rotaviruses are the most common cause of diarrhoeal disease among infants and young children. Nearly every child in the world is infected with a rotavirus at least once by the age of five.
• Immunity develops with each infection, so subsequent infections are less severe; adults are rarely affected. There are nine species of the genus, referred to as A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and I. Rotavirus A, the most common species, causes more than 90% of rotavirus infections in humans.
• The virus is transmitted by the faecal-oral route. It infects and damages the cells that line the small intestine and causes gastroenteritis (which is often called “stomach flu” despite having no relation to influenza). Although Rotaviruswas discovered in 1973 by Ruth Bishop and her colleagues by electron micrograph images and accounts for approximately one third of hospitalisations for severe diarrhoea in infants and children, its importance has historically been underestimated within the public health community, particularly in developing countries. In addition to its impact on human health, rotavirus also infects animals, and is a pathogen of livestock.
• Rotaviral enteritis is usually an easily managed disease of childhood, but in 2013, rotaviruses caused 37 percent of deaths of children from diarrhoea and 215,000 deaths worldwide, and almost two million more became severely ill. Most of these deaths occurred in developing countries. In the United States, before initiation of the rotavirus vaccination programme in the 2000s, rotavirus caused about 2.7 million cases of severe gastroenteritis in children, almost 60,000 hospitalisations, and around 37 deaths each year. Following rotavirus vaccine introduction in the United States, hospitalization rates have fallen significantly. Public health campaigns to combat rotavirus focus on providing oral rehydration therapy for infected children and vaccination to prevent the disease. The incidence and severity of rotavirus infections has declined significantly in countries that have added rotavirus vaccine to their routine childhood immunization policies
• The Health Ministry has drawn an ambitious plan under the 100 days agenda of the newly elected government, wherein it has been decided to provide Rotavirus vaccine to every child across all States and Union Territories by September, 2019.
• The vaccine has been developed indigenously under a public-private partnership by the ministries of science and technology and health and family welfare.

MCQ 3

1. International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) Manesar is a division of NATRIP Implementation Society (NATIS) under the Department of commerce
2. Its located in Bengaluru

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

3rd International Electric Vehicle (EV) Conclave was recently held at the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) in Manesar, Gurugram.

The Conclave was held to create a knowledge-sharing platform to ensure flow of information at all levels in the automotive sector. About ICAT Manesar: International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) Manesar is a division of NATRIP Implementation Society (NATIS) under the Department of Heavy Industries, India.

Functions:

1. It provides services for testing, validation, design and homologation of all categories of vehicles.
2. It assists the automotive industry in adopting cutting edge technologies in vehicle evaluation and component development to ensure reliability, durability and compliance to the current and future regulations.

• National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP):
• The Project aims at creating core global competencies in Automotive sector in India and facilitate seamless integration of Indian Automotive industry with the world as also to position the country prominently on the global automotive map.

MCQ 4

1. National Policy on Biofuels-2018 has the objective of reaching 5% ethanol-blending and 20% biodiesel-blending by the year 2030.
2. World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 7th August.

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

• World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th August.
• Aim: to create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and to highlight the various efforts made by the Government in the biofuel sector. Theme 2019: ‘Production of Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil (UCO)’.

Why August 10?

• On this day in 1893, Sir Rudolph Diesel (inventor of the diesel engine) for the first time successfully ran mechanical engine with Peanut Oil. His research experiment had predicted that vegetable oil is going to replace the fossil fuels in the next century to fuel different mechanical engines. Thus to mark this extraordinary achievement, World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th August.
• Government of India initiatives to promote the use of Biofuels:
• Since 2014, the Government of India has taken a number of initiatives to increase blending of biofuels.
• The major interventions include administrative price mechanism for ethanol, simplifying the procurement procedures of OMCs, amending the provisions of Industries (Development & Regulation) Act, 1951 and enabling lignocellulosic route for ethanol procurement.
• The Government approved the National Policy on Biofuels-2018 in June 2018. The policy has the objective of reaching 20% ethanol-blending and 5% biodieselblending by the year 2030.
• Among other things, the policy expands the scope of feedstock for ethanol production and has provided for incentives for production of advanced biofuels.
• The Government has also increased the price of C-heavy molasses-based ethanol.

MCQ 5

1. The Simla Agreement was signed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah on 2 July 1972, following a full-blown war between India and Pakistan in 1971.
2. It ended the UN military observance in Kashmir

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

• Context: United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed concern over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the Simla Agreement, which was signed by India and Pakistan in 1972, Guterres said the “final status of J&K is to be settled by peaceful means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations”.

What is Simla Agreement and why was it signed?

• The Simla Agreement was signed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Pakistani President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on 2 July 1972, following a full-blown war between India and Pakistan in 1971.
• The Simla Agreement was “much more than a peace treaty seeking to reverse the consequences of the 1971 war (i.e. to bring about withdrawals of troops and an exchange of PoWs).” It was a comprehensive blue print for good neighbourly relations between India and Pakistan.
• Under the Simla Agreement both countries undertook to abjure conflict and confrontation which had marred relations in the past, and to work towards the establishment of durable peace, friendship and cooperation.
• The two countries not only agreed to put an end to “conflict and confrontation” but also work for the “promotion of a friendly and harmonious relationship and the establishment of durable peace in the sub-continent, so that both countries may henceforth devote their resources and energies to the pressing talk of advancing the welfare of their peoples.”
• In order to achieve this objective, both the governments agreed that that the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations would govern bilateral relations and differences would be resolved by “peaceful means through bilateral negotiations or by any other peaceful means mutually agreed upon between them.”
• Regarding Jammu and Kashmir, the two sides had agreed that the line of control “resulting from the cease-fire of December 17, 1971 shall be respected by both sides without prejudice to the recognized position of either side. Neither side shall seek to alter it unilaterally, irrespective of mutual differences and legal interpretations. Both sides further undertake to refrain from the threat or the use of force in violation of this Line.”
• Both governments had also agreed that their respective Heads would meet again at a “mutually convenient time in the future the representatives of the two sides will meet to discuss further the modalities and arrangements for the establishment of durable peace and normalization of relations, including the questions of repatriation of prisoners of war and civilian internees, a final settlement of Jammu and Kashmir and the resumption of diplomatic relations.”

India had three primary objectives at Shimla:

1. First, a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue or, failing that, an agreement that would constrain Pakistan from involving third parties in discussions about the future of Kashmir.
2. Second, it was hoped that the Agreement would allow for a new beginning in relations with Pakistanbased upon Pakistan’s acceptance of the new balance of power.
3. Third, it left open the possibility of achieving both these objectives without pushing Pakistan to the wall and creating a revanchist anti-India regime.

 MCQ 6

1. Gogabeel is the longest rail-cum-road bridge in India measuring 4.94 kilometres over the Brahmaputra river
2. It connects Assam(Dibrugarh district), & Arunachal Pradesh(Dhemaji district)

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

• Gogabeel, an ox-bow lake in Bihar’s Katihar district, has been declared as the state’s first ‘Community Reserve’.
• Gogabeel is formed from the flow of the rivers Mahananda and Kankhar in the north and the Ganga in the south and east. It is the fifteenth Protected Area (PA) in Bihar.
• Bogibeel bridge is a combined road and rail bridge over the Brahmaputra river in the north eastern Indian state of Assam between Dhemaji district and Dibrugarh district, which was started in the year 2002 and took a total of 200 months to complete, heavy rainfall in the region being the main cause for the slow progress. Bogibeel river bridge is the longest rail-cum-road bridge in India measuring 4.94 kilometres over the Brahmaputra river. As it is situated in an earthquake-prone area it is India’s first bridge to have fully welded steel-concrete support beams that can withstand earthquakes of magnitudes up to 7 on the Richter Scale. It is Asia’s 2nd longest rail-cum-road bridge and has a serviceable period of around 120 years. It is the 5th longest bridge in India after Bhupen Hazarika Setu, Dibang River Bridge, Mahatma Gandhi Setu and Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The bridge was constructed by a consortium of construction companies headed by Hindustan Construction Company. The bridge has a double rail line on the lower deck and a 2 lane road on the upper deck.
• It was inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi on 25th December 2018 on the occasion of Good Governance Day

MCQ 7

1. National medical commission act 2019 will establish a single medical commission for whole India at centre in 3 years
2. A medical advisory council will be established in every state

Choose correct

(a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
(c) Both
(d) None

• The National Medical Commission Bill seeks to improve the medical education system in the country by ensuring availability of adequate and high-quality medical professionals, periodic assessment of medical institutions, adoption of the latest medical research by medical professionals and an effective grievance redressal mechanism.

1. The Bill proposes to set up a medical commission, both at the national and state level, within three years of the passage of the legislation.
2. The Bill also has a provision for setting up a Medical Advisory Council by the Centre. The council will act as a channel through which the states/Union Territories can convey their views and concerns to the NMC.
3. The legislation also talks of conducting a uniform National Eligibility-cumEntrance Test (NEET) for admission to under-graduate medical education in all medical institutions regulated under the Bill.
4. The Bill proposes to hold the National Exit Test for the students graduating from medical institutions to obtain the licence for the practice. The test will also allow students to take admission into post-graduate courses at medical institutions under this legislation.
5. The Bill says that the NMC will have the authority to grant a limited licence to certain mid-level practitioners connected with the modern medical profession to practice medicine.

NMC:

• The Bill aims to set up a National Medical Commission with 25 members.
• These members will be appointed by the central government on the recommendation of a committee.
• The members will include a chairperson, who must be a senior medical practitioner and academic with at least 20 years of experience, 10 ex officio members and 14 part-time members.
• The ex officio members will include the presidents of the undergraduate and postgraduate medical education boards, the director general of Indian Council of Medical Research, and a director of one of the AIIMS, among others.
• Part-time members, on the other hand, will include experts from the field of management, law, medical ethics, etc. and nominees of states and union territories.

 Functions of NMC

• The NMC will frame policies for regulating medical institutions and medical professionals, assessing the requirements of healthcare-related human resources and infrastructure, and ensuring compliance by the State Medical Councils of the regulations made under the Bill.
• Besides this, the NMC will frame guidelines for determination of fees for up to 50 per cent of the seats in private medical institutions and deemed universities which are regulated under the Bill.
• Why doctors are so much against it?
• Section 32 of the bill authorises the government to allow non-medical degree holders to practice medicine as community health providers. This provision has been vehemently opposed by Indian Medical Association that says it will legalise quacks in the country.
• This will allow anyone with limited exposure to modern medical system to recommend medicines.
• Compared to the present 70 per cent figure of elected representatives in the Medical Council of India (MCI), only 20 per cent members of the NMC will be elected representatives.
• Unlike MCI, whose decisions were not binding on state medical councils, the NMC Bill allows the commission’s ethics board to exercise jurisdiction over state medical councils on compliance related to ethical issues.
• Also, while action can be taken against the MCI president only on the direction of a court, the NMC Bill enables the central government to remove the chairperson or any other member of the commission.
• National Exit Test (NEXT) has been conceptualised as a single test, which will act as a common final-year undergraduate medical exam and be used for granting medical licence as well as admission to postgraduate courses. It has been argued that a single exam is being accorded too much weightage, and it can have an adverse impact on the career of medical aspirants.
• The Bill allows the commission to “frame guidelines for determination of fees and all other charges in respect of fifty per cent of seats in private medical institutions and deemed to be universities”. This increases the number of seats for which private institutes will have the discretion to determine fees. At present, in such institutes, state governments decide fees for 85 per cent of the seats.

MCQ 8

The world heritage site of hampi is situated on the banks of

1. Kaveri
2. Krishna
3. Bhima
4. Tungabhadra

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