DAILY

 CURRENT AFFAIRS

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Current Affairs MCQs for Practice – 09 Feb 2022

Question-1

Which Central scheme aimed at maternity benefits, launched in 2017, provides ₹5,000 for the birth of the first child to partially compensate a woman for loss of wages?

a)     Integrated Child Development Services Scheme

b)     Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana

c)      Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana

d)    Pradhan Mantri Matru Awas Yojana

Ans- c

Explanation-

The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), launched in 2017, provides ₹5,000 for the birth of the first child to partially compensate a woman for loss of wages. It also aims to improve the nutritional well-being of the mother and the child. The amount is given in three instalments upon meeting certain conditions.

Question-2

BrahMos is a joint venture between India’s DRDO and which rocket design bureau?

a)                 SPND

b)                 SpaceX

c)                  NPO Mashinostroyeniya

d)                 Maf’at (Israel)

Ans- c

Explanation-

BrahMos is a joint venture between India’s DRDO and Russia's NPO Mashinostroyeniya.

Question-3

With reference to the Sustainable Access to Markets and Resources for Innovative Delivery of Healthcare (SAMRIDH) initiative, consider the following statements:

1. It is an initiative of CSIR.

2. It will improve access to affordable and quality healthcare for vulnerable populations in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and rural and tribal regions.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a)   1 only

b)   2 only

c)    Both 1 and 2

d)   Neither 1 nor 2

Ans- b

Explanation-

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a new partnership under the Sustainable Access to Markets and Resources for Innovative Delivery of Healthcare (SAMRIDH) initiative, which will improve access to affordable and quality healthcare for vulnerable populations in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and rural and tribal regions.
• In 2020, USAID, IPE Global, and stakeholders from the Indian government, academia, and the private sector developed the innovative SAMRIDH blended finance facility to combine public and philanthropic funds with commercial capital to create and rapidly scale market-based health solutions.
• This new partnership announced will enhance SAMRIDH’s efforts to reach vulnerable populations, leveraging AIM’s expertise in innovation and entrepreneurship.
• AIM and SAMRIDH will leverage philanthropic capital, and public sector resources to offset barriers for commercial investments in small and medium health enterprises to invest in and scale healthcare solutions.

Question-4

Consider the following statements:

1.    Air Quality is measured by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting Research (SAFAR), under the aegis of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

2.    The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a mean of pollutants such as particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide, Sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide only.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

a)   1 only

b)   2 only

c)    Both 1 and 2

d)   Neither 1 nor 2

Ans - b

Explanation-

Mumbai has seen unusually high levels of pollution this week, with its air quality index reading frequently above 300, at times matching Delhi's AQI.

Air Quality Index (AQI)

• AQI is measured by the Ministry of Earth Science’s System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting Research (SAFAR).
• AQI is a mean of pollutants such as particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, derived as a single value.
• The higher the AQI, the greater the level of air pollution and the more serious the health concern.

What is causing the increase in pollution levels in Mumbai?

• An AQI between 301 and 400 is categorized as red or very poor.
• The AQI in Mumbai touched the values of 316, 318, and 320.
• The current high pollution is due to a second dust storm in less than two weeks that has hit the city.

Question-5

Consider the following statements regarding Goiter:

1.   A goiter can occur in a gland that is producing too much hormone, too little hormone, or the correct amount of hormone.

2.   The presence of a goiter does not necessarily mean that the thyroid gland is malfunctioning.

3.   Iodine deficiency causes goiter formation and thyroid malfunction.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?’

a)   1 and 2 only

b)   3 only

c)    2 & 3 only

d)   All of the above

Ans- d

Explanation-

India has completed its transition from iodine deficiency to iodine replete status.

Goiter or Thyroid Disorder

• The term “goiter” simply refers to the abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland.
• It is important to know that the presence of a goiter does not necessarily mean that the thyroid gland is malfunctioning.
• A goiter can occur in a gland that is producing too much hormone (hyperthyroidism), too little hormone (hypothyroidism), or the correct amount of hormone (euthyroidism).
• A goiter indicates there is a condition present that is causing the thyroid to grow abnormally.

Causes

• One of the most common causes of goiter formation worldwide is iodine deficiency.
• It is believed that iodine supplementation can cause a spurt in autoimmune thyroid dysfunction and hypothyroidism, by making the thyroid gland more susceptible to damage by the body’s own immune system.

Question- 6

Consider the following statements regarding National Blood Policy:

1.   The Policy aims to eradicate blood-related disorders such as Thalassemia, and Leukemia.

2.   The policy’s funding is shared by the Ministry of Health and family welfare and Ministry of Human resources development.

3.   The blood shall be transfused only to treat conditions leading to significant morbidity and mortality that cannot be prevented.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?

a)   1 and 3 only

b)   1 & 2 only

c)    2 only

d)   2 & 3 only

Ans- b

Explanation-

The government has notified the Drugs and Cosmetics (Second Amendment) Rules, 2020 to support the National Blood Policy. These Rules pertain to the functioning of Blood Banks, Blood processing, and related matters.

National Blood Policy

• The policy aims to ensure an easily accessible and adequate supply of safe and quality blood and blood components collected/procured from a voluntary non-remunerated regular blood donor in well-equipped premises, which is free from transfusion-transmitted infections and is stored and transported under optimum conditions.
• Transfusion under the supervision of trained personnel for all who need it irrespective of their economic or social status through a comprehensive, efficient, and total quality management approach will be ensured under the policy.
• The policy is implemented only by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• In order to encourage appropriate clinical use of blood and blood products:
• The blood shall be used only when necessary.
• Blood and blood products shall be transfused only to treat conditions leading to significant morbidity and mortality that cannot be prevented or treated effectively by other means.

Question 7

Consider the following statements:

1.    The Central Board of Film Certificate (CBFC) can censor a film, withhold from giving a rating, only to the films that will be released in theatres.

2.    There are no specific laws on content allowed or prohibited in print and electronic media, radio, films, or OTT platforms.

3.    The Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B) does not have any control over the YouTube channels.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

a)   1 and 3 only

b)   1 & 2 only

c)    2 only

d)   2 & 3 only

Ans- b

Explanation-

The government has notified the Drugs and Cosmetics (Second Amendment) Rules, 2020 to support the National Blood Policy. These Rules pertain to the functioning of Blood Banks, Blood processing, and related matters.

National Blood Policy

• The policy aims to ensure an easily accessible and adequate supply of safe and quality blood and blood components collected/procured from a voluntary non-remunerated regular blood donor in well-equipped premises, which is free from transfusion-transmitted infections and is stored and transported under optimum conditions.
• Transfusion under the supervision of trained personnel for all who need it irrespective of their economic or social status through a comprehensive, efficient, and total quality management approach will be ensured under the policy.
• The policy is implemented only by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• In order to encourage appropriate clinical use of blood and blood products:
• The blood shall be used only when necessary.
• Blood and blood products shall be transfused only to treat conditions leading to significant morbidity and mortality that cannot be prevented or treated effectively by other means.

Question 8

Which of the following became the first Union Territory to be onboarded the National Single Window System (NSWS)?

a)     Jammu & Kashmir

b)     Chandigarh

c)      Andaman & Nicobar Islands

d)     Puducherry

Ans- a

Explanation-

In a historic achievement, Jammu & Kashmir became the first Union Territory to be onboarded the National Single Window System (NSWS). This marks a major leap in Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in the Union Territory.

• Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha launched the J&K Single Window Clearance System integrated with NSWS.
• NSWS is linked with India Industrial Land Bank (IILB) which hosts 45 industrial parks of J&K. This will help Investors to discover available land parcels in J&K.
• The NSWS, a 2020 budgetary announcement of the Government of India, is a digital platform that serves as a guide for investors to identify and to apply for approvals as per their business requirements.
• The platform was soft launched in September 2021 by the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal.
• NSWS will eliminate the need for investors to visit multiple platforms/offices to gather information and obtain clearances from different stakeholders.
• Twenty Ministries / Departments have been integrated on NSWS including Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare amongst others. Currently 142 central approvals can be applied through the NSWS portal.
• 14 States/UTs onboarded on NSWS include Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
• The Know Your Approval (KYA) module on NSWS guides investors to identify approvals required for their business based on a dynamic intuitive questionnaire. Currently, the module hosts more than 3,000 approvals across Centre & States.

Question 9

With reference to the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, consider the following statements:

1. According to the draft Bill, the burden of proof “lies on the accused”.

2. It prescribes higher punishment for conversion of minors, women, and members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Choose the correct statements

a)     1 only

b)     2  only

c)      Both 1 & 2

d)     Neither 1 nor 2

Ans-a

Explanation-

The Haryana Cabinet approved the draft of the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022.

• It seeks to prohibit religious conversion effected through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage or for marriage, by making it an offence.
• According to the draft Bill, the burden of proof “lies on the accused”. The draft Bill will now be tabled before the Assembly.
• The Bill, on the lines of recent anti-conversion laws passed in other States, proposes to make conversion by marriage an offence.
• It also prescribes higher punishment for conversion of minors, women, and members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.
• The burden of proof as to whether a conversion was not affected through misrepresentation, use of force, under threat, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage or for marriage for the purpose of carrying out conversion lies on the accused.
• The draft Bill provides for declaring marriages null and void, which were solemnized by concealment of religion.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Question 10

Polygon, recently in news, is a_________

a)     NASA Solar mission

b)     Cryptocurrency

c)      Mini satellite launched by North Korea

d)     None of the above

Ans – b

• In the biggest round of investments in an Indian blockchain venture, marquee investment firms including Sequoia Capital India, Softbank Vision Fund II and Tiger Global have infused $450 million in Polygon, a decentralised scaling platform for ethereum blockchain.
• Polygon was founded by Jaynti Kanani, Sandeep Nailwal, Anurag Arjun, and Mihailo Bjelic.
• The platform is essentially a “Layer 2” network built on the Ethereum blockchain to mitigate the traffic load on the main blockchain.
• The Ethereum blockchain, which is waiting for an update to transition to a faster and more efficient stake-based network, has become congested with the addition of a large number of users. This prompted the creation of “Layer 2” networks like Polygon.
• In addition to being a network, Polygon also has a native cryptocurrency token MATIC, with a market capitalisation of $15.6 billion.

Source- The Hindu Newspaper/ The Indian Express/ Down to Earth /PIB