DAILY

CURRENT AFFAIRS

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Current Affairs MCQs for Practice – 10 Feb 2022

Question-1

 Which of the following best illustrates the concept of separation of power in the context of India Constitution?

a)    Constitution lays the provision of Presidential Rule in case of state emergency.

b)   Article 213 of the Indian Constitution gives power to the Governor to issue ordinance when state legislative assembly is not in session.

c)     President and the Governor are not accountable to any court for exercising their powers and performance of duties in his office.

d)   Election of Vice-President is done by the electoral members of both the houses.

Ans- c

Explanation-

Some Articles that Substantiate Doctrine of Separation of Power

• Article 50 of the Indian Constitution encourages the separation of judiciary from the executive in the states.
• Article 361 of the Indian Constitution specifies that the President and the Governor are not accountable to any court for exercising their powers and performance of duties in his office.

Rest of the options except statement c represent the Overlapping of powers between various organs of the system.

Question-2

Which of the following parameters are used in coastal Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Mapping (MHVM)?

1. High-resolution coastal elevation

2. Shoreline change rate

3. Sea level change rate

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a)    1 only

b)   1 & 2 only

c)     2 & 3 only

d)   1, 2 & 3

Ans- d

Explanation-

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has carried out coastal vulnerability assessment for entire Indian coast at States level to bring out an Atlas comprising 156 maps on 1:1,00,000 scales to prepare a Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI).

• From this CVI, it can be delineated that Gujarat’s 124 coastal km is going to get affected or 5.36%, Maharashtra 11 km or 1.22% and then Karnataka & Goa 48 km or 9.54%, Kerala 15 km or 2.39%, Tamil Nadu 65 km or 6.38%, Andhra Pradesh 6 km or 0.55 %, Odisha 37 km or 7.51% West Bengal 49 km or 2.56%, Lakshadweep Islands 1 km or 0.81%, Andaman Islands 24 km or 0.96 km and Nicobar Islands 8 km or 0.97%.
  
  
• While the maps determine the coastal risks due to future sea-level rise based on the physical and geological parameters for the Indian coast, the CVI uses the relative risk that physical changes will occur as sea-level rises are quantified based on parameters like: tidal range; wave height; coastal slope; coastal elevation; shoreline change rate; geomorphology; and historical rate of relative sea-level change.
  
  
• Coastal vulnerability assessments can be useful information for coastal disaster management and building resilient coastal communities.
  
  

Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Mapping (MHVM)

• A coastal Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Mapping (MHVM) was also carried out using parameters like sea level change rate, shoreline change rate, high-resolution coastal elevation, extreme water level from tide gauges and their return periods.
  
  
• This MHVM mapping was carried for the entire mainland of India on a 1:25000 scale.
  
  
• These maps depict the coastal low-lying areas exposed to the coastal inundation.
  
  
• Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Question-3

Which of the following will be appropriate monetary policy response in a severe recession?

1.Increase government spending
2.Buying bonds
3.Raise taxes

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

a)    2 and 3 only

b)   3 only

c)     1 and 3 only

d)   1, 2 and 3

Ans- d

Explanation-

Increasing government spending and raising taxes are examples of Fiscal policy not monetary policy. Buying bonds is an appropriate monetary policy response to a recession because buying bonds is expansionary (i.e. leads higher real GDP). If the Central bank buys bonds in the open market, it increases the money supply in the economy by swapping out bonds in exchange for cash to the general public.

Question-4

Which of the following Provisions of Indian constitution are related to the concept of Gender equality?

1.Fundamental Duties
2.Directive principle of state policy
3. Fundamental rights

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a)     2 & 3 only

b)     3 only

c)      1 and 3 only

d)     1,2 & 3

Ans - d

Explanation-

Fundamental duty- Article 51A (e)enjoins upon every citizen to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women. Fundamental rights-

• Article 15(1) and (2)prohibits the state from discriminating against any citizen only on the basis of any one or more of the aspects such as religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.
• Article 16 provides for equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the State.

Directive principles Of state policy-

• Article 39 requires the State to direct its policy towards securing for men and women equally the right to an adequate means of livelihood [Article 39(a)], and equal pay for equal work for both men and women [Article 39(d)].
• Article 39A directs the State to promote justice, based on equal opportunity and to promote free legal aid by suitable legislation or scheme or in any other way to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.

Question-5

Consider the following statements regarding the Vigyan Jyoti Scheme:

1.    This scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

2.    This scheme is applicable only to girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education.

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

a)     Only

b)     2 only

c)      Both 1 and 2

d)     Neither 1 nor 2

Answer : b

Explanation-

Vigyan Jyoti Scheme

• Vigyan Jyoti Scheme is launched by the Department of Science & Technology (DST).
• It is intended to create a level-playing field for the meritorious girls in high school to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education.
• This program started at the school level for meritorious girls of Class IX to Class XII.
• It also offers exposure for girl students from rural backgrounds to help to plan their journey from school to a job of their choice in the field of science.

Activities under the scheme

• The activities under the program include student-parent counseling, visit to labs, and knowledge centers, partner’s role model interactions, science camps, academic support classes, resource material distribution, and tinkering activities.
• It also provides online academic support to students.
• It includes streaming of video classes, study materials, daily practice problems, and doubt clearing sessions.

Question 6

With reference to the Left wing extremism (LWE), consider the following statements:

1. The number of districts contributing approximately 90% of the LWE violence had come down to 25 districts in 2021.

2. Incidents of LWE violence had reduced by 77% from an all-time high of 2,258 incidents in 2009 to 509 in 2021.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a)     1 only

b)     2 only

c)      Both 1 & 2

d)     Neither 1 nor 2

Ans- c

Explanation-

Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha that the government does not use the phrase “urban naxals”, but when it comes to left-wing extremism (LWE), be it in urban areas or any other place, a vigil is kept and strict action is initiated.

• Mr. Rai was responding to a question by Bharatiya Janta Party’s (BJP) Rakesh Sinha who said that “Maoism thriving due to extra parliamentary forces and urban naxals who are sitting in universities and under the garb of journalism are breaking the country”. He said that some mainstream political parties were supporting them.
• Mr. Rai’s statement on LWE having foreign roots was countered by Communist Party of India’s Binoy Viswam. “Unlike right-wing extremism, which has a foreign influence and emanates from Italy and Germany, the LWE has socio-economic roots, it is there due to social deprivation”.

Violence incidents

• Mr. Rai stated that the geographical spread of the violence had also been reduced and only 46 districts reported LWE-related violence in 2021 as compared to 96 districts in 2010.
• He said the number of districts contributing approximately 90% of the LWE violence had come down to 25 districts in 2021. The reply stated that the incidents of LWE violence had reduced by 77% from an all-time high of 2,258 incidents in 2009 to 509 in 2021.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Question 7

With reference to vacancy in Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), consider the following statements:

1. Over 40% of teaching posts in all 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are vacant.

2. Among the older and bigger IITs, IIT (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad had 57.2% of posts vacant, followed by 53.4% in IIT Kharagpur.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a)     1 only

b)     2 only

c)      Both 1 & 2

d)     Neither 1 nor 2

Ans- c

Explanation-

Over 40% of teaching posts in all 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are vacant, according to data provided by the Ministry of Education in the Lok Sabha to a question raised by Congress member Shashi Tharoor.

• According to the data, while 6,511 teaching faculty are working in the IITs, 4,370 posts are vacant.
• The data once again highlighted the poor representation of faculty from reserved categories.
• Only 12% of the 6,511 teaching staff are from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
• Among the older and bigger IITs, IIT (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad had 57.2% of posts vacant, followed by 53.4% in IIT Kharagpur.
• IIT Delhi was the exception with just 9.4% of the posts vacant. However, it had one of the lowest representation of faculty from reserved groups (6.5%). IIT Bombay had the poorest representation with just 3.8% of its 693 faculty from reserved categories.

Flexible Cadre Structure

• The Ministry, in its reply, pointed to the ongoing special recruitment drive under “mission mode” from September 2021 to September 2022 to fill the vacancies under the reserved categories.
• However, the special recruitment drive has already come under criticism as the problems posed by the flexible cadre structure in IITs have not been addressed.
• As per the flexible cadre structure, the sanctioned faculty strength is not fixed at each category, viz. assistant professors, associate professors and professors but only at the overall level.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Question 8

Consider the following statements:

1.    Right to Freedom of Religion also includes the right to convert others

2.    Right to Freedom of Religion is not an absolute right

Choose the correct statements

a)     1 only

b)     2 only

c)      Both 1 & 2

d)     Neither 1 nor 2

Ans- b

Explanation-

Right to Freedom of Religion is not an absolute right and is subject to reasonable restrictions.These restrictions are: Public order, morality and health and other provisions of the Constitution.

Question 9

It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization focused on hunger and food security. It is the food assistance branch of the United Nations. The organization is-

a)    Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO)

b)   World Food Programme(WFP)

c)     United Nations Children's Fund(UNICEF)

d)   Oxfam

Ans- b

Explanation-

The World Food Programme is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations. It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization focused on hunger and food security, and the largest provider of school meals. Founded in 1961, it is headquartered in Rome and has offices in 80 countries.

Question 10

Consider the following statements regarding Sovereign Green Bonds:

1.    These bonds are released by the Reserve Bank of India.

2.    The Proceeds from these bonds can only be used for green projects.

3.    They help in India’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions.

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

a)    1 & 3 only

b)   1 only

c)     2 & 3 only

d)   2 only

Ans- b

Explanation-

The Budget has an interesting announcement in the area of sovereign green bonds.

Sovereign Green Bonds

• Green bonds are issued by companies, countries, and multilateral organizations to exclusively fund projects that have positive environmental or climate benefits and provide investors with fixed-income payments.
• The projects can include renewable energy, clean transportation, and green buildings, among others.
• Proceeds from these bonds are earmarked for green projects.
• This is unlike standard bonds, the proceeds of which can be utilized for various purposes at the discretion of the issuer.
• The proceeds will be deployed in public sector projects which help in reducing the carbon intensity of the economy.
• These bonds help with India’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.

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