Daily Current Affairs MCQ- June 26, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Goods and Services Tax (GST):

• Goods and Services Tax is a multistage, destination-based, indirect tax levied in India on the supply of goods and services. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• It is paid by the consumers and is remitted to the government by the businesses selling the goods and services. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The 101^st Amendment Act of 2016 paved the way for the introduction of a new tax regime, that is, Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the country.
• This Amendment Act inserted a new Article 279-A in the Constitution, which empowers the President to constitute a Goods and Services Tax Council or the Goods and Services Tax Council by an order.

Balon Protein:

• Balon is a natural protein found in the bacterium Psychrobacter urativorans and can survive in Arctic permafrost. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The genetic and biochemical characteristics of Balon can contribute to the development of cold-adapted enzymes and biocatalysts for biotechnological processes. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Functioning of Balon is different from other proteins that help cells slow or shut down.
  • In the case of Balon, when the bacteria’s external conditions improved, cells resumed protein synthesis.

National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF):

• National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) was renamed as National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) with the enactment of the Disaster Management Act in 2005.
  • It is defined in Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (DM Act). Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• It is placed in the “Public Account” of Government of India under “reserve funds not bearing interest“. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • Public Accounts: It was constituted under Article 266 (2) of the Constitution. It accounts for flows for those transactions where the government is merely acting as a banker eg. provident funds, small savings etc. These funds do not belong to the government and have to be paid back at some time.
  • Expenditures from it are not required to be approved by the Parliament.

The correct answer is:

**2. Only 2**

Here's why:

1. Statement 1: **It is the official code name for an Indian military operation conducted in 1984, to remove separatists hiding within the Golden Temple in Amritsar.**
   - This statement is correct. Operation Bluestar was indeed the official code name for the military operation conducted in 1984 to remove Sikh separatists from the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.

2. Statement 2: **The operation had two components to it, Operation Metal which was the invasion on the temple complex and Operation Shop which was confined to the countryside of the state.**
   - This statement is incorrect. Operation Bluestar did not have two components named Operation Metal and Operation Shop. The entire operation was focused on the Golden Temple complex itself and not on separate components named as such.

Therefore, the correct answer is **2. Only 2**, as statement 2 is not correct.

• A limbless amphibian called the Striped Caecilian (Ichthyophis spp) has been discovered for the first time in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, during a rapid herpetofauna survey.
  • Reptiles and amphibians are collectively called herpetofauna. Caecilians belong to the family of Ichthyophiidae. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
    • It is characterised by its worm-like body. They have a limited sense of vision and primarily rely on touch and smell to navigate their environment.
    • They spend most of their lives burrowed under soil and are carnivorous.
    • Their presence provides critical insights into the evolution and intercontinental speciation due to their ancient lineage. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
    • They are indicator species for the environment and play a crucial role in controlling pests.

• Let's analyze each statement:

  1. **Statement 1: It is the world's first and only university dedicated to forensic sciences.**
     - This statement is **not correct**. While the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) is a prominent institution dedicated to forensic sciences, it is not the world's first and only university dedicated to this field. There are other universities and institutions around the world that specialize in forensic sciences.

  2. **Statement 2: It was established in 2009 as Gujarat Forensic Sciences University and was later renamed to NFSU in 2020.**
     - This statement is **correct**. The institution was initially established as Gujarat Forensic Sciences University in 2009. It was renamed to National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in 2020 by an Act of Parliament to reflect its national status and importance.

  Therefore, the correct answer is **4. Only 1**, as statement 1 is not correct.

Pro-tem Speaker:

• A Protem Speaker is appointed by the President under Article 95(1) of the Constitution to perform the duties of the Speaker till the election of the new Speaker.
• Duties of pro tem speaker:
  • The Pro-tem Speaker presides over the first sitting of the Lok Sabha and administers the oath of office to the newly elected MPs.
  • To conduct the vote for the new speaker and deputy speaker. He also administers the floor test.

Hence, option B is correct.

Viability Gap Funding (VGF):

• The Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme aims at supporting infrastructure projects that are economically justified but fall marginally short of financial viability.
• Support under this scheme is available only for infrastructure projects where private sector sponsors are selected through a process of competitive bidding.
• List of sectors permissible for viability gap funding (VGF) include public infrastructure such as roads, airports, Water Supply, Solid Waste Management, Wastewater treatment, Health and Education etc.
• Hence, option D is correct.

• Let's analyze each statement about the e-Shram portal:

  1. **Statement 1: It is a "One-Stop-Solution" for unorganised workers to create a National Database for migrant or unorganised workers across India.**
     - This statement is **correct**. The e-Shram portal aims to create a national database of unorganized workers, including migrant workers, to provide them with social security benefits and improve their welfare.

  2. **Statement 2: It is integrated with National Career Service (NCS) Portal, Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), myScheme portal, and Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhaan (PMSYM) scheme.**
     - This statement is **not correct**. The e-Shram portal is primarily focused on creating a database for unorganized workers and providing them with an e-card. It is not specifically integrated with the mentioned portals and schemes like NCS, SIDH, myScheme, and PMSYM.

  Therefore, the correct answer is **4. Only 2**, as statement 2 is not correct.

• Kavach launched in 2020, is a cab signaling train control system with anti-collision features developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in association with three Indian vendors. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• It has been adopted as the National Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System.
• It adheres to Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards and acts as a vigilant watchdog over the existing signaling system, alerting the loco pilot when approaching a 'red signal' and applying automatic brakes if necessary to prevent overshooting the signal. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Kavach aims to secure India's extensive railway network of over 68,000 km, but only 1,500 km are currently equipped with the system since its initial rollout.
  • It costs ₹50 lakh per km for trackside installation and ₹70 lakh per train.