Daily Current Affairs MCQ- October 20, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

According to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, National Highways Infra Trust (NHAI InvIT) is looking to raise additional ₹3,800 crore and around Rs 1,500 crore were being garnered through an issue of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) with a long-dated maturity of 24 years.

• These InvIT bonds will be listed on BSE and NSE, providing an opportunity for investors to invest and trade, he added.

NHAI InvIT:

• NHAI InvIT is the infrastructure investment trust sponsored by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to support the government’s National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP).
• NHAI’s InvIT is a Trust established by NHAI under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 and SEBI (Security and Exchange Board of India) regulations.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the NHAI’s Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) in December 2019.

Hence both statements are correct.

Kerala governor warned ministers against making statements that lowered the dignity of his office and saying it would invite action, including their removal from office.

Important constitutional provisions about the Governor’s role:

• Article 163: There shall be a council of ministers with the chief minister as the head to aid and advise the governor in the exercise of his functions, except in so far as he is required to exercise his functions in his discretion.
• Article 164: The chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister, and the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor.
• Article 174: The Governor can also summon, prorogue, and dissolve the Legislative Assembly. By convention, he does this on the advice of the Council of Ministers while they enjoy the confidence of the Assembly.
• Article 200: Every Bill passed in an Assembly has to be sent to the Governor, after which he has four options
  • to assent to the Bill,
  • withhold assent,
  • reserve the Bill for the consideration of the President, or
  • return the Bill to the legislature, asking it to reconsider the Bill or an aspect of it. The Governor can also suggest an amendment to the Bill. 

Hence both statements are correct.

Only green firecrackers will be sold in the Delhi for Diwali, in accordance with the Supreme Court (SC) orders.

• Green crackers are low-emission crackers, free of harmful chemicals such as sulphur, nitrates, arsenic, magnesium, sodium, lead, and barium, which reduce the emission of up to 30%.
• Emit noise in the range of 100-130 deciBels.
• Come with a green logo and Quick Response (QR) code to differentiate from conventional firecrackers.
• The crackers developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under three categories:
  • SWAS:
    • SWAS is safe water releaser, which suppresses the dust released by releasing water vapour in the air. It does not comprise potassium nitrate and sulphur and the particulate dust released will reduce approximately by 30 per cent.
  • STAR:
    • STAR is the safe thermite cracker, which does not comprise potassium nitrate and sulphur, emits reduced particulate matter disposal and reduced sound intensity. 
  • SAFAL:
    • SAFAL is safe minimal aluminium which has minimum usage of aluminium, and used magnesium instead. It ensures reduction in sound in comparison to traditional crackers.

Conventional firecrackers:

• Composed of charcoal or thermite in combination with oxidizing agents such as nitrates or chlorates, sulfur agents, and coloring agents.
• Include salts of strontium, sodium, barium, calcium, and copper as well as white metals, which produce more particulate matter (PM).
• Emit sound between 160-200 deciBels.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Union Minister for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions will launch the Integrated Pensioners’ Portal, a single window to address the needs of pensioners at the Anubhav Awards Ceremony.

• The Anubhav portal was created on the call of Prime Minister in 2015 with a vision to preserve rich experience of retired official in digital form.
• An award scheme to incentivize and encourage more retiring employees to submit their write-ups was introduced in 2016.
• It provides a platform to retiring government employees for sharing their experiences while working in different Ministries or Departments of the government.  
• It also provides them with an opportunity to convey information related to their contribution in enhancing the effectiveness of the various government policies.  
• It is envisaged that this culture of leaving notes by retirees will become the foundation stone of good governance and administrative reforms in future.
• 92 Ministries, Departments or Organizations have registered on Anubhav Portal of this Department and 8722 write-ups have been published as on 30th September.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently observed that the principles of Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, could be applied to the Hindu Tamils of Sri Lanka.

• The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 amends the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• It seeks to grant citizenship to a class of migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. 
• It exempts the members of the six communities from any criminal case under the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Passport Act, 1920. The two Acts specify punishment for entering the country illegally and staying here on expired visas and permits.
• It was passed by Parliament on December 11, 2019 and the Act was notified within 24 hours on December 12.

Hence both statements are correct.

India-U.K. decided to form joint group to enhance defence cooperation.

• Defence industry organisations from India and the U.K. have decided to create a new Defence Industry Joint Working Group (JWG) for more effective cooperation.
• It was decided on the sidelines of DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar on October 18, 2022. DefExpo-2022 has representation from 20 U.K. defence companies.
• The JWG is part of an ongoing initiative between the two countries to strengthen the defence and security partnership.
• The U.K. recently issued its first Open General Export License in the Indo-Pacific region to India, shortening delivery times for defence procurement.
• The U.K. industry is already integrating Indian defence suppliers into their global supply chain.
• The Royal Air Force (RAF) recently conducted a subject matter expertise exchange with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) during the visit of Eurofighter Typhoon, Voyager and A-400 in New Delhi and also held joint-flying exercises with the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Hence both statements are correct.

The Embassy of Japan, New Delhi, has filed an application seeking Geographical Indication (GI) tag for nihonshu/Japanese sake.

• This is the first time a product from Japan has filed for a tag at the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai.
• In Japan, nihonshu is regarded as a special and valuable beverage made from fermenting rice.
• People traditionally drink nihonshu on special occasions, such as festivals, weddings or funerals, but it is also consumed on a daily basis. Thus, it is an integral part of the lifestyle and culture in Japan.
• The sake market (almost all are nihonshu) is the second largest brewed liquor (such as beer) market in Japan.
• For making nihonshu three main raw materials – rice, koji-kin (a type of fungal spore) and water – are required.
• The production of nihonshu follows an alcoholic fermentation method called parallel multiple fermentation and involves raw material treatment, koji making, starter culture making, mash making, pressing, heat sterilisation and bottling.
• The rice and koji used should originate in Japan.

History:

• The economy of Japan was based around rice, which was used as a sort of quasi-money before the establishment of a monetary economy in the Meiji period (1869-1912).
• As a result, nihonshu production was thoroughly under the government’s control.
• As nihonshu’s production became more industrialised in the Edo period (1603-1868), those who had special licences began hiring many farmers in the agricultural off-season.
• They gradually won a reputation as craftsmen, which resulted in the establishment of the hierarchical Toii system (Toii is the person responsible for sake brewing), likened to an apprenticeship or guild system.

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Minister of state for Science and Technology recently launched the Single Integrated Pensioners’ Portal.

• Single Integrated Pensioners' Portal developed in collaboration with State Bank of India and aimed at “Ease of Living” for the Central Government Pensioners.
• All the remaining 16 Pension disbursing banks shall now begin their integration with BHAVISHYA.
• Bhavishya 9.0 version was being released recently with its integration with the Pension Disbursing Banks.

BHAVISHYA:

• BHAVISHYA is a Portal for Pension Payment and Tracking System is being integrated with Pension Seva portal of SBI and will enable Pensioners to get all information and services at one place with single login.
• On completion of all phases of this integration the retirees can choose a Bank and Branch for opening an online Pension Account, check their monthly pension slips, Form 16, Status of Life Certificate as well as change their Pension Disbursing Bank through BHAVISHYA.
• ‘Bhavishya’ platform was made mandatory for all central government departments since 01.01.2017.
• BHAVISHYA has recently been rated as the 3rd best portal among all Government of India service portals by National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA).
• The following portals have now been merged with BHAVISHYA window: CPENGRAMS, ANUBHAV, ANUDAAN, SANKALP & Pension DASHBOARD.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi recently reviewed the progress work of the Project of National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) developing at Lothal in Gujarat, by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW)in collaboration with Government of Gujarat. 

• The Rs.3500 crore project is being built at the historic Indus Valley Civilization region of Lothal in Gujarat under the Sagarmala Scheme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
• NMHC is to be developed as a first of its kind in the country dedicated to the legacy of Maritime Heritage of India, to showcase India’s rich and diverse maritime glory. 

Lothal:

• Lothal was one among the prominent cities of the traditional Harappan civilization dating to 2400 BC, located in Gujarat, a crucial western state of India.
• It is located along the Bhogava river, a tributary of Sabarmati, in the Gulf of Khambat.
• Archaeological excavations have discovered the oldest man-made dockyard, over 5000 years old, in Lothal.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Union Ministry of Tourism in co-ordination with Ministry of Home Affairs and the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) is organising the national conference of director generals/inspector generals of police department of all states and Union territories “in connection with implementation of uniform Tourist Police Scheme at pan India level.

Tourist Police Scheme:

• Under the scheme, a pool of trained policemen would be made available to render policing service to the tourists and would control the crimes at the places of tourist interest.
• The rules of the district police of the concerned state shall be applicable to the Tourist Police, unless the contrary appears from the content or from rules in this scheme.
• Tourist Police Station will work under the jurisdiction of district police (Superintendent of Police) for all policing purpose.

Hence both statements are correct.