Daily Current Affairs MCQ- September 26, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)

• Also known as the International Seed Treaty or Plant Treaty, it is a comprehensive international agreement in harmony with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
• The Treaty was signed (2001) during the 31st session of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome, Italy.
• Since 2006, the Treaty has its own Governing Body under the aegis of the FAO. The Governing Body is the highest organ of the Treaty.
• Composed of representatives of all Contracting Parties, its basic function is to promote the full implementation of the Treaty.
• There are 148 Contracting Parties to the Plant Treaty (147 Member States and 1 intergovernmental organization - the European Union).

Hence both statements are correct.

The southwest monsoon rainfall, 7% more than normal, has started to withdraw.

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the system had begun retreating from parts of southwest Rajasthan and Kutch.
• The “normal” or average date of withdrawal from southwest Rajasthan was September 17.
• The withdrawal of the monsoon was based on meteorological conditions such as an anti-cyclonic circulation (dry air that is the opposite of a cyclone), the absence of rain in the past five days and the water vapour imagery indicating dry weather conditions over the region.
• The monsoon withdrawal is a long-drawn process and extends into mid-October, though the IMD considers September 30 to be the final day of the season over India. The rain after that is categorised as “post-monsoon” rainfall.
• The September rainfall so far has been 11% more than usual, following a trend in recent years that is seeing excess rainfall in a month that marks the waning of the monsoon. Most of the rain, however, has been in the southern peninsula and central India, which have seen 29% and 33% more rain than what is usual for these regions in September.

Hence both statements are correct.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar participated in the India-CELAC Quartet Meeting held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

• The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) is a regional bloc of Latin American and Caribbean states thought out in February, 2010, at the Rio Group–Caribbean Community Unity Summit and created on December 3, 2011, in Caracas, Venezuela, with the signature of The Declaration of Caracas.
• It consists of 32 sovereign countries in the Americas.
• Due to the focus of the organization on Latin American and Caribbean countries, other countries and territories in the Americas, Canada and the United States, as well as the overseas territories in the Americas of France, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom are not included.

Hence both statements are correct.

India’s Presidency of the prestigious Asia-pacific Institute of Broadcasting Development, AIBD has been extended for one more year.

• This was unanimously decided by the AIBD member countries at the two-day General Conference held in New Delhi. Currently, Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati and Director General of Doordarshan Mayank Kumar Agrawal is the President of AIBD.
• The Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) was established in 1977.
• It is a unique regional inter-governmental organisation of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) in the field of electronic media development. AIBD currently has 26 countries as full members represented by 43 organizations and 52 affiliate members.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Reserve Bank of India has removed the Central Bank of India from its Prompt Corrective Action Framework (PCAF) after the lender showed improvement in various financial ratios, including minimum regulatory capital and net non-performing assets (NNPAs).

• The Prompt Corrective Action norm is a supervisory tool and is imposed when a bank breaches certain regulatory thresholds on capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR), net NPAs, and return on assets (RoA).
• The RBI imposed PCA norms on the bank in June 2017 due to its high net NPA and negative return of assets (RoA). After reviewing the performance of the Central Bank of India, RBI decided to remove the restrictions on the bank.
• The bank has provided a written commitment that it would comply with the norms of minimum regulatory capital, net NPA, and leverage ratio on an ongoing basis.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Union Cabinet recently approved changes to the Rs 76,000-crore semiconductor Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

PLI scheme provides incentives to companies for enhancing their domestic manufacturing.

The PLI schemes are implemented by the concerned Ministries/ Departments.

PLI Schemes for 13 sectors was announced during the Union Budget 2021-22. Later, textile sector was also added.

This will now allow for a uniform fiscal support of 50 per cent of project cost for semiconductor fabs across technology nodes and display manufacturing.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Last week, a doctor in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur allegedly tied a dog to his car and dragged it across the city.

• The doctor faces charges under Section 428 (mischief by killing or maiming animal) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 11 (treating animals cruelly) of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960.
• If convicted under the PCA Act and found to be a first-time offender, he can be punished with a fine of Rs 10 to Rs 50. If it is found that this is not his first such crime within the past three years, the maximum punishment would be a fine between Rs 25 and Rs 100, a jail term of three months, or both.
• The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 defines cruelty to animals –– including acts of overburdening or overworking it, not providing the animal food, water and shelter, mutilating or killing an animal, etc.
• The Act has been criticised for being ‘speciesist’ (the assumption that humans are a superior species deserving more rights), for its quantum of punishment being negligible, for not defining ‘cruelty’ adequately, and for slapping a flat punishment without any gradation of crimes.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Defence Accounts Department signed a MoU with Bank of Baroda and HDFC Bank, to onboard them as Service Centres under the System for Pension Administration (Raksha) (SPARSH) initiative, across more than 14,000 branches throughout India.

• SPARSH is a web-based system for processing the pension claims and crediting the pension directly into the bank accounts of defence pensioners without any external intermediary.
• It has been designed to give Defence Pensioners a transparent view of their pension account, through an online portal which captures and maintains a complete history of events and entitlements of the pensioner – right from the date of commencement of pension to the date of cessation of pension due to the last eligible beneficiary.
• This system is administered by the Defence Accounts Department through the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pensions), Prayagraj and caters to all the three Services and allied organization.
• The system on roll-out is initially catering to the new retirees and subsequently is being extended to cover the existing defence pensioners.

Hence both statements are correct.

Two Diving Support Vessels (Nistar & Nipun) being built by Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Vishakapatnam for the Indian Navy, are scheduled to be launched on 22 September 2022.

• The Diving Support Vessels (DSVs) are first of the kind, ships indigenously designed and built at HSL for the Indian Navy.
• The vessels are 118.4 metres long, 22.8 metres at the broadest point and will have a displacement of 9,350 tons.
• These ships would be deployed for deep sea diving operations. Additionally, with Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) embarked, the DSVs are designed to undertake submarine rescue operations, in case requirement exists.
• Furthermore, these ships will be capable of sustained patrolling, conducting Search & Rescue operations and carrying out Helicopter Operations at high seas.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has received a copy of the Braille version of Assamese Dictionary ‘Hemkosh' from Shri Jayanta Baruah.

• Hemkosh is the first etymological dictionary of the Assamese language based on Sanskrit spellings, compiled by Hemchandra Barua.
• It was first published in the early 20th century and is considered to be the "standard" reference of the Assamese orthography.

Hence both statements are correct.