Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 20th August 2025 - UPSC MCQ

- Statement 1: Incorrect. The Anna-Chakra tool is not implemented in all Indian States and Union Territories. It is currently implemented in 30 States and Union Territories, excluding Manipur. Therefore, statement 1 is false.

- Statement 2: Correct. The Anna-Chakra tool is indeed developed by the World Food Programme in collaboration with the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (IIT-Delhi). This collaboration highlights the focus on technological innovation in optimizing the PDS supply chain.

- Statement 3: Correct. One of the primary objectives of the Anna-Chakra tool is to optimize supply chain routes, thereby reducing logistics and fuel costs. By achieving this, the tool can decrease travel distances by 15% to 50%, which contributes to significant cost savings and reduced CO2 emissions.

Given the above evaluations, the correct statements are 2 and 3 only. Thus, the correct answer is Option C: 2 and 3 Only.

Statement-I is correct because the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in India is indeed appointed by the President of India. However, Statement-II is incorrect. The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners can only be removed on grounds of misbehavior or incapacity, similar to the removal procedure of a Supreme Court judge, requiring a two-thirds majority vote in both Houses of Parliament, not a simple majority vote as mentioned in Statement-II. This stringent removal process ensures the independence and integrity of the Election Commission by safeguarding it from arbitrary removal based on political whims.

The primary objective of the NAVYA Initiative is to empower young adolescent girls through vocational training. This initiative focuses on girls aged 16-18 years in aspirational districts, aiming to provide them with demand-driven vocational training aligned with various sectors to enhance their employability and promote self-employment. By imparting both traditional and non-traditional job roles, as well as essential life skills, the NAVYA Initiative plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between education and employment for adolescent girls, equipping them with vital skills to succeed in modern job markets.

SEBI's proposal aims to enhance market participation and stability by easing share release rules for large companies and providing extended timelines for companies to meet the MPS requirements. This change is crucial for fostering broader ownership, ensuring accountability, and stabilizing share prices in the market.

1. NAVYA Initiative - Empowers young adolescent girls through vocational training: This is correctly matched. The NAVYA Initiative aims to empower young adolescent girls by providing them vocational training in various skills, including both traditional and non-traditional job roles.

2. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 - Focuses solely on digital marketing skills: This is incorrectly matched. The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 (PMKVY 4.0) is not limited to digital marketing skills; it encompasses a broader range of vocational training, including emerging sectors like cybersecurity, AI-enabled services, and green jobs, among others.

3. Snow Leopard - Classified as Endangered by the IUCN: This is incorrectly matched. The snow leopard is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, not Endangered. It is listed in CITES Appendix I and included in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.

4. Asian Palm Civet - Plays a role in coffee production through digestion of beans: This is correctly matched. The Asian Palm Civet is known for its unique role in coffee production, as it eats and digests coffee cherries, which are then collected from its feces to produce civet coffee.

Only two pairs (1 and 4) are correctly matched.

Statement-I correctly highlights the objective of the Anna-Chakra tool, which is to optimize routes in the Public Distribution System (PDS) to reduce logistics and fuel costs. Statement-II accurately attributes the development of the Anna-Chakra tool to the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership with the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (IIT-Delhi). Both statements are individually correct and are related to the Anna-Chakra tool's purpose and origin, aligning with the key details provided in the context.

The Anna-Chakra tool is designed to optimize the supply chain of the Public Distribution System (PDS). By streamlining logistics and reducing travel distances, it aims to cut costs, decrease CO2 emissions, and enhance the efficiency of distributing subsidized food grains to low-income households.

During the Constituent Assembly debates, it was underscored that the Chief Election Commissioner should have protections similar to those of a Supreme Court judge. This emphasis was to ensure the independence of the Chief Election Commissioner from the executive branch and other external influences, thereby safeguarding the integrity and impartiality of the electoral process.

1. Statement 1 is correct. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is indeed a permanent constitutional body established by Articles 324 to 329 in Part XV of the Constitution. It is responsible for directing and controlling the entire process of elections to Parliament and Legislature of every State and to the offices of President and Vice-President held under the Constitution.

2. Statement 2 is incorrect. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) cannot be removed from office by the President at their discretion. The CEC can only be removed from office in a manner similar to that of a Supreme Court judge, which requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament on the grounds of proved misbehavior or incapacity. This provision is aimed at ensuring the independence of the ECI.

3. Statement 3 is correct. The amendments in 1988 to the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951 did place election officials under the supervision of the Election Commission during elections. This was to ensure the ECI's authority over the conduct of free and fair elections.

Thus, the correct statements are 1 and 3. Therefore, the correct answer is Option C: 1 and 3 Only.

1. Statement 1 is incorrect. The NAVYA Initiative is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and the Ministry of Women & Child Development, not the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

2. Statement 2 is correct. The NAVYA Initiative indeed aims to train adolescent girls in both traditional and non-traditional job roles, including digital marketing and AI-enabled services. This is part of the initiative's focus on enhancing employability and promoting self-employment among young girls in aspirational districts.

3. Statement 3 is incorrect. Snow leopards are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, not Endangered. Additionally, they are included in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, not Schedule II. This classification provides them with the highest level of protection under Indian law.

Therefore, only statement 2 is correct, leading to the conclusion that the correct answer is Option C: 2 Only.