Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 9th October 2024 - UPSC MCQ

The correct answer is a) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.

• Statement-I is incorrect: The atmosphere is heated more by terrestrial radiation (long-wave radiation) emitted by the Earth's surface, not by incoming solar radiation. The solar radiation passes through the atmosphere and heats the Earth's surface, which then re-radiates energy as long-wave radiation that heats the atmosphere.

• Statement-II is correct: Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, such as methane, are good absorbers of long-wave radiation (terrestrial radiation), which helps trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect.

The term "Gig Economy" refers to a free market system where organizations hire or contract workers for short durations to meet immediate company needs through temporary engagements. This model has gained prominence with the rise of platforms like Ola, Uber, Zomato, and Swiggy in India, offering temporary positions designed to address immediate organizational requirements.

This question assesses the understanding of the concept of the gig economy and its prevalence in the modern workforce landscape.

1. USCIRF Mandate: The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) monitors religious freedom in countries outside of the U.S., not within the U.S. The pair is incorrectly matched.

2. CPC Designation Criteria: It involves violations such as systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, including torture. The pair is correctly matched.

3. ASEAN Secretariat Location: The ASEAN Secretariat is located in Jakarta, Indonesia, not Bangkok, Thailand. The pair is incorrectly matched.

4. MACE Observatory Location: The MACE Observatory is located in Hanle, Ladakh. The pair is correctly matched.

Pairs 2 and 4 are correctly matched. Thus, the correct answer is Option B: Only two pairs.

1. Establishment Year - 2020: Correct. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) was established in July 2020 under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

2. Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution: Correct. The CCPA is overseen by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

3. Primary Objective - To promote consumer goods: Incorrect. The primary objective of the CCPA is to safeguard consumer rights by addressing unfair trade practices and false or misleading advertisements, not to promote consumer goods.

4. Composition - Led by a Chief Commissioner with two other commissioners: Correct. The CCPA is led by a Chief Commissioner and has two additional commissioners, one focusing on goods and the other on services.

Thus, three pairs are correctly matched.

The primary goal of the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), established under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, is to protect and enforce consumer rights collectively. This includes addressing unfair trade practices, preventing dissemination of false or misleading advertisements, and ensuring consumer interests are safeguarded. The CCPA works towards ensuring that violations of consumer rights do not occur and takes necessary actions to prevent unfair trade practices that may harm consumers.

The primary mandate of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is to monitor violations of freedom of religion or belief in countries outside of the U.S. This involves assessing these violations based on international human rights standards, particularly focusing on Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. USCIRF produces yearly reports, recommends countries for designation as "Countries of Particular Concern" (CPC), and provides policy advice to key U.S. government officials.

1. Fairwork India Ratings 2024 - Correctly matched. This report assesses the working conditions of platform workers across various digital platforms in India. It evaluates platforms based on principles like Fair Pay, Fair Conditions, and Fair Representation.

2. Code on Social Security, 2020 - Incorrectly matched. This legislation defines gig workers as those engaged in work outside the traditional employer-employee relationship, such as independent contractors and platform workers, not as traditional employees.

3. NITI Aayog Study - Incorrectly matched. The study estimates that approximately 47% of gig work involves medium-skilled jobs, 22% high-skilled, and 31% low-skilled. Therefore, it highlights that most gig jobs are medium-skilled, not high-skilled.

4. Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers Act 2023 - Correctly matched. This Act establishes a board to oversee the registration and welfare of gig workers, addressing their vulnerabilities and providing mechanisms like a social security fund.

Thus, two pairs (1 and 4) are correctly matched.

Statement-I correctly identifies that the Halari donkey is indeed facing the threat of extinction and is classified as an endangered species with fewer than 500 individuals remaining. Statement-II accurately describes the key provisions of the Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers (Registration and Welfare) Act 2023, highlighting its focus on addressing the vulnerabilities of gig workers through registration, welfare measures, collective bargaining, and the establishment of a social security fund. However, the two statements are unrelated in topic and do not explain each other, hence the correct answer is Option B.

1. Statement 1 is correct: The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) was indeed established under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. It was initiated to function from July 2020, with the aim to safeguard consumer rights by addressing unfair trade practices and false or misleading advertisements.

2. Statement 2 is correct: The CCPA is empowered with several functions, which include taking suo-motu actions, recalling products, enforcing refunds or returns, and even filing class action suits if a consumer complaint affects multiple individuals. Therefore, this statement accurately reflects the powers conferred to the CCPA.

3. Statement 3 is incorrect: The CCPA operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, not the Ministry of Law and Justice. This is an important distinction as the nodal ministry directly influences the operational and regulatory framework within which the CCPA functions.

Thus, only statements 1 and 2 are correct, making Option B the correct choice.

Statement-I is accurate as the USCIRF's primary responsibility is indeed to monitor the universal right to freedom of religion or belief in countries outside the U.S.
Statement-II is also correct since the USCIRF's annual reports do evaluate the state of religious freedom and recommend countries for designation as "Countries of Particular Concern" (CPC) or for inclusion on the "Special Watch List" (SWL). This helps in understanding the USCIRF's role in assessing and reporting on religious freedom conditions globally. Statement-II further explains how the USCIRF carries out its mandate by producing annual reports that assess violations of religious freedom based on international human rights standards. Hence, both statements are correct, and Statement-II elucidates Statement-I accurately.