Daily Current Affairs MCQ- April 18, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

People from Tamil-speaking areas of Sri Lanka are arriving in Tamil Nadu illegally in the wake of the economic crisis in the island nation.

UN Refugee Convention of 1951:

• It is a United Nations multilateral treaty that defines who is a refugee, and sets out the rights of individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum.
• The Convention also sets out which people do not qualify as refugees. e.g., war criminals.
• The core principle of the convention is non-refoulementwhich states that a person fleeing persecution from his own country should not be forced to return to his own country.
• Signatories: 140 countries

1967 Protocol:

• The UN Refugee Convention of 1951 was initially limited to protecting European refugees after the World War II.
• The 1967 protocol removes these geographical as well as temporal limits that were part of the 1951 Convention.

Why India has not sign the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 protocol?

• Borders in South Asia are extremely porous and any conflict can result in a mass movement of people. This can have two results:
• A strain on local infrastructure and resources of the country
• It can upset the demographic balance in India.
• Hence India has signed neither the 1951 Refugee Convention nor the 1967 protocol.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Central Government is planning to merge child helpline number 1098 with the national emergency helpline 112.

• Childline 1098 is a service of Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Childline India Foundation is a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) in India that operates this telephonic helpline, for children in distress.
• The Childline 1098 is a 24-hour a day, 365 days a year, free, emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance.
• It is also the sole agency/body responsible for establishing the CHILDLINE service across the country, monitoring of service delivery and finance, training, research and documentation, creating awareness, advocacy as well as resource generation for the service
• The Childline India Foundation, till date, has connected to three million children across the nation offering them care and protection.
• The foundation receives funding from the Ministry of Women and Child Development under the Integrated Child Protection Scheme, which is now part of Mission Vatsalya.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorisation for what it said is the first device that can detect COVID-19 in breath samples of humans.

• The InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer is about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage and can be used in doctor’s offices, hospitals and mobile testing sites.
• The test, which can provide results in less than three minutes, must be carried out under the supervision of a licensed health care provider.

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya virtually launched e-Sanjeevani Tele-consultation facility at one lakh centres on the occasion of 4th Anniversary of Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres.

• More than one lakh 17 thousand Health and Wellness Centres have been operationalized in the country so far.
• Now the common citizens will also be able to take advice from the big doctors of the country through e-Sanjeevani Tele-consultation facility.
• E-Sanjeevani is providing affordable and accessible health care as envisioned by the Prime Minister. Teleconsultation services are very crucial for people in remote areas and are helpful in making healthcare services accessible for all.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Financial Action Task Force

• It is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 during the G7 Summit in Paris.
• Assesses the strength of a country’s anti-money laundering and anti-terror financing frameworks, however it does not go by individual cases.
• Objectives:
  • To set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
  • Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Headquarters:
  • Its Secretariat is located at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) headquarters in Paris. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Member Countries:
  • The FATF currently has 39 members including two regional organisations - the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council. India is a member of the FATF. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

• These are weapons with the capacity to inflict death and destruction on such a massive scale and so indiscriminately that its very presence in the hands of a hostile power can be considered a grievous threat.
• Modern weapons of mass destruction are either nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons—frequently referred to collectively as NBC weapons.
• The term weapons of mass destruction has been in currency since at least 1937, when it was used to describe massed formations of bomber aircraft.
  • For example, Nuclear bombs used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki attack in Japan.
• Efforts to control the spread of WMD are enshrined in international agreements such as:
  • Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty of 1968
  • Biological Weapons Convention of 1972
  • Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• India has not signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, but is signatory to both Biological Weapons Convention and Chemical Weapons Convention. Hence statement 2 is correct.

• District Ganga Committees were constituted in the districts on the Ganga River basin for putting in place a mechanism at the district level to ensure people’s participation in management and pollution abatement in river Ganga and its tributaries. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The DGCs are mandated to ensure proper utilisation of assets created under Namami Gange, monitor drains/sewage falling in River Ganga and its tributaries, and create a strong connect of people with Ganga rejuvenation. 

Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Electoral Bonds

• These bonds are issued in multiples of Rs. 1,000, Rs. 10,000, Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 1 crore without any maximum limit. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• State Bank of India is authorised to issue and encash these bonds, which are valid for fifteen days from the date of issuance. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
• These bonds are only redeemable in the designated account of a registered political party.
• The bonds are available for purchase by any citizen of India for a period of ten days each in the months of January, April, July and October as may be specified by the Central Government.
• A person being an individual can buy bonds, either singly or jointly with other individuals.
• The donor’s name is not mentioned on the bond.
  • Donors who contribute less than Rs. 20,000 to political parties through purchase of electoral bonds need not provide their identity details such as PAN, etc.
• The central idea behind the electoral bonds scheme was to bring about transparency in electoral funding in India.
  • The government had described the scheme as an “electoral reform” in a country moving towards a “cashless-digital economy”.

The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2020

• It proposes to completely mechanise sewer cleaning, introduce ways for ‘on-site’ protection and provide compensation to manual scavengers in case of sewer deaths. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• The Bill proposes to make the law banning manual scavenging more stringent by increasing the imprisonment term and the fine amount.
• It will be an amendment to The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• It is still awaiting cabinet approval.

Unique Identification Authority of India

• Statutory Authority: The UIDAI is a statutory authority established on 12^th July 2016 by the Government of India under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, following the provisions of the Aadhaar Act 2016. Hence, the statement 1 is not correct
  • The UIDAI was initially set up by the Government of India in January 2009, as an attached office under the aegis of the Planning Commission.
• Mandate: The UIDAI is mandated to assign a 12-digit unique identification (UID) number (Aadhaar) to all the residents of India. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.