Daily Current Affairs MCQ- April 24, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

Only over 7% of over 5,297 individuals in India with diabetes were able to achieve their blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol targets, according to a recent paper published in the Lancet - Diabetes and Endocrinology.

• The latest results of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-India Diabetes (INDIAB) study, conducted in 27 States (unified Andhra Pradesh), two Union Territories and the National Capital Territory have stressed the need to have better control over various health parameters that impact mortality and quality of life.
• The report “Achievement of guideline recommended diabetes treatment targets and health habits in people with self-reported diabetes in India (ICMR-INDIAB-13): a national cross-sectional study” reasons that achievement of treatment targets remains sub optimal in India, in a pan-Indian study, and goes on to provide hints for shaping the health care response to the crises.
• Higher education, male sex, rural residence, and shorter duration of diabetes (under 10 years) were associated with better achievement of combined achievement of targets
• For the outcome assessment, good glycaemic control was defined as HbA1c of less than 7·0% (A), blood pressure control was defined as less than 140/90 mm Hg (B), and the LDL cholesterol target was defined as less than 100 mg/dL (C).
• ABC control was defined as the proportion of individuals meeting glycaemic, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol targets together.
• Only just over 36% of 4,834 people with diabetes achieved good glycaemic (blood sugar) control, over 48% achieved blood pressure control, and 41·5%, achieved good LDL cholesterol control.

Hence both statements are correct.

India’s first Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit 2022 held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat witnessed letter of intents (LoIs) worth more than Rs.9000 crore in major categories like FMCG, Medical Value Travel (Heal in India), Pharma, Technology & Diagnostic and Farmers & Agriculture.

• The assurances of investment include more than Rs. 7000 crore from FMCG, around 1000 crore from Medical Value Travel (MVT), around 345 Crores from Pharma sector, 300 crore for Farmers & Agri category and around Rs.60 crore in the Technology & Diagnostic category.
• Five significant MoUs were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the inaugural session of the event on 20 April 2022.
• During the event, a total of 12 MoUs were also signed between the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush and various prestigious research institutes including IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, ICMR NITM, AIIMS, CSIR, NIPER, NIMHANS, JNU, ICGB, AVP, TDU.
• The Summit was organized in line with Sustainable Development Goal Number 3 of promoting “Good Health and Well-being”.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The first day of the Two-day Conference and Exhibition on the Indian National Calendar as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav concluded in Ujjain.

• The 'Indian National Calendar,' which was officially established by India’s Parliament in 1957, is a scientific statement of India's identity. This was an act of reclaiming our identity after independence.
• The Indian national calendar, sometimes called the Saka calendar, is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar, by The Gazette of India, in news broadcasts by All India Radio and in calendars and communications issued by the Government of India.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has proposed a new law that will help international aircraft leasing companies to repossess and transfer planes out of India in case of a financial dispute with an Indian airline.

Cape Town Convention & Protocol:

• The Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment was concluded in Cape Town in November 2001, as was the Protocol on Matters Specific to Aircraft Equipment.
• 83 countries, including India, have signed and ratified the Convention & the Protocol.
• India acceded to the Convention and the Protocol in March, 2008 which after a waiting period of three months became effective in July, 2008.

Objective:

• The primary aim of the Convention and the Protocol is to resolve the problem of obtaining certain and opposable rights to high-value aviation assets, namely airframes, aircraft engines and helicopters which, by their nature, have no fixed location.

The convention & the protocol was jointly adopted by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT).

• ICAO, a specialized agency of the UN, changes the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth.
• UNIDROIT is an intergovernmental organization whose objective is to harmonize international private law across countries through uniform rules, international conventions, and the production of model laws, sets of principles, guides and guidelines.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

NITI Aayog released a draft battery swapping policy under which all metropolitan cities with a population above 40 lakh will be prioritised for development of battery swapping network under the first phase.

NITI Aayog’s Draft Battery Swapping Policy:

• During Budget 2022-2023, the Central Government announced plans to introduce a Battery Swapping Policy and interoperability standards, with the intent of building and improving the efficiency of the battery swapping ecosystem, thereby driving EV adoption.
• The overall vision is to catalyse the large-scale adoption of EVs by improving efficient and effective use of scarce resources (viz. public funds, land, and raw materials for advanced cell batteries) for the delivery of customer centric services.
  The Policy addresses key technical, regulatory, institutional, and financing challenges that will help develop battery swapping ecosystems to unlock the large-scale adoption of battery swapping in India.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The state government of Meghalaya is preparing the groundwork to convert the state into a hub of legalised gambling, online gaming and online betting.

Central Laws related to Gambling/Betting:

• Under the 7th Schedule of the Constitution, the state governments have the exclusive power to enact their own laws on Gambling/Betting for their own territory.
• Public Gambling Act, 1867, a colonial-era statute still in force, has been adopted by several states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. Other states like Goa, Sikkim etc have enacted their own pieces of legislation to regulate Gambling/Betting related activities within their territories.
• The Lotteries Regulation Act, 1998: Lottery is considered legal in India. Lottery should be organised by the state government and the place of Draw should be in that particular state.
• Indian Penal Code, 1860: The code has provisions for punishing anyone who to the annoyance of others does any obscene act in a public place or sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place. These provisions of the IPC may be attracted if any obscene matter is used for the purpose of advertising betting and gambling activities
• Prize Competitions Act, 1955: It defines Prize in Competitions.
• Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999: Remittance of the income generated from lottery winning, racing/riding is prohibited
• Information Technology Rules, 2011: Any internet service provider, network service provider or any search engine will not host any such content which directly or indirectly supports Gambling.
• Income Tax Act, 1961: Current taxation policy in India covers all types of Gambling industry directly and indirectly. Thus, it can be said that all regulated & legalised Gambling is supported in GDP of India.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act’2022:

• It provides for collection of 'measurements' from any convict or a person arrested for an offence, for the purpose of identification and investigation in criminal matters and to preserve records.
  The term 'measurement' used in the Act has a broad scope as it includes not only the physical, behavioural attributes of a person but also, the biological samples.
• According to Clause 2(1)(b) of the Act, it will include "finger-impressions, palm-print impressions, foot-print impressions, photographs, iris and retina scan, physical, biological samples and their analysis, behavioural attributes including signatures, handwriting or any other examination referred to in section 53 or section 53A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
• The Act also expands the scope of the person who shall be empowered to take such measurements.
  • Under Clause 3 of the Act, a police officer or a prison officer has been empowered to collect measurements.
  • Moreover, a police officer has been defined as officer in charge of police station or an officer not below the rank of head constable.
  • Further, the term prison officer means an officer not below the rank of head warder.

Hence both statements are correct.

The India Energy Outlook 2021 report of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said energy use in India has doubled since 2000, with 80% of demand still being met by coal, oil and solid biomass.

• Pandemic-related disruptions, however, prevented the stock-up of coal. Mining operations were halted to curb the spread of the virus. Despite the gradual easing into operations, mining activities were hampered during the monsoons, delaying arrival of stocks.
• With household demand for power picking up and the arrival of summer, combined with the sudden acceleration in economic activity, it has resulted in a demand-supply mismatch.
• Decline in coal stocks and the resulting power outages in several States have spurred queries of renewable energy’s potential to fill in for the conventional resource.

Significance of Coal

• Coal is abundantly available, has shorter gestation periods and coal-based plants have lower capital costs than hydel and nuclear plants, therefore, making it the most viable enabler of energy security in the country.
• The conventional resource’s capacity addition is further helped by the increased participation of the private sector in power generation.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

IPS officer Rashmi Shukla is facing an FIR in Mumbai and is being probed for allegedly tapping the phones of Rajya Sabha MP Raut and NCP leader Eknath Khadse in 2019, when she was heading the State Intelligence Department in Maharashtra.

• Section 5(2) says that “on the occurrence of any public emergency, or in the interest of the public safety”, phone tapping can be done by the Centre or states if they are satisfied it is necessary in the interest of “public safety”, “sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State.
• There is an exception for the press: “press messages intended to be published in India of correspondents accredited to the Central Government or a State Government shall not be intercepted or detained, unless their transmission has been prohibited under this sub-section”.

Who can tap phones?

• In the states, police have the powers to tap phones.
• At the Centre, 10 agencies are authorised to do so: Intelligence Bureau, CBI, Enforcement Directorate, Narcotics Control Bureau, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, National Investigation Agency, R&AW, Directorate of Signal Intelligence, and the Delhi Police Commissioner.
• Tapping by any other agency would be considered illegal.

Who authorises phone tapping?

• Rule 419A of the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2007, says phone tapping orders “shall not be issued except by an order made by the Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs in the case of Government of India and by the Secretary to the State Government in-charge of the Home Department in the case of a State Government”.
• The order has to conveyed to the service provider in writing; only then can the tapping begin.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A common anti-inflammatory drug has been found to be an effective antiviral agent in the treatment of mild and moderate Covid-19 patients.

• The drug, indomethacin, is widely used to treat various types of inflammation-related conditions.
• Indomethacin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug available as capsules and a liquid suspension, to be taken orally.
• Indomethacin works by stopping the body’s production of a substance that causes pain, fever, and inflammation. It is used to relieve moderate to severe pain, tenderness, swelling, and stiffness caused by various kinds of arthritis, and pain in the shoulder caused by inflammation.

Hence both statements are correct.