Daily Current Affairs MCQ - April 28, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Under the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees and the subsequent 1967 Protocol, the word refugee pertains to any person who is outside their country of origin and unable or unwilling to return owing to well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

India has welcomed refugees in the past, and on date, nearly 300,000 people here are categorised as refugees. But India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention or the 1967 Protocol. Nor does India have a refugee policy or a refugee law of its own.

Over the last four years, all efforts by Bangladesh to persuade Myanmar to take back the Rohingya at Cox’s Bazaar have been unsuccessful. India managed to send back a handful with much difficulty.

But in terming Rohingya in India as “illegal” (in contrast to calling them refugees in Bangladesh) and pledging to send them back to Myanmar, India is going against the principle of “non-refoulement”, to which it is bound as a signatory to other international treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Non-refoulement means no refugee shall be returned in any manner to any country where he or she would be at risk of persecution.

The Preamble in the Constitution gives prominent importance to liberty of belief, faith and worship to all citizens.

The concepts of faith, belief and worship are the foundations of Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India. 

The Supreme Court under Article 142 of the Constitution can pass any order to carry out for doing complete justice being in the public interest, while upholding the Constitution of India.

The words of the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, B.R. Ambedkar who asserted, inter alia, that Article 32 is the very soul of the Constitution and the most important Article in the Constitution.

Under Article 32 of the Constitution of India, the Supreme Court has the power to issue writs appropriate for enforcement of all the Fundamental rights conferred by Part III of the Constitution.

The top court, on various instances, ruled that in view of the constitutional scheme and the jurisdiction conferred on the Supreme Court under Article 32 and on the High Courts under Article 226 of the Constitution that “the power of judicial review being an integral part of the basic structure of the Constitution, no Act of Parliament can exclude or curtail the powers of the Constitutional Courts with regard to the enforcement of fundamental rights”.

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter became the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet.

• An integrated theatre command envisages a unified command of the three Services, under a single commander, for geographical theatres (areas) that are of strategic and security concern.
  • The commander of such a force will be able to bear all resources at his disposal—from the Army, the Indian Air Force, and the Navy—with seamless efficacy.
  • The integrated theatre commander will not be answerable to individual Services. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • Integration and jointness of the three forces will avoid duplication of resources. The resources available under each service will be available to other services too.
  • The services will get to know one another better, strengthening cohesion in the defence establishment.
  • The Shekatkar committee has recommended the creation of three integrated theatre commands—northern for the China border, western for the Pakistan border, and southern for the maritime role. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• Recently, Saudi Arabia launched Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative to combat the threat of climate change. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Saudi Green Initiative:
  • To raise the vegetation cover, reduce carbon emissions, combat pollution and land degradation, and preserve marine life.
• Middle East Green Initiative
  • It aims to preserve marine and coastal environments, increase the proportion of natural reserves and protected land, improve the regulation of oil production, accelerate the transition to clean energy and boost the amount of energy generated by renewables.
  • Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) is high purity oxygen suitable for use in the human body. So, it is used for medical treatments.
  • This oxygen provides a basis for virtually all modern anaesthetic techniques, restores tissue oxygen tension by increasing the oxygen availability, aids cardiovascular stability, etc. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) includes this on their List of Essential Medicines.
  • According to the Drug Prices Control Order, 2013, LMO is placed under the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• The bilateral relationship between India and the United Kingdom was upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2004.
  • The UK has reaffirmed its support for India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council.
  • The UK is one of the largest investors in India, among the G20 countries.
• Defence Exercises of India and the UK:
  • Air Force Exercise ‘Indradhanush’.
  • Navy Exercise Konkan.
  • Army Exercise: Ajeya Warrior. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Recently, the British Government said that the UK Carrier Strike Group’s “globe-spanning maiden deployment will feature visits to India, Japan, Republic of Korea and Singapore”.
  • It will be led by the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
  • It will be a global deployment, from the North Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

• Recently, India, Japan and Australia have formally launched the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) in a move to counter China’s dominance of the supply chain in the Indo-Pacific region. Hence, option A is correct.
  • The SCRI aims to create a virtuous cycle of enhancing supply chain resilience with a view to eventually attaining strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth in the region.
• In 2020, India and Japan signed a logistics agreement that will allow armed forces of both sides to coordinate closely in services and supplies. The agreement is known as the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA). Hence, option B is correct.
• In 2014, India and Japan upgraded their relationship to 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership'.
• The India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that came into force in August 2011 covers trade in goods, services, movement of natural persons, investments, Intellectual Property Rights, custom procedures and other trade related issues. Hence, option C is not correct.
• India and Japan defence forces organize a series of bilateral exercises namely, JIMEX (naval), SHINYUU Maitri (Air Force), and Dharma Guardian (Army). Both countries also participate in Malabar exercise (Naval Exercise) with the USA. Hence, option D is correct.

US President Joe Biden assured to provide assistance to India to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr. Biden said he spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pledged America’s full support to provide emergency assistance and resources in the fight against COVID-19.

He said, India was there for America, and America will be there for India.