Daily Current Affairs MCQ- August 16, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) is finalising draft guidelines to reduce delays at the National Company Law Tribunal.

• It is a quasi-judicial authority incorporated for dealing with corporate disputes that are of civil nature arising under the Companies Act, 2013.
• It was constituted on 1 June 2016 under the Companies Act, 2013.
• It was established based on the recommendation of the BalakrishnaEradi committee on law relating to the insolvency and the winding up of companies.
• Composition: It shall consist of a President and such number of Judicial and Technical Members as may be required.
• What are the Powers of NCLT?
• It is not limited or bound by the rules laid down in the Code of Civil Procedure and is guided by the principles of natural justice, subject to the other provisions of this Act and of any rules that are made by the Central Government.
• It can enforce any order that it gives in the same manner as a court would enforce it.
• It has the power to scrutinize its own orders.
• It has the power to regulate their own procedure.
• It is the adjudicating authority for the insolvency resolution process of companies and limited liability partnerships under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

Hence only statements 1 and 2 are correct.

The One District One Product (ODOP) initiative has collaborated with the DeendayalAntyodayaYojna - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) to unveil the captivating ‘ODOP Wall’ in a bid to showcase India’s diverse and exceptional craft heritage.

• The One District One Product (ODOP) program is an initiative under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry. 
• Under ODOP wall initiative products are being identified from all districts to be promoted for their unique qualities and cultural significance which include various handicrafts, handloom, and agricultural products that have been associated with the identity of their place of origin. 
• Objectives of ODOP: To help districts reach their full potential, foster economic and socio-cultural growth, and create employment opportunities, especially, in rural areas.
• This initiative aims to turn every district in India, into an export hub through promotion of the product in which the district specialises. 
• The initiative plans to accomplish this by scaling manufacturing, supporting local businesses, finding potential foreign customers and so on, thus helping to achieve the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision.

Hence both statements are correct.

In the recent bird survey at Corbett Tiger Reserve about 275 bird species, including two critically endangered, four vulnerable ones and two endangered species, were counted.

• It is located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand which encompasses the Patli Dun valley.
• The Ramganga, Sonanadi, Palain and Mandal, and Kosi rivers form the prominent hydrological resource for the Corbett.
• The core area of the reserve contains the Corbett National Park and the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary is part of its buffer area.
• Flora: The trees which contribute to the Flora of Corbett consist of evergreen Sal and its combined trees, the Sheesham, and the Kanju found extensively on the ridges.
• Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Hog deer, spotted deer, Samber etc.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

India’s engagement with Russia’s Arctic region has been strengthening with India-bound goods constituting the maximum share of cargo handled this year by Murmansk Port.

• The seaport of Murmansk is one of the largest ice-free ports in Russia.
• It is located on the Kola Peninsula at the coast of Barents Sea.
• It is about 2,000 km northwest of Moscow.
• The port is navigated all year round. The dimensions of vessels calling at the port of Murmansk are not limited.
• The main port capabilities are located on the western coast of Kola Bay, among them the mooring berths of the commercial port (including passenger area), fishing port, ship-repair yard, shipyard, oil terminal, and FSUE Atomflot premises.
• On the eastern coast of Kola Bay there is a number of small fish and fleet maintenance terminals.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Kerala High Court has underscored that the power of preventive detention can only be invoked in cases where an individual’s activities pose a threat to public order or are detrimental to society.

About Preventive Detention:

• Preventive detention refers to the detention of an individual without a trial or conviction by a court. 
• The primary objective of preventive detention is not to punish an individual for a past offence but to prevent them from committing an offence in the future.
• Preventive detention laws are enacted by governments to ensure public safety and maintain social order.
• Constitutional Provisions and Safeguards:
• Article 22 of the Indian Constitution grants protection to individuals who are arrested or detained.
• It has two parts—the first part deals with cases of ordinary law, which includes situations where an individual is detained as part of a criminal investigation.
• The second part deals with cases of preventive detention law, which pertains to the detention of individuals without a trial or conviction.
• Article 22 (4) states that no law providing for preventive detention shall authorise the detention of a person for a longer period than three months unless an Advisory Board reports sufficient cause for extended detention.
• The detainee is entitled to know the grounds of his detention. The state, however, may refuse to divulge the grounds of detention if it is in the public interest to do so. 
• The detaining authorities must give the detainee earliest opportunities for making representation against the detention.
• Who can make laws under Preventive Detention?
• Parliament has the exclusive power to enact a law for preventive detention for the reasons connected with defence, foreign affairs, or security of India. 
• Both Parliament and State Legislature have powers to enact a law for preventive detention for the reasons related to the maintenance of public order or the maintenance of supplies or services essential to the community.
• Laws that provide for Preventive Detention:
• In India, various laws provide for preventive detention, including the National Security Act (NSA) of 1980, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) of 1967, and state-specific laws like the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and the Public Safety Acts (PSA) in certain states.
• Under these laws, authorities can detain an individual for a specific period, typically up to 12 months, without presenting formal charges or conducting a trial.
• The detention order is issued by a designated authority or government official and is subject to periodic review by an advisory board.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor said that within the next year, the Sapphire mines will be auctioned in a scientific way to give a boost to the local economy. 

• The name SAPPHIRE is derived from the Latin word ‘Saphirus’ and the Greek word ‘Sapherios’ both the words mean blue.
• The scientific name of sapphire is called corundum. It is made up of aluminium oxide (Al203) mineral.
• Corundum comes in all types of colours like red, pink, yellow, orange and violet.
• Distribution:
• Sapphire is found all over the world –SriLanka, Burma,Thailand and Australia. Ceylon is still a top source for natural sapphire.
• In India the reserves/resources of corundum are found in association with kyanite and sillimanite in Assam, Meghalaya and Maharashtra.
• It occurs in syenites and ultrabasic rocks in Telangana.
• The total reserves/resources of sapphire was estimated at 450 kg, all of which is placed under 'Remaining Resources' category and is located in Jammu & Kashmir.
• Uses:
• Sapphire has emerged as a versatile material useful to a range of industries in many varied applications including LEDs, optical and Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits (RFICS).

Hence both statements are correct.

The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) has officially been renamed the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library Society recently.

About Prime Ministers' Museum and Library (PMML) Society:

• Status: It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
• Location: It is housed in the historic Teen Murti campus located south of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
• PMML is dedicated to the objective of promoting advanced research on Modern and Contemporary India.
• History:
• Designed by Robert Tor Russel and built in 1929-30 as part of Edwin Lutyens' imperial capital, Teen Murti House was the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief in India.
• In August 1948, after the departure of the last British Commander-in-Chief, Teen Murti House became the official residence of independent India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who lived here for sixteen years until his death on May 27, 1964.
• On Jawaharlal Nehru's 75th birth anniversary on November 14, 1964 Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, President of India, formally dedicated the Teen Murti House to the nation and inaugurated the Nehru Memorial Museum.
• On 1 April 1966, the Government set up the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) Society to manage the institution.
• PMML has four major constituents, namely-
• Memorial Museum;
• Library on modern India;
• Centre for Contemporary Studies;
• Nehru Planetarium;
• Administration: The General Council and the President and the Vice-President of the PMML Society are nominated by the Central Government.

Hence all three statements are correct.

Recently, a team of scientists recorded a new species of salamander — the Tylototritonzaimeng in the Zaimeng Lake of Manipur.

• Zaimeng Lake is situated on top of Khongtheng mountain ranges of Manipur.
• Zaimeng in the Liangmai Naga dialect means “puzzle” or “mystery”.
• The greater part of the lake is basically a marshy mass of thick grass like weeds, mixed with reeds and green mosses.
•  The estimated height of this lake is 2176 metres above sea level.

Hence, option d is the correct answer.

The Madras High Court recently directed the Central government to release funds to relocate all 495 residents of the Thengumarahada village in Tamil Nadu (TN), as the village falls within the protected area of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.

About Mudumalai Tiger Reserve:

• Location:
• It is located in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu, spread over 321 sq. km. at the tri-junction of three states, viz, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
• It lies on the Northeastern and Northwestern slopes of Nilgiri hills which is a part of the Western Ghats.
• It is part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve, the first Biosphere Reserve in India.
• It has a common boundary with Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) on the West, Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) on the North, the Nilgiris North Division on the South and East, and Gudalur Forest Division on the South West.
• The name Mudumalai means ” the ancient hill range”. Indeed, it is as old as 65 million years when the Western Ghats were formed.
• Terrain: The terrain is undulating, with the elevation ranging from 960m to 1266m.
• Habitat: A variety of habitats ranging from tropical evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, moist teak forest, dry teak forest, secondary grasslands, and swamps are found here.
• Flora:
• It has tall grasses, commonly referred to as “Elephant Grass”, bamboo of the giant variety, and valuable timber species like Teak, Rosewood, etc.
• It has wild relatives of cultivated plants, viz. wild rice, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, etc.
• Fauna: Includes Tiger, Elephant, Indian Gaur, Panther, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Common Langur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Mangoose, Hyena, among others.
• The recent Oscar-winning ‘Elephant Whisperers’ was filmed at the Theppakadu Elephant Camp, located inside the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.

Hence option b is the correct answer.

A team of engineers and researchers from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) is currently developing a humanoid robot named ‘Pibot’ that can fly aircraft without needing to modify the cockpit.

About Pibot:

• It is the world’s first humanoid pilot.
• It can fly an aeroplane just like a human pilot by manipulating all the single controls in the cockpit, which is designed for humans.
• Features:
• It combines artificial intelligence and robotics technologies, can process the natural language of the flight manual and control the flight’s operation in real-time.
• Pibot can control its arms and fingers to dextrously operate flight instruments, even with severe vibration in an aircraft, using high-precision control technology.
• Its external cameras allow Pibot to monitor the current state of the aircraft and the internal ones help it manage essential switches on the control panel.
• It is capable of memorizing global flight charts to conduct mistake-free flight missions on any air route. 
• It can memorise aircraft operation and emergency manuals (QRH, an in-cockpit manual for the flight crew to refer to in case of in-flight problems) and respond immediately.
• The humanoid robot can also communicate with air traffic controllers and humans in the cockpit using voice synthesis, allowing it to act as a pilot or a first officer.

Hence option d is the correct answer.