Daily Current Affairs MCQ- August 17, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY):

• Housing for All is one of the major flagship programmes of Government of India launched on 25th June
• It is being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• It will ensure all weather pucca houses to all eligible beneficiaries in the urban areas of the country through States or UTs or Central Nodal Agencies by the year 2022.

Hence both statements are correct.

Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC):

• Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (erstwhile Central Board of Excise & Customs) is a part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance.
• CBIC is a statutory body established under the Central Boards of Revenue Act, 1963.
• CBIC was formed in 1964 when the Central Board of Revenue was split into the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Excise and Customs, which was renamed the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs in 2018.
• The Chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs is appointed by Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) which is headed by the Prime Minister.
• The Board is the administrative authority for its subordinate organizations, including Custom Houses, Central Excise and Central GST Commissionerate’s and the Central Revenues Control Laboratory.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

A common charger for your iPhone, your Android tablet and your Windows 11 laptop? That’s not quite possible yet, but this is what the future could look like.

• The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs has written to industry and other concerned stakeholders, inviting them to brainstorm a plan for having one cable for charging all your devices.
• The ministry’s move comes in the backdrop of the concept of LiFE — Lifestyle for the Environment — announced by the Prime Minister at the UN Climate Change Conference (CoP 26) held in Glasgow in November 2021.
• Due to the incompatibility of charging ports between old and new devices, consumers are forced to buy a separate charger and cable every time they purchase a new gadget. Not only do consumers face inconvenience, this also adds to avoidable e-consumption.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Almost three years after the novel coronavirus was detected in China, a new zoonotic virus has been discovered in the country’s two eastern provinces with 35 infections identified so far. This new type of Henipavirus is also being called Langya Henipavirus or the LayV.

• The newly discovered virus is a “phylogenetically distinct Henipavirus”. Henipaviruses are classified as biosafety level 4 (BSL4) pathogens. They can cause severe illness in animals and humans, and as of now there are no licensed drugs or vaccines meant for humans.
• The types of Henipaviruses that had been identified prior to this included Hendra, Nipah, Cedar, Mojiang and the Ghanaian bat virus. Langya, meanwhile, is known to cause fever.
• Langya’s genome organization is “identical to that of other Henipaviruses”, and that it is closely related to the “Mojiang Henipavirus, which was discovered in southern China”.

Hence both statements are correct.

A total of 151 Districts (in 24 States) have already lifted fortified rice under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) in Phase II of Rice Fortification Programme.

• Nearly 6.83 LMT have been distributed by the States/UTs under the phase which started from April 1, 2022. And under ICDS and PM POSHAN, nearly 7.36 LMT have been lifted by the States/UTs so far. Around 52% of the districts have lifted the foodgrains in the Phase II.
• The Hon’ble PM in his address on the 75th Independence Day (15th August, 2021), announced the supply of Fortified Rice in every scheme of Government of India throughout the country by 2024 in a phased manner.
• Phase-I covering ICDS and PM POSHAN had been implemented during 2021-22 and nearly 17.51 LMT had been distributed in the States/UTs.
• Pertinently, Phase-II includes Phase I above plus all Aspirational Districts and High Burden districts (total 291 districts) under Targeted Public Distribution System and Other Welfare Schemes in all the States/UTs by March, 2023 with a total quantity of about 175 LMT of fortified rice has to be distributed.

Hence both statements are correct.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

• CPI is a metric that measures retail inflation by collecting data on the prices of goods and services that are consumed by the retail population of the country.
• The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) releases CPI.
  • CPI is released for all-India and States/UTs separately for rural, urban and combined (national).
• Currently, CPI is calculated using 2012 as a base year.
• Items for the CPI basket of goods and services classified across categories.
  • Few of the categories are; food and beverages, clothing, housing, fuel and light, recreation and etc.
    • All categories are assigned weights (as shown in the diagram).
  • Currently, CPI is calculated by taking into consideration 299 items.

Hence both statements are correct.

An MoU was signed between Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for providing technical support to Ministry of Ayush for digitalisation of Ayush Sector under the Ayush Grid project for a period of 3 years.

• The Ayush Grid project was initiated by the Ministry in 2018 for creating a comprehensive IT backbone for the entire sector.
• Digitalization of the entire Ayush Sector will lead to its transformation in fields of health care delivery at all levels, including research, education, various health programmes and drug regulations.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry has commenced Basmati crop survey to estimate acreage, assess crop health and expected yield of aromatic and long grain rice during 2022-2023 kharif crop season using climate-based yield modelling.

• The survey is being executed under the Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF), which is an arm of APEDA. The final survey report is to be finalized by December this year.
• India has exported Basmati to the tune of close to USD 12 billion in the last three years.
• Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Kuwait, United Kingdom, Qatar and Oman have a share of close to 80 per cent in total shipments of aromatic long grained rice from India in 2021-22.

Hence both statements are correct.

A woman from Bengaluru has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court to stop her Noida-based friend, who has been suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since 2014, from travelling to Europe to undergo a physician-assisted euthanasia.

• Also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, is a serious and debilitating disease that affects the nervous system, the immune system and the body’s production of energy.
• Experts have suggested that the term can trivialize the severity of the illness. In a 2015 report, the US Institute of Medicine proposed the term systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID).
• Its causes are still unknown. However, the potential triggers would include viral or bacterial infection, hormonal imbalances and genetic predispositions. There is no specific test for the disease, and doctors have to rely on medical examinations, blood and urine tests.
• ME/CFS can affect anyone, from children to adults of all ages. According to the CDC, it’s more common in women and people between 40 and 60 years old.
• As of yet, there is no specific cure or approved treatment.

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah addressed the National Conference of Rural Co-operative Banks in New Delhi.

• Shri Amit Shah also presented awards to outstanding State Co-operative Banks, District Central Co-operative Banks and Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).
• The Union Home and Cooperation Minister said there are about 8.5 lakh cooperative societies in the country, out of which there are 1.78 lakh different types of credit societies.
• In the field of agricultural credit, there are 34 state cooperative banks with more than 2,000 branches, 351 district cooperative banks with 14,000 branches and about 95,000 PACS.

Hence both statements are correct.