Daily Current Affairs MCQ - December 3, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Importance of Fiscal Policy in India:

• In a country like India, fiscal policy plays a key role in elevating the rate of capital formation both in the public and private sectors.
• Through taxation, the fiscal policy helps mobilise considerable amount of resources for financing its numerous projects.
• Fiscal policy also helps in providing stimulus to elevate the savings rate.
• The fiscal policy gives adequate incentives to the private sector to expand its activities.
• Fiscal policy aims to minimise the imbalance in the dispersal of income and wealth.

Budapest Convention on Cybercrime: It is an international treaty that seeks to address Internet and computer crime (cybercrime) by harmonizing national laws, improving investigative techniques, and increasing cooperation among nations. India is not a signatory to this convention.

The scheme is administered by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme. Implementation (MOSPI).

MPs only recommend projects, but the final choice and implementation rests with the district authorities.

Observations made by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, in a report make it clear: Expenditure incurred by the executing agencies being less than amount booked.

Utilisation of funds between 49 to 90% of the booked amount;

Four eminent scientists of the country, all below the age of 45 years, have been selected by Kurukshetra University for the coveted "Rajib Goyal Prize" for the 'Young Scientists'.

GST revenues for November 2021 have been the second highest ever since introduction of GST. The gross GST revenue collected in November this year is 1, 31, 526 crore rupees.

The Union Minister for MSME Narayana Rane has launched "the unique anti-bacterial fabric".

• All-India Quarterly Establishment-based Employment Survey (AQEES) has been taken up by the Labour Bureau to provide frequent (quarterly) updates about the employment and related variables of establishments, in both organised and unorganised segments of nine selected sectors. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • The 9 sectors are Manufacturing, Construction, Trade, Transport, Education, Health, Accommodation and Restaurants, IT/BPO, Financial Service Activities.
• Components:
  • Quarterly Employment Survey (QES): It provides the employment estimates for the establishments employing 10 or more workers.
    • The revamped QES was conducted during the first quarter (April-June 2021).
    • The earlier version of QES was suspended in 2018, citing a gap in numbers with the payroll data.
  • Area Frame Establishment Survey (AFES): It covers the unorganised segment (with less than 10 workers) through a sample survey. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was set up in 1963 by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • Now, the CBI comes under the administrative control of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• The establishment of the CBI was recommended by the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption (1962–1964). Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The CBI is not a statutory body. It derives its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
• The CBI is the main investigating agency of the Central Government.
• It also provides assistance to the Central Vigilance Commission and Lokpal.

World's largest border guarding force, Border Security Force (BSF), is observing its 57th Raising Day. India's first line of defence, BSF was formed on December 1, 1965, as a unified central agency, for ensuring the security of Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders and for matters connected therewith.

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) attacks CD4, a type of White Blood Cell (T cells) in the body’s immune system. T cells are those cells that move around the body detecting anomalies and infections in cells. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• After entering the body, HIV multiplies itself and destroys CD4 cells, thus severely damaging the human immune system. Once this virus enters the body, it can never be removed. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The CD4 count of a person infected with HIV reduces significantly. In a healthy body, CD4 count is between 500- 1600, but in an infected body, it can go as low as 200.