Daily Current Affairs MCQ - January 7, 2022 - CLAT MCQ

• Article 343 of the Constitution of India provides that the official language of the Union shall be Hindi in the Devanagari script. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Article 348(1)(a) states that unless Parliament by law provides otherwise, all proceedings before the Supreme Court and in every High Court shall be conducted in English.
• Therefore, the Constitution recognizes English as the primary language of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, with the caveat that when some other language is used in the proceedings of High Courts, judgments of the High Courts must be delivered in English. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• Recently, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited) launched six, One District One Product (ODOP) brands under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • The Ministry has signed an agreement with NAFED for developing 10 brands of selected ODOPs under the branding and marketing component of the PMFME scheme. Out of these, six brands are Amrit Phal, Cori Gold, Kashmiri Mantra, Madhu Mantra, Somdana, and Whole Wheat Cookies of Dilli Bakes.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme with an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore.
  • The expenditure under the scheme would be shared in 60:40 ratio between Central and State Governments, in 90:10 ratio with North Eastern and Himalayan States, 60:40 ratio with UTs with legislature and 100% by Centre for other UTs. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

• The 10% EWS quota was introduced under the 103rd Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2019 by amending Articles 15 and 16. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • It inserted Article 15 (6) and Article 16 (6). Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• It is for economic reservation in jobs and admissions in education institutes for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
  • It was enacted to promote the welfare of the poor not covered by the 50% reservation policy for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC).
• It enables both Centre and the states to provide reservation to the EWS of society.

Union Education Minister and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched NEAT 3.0, a single platform to provide the best-developed ed-tech solutions and courses to students of the country.

• Pradhan said NEAT will be a game-changer in bridging the digital divide, especially among the economically disadvantaged students and also in fulfilling the knowledge-based requirement of India and the world.
• National Educational Alliance for Technology (NEAT) is an initiative to provide the use of best-developed technological solutions in the education sector to enhance the employability of the youth on a single platform for learners' convenience.
• These solutions use artificial intelligence for a personalised and customised learning experience for better learning outcomes and skill development in the niche areas.
• The minister informed that 58 global and Indian start-up ed-tech companies are onboard NEAT and are offering 100 courses and e-resources for bettering learning outcomes, developing employable skills and overcoming learning loss.
• The minister expressed his happiness that, more than 12 lakh socially and economically disadvantaged students have received free ed-tech course coupons worth over Rs 253 crore under NEAT 3.0.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Union Minister of Power dedicated Automatic Generation Control (AGC) to the nation.

• This is expected to facilitate achieving the government’s ambitious target of 500 GW non-fossil fuel-based generation capacity by 2030.
• The AGC is being operated by Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) through National Load Despatch Centre.
• Through AGC, NLDC (National Load Despatch Centre) sends signals to more than 50 power plants in the country every 4 seconds to maintain the frequency and reliability of the Indian Power System. This will ensure more efficient and automatic frequency control for handling variable and intermittent renewable generation.
• Shri R.K. Singh also released a report titled “Assessment of Inertia in Indian Power System” which has been prepared by POSOCO in collaboration with IIT Bombay.

Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO)

• POSOCO Day is observed on 3rd January to commemorate its independent functioning that began on 3rd January 2017, under Ministry of Power as one of the Power PSUs after separating from POWERGRID as its subsidiary organization.
• It is responsible to ensure the integrated operation of the Grid in a reliable, efficient, and secure manner.
• It consists of 5 Regional Load Despatch Centres (RLDCs) and the National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC).
• Hence both statements are correct.

India spent a record $55.7 billion on gold imports in 2021, buying more than double the previous year’s tonnage as a price drop favoured retail buyers and pent-up demand emerged for weddings that were delayed when the pandemic first hit.

• Details of the world’s second-biggest consuming nation’s soaring imports were disclosed to Reuters by a senior government official who requested anonymity.
• The 2021 gold import bill easily doubled the $22 billion spent in 2020, and surpassed the previous high, set in 2011, of $53.9 billion, according to the official, who tracks broad import trends.
• In volume, India imported 1,050 tonnes in 2021, the most in a decade, and far more than the 430 tonnes imported in 2020, the official said.
• Last year, demand was robust as lots of weddings were postponed to 2021 from 2020 because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Union Minister for Ministry of Food Processing Industries and senior officials of NAFED today launched six, One District One Product (ODOP) brands under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme at Panchsheel Bhawan, New Delhi.

• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has signed an agreement with NAFED for developing 10 brands of selected ODOPs under the branding and marketing component of the PMFME scheme. Out of these, six brands namely Amrit Phal, Cori Gold, Kashmiri Mantra, Madhu Mantra, Somdana, and Whole Wheat Cookies of Dilli Bakes were launched recently.
• The brand Amrit Phal for amla juice has been exclusively developed under the ODOP concept for Gurugram, Haryana.
• Cori Gold brand has been developed for coriander powder which is the identified ODOP for Kota, Rajasthan.
• Brand Kashmiri Mantra brings out the essence of spices from Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
• Brand Madhu Mantra has been developed under the ODOP concept for honey from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
• Whole wheat cookies, is the second product developed under the brand Dilli Bakes.
• Brand Somdana has been developed under the ODOP concept of milletsfrom Thane, Maharashtra.

PMFME Scheme:

• Launched under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme.
• It aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and to promote formalization of the sector and provide support to Farmer Producer Organizations, Self Help Groups, and Producers Cooperatives along their entire value chain.
• With an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the scheme envisions to directly assist the 2,00,000 micro food processing units for providing financial, technical, and business support for up-gradation of existing micro food processing enterprises.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has launched “Smart cities and Academia Towards Action & Research (SAAR)” program.

• It is a joint initiative of MoHUA, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and leading Indian academic institutions of the country.
• Under the program, 15 premier architecture & planning institutes of the country will be working with Smart Cities to document landmark projects undertaken by the Smart Cities Mission.
• The documents will capture the learnings from best practices, provide opportunities for engagement on urban development projects to students, and enable real-time information flow between urban practitioners and academia.
• The Smart Cities Mission’s urban projects are lighthouse projects to other aspiring cities. Since the start of the Mission in 2015, the 100 Smart Cities have been developing a total of 5,151 projects with an investment of Rs. 2,05,018 crore.
• The first activity envisaged under SAAR is to prepare a compendium of 75 landmark urban projects in India under the Smart City Mission.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA)sets a new record of 19000 flying hours in 2021.

• During the year 2021, IGRUA piled up 19000 hours of flying as against an average yearly flying output of 15000 per year during the previous five years while it was 11641 hours in 2020.
• IGRUA achieved this milestone of 19000 hours despite continued effect of pandemic and inclement weather conditions due to Tauktae Cyclone in 2021.
• Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi(IGRUA) was established by the Government of India in the year 1986 at Fursatganj Airfield, presently in the district of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
• IGRUA is an Autonomous Body established under the Societies Registration Act 1860 and is administered by a Governing Council under the Ex-officio Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

In a historic decision, the Odisha state cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to the Sri Jagannath Temple Act of 1954, simplifying issues pertaining to land owned by the Jagannath Temple.

Jagannath Temple Act, 1954

• After India gained Independence, the state of Odisha formally introduced the Jagannath Temple Act in the year 1952, which came into effect in 1954.
• The Act contains provision on land rights of the temple, duties of the sevayat, administrative powers of the Shri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, rights and privileges of the Raja of Puri and other persons connected with the management and administration of the temple.

What does the recent amendment propose?

• The recent amendment approved by the state cabinet now decentralizes the power to settle land related issues of the temple. The cabinet has delegated power to temple administration and concerned officials for sale and lease of land in name of Jagannath temple.
• Unlike earlier, no approval will be required from the state government for the process. Through the sale of land, used and unused, the temple will also generate additional corpus funds.
• Hence both statements are correct.