Daily Current Affairs MCQ- July 1, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

• In order to protect migratory species throughout their range countries, a Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) has been in force since 1983. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • It comes under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
• Also referred to as the Bonn Convention, it provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats and brings together the States through which migratory animals pass, the Range States, and lays the legal foundation for internationally coordinated conservation measures throughout a migratory range.
  • Under this convention, migratory species threatened with extinction are listed on Appendix I.
  • Migratory species that need conservation and management or would significantly benefit from international co-operation are listed in Appendix II of the Convention. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

• The Keoladeo National Park, a World Heritage Site which was previously the private duck shooting preserve of the Maharaja of Bharatpur, designated as bird sanctuary on 13 March 1956 and a National Park on 10^th March 1982 was included in the World Heritage List in 1985.
  • It was also notified as Ramsar Site in October 1981.
• Far from being a wetland, Sambar is now a Ramsar site number 464 under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
  • The Sambhar Salt Lake, once a large saline lake fed by four rivers set in a shallow wetland, is dangerously close to extinction.
• Anand Sagar Lake, also known as Bai Talaab, is an artificial lake in present-day Banswara district, Rajasthan.
  • It was constructed by Jagmal Singh of Banswara for his Queen Lanchi Bai.
  • It is not a Ramsar Site.
• Rajsamand Lake (also known as Raja Samudra Lake) is a lake near the town of Rajsamand in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
  • It was built across the Gomti river which originates from Sewantri, Kelwa and Tali rivers.
  • It is not a Ramsar Site.
• Therefore, option B is correct.

• Recently, West Bengal has made an outstanding example by utilizing Water Hyacinth, an obnoxious aquatic weed plant to develop small-scale cottage industry that is both financially rewarding as well as environmentally friendly in approach.
• Water hyacinth, scientifically known as Eichhornia crassipes Mart. (Pontederiaceae), is an aquatic weed common in water bodies across South Asia, including India. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• This is not an indigenous species but was introduced to India during the British colonial rule as an ornamental aquatic plant from South America. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The plant has been used as a bio-fertiliser in some organic agriculture practices. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

• BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
• The grouping was formalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers in 2006.
• South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the acronym BRICS.
• The BRICS brings together five of the largest developing countries of the world, representing 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP and 16% of the global trade.
• During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (Brazil) in 2014, the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the New Development Bank (NDB - Shanghai, China). Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The BRICS nations have never mentioned its aim of countering NATO and emerging as its substitute. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

WTO General Council

• The General Council is the WTO’s highest-level decision-making body in Geneva.
  • It has representatives from all member governments and has the authority to act on behalf of the ministerial conference which only meets about every two years. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
  • The General Council also meets, under different rules, as the Dispute Settlement Body and as the Trade Policy Review Body.

Dispute Settlement Body

• The General Council convenes as the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) to deal with disputes between WTO members. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
  • Such disputes may arise with respect to any agreement contained in the Final Act of the Uruguay Round that is subject to the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU).
  • The DSB has authority to establish dispute settlement panels.

Appellate Body

• The Appellate Body was established in 1995 under Article 17 of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU).
• It is a standing body of seven members that hears appeals from reports issued by panels in disputes brought by WTO Members.
• The Appellate Body can uphold, modify or reverse the legal findings and conclusions of a panel, and Appellate Body Reports are adopted by the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) unless all members decide not to do so. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

The Union Cabinet was apprised of a Strategic Partnership Agreement signed between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The Agreement  was signed in January 2022.

• The aim of the Agreement is to drive ambition, leadership and knowledge on green energy transitions based on renewable energy in India. The Agreement will help India’s energy transition efforts and will also help the world in combating climate change.
• The areas of cooperation as envisaged in the Strategic Partnership Agreement will support India in achieving its ambitious target of 500 GW of installed non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030.
• The salient features of the Agreement include enhanced cooperation in the following areas:
  • Facilitating knowledge sharing from India on scaling-up renewable energy and clean energy technologies
  • Supporting India’s efforts on long term energy planning
  • Collaborating to strengthen the innovation climate in India
  • Moving towards cost-effective decarbonisation through catalysing development and deployment of green hydrogen.
• Thus, the Strategic Partnership Agreement will help India’s energy transition efforts and will also help the world in combating climate change.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved Computerization of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) with the objective of increasing efficiency of PACS, bringing transparency and accountability in their operations; facilitating PACS to diversify their business and undertake multiple activities/ services.

• This project proposes computerization of about 63,000 functional PACS over a period of 5 years with a total budget outlay of Rs. 2516 crore with Government of India share of Rs. 1528 crore.
• The Primary Agricultural Cooperative credit societies (PACS) constitute the lowest tier of the three-tier Short-term cooperative credit (STCC) in the country comprising of approx.13 Cr. farmers as its members, which is crucial for the development of the rural economy.
• PACS account for 41 % (3.01 Cr. farmers) of the KCC loans given by all entities in the Country and 95 % of these KCC loans (2.95 Cr. farmers) through PACS are to the Small and Marginal farmers.
• The other two tiers viz. State Cooperative Banks (StCBs) and District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) have already been automated by the NABARD and brought on Common Banking Software (CBS).

Hence both statements are correct.

The 47th Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council meeting is currently underway to discuss rate rationalisation measures, exemption reviews, system reforms and other topics.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council:

• The GST regime came into force with the enactment of the Constitutional (101st Amendment) Act, 2017.
• The GST Council - a joint forum of the Centre and the states, was set up by the President of India as per Article 279A (1) of the amended Indian Constitution. It consists of the -
  • Union Finance Minister - Chairperson
  • The Union Minister of State, in-charge of Revenue of finance - Member
  • The Minister in-charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated by each State Government - Members
• The GST Council is an apex committee to modify, reconcile or to make recommendations to the Union and the States on GST, like the goods and services that may be subjected or exempted from GST, model GST laws, etc.
• The GST Council meets to discuss and lay GST laws. Decisions in the GST Council are taken by a majority of not less than three-fourth of weighted votes cast.
• Centre has one-third weightage of the total votes cast and all the states taken together have two-third of weightage of the total votes cast.
• All decisions taken by the GST Council have been arrived at through consensus.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

New global and country-level estimates suggest that routinely wearing helmets and seat belts, obeying speed limits, and avoiding driving drunk could save between 347,000 and 540,000 lives worldwide every year.

• The benefits of more motorcyclists wearing helmets would be the biggest in China, where 13,703 lives could be saved every year, followed by Brazil (5,802 lives), and India (5,683 lives), says the study published in The Lancet.
• Analysis of data from 74 studies in 185 countries estimates that targeting four key risk factors for road injuries and deaths (speeding, drink driving, and non-use of crash helmets and seat belts) could prevent between 25% and 40% of all fatal road injuries worldwide every year.
• The Lancet Series on road safety, published ahead of the first ever UN High-Level Meeting on Road Safety, calls for increased political and financial commitments, and for road safety to be included in mainstream development policies.
• It argues that this is essential to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the target to halve road traffic crash fatalities and injuries by 2030.
• Deaths on roads are a major problem in India. Each year road accidents kill about 150,000 people and injure another 450,000 in the country.
• The World Bank noted in a report this month that with only 1 per cent of the world’s vehicles, India accounts for almost 10 per cent of all crash related deaths.

Hence both statements are correct.

• The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up in 2007 under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The Commission's Mandate is to ensure that all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative Mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Hence, statement 2 is correct.