Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 19, 2023 - UPSC MCQ

A tribal council’s recent order not to issue a Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate to any Khasi person who adopts the surname of her or his father has triggered a war of words in matrilineal Meghalaya.

About Khasi people:

• The Khasi people are an indigenous ethnic group of Meghalaya in north-eastern India with a significant population in the bordering state of Assam, and in certain parts of Bangladesh.
• They inhabit the eastern part of Meghalaya, in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. Khasis residing in Jaintia hills are now better known as Jaintias. They are also called Pnars.
• The Khasis occupying the northern lowlands and foothills are generally called Bhois. Those who live in the southern tracts are termed Wars.
• The Khasi people form the majority of the population of the eastern part of Meghalaya, and is the state’s largest community, with around 48% of the population of Meghalaya. 
• Dress:
• The traditional Khasi male dress is “Jymphong” or a longish sleeveless coat without collar, fastened by thongs in front. Now, the Khasis have adopted the western dress.
• The Khasi traditional female dress is rather elaborate with several pieces of cloth, giving the body a cylindrical shape. On ceremonial occasions, they wear a crown of silver or gold on the head. A spike or peak is fixed to the back of the crown, corresponding to the feathers worn by the menfolk.
• Social Structure: 
• They are divided into several clans. 
• They have a matrilineal society.
• Descent is traced through the mother, but the father plays an important role in the material and mental life of the family.
• Inheritance: In the Khasi society, it is only the youngest daughter or “Ka Khadduh” who is eligible to inherit the ancestral property.
• Language: They speak Khasi, a member of the Khasic group of Austroasiatic languages.
• Religion: The Khasis are now mostly Christians. But before that, they believed in a Supreme Being, The Creator – U Blei Nongthaw and under Him, there were several deities of water and of mountains and also of other natural objects.

Hence both statements are correct.

The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) around the world reached 71 million as of the end of 2022, according to the recently published Global Report on Internal Replacement 2023.

About Global Report on Internal Replacement 2023:

• It is released by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC).
• Internal displacement refers to people forced to move inside their own borders and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre's report didn’t take into account those who left for different countries.
• Highlights of the 2023 Report:
• The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) around the world reached 71.1 million as of the end of 2022, an increase of 20 per cent from the previous year.
• Conflict and violence triggered 28.3 million internal displacements worldwide.
• The conflict in Ukraine triggered nearly 17 million displacements.
• 32.6 million people were displaced due to disasters, an increase of 40 per cent from 2021 largely the result of the effects of La Niña which continued or a third consecutive year.
• Of the total disaster displacement, 98 per cent were triggered by weather-related events like floods and storms.
• India recorded the fourth largest disaster displacement, with 2.5 million displacements. 
• Pakistan had the highest number of disaster displacements in the world in 2022, at 8.16 million.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently told banks and other regulated entities to ensure a complete transition away from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR).

About London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR):

• It is a benchmark interest rate at which major global banks lend to one another in the international interbank market for short-term loans.
• It acts as a benchmark for short-term interest rates.
• It is an indicator of the health of the financial system and provides an idea of the trajectory of impending policy rates of central banks.
• LIBOR is also the basis for consumer loans in countries around the world, so it impacts consumers just as much as it does financial institutions.
• How is LIBOR calculated?
• The rate is calculated and will continue to be published each day by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE).
• It is computed for five currencies with seven different maturities ranging from overnight to a year. 
• The five currencies for which LIBOR is computed are the Swiss franc, euro, pound sterling, Japanese yen and US dollar. 
• Each day, ICE asks major global banks how much they would charge other banks for short-term loans. 
• ICE benchmark administration consists of 11 to 18 banks that contribute for each currency. Only those banks that have a significant role in the London market are considered eligible for membership on the ICE LIBOR panel, and the selection process is held annually.
• The rates received from the banks are arranged in descending order, and the top and bottom quartiles are excluded to remove outliers.
• The arithmetic mean of the remaining data is then computed to get the LIBOR rate. 
• The process is repeated for each of the 5 currencies and 7 maturities, thereby producing 35 reference rates. 
• The most commonly quoted rate is the three-month U.S. dollar rate, usually referred to as the current LIBOR rate.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Central Government recently introduced the Minimum Import Price (MIP) for apples in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

About Minimum Import Price (MIP):

• What is MIP? MIP is a temporary measure to provide protection to domestic farmers from predatory pricing of imports. Below this price, import of the commodity is not allowed.
• Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT ) is an arm of the commerce ministry which frames rules related to exports and imports.
• MIP for Apples:
• It aims to protect their interests by preventing tax-free imports of apples from other countries, ensuring a level playing field for the local apple industry.
• According to the policy, any apple costing less than Rs 50 per kg cannot be imported.
• Benefits:
• It will help stabilize apple prices in the local market by reducing the oversupply of cheap imported apples.
• This stability will enable local farmers to fetch better prices for their produce.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) recently established C-PACE, or Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit, to bring efficiency into the strike off process of companies.

About C-PACE (Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit):

• C-PACE has been set up to centralise the process of striking off companies from the MCA Register.
• Location: It is located at the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs in Gurgaon.
• C-PACE will be in operation through the Registrar of Companies (RoC) for the purposes of exercising functional jurisdiction of processing and disposal of applications.
• It will work under the supervision of the Director General of Corporate Affairs (DGCoA).
• C-PACE will reduce the burden on the registry and provide stakeholders with hassle-free filing, timely and process-bound striking off of their company’s names from the register.
• It is part of MCA’s efforts towards ease of doing business and ease of exit for companies.
• New Rules:
• As per new rules issued by the MCA, applications for removal of the name of a company under Section 248 of the Companies Act would be made to the registrar, C-PACE.
• It is expected that the process of voluntary winding up of companies will now be completed in six months as against the earlier timeline of two years.
• Section 248 of the Companies Act:
• It provides for the removal of the name of the company from the RoC if it is not carrying on any business or operation for a period of two immediately preceding financial years and has not made any application within the said period for obtaining the status of a dormant company under Section 455.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Under Azadi ka Amrit Kaal, JJM celebrates a new milestone of ensuring safe and clean drinking water through taps to more than 12 Crore rural households of the country.

About Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM):

• Mission Objective: To ensure HarGharJal (piped water supply) to all rural households by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
  • As on date, 5 States (Goa, Telangana, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab) and 3 UTs (Puducherry, D&D and D&NH and A&N Islands), have reported 100% coverage. Himachal Pradesh at 98.35%, followed by Bihar at 96.05%, are also poised to achieve saturation in the near future.
  • Working on the motto of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas, Jal Jeevan Mission is marching towards achieving the SDG 6, i.e., safe and affordable water to all, through provision of safe water through taps to all households, schools, anganwadis and other public institutions, in rural areas.
• Executing agency: Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Jal Shakti Mantralaya.
• Strategy:
  • This Mission will focus on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level, including creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse in agriculture.
  • The Mission will converge with other Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply management across the country.
• Funding Pattern:
  • The fund sharing pattern is in the proportion of:
  • 50:50 between Centre and States,
  • 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States.
  • In case of UTs, 100% funding is provided by the Central government.

Hence statement 1 is correct.

World Telecommunication Day was recently celebrated on May 17th.

About World Telecommunication and Information Society Day:

• It is celebrated every year on May 17.
• Purpose: To help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICTs) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.
• The theme of this year’s celebration was “Empowering the Least Developed Countries through Information and Communication Technologies”.
• History:
• World Telecommunication Day has been celebrated annually on 17 May since 1969, marking the founding of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the signing of the first International Telegraph Convention in 1865.
• In March 2006, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution stipulating that World Information Society Day shall be celebrated every year on 17 May.
• In November 2006, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Antalya, Turkey, decided to celebrate both events on 17 May as World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.

What is the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)?

• It is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies.
• It is an intergovernmental organization that coordinates between governments and private sector bodies with respect to global telecommunication and information communication technology (ICT) services.
• It was established in 1865 as International Telegraph Union.
• In 1947 the ITU became a specialized agency of the United Nations.
• Membership: It has a membership of 193 countries and nearly 800 private sector entities and academic institutions.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Functions:
• allocate global radio spectrum and satellite orbits;
• coordination and setting of technical standards related to telecommunication/ICT;
• strive to improve access to ICTs in underserved communities worldwide;
• India and ITU: India has been an active member of the ITU since 1869 and has been a regular member of the ITU Council since 1952.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Doctors will now have to get a Unique Identification Number (UID) to be able to practice medicine in the country, as per the new regulations by the National Medical Commission (NMC).

About National Medical Commission (NMC):

• NMC has been constituted by an act of Parliament known as National Medical Commission Act, 2019.
• It has replaced the Medical Council of India (MCI), constituted under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956).
• Functions:
• NMC regulates medical education and medical professionals.
• The Commission grants recognition of medical qualifications gives accreditation to medical schools, grants registration to medical practitioners, monitors medical practice and assesses the medical infrastructure in India.
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Organisational structure of NMC:
• It consists of 33 members including Chairman (medical professionals only), 10 ex-officio members and 22 partime members.
• Medical Advisory Council: It provides the platform through which the states or UTs can put forth their views and concerns before the NMC and advises the NMC on measures to determine and maintain minimum standards of medical education.
• Four autonomous boards:
• Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (sets norms for undergraduate (UG) courses),
• Post-Graduate Medical Education Board (sets norms for post-graduate courses),
• Medical Assessment and Rating Board (inspects and rates the medical education institutes), and
• Ethics and Medical Registration Board (regulates professional conduct of the doctors and registers them).

Hence both statements are correct.

A breach of privilege notice against a Rajya Sabha member was recently referred to the Committee of Privileges for investigation by the Rajya Sabha Chairman.

About Committee of Privileges:

• This committee consists of 15 members in Lok Sabha ( 10 in case of Rajya Sabha) nominated by the Speaker (Chairman in case of Rajya Sabha).
• In the Rajya Sabha, the deputy chairperson heads the committee of privileges.
• Powers and Functions:
• The committee examines every question involving a breach of privilege of the House or of the members or of any Committee thereof referred to it by the House or by the Speaker/Chairman. 
• It also determines with reference to the facts of each case whether a breach of privilege is involved and makes suitable recommendations in its report.
• It also states the procedure to be followed by the House in giving effect to its recommendations.
• When a question of privilege is referred to the Committee by the House, the report of the Committee is presented to the House by the Chairman or, in his absence, by any member of the Committee.
• Where a question of privilege is referred to the Committee by the Speaker, the report of the Committee is presented to the Speaker who may pass final orders thereon or direct that it be laid on the Table of the House.
• The Speaker/Chairman may refer to the Committee any petition regarding the disqualification of a member on the ground of defection for making a preliminary inquiry and submitting a report to him.
• The procedure to be followed by the Committee in these cases is so far as may be the same as in applicable to questions of breach of privilege.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh recently visited the 175 year old London Science Museum and shared the experience of the initiative of setting up similar science museums undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India.

• The Science Museum is a major museum on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London.
• It was founded in 1857.
• It covered both science and art, and it was not until 1909 that the two sections were formally separated; the arts section went on to form the core of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
• The Science Museum’s displays are concerned with the presentation of science and its application to industry and everyday life, both historically and from a contemporary viewpoint.
• Thus, it is possible to see key engines in the development of motive power or exhibits on the great medical advances made over time (the latter drawn from the museum’s extensive Wellcome collection).
• Petroleum refining, time measurement, the development of computing, space exploration, the extraction and distribution of natural gas, the manufacture of iron and steel, and the development of aircraft are some of the subjects interpreted through the museum’s exhibits.

Hence both statements are correct.