Daily Current Affairs MCQ- May 25, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

The world of work is being buffeted by multiple crises, says the ninth edition of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Monitor.

The Eight fundamental Conventions of ILO

• The Forced Labour Convention, 1930,
• The Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957,
• The Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948,
• The Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949,
• The Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951,
• The Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958,
• The Minimum Age Convention, 1973, and
• The Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999

Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Two Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets fighter jets landed in Goa for trials on the Indian Navy’s Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) to demonstrate their compatibility and suitability to operate from Indian aircraft carriers.

• The demonstration is expected to continue up to the first week of June.
• These are part of demonstrations by the manufacturers to showcase the compatibility of their aircraft to fly from Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers.
• Both the Rafale-M and F/A-18 are originally designed to operate from carriers with a catapult launch mechanism.
• India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Vikrant, which is in advanced stages of sea trials, is scheduled to be commissioned in August.

Hence both statements are correct.

A cave exploration team has discovered an ancient forest with trees nearly 40 metres high at the bottom of a giant karst sinkhole in Leye County in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

• In Mandarin, giant sinkholes are called Tiankeng or “heavenly pit”.
• Sinkholes are depressions formed in the ground when layers of the Earth’s surface start collapsing into caverns.
• They can occur suddenly and without warning, because the land under the surface of the Earth can stay intact for a period of time until the spaces get too big.
• Sinkholes can be formed due to natural processes or human activity.
• Typically, sinkholes form in areas of “karst” terrains, where the rock below the surface of the Earth can be easily dissolved by groundwater.
• Karst terrain is created from the dissolution of soluble rocks, mostly limestone and dolomite and is characterised by distinctive landforms such as caves, sinkholes and springs.
• Sinkholes can also be formed due to human activity due to broken land drains, water mains and sewerage pipes, increased rainfall, storm events, underlying limestone and diverted surface water, among other reasons.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

• The Union and State legislatures have “equal, simultaneous and unique powers” to make laws on Goods and Services Tax (GST). Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The recommendations of the GST Council are the product of a collaborative dialogue involving the Union and the states. They are recommendatory in nature. Recommendations of the GST Council are not binding on them. Hence statement 2 is not correct.
• The Supreme Court in a recent judgement has held that GST on ocean freight paid in case of import of goods is unconstitutional. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

• It is characterized by its highly contagious nature i.e. it has a high potential to infect people.
• It commonly infects children especially under 2 to 6 years of age. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• It exacerbated the seasonal lung infection.
• One child in every five who were infected with RSV died. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• In most cases it has symptoms like the common cold but in advanced stages it converts into pneumonia and bronchiolitis.
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a RNA Virus. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

• Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was created in 2001.
  • SCO was established as a multilateral association to ensure security and maintain stability across the vast Eurasian region.
  • It envisages joining forces to counteract emerging challenges and threats, and enhance trade, as well as cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
• Prior to the creation of SCO in 2001, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan were members of the Shanghai Five. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• The SCO's official languages are Russian and Chinese. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• Iran became the 9^th member of SCO in 2021. Hence statement 3 is correct.

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation established in 1971, based in Geneva, Switzerland. Recognized by the Swiss authorities as the international institution for public-private cooperation. Committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.
• Reports released by World Economic Forum
  • Global Risk Report.
  • Global Travel and Tourism Report.
  • Select the correct answer using the code given below:
  • Energy Transition Index.
  • Global Competitiveness Report.
  • Global IT Report
    • WEF along with INSEAD, and Cornell University publishes this report.
  • Global Gender Gap Report.
  • Global Risk Report.
  • Global Travel and Tourism Report.
• The World Development Report is released by the World Bank and the World Economic Outlook is released by the IMF.

Hence option B is correct.

• BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
  • In 2001, the British Economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC to describe the four emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
  • 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.
• The chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members, in accordance with the acronym B-R-I-C-S. India was the chair for 2021.
• During the Sixth BRICS Summit in Fortaleza (Brazil) in 2014, the leaders signed the Agreement establishing the New Development Bank (NDB - Shanghai, China). They also signed the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement to provide short-term liquidity support to the members. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the father of Modern India’s Renaissance and a tireless social reformer who inaugurated the age of enlightenment and liberal reformist modernisation in India. Raja Mohan Roy was influenced by western modern thought and stressed on rationalism and modern scientific approach.
• He throughout his life fought for the cause of women. He criticised the sati practice prevalent in the society and because of his efforts British government passed Anti-sati Act in 1829 under the Governor General William Bentick

A new study on monkeypox published in The Lancet suggests that some antiviral medications might have the potential to shorten symptoms and reduce the amount of time a patient is contagious.

• The study documents patients’ response to two antiviral medications – brincidofovir and tecovirimat. These were developed to treat smallpox, and have previously demonstrated some efficacy against monkeypox in animals.
• The study found little evidence that brincidofovir was of clinical benefit, but concluded that further research into the potential of tecovirimat would be warranted.
• Monkeypox, a rare disease, is caused by a virus that is a close relative of the smallpox virus. There are currently no licensed treatments.

View of WHO

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that Monkeypox can be contained in countries outside of Africa where the virus is not usually detected.
• According to media reports, more than 100 cases of the virus, which causes a rash and a fever have been confirmed in Europe, Americas, and Australia.
• The virus is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa.

Hence both statements are correct.