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

The Supreme Court said a blanket ban on firecrackers may not be possible, but measures ought to be in place to prevent the use of toxic chemicals in firecrackers.

• This is the second time in the past few days that the court had accepted the improbability of imposing a total ban on firecrackers. On October 29, the court had made it clear that there was no total ban on use of firecrackers.
• “Only those firecrackers are banned which are found to be injurious to health and affecting the health of citizens,” the court had noted in an order.
• The firecracker industry had moved the top court after the Calcutta High Court “prohibited the sale, purchase, use, display or bursting of firecrackers of any type at all during the upcoming festivals.
• The Special Bench was setting aside a Calcutta High Court order which had ordered a complete ban on firecrackers on October 29, coincidentally the very same day on which the top court had said such a measure was not advisable.
• The Bench said the High Court order was “extreme”. The HC should have heard the industry, which employs thousands of workers, before passing any such order.

Sivakasi town of Virudhunagar district in Tamil Nadu produce over 90 per cent of firecrackers in the country. Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Centre has launched a mega vaccination campaign- 'Har Ghar Dastak' with a view to speed up Covid -19 vaccination drive.

• NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr V K Paul said that Under the campaign, healthcare workers in all the States will visit door-to-door to vaccinate people eligible for second dose and also those who have not taken the first dose.
• More than 106 crore 34 lakh COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country so far under the Nationwide Vaccination Drive.
• Out of the total vaccination, more than 73 crore 39 lakh vaccine doses have been given as first dose, while over 32 crore 95 lakh doses have been administered as second dose.
• The Health Ministry said, the recovery rate is currently at 98.20 per cent.

Hence both statements are correct.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his UK counterpart Boris Johnson in Glasgow on the sidelines of COP26.

• During the meeting, the two Prime Ministers reviewed the implementation of the Roadmap 2030 priorities particularly in the trade and economy, people-to-people, health, defence and security areas.
• They expressed satisfaction at the progress in delivering the Enhanced Trade Partnership including steps taken towards the launch of Free Trade Agreement negotiations.
• Mr. Modi reiterated India's commitment to closely working with the UK on climate finance, technology, innovation and adaptation of green hydrogen, renewables and clean technologies.
• Both the leaders also discussed regional and global challenges including Afghanistan, Counter-Terrorism, Indo-Pacific, supply chain resilience and post-Covid global economic recovery.
• Prime Minister Modi also reiterated his desire to welcome the British Prime Minister in India soon.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The United States and the European Union ended a dispute over steel and aluminium tariffs and said they would work on a global arrangement on steel and aluminium to combat “dirty” production and overcapacity in the industry.

• The United States will not apply Section 232 duties imposed by former president Donald Trump and will allow duty-free importation of steel and aluminium from the EU at a historical-based volume.
• The EU will suspend tariffs on US products like whiskey, powerboats and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, imposed in retaliation for the steel and aluminium tariffs.
• The EU and the United States will negotiate what they call the world’s first carbon-based sectoral arrangement on steel and aluminium trade by 2024, with their arrangement aiming to address carbon intensity and global overcapacity.
• The two sides said they will work to restrict access to their markets for “dirty steel” and limit access to “countries that dump steel” in their markets, both of which contribute to worldwide oversupply.
• The United States also published a consultation that brought on board what it called “like-minded nations” like Japan and Britain on issues related to steel and aluminium, with a focus on the impacts of overcapacity on the global steel and aluminium markets.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Last week, a district autonomous council in Meghalaya announced that it would introduce the ‘Khasi Inheritance of Property Bill, 2021, aimed at “equitable distribution” of parental property among siblings in the Khasi community. If implemented, the proposed Bill would modify an age-old customary practice of inheritance of the matrilineal Khasi tribe.

• The three tribes of Meghalaya — Khasis, Jaintias, and Garos — practise a matrilineal system of inheritance. In this system, lineage and descent are traced through the mother’s clan.
• In other words, children take the mother’s surname, the husband moves into his wife’s house, and the youngest daughter (khatduh) of the family is bequeathed the full share of the ancestral — or the clan’s — property.
• The khatduh becomes the “custodian” of the land, and assumes all responsibility associated with the land, including taking care of aged parents, unmarried or destitute siblings.
• Custom also dictates that the khatduh cannot sell the property, without permission of her mother’s brother (maternal uncle) — since he technically belongs to the mother’s clan, through which descent is traced.
• Women activists have often pointed out that the matrilineal system in Meghalaya rarely empowers women. For one, custodianship is often misconstrued as ownership vested in just one person, that is the youngest daughter,
• Moreover, the custodian cannot buy or sell the land, without taking permission from her maternal uncle.
• Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

World Bank

• About:
  • It was created in 1944, as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) along with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IBRD later became the World Bank. Hence statement 1 is correct.
  • The World Bank Group is a unique global partnership of five institutions working for sustainable solutions that reduce poverty and build shared prosperity in developing countries.
• Members:
  • It has 189 member countries.
  • India is also a member country.
• Major reports:
  • Ease of Doing Business (Stopped publishing recently).
  • Human Capital Index.
  • World Development Report.
  • Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Its Five development institutions:
  • International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
  • International Development Association (IDA)
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC).
  • Multilateral Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
  • International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
    • India is not a member of this.

• Recently, in a judgement, the Supreme Court has observed that the apex court and high courts have the power to quash criminal cases filed under various ‘special statutes’ including the SC/ST Act.
  • The Supreme Court has inherent powers under Article 142 of the Constitution or that of the High Court under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to quash proceedings under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989 (SC/ST Act). Hence, statement 1 is not correct but statement 2 is correct.
• Situations on Quashing Cases under ‘Special Statutes’:
  • When the court is satisfied that the offence in question, although covered under the SC/ST Act, is primarily private or civil in nature or when this offence has not been committed on account of the victim’s caste or where the continuation of legal proceedings would constitute an abuse of process of law.
  • When considering a prayer for quashing on the basis of a compromise/settlement between the two parties, the court is satisfied that the underlying objective of the SC/ST Act would not be contravened if the crime goes unpunished.

• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional grouping that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation.
  • It was established in August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the founding fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Its chairmanship rotates annually, based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States.
• ASEAN countries have a total population of 650 million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD 2.8 trillion. It is India’s 4^th largest trading partner with about USD 86.9 billion in trade. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India.
• He played an important role in the integration of many Indian princely states to make an Indian federation.
• He Headed various Committees of the Constituent Assembly of India, namely:
  • Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights.
  • Committee on Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas.
  • Provincial Constitution Committee
  • The Union Power Committee was headed by Jawaharlal Nehru.
  • Hence, option D is correct.

The death of 21 trekkers in four mountaineering and trekking expeditions in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh this month once again puts the spotlight on the risky nature of this adventure sport and the safeguards that need to be followed.

• Seven of the 11 members of the trekking team, mostly from West Bengal, were killed and two were reported missing after the team trekked from Harshil in Uttarakhand to Chitkul in Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur.
• The Lamkhaga Pass (5,282 m / 17,320 ft) is one of the toughest pass which connects Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh with Harshil in Uttrakhand.
• The Lamkhaga Pass trek starts from Chitkul the last Village of sangla valley in Himachal, though it can be done from Harshil side also.
• This pass is located near Indo - Tibetan border and to cross the pass one needs to obtain inner line permit from the district administration of Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.