Daily Current Affairs MCQ- September 8, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

The Centre has proposed amendments to the IAS (Cadre) Rules in order to exercise greater control in central deputation of IAS officials, which has often been at the centre of tussles between the Centre and the states.

• Central deputation in the Indian Administrative Service is covered under Rule-6 (1) of the IAS (Cadre) Rules-1954, inserted in May 1969.
• It states: “A cadre officer may, with the concurrence of the State Governments concerned and the Central Government, be deputed for service under the Central Government or another State Government or under a company, association or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, which is wholly or substantially owned or controlled by the Central Government or by another State Government.
• Provided that in case of any disagreement, the matter shall be decided by the Central Government and the State Government or State Governments concerned shall give effect to the decision of the Central Government.”
• As on January 1, 2021, out of around 5,200 IAS officers in the country, 458 were on central deputation.

Hence both statements are correct.

Union Minister Shri Giriraj Singh releases revised Rural Area Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (RADPFI) Guidelines prepared by Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

This new Guideline (2021) is Focused on:

• Typology of villages to prepare the spatial development plan (population, agro-climatic zones, Hill areas, disaster occurrence, urban-peri-urban areas and villages, Near to NH/SH, and Resilience strategies as suggested by BIS). One shoe does not fit all.
• Dealing with different development Land Use standards for different areas, with varied characteristics. To facilitate the planned spatial development of rural areas.
• Village Town Planning Scheme (VPS) – through community based on Collaborative Planning.
• Planning for environmental benefit and disaster preparedness.
• Linking to 15th CFC and respective SFCs.
• Improving the E-Governance through Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI).
• Integrating/Consolidation of GP Development with RURBAN CLUSTERS/Block/District Plan, as per the 73rd and 74th CAA and GPDP.
• Most importantly using the SVAMITVA (and other digital tools) for Abadi area (linking to land records).

Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

India and Sri Lanka extended the existing S&T cooperation for 3 more years, with focus on new areas like waste-water technologies, biotech, sustainable agriculture, aerospace engineering, robotics, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence, as well as industrial collaborations.

• This was announced at the India-Sri Lanka 5th Joint Committee on S&T Cooperation held on January 20, 2022.
• There are lot of opportunities available for bilateral cooperation.
• India offers fellowships like India S&T fellowship, e-ITEC and both the countries can work through a number of multilateral platforms like BIMSTEC, which they are part of.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) has observed ‘Agri Nutri Garden Week’ from 10th to 17th January, 2022 through awareness campaign and encouraging establishment of ‘Agri Nutri Gardens’ in the rural households.

• It is the Mission’s agenda to support every rural poor household to have Agri Nutri Garden to fulfill the need of the family’s nutrition and any excess production can also be sold for income generation.
• In line with Prime Minister’s vision of enhancing strength of Rural Economy and his clarion call of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, Rural India is showing the way with establishment of over 78 lakh Agri Nutri Gardens towards ensuring Food and Nutritional Security in Rural India.
• A total of 76,664 ‘Agri Nuti Gardens’ were established in this week against the target of 7500.
• The initiative is also helping in promoting nutritional awareness, education and behavioral change in rural areas involving farm women and school children, harnessing traditional knowledge through the local recipe to overcome malnutrition and implementing nutrition-sensitive agriculture through homestead agriculture and Nutri-garden.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launches Mobile COVID testing facility for Northeast, beginning with Mizoram.

• The first of its kind Mobile Diagnostic Laboratory (I-LAB) is capable of performing both RT-PCR and ELISA.
• The Lab developed with the support from the Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India, is meant to provide COVID testing access to rural and remote parts of North Eastern Region of India.
• The unit has bio-safety facility and is capable of performing both RT-PCR and ELISA tests and this facility can also be utilised for testing of other infectious diseases like TB, HIV, and therefore will remain relevant even in post-COVID times.
• Dr Jitendra Singh acknowledged the efforts made by AMTZ (Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone) team for building this unique, innovative facility through tireless, dedicated and committed efforts.

Hence both statements are correct.

BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, with enhanced capability, successfully test-fired off Odisha coast.

• BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, with increased indigenous content and improved performance, was successfully test-fired from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on January 20, 2022.
• The launch was conducted by Brahmos Aerospace in close coordination with the teams of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The missile was equipped with advanced indigenous technologies and followed a modified optimal trajectory for enhanced efficiency and improved performance. The missile with the modified control system has been fine-tuned to achieve an enhanced capability.
• BrahMos Aerospace, the joint venture between DRDO and NPOM, Russia, has been continuously upgrading the powerful, highly versatile BrahMos to increase its effectiveness and lethality against sea and land targets. BrahMos is the potent missile weapon system already inducted into the Armed Forces.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

TCIL, a Mini Ratna Category-1 Status Company under the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, with support of SDMC launched first e-vehicle charging station in South Delhi area at South Extn. Part I on 20.01.2022.

• This e-vehicle charging station is first one in series of 65 e-charging stations to be setup by TCIL in progressive manner in next four months in South Delhi area within easy reach of citizens of Delhi. Each charging station can charge 6 Two/Three/ Four wheeler vehicle at a time.
• The charging stations are equipped with CCTV surveillance & Wi-fi facility for use by common public. It is also powered by a 6 kW solar panel.
• The e-vehicle charging station will help in popularizing use of e-vehicle and in reducing pollution in metro city of Delhi.

Hence both statements are correct.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Circuit House at Somnath on 21st January, 2022.

• Somnath Temple is visited by lakhs of devotees from India and abroad every year. The need for the new Circuit House was felt as the existing government facility was located far off from the temple.
• The new Circuit House has been built at a cost of over Rs 30 crore and is located near the Somnath Temple. It is equipped with top class facilities including suites, VIP and deluxe rooms, conference room, auditorium hall etc.
• The Somnath temple, also called Somanātha temple or Deo Patan, is located in Prabhas Patan, Veraval in Gujarat, India.
• One of the most sacred pilgrimage sites for the Hindus, they believe it to be the first among the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.
• it was reconstructed several times in the past after repeated destruction by several Muslim invaders and rulers.
• After India's independence, those ruins were demolished and the present Somnath temple was reconstructed in the Māru-Gurjara style of Hindu temple architecture.
• The contemporary Somnath temple's reconstruction was started under the orders of the first Home Minister of India Vallabhbhai Patel and completed in May 1951 after his death.
• Presently the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi is the chairman of Shree Somnath Mandir trust.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The government has put out the eternal flame of the Amar Jawan Jyoti underneath India Gate and merged it with the one instituted at the National War Memorial in 2019 a few hundred meters away.

• The eternal flame at the Amar Jawan Jyoti underneath India Gate in central Delhi was an iconic symbol of the nation’s tributes to the soldiers who have died for the country in various wars and conflicts since Independence.
• Established in 1972, it was to mark India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had inaugurated it on Republic Day 1972, after India defeated Pakistan in December 1971.
• The key elements of the Amar Jawan Jyoti included a black marble plinth, a cenotaph, which acted as a tomb of the unknown soldier. The plinth had an inverted L1A1 self-loading rifle with a bayonet, on top of which was a soldier’s war helmet.
• The installation had four urns on it, with four burners. On normal days one of the four burners were kept alive, but on important days like the Republic Day, all four burners were lit. These burners were what is called the eternal flame, and it was never allowed to be extinguished.
• For 50 years the eternal flame had been burning underneath India Gate, without being extinguished. But on Friday, the flame was finally put off, as it was merged with another eternal flame at the National War Memorial.
• Since 1972, when it was inaugurated, it used to be kept alive with the help of cylinders of liquified petroleum gas, or LPG. One cylinder could keep one burner alive for a day and a half.
• In 2006 that was changed. Though a project that cost around Rs 6 lakh the fuel for the flames was changed from LPG to piped natural gas, or PNG. It is through this piped gas that the flame marking the tribute to Indian soldiers had been kept alive eternally.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Supreme Court ruled that the property of a man who had died without executing a will and is survived only by a daughter will devolve upon the daughter and not others such as his brother.

• The judgment, which came on an appeal against the Madras High Court verdict, dealt with the property rights of Hindu women and widows under the Hindu Succession Act. Daughters' right to inheritance has always been disputed in this country despite law stipulating so.
• It said “right of a widow or daughter to inherit the self-acquired property or share received in partition of a coparcenary property of a Hindu male dying intestate is well recognised under the old customary Hindu Law.
• the court discussed Mitakshara law and looked into among others to ‘Vyavastha Chandrika’, a digest of Hindu Law by Shyama Charan Sarkar Vidya Bhushan which quoted ‘Vrihaspati’ as saying ‘the wife is pronounced successor to the wealth of her husband; in her default, the daughter. As a son, so does the daughter of a man proceed from his several limbs. How then, should any other person (b) take her father’s wealth?.
• The SC also noted that the book quoted Manu as saying “the son of a man is even as himself, and the daughter is equal to the son. How then can any other inherit his property, notwithstanding the survival of her, who is, as it were, himself.”

Hence both statements are correct.