Test: Monthly Current Affairs January- 3 - UPSC MCQ

In News: NITI Aayog has released the second edition of the India Innovation Index-2020.
Option C is correct: The India Innovation Index 2020 ranks the states and union territories based on their relative performance of supporting innovation. The index ranks different states and UTs based on how they support innovation and disruptive technologies. This competitive measure will empower them to improve their innovation policies by highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. The index captures the trends and provides detailed analyses of the various factors that drive innovation at the country, state, and district levels. It is believed that these analyses would enable policymakers in identifying catalysts and inhibitors of innovation at the national and sub-national levels. The states and union territories have been divided into 17 ‘Major States’, 10 ‘North-East and Hill States’, and 9 ‘City-States and Union Territories’, for effectively comparing their performance. The states and union territories have been ranked on two broad categories: outcome and governance. Karnataka has retained its position as the most innovative state in the country followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala. 

In News: The governments of both Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are close to an agreement on Ken-Betwa interlinking Project.
Option B is correct: Both Ken and Betwa are tributaries of river Yamuna. Ken originates from Mamar hills of Katni district, MR Betwa rises in the Vindhya Range near Hoshangabad MR. Rajghat, Paricha and Matatila dams are over Betwa river. Ken River passes through Panna tiger reserve.

In News: Kerala to set up Kalaripayattu Academy to boost traditional martial art form.
Option C is correct: To give a boost to the traditional martial art form of Kerala, the state government is setting up a Kalaripayattu Academy at Vellar Craft Village. Kalaripayattu, also known as 'Kalari', is known for its long-standing history within Indian martial arts culture and is believed to be the oldest surviving martial art in the world.

In News: Pakistan tests nuclear-capable Shaheen-III ballistic missile.
Option D is correct: Pakistan has successfully conducted a flight test of Shaheen-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads up to 2,750 kilometres. 

In News: Recently, the Solicitor General told the Supreme Court (SC) that Tamil Nadu Governor will take a decision in the next three or four days on mercy petition of a convict in the 1991 Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Option B is correct: Under the Constitution of India (Article 72), the President of India can grant a pardon or reduce the sentence of a convicted person, particularly in cases involving capital punishment. Article 72 says that the president shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence. Under the Article 161, the Governor of a State has the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against any law. Hence pardoning power of President is wider than Governor. The President has to act on the advice of the Council of Ministers while deciding mercy pleas. The President cannot exercise his power of pardon independent of the government.

In News: The Union Cabinet approved a ₹5281.94 crore investment for 850 megawatts (MW) Ratle hydropower project.
Option D is correct: Ratle Hydro Electric (HE) Project is located on river Chenab, in Kishtwar district of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The Power generated from the project will help in providing the balancing of Grid and will improve the power supply position. According to the Indus Waters Treaty, whoever builds the project first will have the first rights on the river waters. India and Pakistan signed the treaty in 1960 after nine years of negotiations, with the World Bank being a signatory. The treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of rivers.

In News: The World Economic Forum recently released the sixteenth edition of the Global Risks Report, 2021.
Option A is correct: The report was released based on the Global Risks Perception Survey undertaken by more than 650 members of the World Economic Forum. Among the highest likelihood risks of the next ten years are extreme weather, climate action failure and human-led environmental damage; as well as digital power concentration, digital inequality and cybersecurity failure. Among the highest impact risks of the next decade, infectious diseases are in the top spot, followed by climate action failure and other environmental risks; as well as weapons of mass destruction, livelihood crises, debt crises and IT infrastructure breakdown. The report was released before the upcoming Davos Agenda Summit of World Economic Forum. The main aim of the report is to prepare the Government and other international communities during the times of crisis.

In News: The LongOps Project is a collaboration between the UK and Japan.
Option A is correct: Under the Project, the scientists from the United Kingdom and Japan have come together to develop new, safer technologies to dismantle old nuclear facilities like the Fukushima Daiichi reactors, which were severely damaged by an earthquake and a tsunami in March 2011. The project is to use long-reach robotic arms and hence is called “LongOps Project”. The project will reduce the risks to human health and will speed up decommissioning of nuclear reactors that are non-operational.

In News: India has recently released the Draft Arctic Policy which ensures that the Arctic resources are explored and used sustainably.
Option B is correct: Under the policy, India will make sure that it abides by the rules and regulations of the Arctic Council. The policy envisages connecting the Arctic residents, especially the indigenous communities with those living in the Himalayan regions. India has designated Goa-based National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research to lead scientific research and act as a nodal body to coordinate among various scientific bodies to promote domestic scientific research capacities in the Arctic.

In News: Tripura government have been promoting the traditional attire Risa.
Option C is correct: It is a traditional Tripuri female attire comprises three parts — risa, rignai and rikutu. Risa is a handwoven cloth used as a female upper garment, and also as headgear, a stole, or a present to express respect. It is woven in colourful designs and worn as an upper garment, the risa also has a host of crucial, social and religious utilities. Adolescent Tripuri girls are first given a risa to wear in an event called Risa Sormani, at age 12 to 14.

Statement 1 is correct: They are extratropical storms originating in the Mediterranean region that brings sudden winter rain to the north-western parts of the Indian subcontinent, they originate from the Mediterranean Sea.
Statement 2 is not correct: The increase in the prevailing night temperature generally indicates an advance in the arrival of these cyclones disturbances.
Statement 3 is correct: It is a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern driven by the Subtropical westerlies Jet stream.
Statement 4 is not correct: The Western disturbances are of great help to rabi crops (precipitation needed by them is favourable). Though too much of it is harmful to the crops the winter shower is necessary especially wheat (Wheat is a staple food in India).

In News: Prime Minister will address the World Economic Forum's Davos Dialogue on 28 January via video conferencing. The Davos Dialogues agenda marks the launch of the World Economic Forum's Great Reset Initiative in the post-Covid-19 world.
Option C is correct: The Great Reset is an initiative by the World Economic Forum. It has been conceptualised by the founder and executive chairman of the WEF, Klaus Schwab, and has evolved over the last few years. It is based on the assessment that the world economy is in deep trouble. 

In News: A committee set up by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has recommended the introduction of a cyber insurance policy.
Option D is correct: In October, 2020, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) has set up a committee headed by P Umeshl to explore possibility of a basic standard product structure to provide insurance cover for individuals and establishments to manage their cyber risks. As, Aaid the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been rising incidences of cyberattacks and a growing number of high-profile data violations. 

In News: Recently, the Prime Minister of India paid tributes to Lala Lajpat Rai on his Jayanti.
Option B is correct: He was born in Punjab on January 28 1865. to Munshi Radha Krishna Azad and Gulab Devi. He was influenced by the Hindu reformist movement of Swami Dayanand Saraswati and became a member of existing Arya Samaj Lahore. His ideology of nationalism and zealous patriotism earned him the title, 'Punjab Kesari' and 'Lion of Punjab'. He played an instrumental role in founding the present-day Punjab National Bank (PNB) in 1894. In 1897, he founded the Hindu Orphan Relief Movement to keep Christian missions from securing custody of orphans. He had also helped establish the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic school system, popularly known as DAV schools. Lala Lajpat Rai along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal formed the trinity of militant leaders known as ‘Lal-Bal-Pal’. During World War I, he lived in the United States, where he founded the Indian Home Rule League of America (October 1917) in New York City. He was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress in 1920. He also founded the ‘Servants of the People Society’ which was a non-profit welfare organization at Lahore in 1921.

Statement 1 is correct: Fog PASS Device is a Global Positioning System (GPS) based handheld portable device that serves as an aid for the crew during foggy weather through the audiovisual alarm, whenever any landmark comes within the Geo-fence range. It helps drivers to enhance visibility during the foggy winter months. It displays the name and distance of approaching signals and other critical landmarks on the track like Level Crossing Gates. The device weighs less than 1.5 kg and operates on rechargeable Li-ion batteries which can run the device for 18 hours without recharging.
Statement 2 is correct: The introduction of the device is in line with the recommendation of the HighLevel Safety Review Committee (Kakodkar Committee) constituted by the Ministry of Railways in 2011.

In News: The 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International. Transparency International is a global movement working in over 100 countries to end the injustice of corruption. It is an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit.
Option C is correct: The index highlights the concern of persistent corruption in the health care systems and contributing in weakening of democracy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Denmark and New Zealand topped the list with scores of 88, followed by Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland (85 each). India has slipped six places to 86th among 180 countries in the corruption perception index (CPI) in 2020. India was ranked at 80th position out of 180 countries in 2019. India is still very low on the corruption index. 

Option A is correct

1 India constituted the National Investment Fund (NIF) on 3rd November, 2005, into which the proceeds from disinvestment of Central Public Sector Enterprises were to be channelized.

2 In News: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced an ambitious disinvestment target of Rs 2.1 lakh crore during 2020-21. The National Infrastructure Fund (NIF) is related to this.
: It is a fund outside the Consolidated Fund of India, hosting disinvestment proceeds. The fund is under Public Accounts of India. It will be managed by different fund managers (viz UTI, SBI and LIC at present) to earn profits. 75% of these profits will be used for funding social sector schemes and 25% for reviving and funding sick PSUs.

An open market operation (OMO) is an activity by a central bank to give (or take) liquidity in its currency to (or from) a bank or a group of banks. The OMOs are conducted by the RBI in the form of sale and purchase of Government Securities (G-Secs) to adjust liquidity in the market. If there is excess liquidity, then RBI undertakes sale of G-Secs and if there is liquidity crunch, then RBI conducts purchase of G-Secs.

B.R Ambedkar is the correct option. He launched a movement against Dalit discrimination by creating public opinion through his writings in several periodicals such as Mook Nayak, Vahishkrit Bharat, and Equality Janta, which he started for the protection of Dalit rights. He founded the Independent Labour Party in August 1936 against the Brahmanical and capitalist structures in the society. ILP argued for Indian labour class while also stressing on the nature of caste structures and need for its annihilation.

In News: Recently, the Prime Minister addressed the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Davos Dialogue via video conferencing. The Davos Dialogues agenda marks the launch of the WEF’s Great Reset Initiative in the post-Covid world.
Option C is correct: The Great Reset is an initiative by the World Economic Forum. It has been conceptualised by the founder and executive chairman of the WEF, Klaus Schwab, and has evolved over the last few years. It is based on the assessment that the world economy is in deep trouble.