Test: Monthly Current Affairs October- 2 - UPSC MCQ

Option C is correct: Both the statements are correct as the Act deals with the right s of forestdwelling communities over land and other resources. Rights under the Act are confined to those who “primarily reside in forests” and who depend on forests and forest land for a livelihood. Further, either the claimant must be a member of the Scheduled Tribes scheduled in that area or must have been residing in the forest for 75 years. 

In News- The Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) which suffered a huge loss following its closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has revived its innovative ‘Adopt-An-Animal’ programme. The ‘Adopt-An-Animal’ programme has been revived to mobilise resources for animals.
Both the statements are correct: Nandankanan Zoological Park is located in Odisha. It is the first zoo in India to become a member of the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA). It is recognized as a leading zoo for the breeding of the Indian pangolin and white tiger.

In News- Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has recently launched WhatsApp based helpline-cum-grievance redressal mechanism, under its series of Nirbadh initiatives aimed at ensuring seamless and uninterrupted service delivery to subscribers during COVID-19 pandemic.
Option C is correct: This new grievance redressal mechanism using Whatsapp has gained immense popularity amongst EPFO's stakeholders. So far, EPFO has redressed more than 1,64,040 grievances and queries through WhatsApp.This has led to declining in the registration of grievances/queries on social media like Facebook /Twitter by 30% and on EPFiGMS (EPFO’s online grievance resolution portal) by 16% since the launch of WhatsApp helpline numbers.

Statement 1 is not correct: Open market operations is the sale and purchase of government securities and treasury bills by RBI or the central bank of the country. And Marginal Standing Facility is a new Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) window created by Reserve Bank of India in its credit policy of May 2011. MSF is the rate at which the banks are able to borrow overnight funds from RBI against the approved government securities.
Statement 2 is not correct: The quantitative instruments are Open Market Operations, Liquidity Adjustment Facility (Repo and Reverse Repo), Marginal Standing Facility, SLR, CRR, Bank Rate, Credit Ceiling etc. On the other hand, qualitat ive instruments are credit rationing, moral suasio n and direct action (by RBI on banks).

In News- Due to an event referred to as “opposit ion”, which takes place every two years and two months, Mars will shine the brightest.
Both the statements are correct: ‘Opposition’ is the event when the sun, Earth and an outer planet (Mars in this case) are lined up, with the Earth in the middle. The time of opposition is the point when the outer planet is typically also at its closest distance to the Earth for a given year, and because it is close, the planet appears brighter in the sky. An opposition can occur anywhere along Mars’ orbit, but when it happens when the planet is also closest to the sun, it is also particularly close to the Earth. It will outshine Jupiter, becoming the third brightest object (moon and Venus are first and second, respectively) in the night sky during the month of October.

Option D is correct: The World Energy Outlook is the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) flagship publication. It provides a comprehensive view of how the global energy system could develop in the coming decades. The assessment of the effects of a pandemic on the energy system shows expected falls in 2020 of 5% in global energy demand. Oil consumption is anticipated to decline by 8% in 2020 and coal use by 7%. Renewables, especially those in the power sector, are less affected than other fuels by the pandemic and its aftermath.

Statement 1 is not correct: As per the 2011 census, the tribe has a population of around 23,000 in Latehar and Gumla districts. “In the communit y, 50% of the populat ion could barely speak in Asur language. Using mobile radio, the Asur community has been spreading the popularity of the language within their geographical limits.
Statement 2 is correct: Asur is among the nine PVTGs found in Jharkhand. The Asur tribe has been using mobile radio to transmit local news and songs. PVTGs are more vulnerable among the tribal groups. Due to this factor, more developed and assertive tribal groups take a major chunk of the tribal development funds, because of which PVTGs need more funds directed for their development.
Statement 3 is correct: The Asur language figures in the list of UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.

In News- This was in the news recently, New wheat variet y helps farmers in a village in Maharashtra double their yield
Option C is correct: The wheat variety called MACS 6478 and developed by Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI). The newly developed common wheat or bread wheat, also called high yielding Aestivum, matures in 110 days and is resistant to most races of leaf and stem rust.

MSP is the minimum price set by the Government at which farmers can expect to sell their produce for the season. When market prices fall below the announced MSPs, procurement agencies step in to procure the crop and ‘support’ the prices. The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs announces MSP for various crops at the beginning of each sowing season based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). The CACP takes into account demand and supply, the cost of production and price trends in the market among other things when fixing MSPs.

Eight countries named in NASA's 'Artemis Accords' that aims to send humans back to Moon in 2024. It outlines the principles of future exploration of the Moon and beyond. It has emphasized the need for international partnerships in building up a sustainable presence on the Moon. The treaty paves the way for its founding members, Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, United Arab Emirates, Britain and the United States, to participate in NASA's Artemis program. It also aims to return humans to Earth's nearest neighbour, Moon.
India is not a founding member.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) was established in 2006. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It aimed at promoting and protecting human rights around the globe, as well as investigating alleged human rights violations. The UNHRC has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis from 5 groups. To become a member, a country must receive the votes of at least 96 of the 191 states of the UN General Assembly (an absolute majority). The Resolution 60/251, created the council, members are elected directly by secret ballot by the majority of the UN General Assembly. Membership has to be equally distributed geographically. Five regional groups for membership: Africa, AsiaPacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Western Europe and Eastern Europe.

In News- October 24 will be observed as World Polio Day every year in order to call on countries to stay vigilant in their fight against the disease.
Option B is correct: The Polio virus lives in the faeces (poop) of an infected person, people infected with the disease can spread it to others when they do not wash their hands well after defecating (pooping). People can also be infected if they drink water or eat food contaminated with infected feces. India was declared polio-free in January 2014, after three years of zero cases. In India the Oral Polio Vaccine has been widely used to address the spread of disease.

Statement 1 is not correct: Open market operations is the sale and purchase of government securities and treasury bills by RBI or the central bank of the country. And Marginal Standing Facility is a new Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) window created by Reserve Bank of India in its credit policy of May 2011. MSF is the rate at which the banks are able to borrow overnight funds from RBI against the approved government securities.
Statement 2 is not correct: The quantitative instruments are Open Market Operations, Liquidit y Adjustment Facility (Repo and Reverse Repo), Marginal Standing Facility, SLR, CRR, Bank Rate, Credit Ceiling etc. On the other hand, qualitative instruments are credit rationing, moral suasion and direct action (by RBI on banks).

In News- Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 are going on and its obvious to know about the Election Commission of India (ECI) through this question.
Statement 1 is correct: Under the Const itution, the Commission also has advisory jurisdict ion in the matter of post-election disqualification of sitting members of Parliament and State Legislatures. Further, the cases of persons found guilty of corrupt practices at elections which come before the Supreme Court and High Courts are also referred to the Commission for its opinion on the question as to whether such person shall be disqualified. The Commission has the power to disqualify a candidate who has failed to lodge an account of his election expenses within the time and in the manner prescribed by law. The Commission has also the power for removing or reducing the period of such disqualification as also other disqualification under the law.
Statement 2 is not correct: The office is held by them for a term of 6 years or until they attain 65 years, whichever happens first. They can also be removed or can resign at any time before the expiry of their term.
Statement 3 is not correct: The Const itution has not debarred the retiring elect ion commissioners from any further appointment by the government.

In News- The Centre stressed on the need to increase the number of RT -PCR (reverse transcript ion- polymerase chain react ion) tests to ident ify Covid patients in a bid to reduce TPR and fatality rates.
Statement 1 is correct: The COVID-19 RT-PCR test is a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid from SARSCoV-2 in upper and lower respiratory specimens. Negative results do not preclude SARS-CoV-2 infect ion and should not be used as the sole basis for patient management decisions. Negat ive results must be combined with clinical observations, patient history, and epidemiological information.
Statement 2 is not correct: The test takes much more time to complete, it includes the number of steps like conversion of RNA to DNA, thereafter replication.

In News- The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched Ayushman Sahakar scheme recently.
All the statements are correct: It is a scheme to assist cooperatives which plays an important role in creation of healthcare infrastructure in the country. It is formulated by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), an autonomous development finance institution under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. NCDC will extend term loans to prospective cooperatives, a fund will be created for the purpose. Any Cooperative Society with suitable provision in its byelaws to undertake healthcare related activities would be able to access the NCDC fund. NCDC assistance will flow either through the State Governments/ UT Administrations or directly to the eligible cooperatives.

In News- The Centre stressed on the need to increase the number of RT -PCR (reverse transcript ion- polymerase chain react ion) tests to ident ify Covid patients in a bid to reduce TPR and fatality rates.
Statement 1 is correct: The COVID-19 RT-PCR test is a real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2 in upper and lower respiratory specimens. Negative results do not preclude SARS-CoV-2 infection and should not be used as the sole basis for patient management decisions. Negative results must be combined with clinical observations, patient history, and epidemiological information.
Statement 2 is not correct: The test takes much more time to complete, it includes the number of steps like conversion of RNA to DNA, thereafter replication.

In News- A recent survey has found that a tectonic fault line that runs through Ladakh, all along the Indus river, is not inactive as was previously thought and is, in fact, moving northward.
Both the statements are correct: The suture zone of the Himalayas or the Indus Suture Zone (ISZ) is located in the Ladakh region where Indian and Asian Plates are joined. It has been found to be tectonically act ive, as against current understanding that it is a locked zone. This could have major implications in terms of earthquake study, prediction, understanding the seismic structure of the mountain chains well as its evolution. Himalaya were known to be made up of north dipping thrusts like the Main Central Thrust (MCT), the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), and the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT). As per the established models, all of these thrusts except MFT are locked, and overall deformation in Himalaya is being accommodated only along with the MFT.

In News- Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 are going on and its obvious to know about the Election Commission of India (ECI) through this question.
Statement 1 is correct: Under the Const itution, the Commission also has advisory jurisdict ion in the matter of post-election disqualification of sitting members of Parliament and State Legislatures. Further, the cases of persons found guilty of corrupt practices at elections which come before the Supreme Court and High Courts are also referred to the Commission for its opinion on the question as to whether such person shall be disqualified. The Commission has the power to disqualify a candidate who has failed to lodge an account of his election expenses within the time and in the manner prescribed by law. The Commission has also the power for removing or reducing the period of such disqualification as also other disqualification under the law.
Statement 2 is not correct: The office is held by them for a term of 6 years or until they attain 65 years, whichever happens first. They can also be removed or can resign at any time before the expiry of their term.
Statement 3 is not correct: The Const itution has not debarred the retiring elect ion commissioners from any further appointment by the government. 

In News- Tech for Tribals initiative launched on 13th October 2020.
Statement 1 is correct: TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs in collaboration with Chhattisgarh MFP Federation and IIT, Kanpur launched Tech for Tribals initiative. The program tit led “Tech for Tribals” aims at the holist ic development of tribals wit h a focus on entrepreneurship development, soft skills, IT, and business development through SHGs operating through Van Dhan Kendras (VDVKs).
Statement 2 is correct: It came into existence in 1987. It is a nat ional-level apex organizat ion. The basic objective of the TRIFED is to provide a good price of the ‘Minor Forest Produce (MFP) collected by the tribes of the country. It functions under Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India.