Test: September 2023 Weekly Current Affair - 2 - UPSC MCQ

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• ‘Deemed forest’ is forest land that has not been notified as such by the Centre or States. The 1996 Godavarman verdict by the Supreme Court enjoined States to bring in such unrecorded land that conformed to the ‘dictionary’ meaning of forest.
• Protection under the Forest Act means that land cannot be diverted without the consent of the Centre as well as gram panchayats.
• It also puts the onus on those diverting land to grow trees on an equivalent plot of land twice the razed area, along with a significant monetary penalty.
• The Forest Act, 1980, now renamed as the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam — translated as Forest Conservation and Augmentation — only accords protection to a forest that has been declared so in accordance with the provisions of the Forest Act, 1927 and also land that has been specifically notified as forest on or after October 25, 1980. In 1996, the Supreme Court expanded the remit of the Act to areas that were not notified as forest but conformed to the “dictionary” definition of forests.

Only Statement 1 is correct.

• The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index report of 2023 of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI), which was released recently, also shows that the incidence of the multidimensional poverty index declined from 27.5% in 2015-16 to 16.2% in 2019-21.
• Multidimensional poverty estimates are not substitutes for National Sample Survey (NSS) consumption-based poverty ratios. 

Only Statement 1 is correct.

• The Supreme Court held that chargesheets are not ‘public documents’ and enabling their free public access violates the provisions of the Criminal Code of Procedure as it compromises the rights of the accused, victim, and the investigation agencies.
• Section 74 of the Evidence Act defines ‘public documents’ as those which form the acts or records of sovereign authority, official bodies, tribunals, and of public offices either legislative, judicial or executive in any part of India, Commonwealth or a foreign country. It also includes public records “kept in any State of private documents”.
• Meanwhile, Section 76 of the Evidence Act mandates every public officer having custody over such documents to provide its copy pursuant to a demand and payment of legal fee, accompanied by a certificate of attestation along with the date, seal, name and designation of the officer.

The official committees that have estimated the number of people living in poverty in India — the working group of 1962; V N Dandekar and N Rath in 1971; Y K Alagh in 1979; D T Lakdawala in 1993; Suresh Tendulkar in 2009; and C Rangarajan in 2014.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• The Government has launched the e-Courts Integrated Mission Mode Project in the country for computerization of District and subordinate courts with the objective of improving access to justice using technology. As part of the National e-Governance Plan, the project is under implementation since 2007 for ICT development of the Indian Judiciary based on the “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology in the Indian Judiciary”. E-Courts project is being implemented in association with e-Committee Supreme Court of India and Department of Justice. 

• The Sun is the nearest star to us and therefore can be studied in much greater detail than others. Studying the Sun can also help us understand more about other stars. While the Sun supports all life on Earth, it also has various explosive phenomena. These can damage our satellites and communication systems. Studying the Sun may help in providing early warnings for such events.
• “The various thermal and magnetic phenomena on the Sun are of extreme nature. Thus, the Sun provides a good natural laboratory to understand them, which cannot be directly studied in the lab,” ISRO said.
• It is important to study the Sun from space because the Earth’s atmosphere and the magnetic field act as protective shields that block out harmful radiations, such as UV light. This means studying the Sun from the Earth can’t provide a complete picture.

A hawkish stance indicates that the central bank’s top priority is to keep the inflation low. During such a phase, the central bank is willing to hike interest rates to curb money supply and thus reduce the demand. A hawkish policy also indicates tight monetary policy.

The Baltoro Glacier is one of the longest glaciers outside the polar regions. The glacier is located in the Karakoram Range.

Statements 1 and 4 are incorrect.

• The G20 or the Group of Twenty comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States) and the European Union.
• These members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. As a forum for international economic cooperation, it plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues.
• Unlike the UN, G20 does not have a permanent secretariat or staff. Rather, the G20 Presidency rotates annually among the members – the Presidency is responsible for bringing together the G20 agenda, organising its workings and hosting summits. India holds the Presidency from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023.

• Fishing, shipping, tourism and ocean protection are currently controlled by around 20 organizations. However, their regulations only apply to a distance of 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from the coast. Farther out, international waters start, and individual states don’t have any power or say.
• Although the high seas make up more than half of the surface of the Earth and 61% of all oceans, only 1% of international waters are under protection.
• The ocean isn’t just important for beach tourists and fishers. We also need it in order to generate sustainable wave and tidal energy, as well as for the production of commodities and even medicine.
• Some agents used to fight leukemia, for instance, are derived from a shallow water sponge called Tectitethya crypta, which can be found in the waters of the Caribbean. The poison of the fish-eating sea snail Conus magus is being used to develop an effective painkiller.
• More than half of the total amount of oxygen in our atmosphere is created by creatures in the ocean. At the same time, oceans store 50 times more carbon dioxide than what’s currently found in our atmosphere. The warmer the ocean gets, the less CO₂ it can store. It’s a vicious cycle: the warmer it gets, the less our oceans can protect the planet from even more extreme weather events.
• If temperatures keep increasing at their current speed, scientists believe many shellfish such as mussels and snails will not survive. That’s due to ocean acidification: if the CO₂ content in the seawater increases, the PH level in the water changes. The increasing acidity hampers the creation of the chalky shells of the animals. This throws entire biospheres off-balance, and could threaten entire economic sectors, such as the breeding of oysters and mussels.

• Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo, is home to diverse wildlife, including mountain gorillas and endangered African elephants.
• Yellowstone National Park, USA, serves as a living laboratory for studying geothermal features and wildlife behaviour.
• Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, attract scientists and tourists interested in understanding and protecting unique species.
• Mount Athos, Greece, sustains monastic communities that practice sustainable agriculture and forestry.

• The Kolkata Metro Railway, India’s first metro system built by Indian Railways, has decided to replace its steel third rail with a composite aluminium third rail.
• This move aligns Kolkata Metro with prestigious international metro systems like those in London, Moscow, Berlin, Munich, and Istanbul, which have also made the shift from steel to aluminium third rails.

The Compact of Free Association (COFA) is an international agreement between the U.S. and the three Pacific Island states (Micronesia, Palau, and Marshall Islands). The COFA allows the U.S. to base troops in these countries in exchange for economic and migratory benefits. The COFA also denies military access to these countries by any outside party without U.S. consent.

Only statement 2 is correct.

About Red Sand Boa:

• The red sand boa (Eryx johnii) is a non-venomous snake that lives in the dry parts of the Indian subcontinent.
• It’s also known as the Indian sand boa.The red sand boa is a thick-set snake that’s usually reddish-brown, known for its blunt tail, which it uses to mimic its head when it senses a threat.
• Classified as ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with a declining population trend.
• The red sand boa is highly sought after in the illegal wildlife trade due to its demand in the pet trade and its use in black magic.
  

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• Right to Information Act 2005 mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information. It is an initiative taken by Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions to provide a– RTI Portal Gateway to the citizens for quick search of information on the details of first Appellate Authorities, PIOs etc. amongst others, besides access to RTI related information / disclosures published on the web by various Public Authorities under the government of India as well as the State Governments
• Under the RTI law, information commissions are the final appellate authority and are mandated to safeguard and facilitate people’s fundamental right to information.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been granted the deemed-to-be-university status by the Ministry of Higher Education.
• An institution of higher education, other than a university, doing the work of high standard in a specific area, can be declared as an institution deemed to be university. The section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 provides that the Central Government may, on the advice of the Commission, declare, by notification in the Official Gazette that any institution of higher education, other than a university, shall be deemed to be a university for the purpose of this Act and on such a declaration being made, all the provisions of this Act shall apply to such institution as if it were a university under the meaning of clause (f) of section 2 of the UGC Act.
• Such institutions enjoy the academic status and privileges of a university. This status provides fillip to these institutions to strengthen their academic activities in their specialized fields. Deemed to be universities, like other universities, have the autonomy of offering various courses and therefore, preparing students for various examinations and awards. These institutions design their own syllabus and courses to prepare the students to foray into diverse fields after the completion of their study.
• These Institutions have expanded the base of higher education in the country and are offering education and research facilities in various disciplines such as Health Sciences, Engineering & Technology, Management, Languages, Humanities & Social Sciences, Sciences, Education, Law, Agricultural Sciences, Fisheries, Forestry, Defence Technology, Maritime Education, Yoga, Music & Fine Arts, etc.

India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan yet.

While following the One-China policy, India has an office in Taipei for diplomatic functions — India-Taipei Association (ITA) is headed by a senior diplomat. Taiwan has the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in New Delhi. Both were established in 1995.

Only statement 2 is correct.

• The term “special session” is not defined in the Constitution but is often used for sessions convened for specific occasions or commemorating milestones.
• The government, through the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, decides when Parliament meets, including session dates and durations.
• The Constitution mandates that there should not be more than a six-month gap between two parliamentary sessions. This provision was adapted from the Government of India Act of 1935

• Negotiable warehouse receipt, which was launched in 2011, allows transfer of ownership of that commodity stored in a warehouse without having to deliver the physical commodity. These receipts are issued in negotiable form, making them eligible as collateral for loans.
• Warehouse receipts are made negotiable under the Warehouse (Development and Regulation) Act, 2007, and regulated by the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA).
• NWR are issued by registered warehouses enables farmers to seek loans from banks against NWRs
• The government has rolled out negotiable warehousing receipts in electronic format that farmers can use to avail of bank credit easily and without fear of losing or misusing it.

Gravitational Waves

• Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space and time that travel at the speed of light. They are created by the motion of massive objects, such as black holes or neutron stars, which generate gravitational waves when they orbit or collide with each other.

The science behind Gravitational waves:

• According to Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity (1916), any object with mass warps the space-time around it. When two massive objects orbit each other or collide, they produce ripples or waves in space-time that propagate outward at the speed of light.
• Gravitational waves are extremely weak and difficult to detect. They were first directly detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in 2015, a century after they were predicted by Einstein’s theory.

Know India Programme of the Ministry of External Affairs is a three-week orientation programme for diaspora youth conducted with a view to promote awareness on different facets of life in India and the progress made by the country in various fields e.g. economic, industrial, education, science & technology, communication & information Technology, culture. KIP provide a unique forum for students & young professionals of Indian origin to visit India, share their views, expectations & experiences and to develop closer bonds with the contemporary India.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• The National eGovernance Division (NeGD) plans to integrate Personalised Adaptive Learning (PAL) into the Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA) platform (Ministry of Education), aiming to offer individualized learning experiences for students.

What is PAL?

• Personalised Adaptive Learning (PAL) is an educational approach that uses technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), to customize the learning experience for individual students based on their unique needs, abilities, and progress.
• DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) is a national platform for school education, an initiative of National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), under the aegis of the Ministry of Education (MoE), GoI.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• The Mitakshara school of Hindu law is a well-known school of thought that specifies procedures for succession and inheritance. The Mitakshara school of thought states that a son, grandson, and great-grandson have a right to family property through birth.
• The Mitakshara School of Law is followed in every state in India, except for West Bengal and Assam. 

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• Stem cells are cells from which all other cells in the body, with specialized functions, are generated. There are two main categories: pluripotent stem cells, which can differentiate into any cell type in the adult body, and adult stem cells, which are tissue-specific and can only generate cells for a particular organ.
• Stem cells have been used in medicine, particularly in regenerative medicine, for over 90 years. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, for instance, is used to treat conditions like leukaemia and lymphoma, where healthy stem cells are introduced to replace damaged cells.
• Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder affecting communication, behaviour, and learning. While there is no cure for ASD, various therapies are used to manage symptoms and improve the individual’s quality of life.

Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951 enables the High Court to declare an election void on certain grounds (Conviction of certain offences, Corrupt practices, Failing to declare election expenses, Interests in government contracts or works). The aggrieved person can appeal to the Supreme Court against the order of the High Court.