Test: Weekly Current Affairs: June 1st to 7th - UPSC MCQ

• Context: Alaska’s rivers are turning orange due to toxic metals released from thawing permafrost, a study from the University of California, Davis reveals.
  • As the earth warms, permafrost melts, exposing minerals like iron, zinc, copper, nickel, and lead, which taint the water. This phenomenon, visible even from space, has been observed since 2018 and poses concerns for aquatic life and drinking water.
• About Alaska:
  • It is a state of the USA, located in the extreme northwest of North America, bounded by the Beaufort Sea, Arctic Ocean, Gulf of Alaska, Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, and Chukchi Sea. It shares a land boundary with Canada and a maritime boundary with Russia.
    

• Context: India has assumed the chair of the Colombo Process for 2024-26, the first time since the forum’s inception in 2003.
• About Colombo Process
  • The Colombo Process is a Regional Consultative Process focused on managing overseas employment and contractual labour. It comprises 12 Asian member states, including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with India as a founding member. Priority areas include skills and qualification recognition and fostering ethical recruitment practices. The UN’s International Organization for Migration provides technical and administrative support.

• Context: In Koraput district, Odisha, 4,000 tribal farmers are facing a critical delay as they await approval from the forest department to sell kendu leaves worth Rs 34 lakh.
• About Kendu Leaf:
  • Kendu leaf, known as the green gold of Odisha, is a nationalized product like bamboo and sal seed. It is a vital non-wood forest product, also referred to as tendu leaf, used for rolling bidis (local cigarettes). Major producing states include Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, with Odisha being the third-largest producer.

• The Beaufort Sea is indeed located in the Arctic Ocean.
• The Beaufort Sea is bordered by the coastlines of Canada and the United States (specifically Alaska), not Russia.
• The Mackenzie River, the longest river in Canada, empties into the Beaufort Sea.
• The Beaufort Sea is known for its significant oil and gas reserves.
  

Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched three major initiatives.

• G-Sec Mobile App: Enables retail investors to transact in government securities (G-Secs) using smartphones.
• PRAVAAH Portal: A centralized web-based platform for individuals or entities to apply for authorizations, licenses, or regulatory approvals from the RBI, enhancing efficiency in processing applications.
• Fintech Repository: A data storehouse for Indian FinTech firms to help understand the sector better and design appropriate policies. Additionally, the EmTech Repository for RBI-regulated entities will track the adoption of emerging technologies like AI and blockchain.

• The “Hunar se Rozgar” scheme, initiated by the Ministry of Tourism in 2006, aims to provide skill training for employment esp in the Tourism sector. Despite its potential, the scheme faces bureaucratic hurdles and lacks widespread awareness.
• More about the scheme:
  • The Ministry of Tourism launched the ‘Hunar se Rozgar Tak’ (HSRT), targeting school dropouts for employment or self-employment training. With an annual budget of around ₹30 crore, HSRT aims to address skill gaps by offering market-relevant training and fostering entrepreneurship among urban youth.
  • The scheme was designed as a six to eight-week free training program for individuals aged 18-28, with selected expert institutes. Star hotels are mandated to train a minimum number of participants. Despite efforts to integrate the unorganized sector into mainstream employment through skill development, a significant employment gap persists, especially among youth in northern states, where the scheme primarily attracts participants.

About Ahilyabai Holkar (1725-1795):

• She was a prominent ruler of the Holkar dynasty in the Maratha Empire. Married to Khanderao Holkar at age 8, she became a widow in 1754 when he died in battle. Renowned for her philanthropy, she built forts, roads, temples, ghats, wells, tanks, and rest houses across India. Ahilyabai welcomed notable figures like poet Moropant and scholar Khushali Ram to her court. British historian John Keay called her ‘The Philosopher Queen’ for her insightful political observations.

• S1 is Correct – The NSE is the largest stock exchange in India in terms of total market capitalization, often surpassing the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
• S2 is Correct – The NSE was established in 1992 and started its trading operations in 1994.
• S3 is Correct – The NSE introduced electronic screen-based trading in India, which was a significant shift from the traditional open outcry system.

Bela block printing is a traditional textile art known for its bold designs, striking colour combinations, and graphic motifs on textured fabrics. Kachchh in Gujarat is a significant producer of this style, with the Khatri community renowned for practising the craft.

• Context: Southern Cryonics, an Australian company, has successfully frozen its first client in hopes of reviving him in the future. The process involves cryonics, where the body is preserved at -196°C, aiming for eventual restoration using advanced medical technologies.
  • The first client, an 80-year-old man from Sydney, underwent the procedure after his death, involving cooling, perfusion with cryoprotective solution, and storage in dry ice before reaching the final temperature of around -200°C in a specialized cooling chamber.
• S1: Cryonics is indeed the practice of preserving individuals at very low temperatures with the hope that future medical technology will be able to revive them. The idea is to preserve the body (or just the brain) soon after death, at a temperature where physical decay is essentially halted.
• S2: Cryonics does not guarantee that individuals will be revived in the future. It is based on the hope that future advancements in technology and medicine may make revival possible, but there is no certainty.

Context: Researchers have discovered living stromatolites on Sheybarah Island in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia.

• Context: Naik Dhananjay Kumar Singh, an Indian peacekeeper who served with the UN Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), will be posthumously honoured with the prestigious Dag Hammarskjold medal.
• Dag Hammarskjöld Medal:
  • Purpose: The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is a posthumous award given to members of peacekeeping operations who have lost their lives in service under the UN flag.
  • Inception: The first medal was presented in 1998 to the family of Dag Hammarskjöld.
  • Namesake: Dag Hammarskjöld served as the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1953 until his death in 1961.

• Stromatolites are layered rock formations created by microbial communities, representing some of the earliest evidence of life on Earth. These structures are formed as layers of sediment accumulated over time, trapping and binding microorganisms like cyanobacteria.
  • As these microorganisms grow and photosynthesize, they produce layers of carbonate minerals, gradually building up the stromatolite structure. Despite their simple appearance, stromatolites played a crucial role in shaping Earth’s early environment and are considered significant in the study of early life and evolutionary history.
    

Under the Seventh Amendment, the existing terminology of Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D states was altered. The distinction between Part A and Part B states was removed, becoming known simply as “states”. A new type of entity, the Union Territory, replaced the classification as a Part C or Part D state.

• Founded in December 2008, the NPCI is a not-for-profit organisation registered under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013, established by the Reserve Bank of India and the Indian Banks’ Association. The organisation is owned by a consortium of major banks, and has been promoted by the country’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India.
• RuPay (portmanteau of Rupee and Payment) is an Indian multinational financial services and payment service system, conceived and launched by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2012.
• NPCI is the brain behind the popular UPI platform, which facilitates instant interbank money transfers using a mobile phone.

• Context: Pakistan’s government has acknowledged before the Islamabad High Court that Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is a foreign territory.
• About PoK:
  • PoK was historically part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, which acceded to India in 1947 after the Partition.
  • It consists of two ethnically and linguistically different regions: Mirpur-Muzaffarabad region and Gilgit-Baltistan region.
  • However, the region was illegally occupied by Pakistan in 1947 following an invasion by Pashtun tribesmen and the Pakistani Army.
    

1. UPI is a mobile application used for instant money transfers between bank accounts in India.

   • This statement is correct. UPI is a system that allows instant money transfers between bank accounts in India through a mobile application.

2. UPI requires users to enter full bank account details for each transaction.

   • This statement is incorrect. UPI does not require users to enter full bank account details for each transaction. Instead, it uses a Virtual Payment Address (VPA) or UPI ID, making transactions simpler and more secure.

3. UPI is only available for peer-to-peer transactions and cannot be used for online shopping.

   • This statement is incorrect. UPI is not limited to peer-to-peer transactions; it can also be used for online shopping and various other types of payments, including paying bills and making purchases at merchants.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Only one

• Context: The Supreme Court emphasized that its power under Article 142 of the Indian Constitution is an exception to the doctrine of merger and the rule of stare decisis, aiming to achieve complete justice between parties.
• S1is correct: The doctrine of merger is founded on the principles of court decorum and propriety. It holds that when an appellate court issues an order, the lower court’s order becomes absorbed into it. This principle ensures clarity in enforcing decisions when multiple orders exist from different levels of the judiciary. Essentially, it dictates that the superior court’s ruling takes precedence, merging with and superseding the lower court’s decision. Although not codified, this doctrine maintains judicial discipline, guiding subordinate courts in their proceedings.
• S2 is correct:In contrast, the doctrine of stare decisis mandates that courts adhere to prior judicial decisions when faced with similar legal issues. These decisions, known as precedents, serve as guiding principles for future cases, creating a legal framework for consistent judicial decisions based on past rulings.
• S3 is incorrect: If a higher court overturns a lower court’s decision, the lower court’s decision is no longer valid or enforceable. It is the higher court’s ruling that prevails.

• Context: The 77th World Health Assembly adopted amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), incorporating 300 proposals by member states following the Covid-19 pandemic.
• S1 is Correct – The WHA is indeed the decision-making body of the WHO.
• S2 is Incorrect – The members of the WHA generally meet every year in May in Geneva at the Palace of Nations, the location of WHO Headquarters, not twice a year.
• S3 is Correct – The WHA consists of representatives from all WHO member states.

• FCI is a nodal agency responsible for procurement, storage and movement of food grains, public distribution and maintenance of buffer stocks. FCI, set up under the Food Corporation’s Act 1964, works under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. CWC established under Warehousing Corporations Act, 1962 for warehousing of agricultural produce and other notified commodities
• The FCI operates across the entire country, not limited to state boundaries.

• Context: The 77th World Health Assembly adopted amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), incorporating 300 proposals by member states following the Covid-19 pandemic.
• S1 is correct. The International Health Regulations (IHR) are indeed a legally binding instrument of international law for the 196 member states of the WHO. This means that countries are legally obligated to follow the regulations outlined by the IHR.
• S2 is correct. The primary purpose of the IHR is to prevent, protect against, control, and provide a public health response to the international spread of diseases. This is aimed at enhancing global public health security.
• S3 is incorrect. The IHR applies not only to infectious disease events but also to non-infectious disease events such as chemical, radiological, and nuclear hazards. This broad scope is intended to cover a wide range of public health emergencies that could have international implications.

• Context: India played a significant role in the ITU’s WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event and the ‘AI for Good’ Global Summit. During these events, India showcased its leadership in drafting global standards for responsible and trustworthy AI.
• The WSIS+20 Forum commemorates 20 years of progress since the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which occurred in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis in 2005. This annual forum, co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP, and UNCTAD, aims to create a multi-stakeholder platform addressing issues raised by information and communication technologies inclusively at national, regional, and international levels. Its goal is to foster a people-centric, inclusive, and development-oriented Information Society, enabling universal access, utilization, and sharing of information.

About the Press Council of India (PCI):

• It was established in 1979 under the Press Council Act, 1978, and is a statutory quasi-judicial autonomous authority that preserves press freedom and maintains high standards in newspapers and news agencies in India. The PCI consists of a Chairman, who is typically a retired Supreme Court judge, and 28 members, with the Chairman nominated by a committee including the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and an elected member from the Council.
• S3: The Press Council of India does not have the power to impose penalties or enforce its decisions legally. It can only issue warnings, admonitions, and censures.

Excise duty is an indirect tax collected by retailers or intermediaries from customers at the point of sale. It is paid when goods move from manufacturing units to warehouses. Governed by two key acts, the Central Excise Act of 1944 handles levy and collection, while the Central Excise Tariff Act of 1985 classifies goods and sets duty rates. With the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), many excise duties were subsumed, leaving only petroleum and liquor subject to excise duty. Central GST replaces excise duty in most cases, while state governments collect excise duty on alcohol, alcoholic preparations, and narcotic substances, referred to as “State Excise” duty.