Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 15th August 2025 - UPSC MCQ

The main aim of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Oman is to enhance trade and investment between the two nations while also addressing regulatory issues to ensure smooth and predictable trade relations. CEPA goes beyond a standard free trade agreement by covering areas such as trade facilitation, competition policy, and intellectual property rights, thereby fostering a deeper economic cooperation between India and Oman.

1. Statement 1 is correct: The Animal Birth Control (ABC) Program was indeed established under the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, which fall under the broader Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. This legal framework provides the basis for the humane control of stray dog populations and the reduction of rabies.

2. Statement 2 is correct: The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, explicitly prohibit the relocation of stray dogs as a population control measure. Instead, the rules mandate that sterilised dogs be returned to the area from which they were captured. This approach is intended to manage the stray dog population without resorting to relocation or culling.

3. Statement 3 is incorrect: While the ABC Program does aim to sterilise at least 70% of the stray dog population within one reproductive cycle, it prioritises female sterilisation over male sterilisation at a ratio of 70:30 (female to male), not the other way around. The focus on female sterilisation is due to its greater impact on controlling the population growth.

Thus, only statements 1 and 2 are correct. Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only.

The core issue being examined by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court revolves around the constitutional validity of the 2023 amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act. The High Court is assessing whether these amendments, which allow the Lieutenant-Governor to nominate members to the Assembly, violate the basic structure of the Constitution. This constitutional question is crucial as it delves into the fundamental principles of governance and democratic accountability in the Union Territory.

1. Statement 1 is correct. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) of Jammu and Kashmir has the power to nominate five members to the Assembly without the assistance and advice of the elected government. This authority is provided under the 2023 amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act.

2. Statement 2 is correct. The nominated members in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly have full voting rights, which allows them to actively participate in the decision-making processes within the Assembly. This provision is part of the amendments designed to ensure representation and address specific needs within the Assembly.

3. Statement 3 is incorrect. The Supreme Court's judgment in the K. Lakshminarayanan case upheld the Centre's power to nominate members without consulting the elected government, as seen in Puducherry. This precedent supports the L-G's authority in Jammu and Kashmir to make nominations independently, contrary to the suggestion in the statement.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only.

Statement 1 is correct. OCO-2 was indeed launched in July 2014 as a replacement for the failed OCO-1 mission. It has been operational and continues to provide valuable data on atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.

Statement 2 is correct. The OCO program includes the capability to measure solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence, which is used to assess plant photosynthesis. This feature helps in understanding the health and productivity of vegetation globally.

Statement 3 is incorrect. While data from the OCO program can have various applications, including environmental and climate change monitoring, its primary focus is not on military applications or national security. Instead, it is mainly used for climate science, identifying carbon sinks and sources, and supporting climate treaties.

Therefore, the correct answer is Option B: 1 and 2 Only.

Statement-I regarding the India-Oman CEPA's comprehensive nature and focus on regulatory issues is accurate based on the provided information. The CEPA indeed goes beyond a standard FTA to address broader economic cooperation aspects.
Statement-II concerning the UNDP Equator Initiative Prize winners from Karnataka focusing on poverty reduction through biodiversity conservation aligns with the details given in the text. However, there is no direct explanatory connection between the two statements, making option (b) the correct answer.

1. Sections 15A & 15B - Correctly matched. These sections indeed outline the criteria for nominating members to the Assembly in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, allowing for the nomination of five members to the Assembly.

2. K. Lakshminarayanan Case - Incorrectly matched. The Supreme Court did uphold the Centre's power to nominate MLAs in Puducherry without consulting the elected government, but it did not state that the Administrator could act independently in all matters. The decision was specific to the issue of nominations, and it does not grant blanket independence from elected governments.

3. Delhi Services Case - Correctly matched. The case did clarify that the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi should act on the advice of the elected government, except in specific matters of discretion, reinforcing the role of the elected government in most administrative decisions.

4. Basic Structure Doctrine - Correctly matched. This doctrine, established in Kesavananda Bharati vs. State of Kerala (1973), does indeed prevent Parliament from amending the Constitution in a manner that would damage its essential features, such as representative democracy and federalism.

Thus, three pairs are correctly matched.

1. CEPA Coverage - Includes intellectual property rights (IPR): This pair is correctly matched. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Oman covers trade in goods and services, along with broader economic cooperation areas, including intellectual property rights.

2. Bilateral Trade - Oman is the largest export destination for India in the GCC: This pair is incorrectly matched. Oman is the third-largest export destination for India among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, not the largest. The largest export destinations for India in the GCC are the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

3. UNDP Equator Prize Eligibility - Requires a minimum of five years of initiative existence: This pair is incorrectly matched. The eligibility criteria for the UNDP Equator Prize require the initiative to have been in existence for at least three years, not five.

4. UNDP Mission - Focuses on democratic governance and peacebuilding: This pair is correctly matched. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) focuses on sustainable development, democratic governance and peacebuilding, and climate and disaster resilience as part of its mission.

Thus, only two pairs (1 and 4) are correctly matched.

Both statements are correct in the context of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Program and the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. Statement-I highlights the core method of the ABC Program, emphasizing the prohibition of relocation or culling of stray dogs and the implementation of a specific model. Statement-II aligns with the details of the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, emphasizing the prohibition of relocation as a method of population control and emphasizing the focus on sterilisation and immunisation. Statement-II provides additional information that supports and explains Statement-I, making both statements correct and coherent in their depiction of the ABC Program and its rules.