Daily Current Affairs MCQ- November 24, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently announced a National Suicide Prevention Strategy.

• It is the first of its kind in the country, with time-bound action plans and multi-sectoral collaborations to achieve reduction in suicide mortality by 10% by 2030.
• The strategy broadly seeks to establish effective surveillance mechanisms for suicide within the next three years.
• It aims to establish psychiatric outpatient departments that will provide suicide prevention services through the District Mental Health Programme in all districts within the next five years.
• It also seeks to integrate a mental well-being curriculum in all educational institutions within the next eight years.
• It envisages developing guidelines for responsible media reporting of suicides, and restricting access to means of suicide.
• The stress is on developing community resilience and societal support for suicide prevention.
• While the strategy is in line with the WHO’s South East-Asia Region Strategy for suicide prevention, it says it will remain true to India’s cultural and social milieu.

Suicides in India:

• In India, more than one lakh lives are lost every year to suicide, and it is the top killer in the 15-29 years category.
• In the past three years, the suicide rate has increased from 10.2 to 11.3 per 1,00,000 population.
• The most common reasons for suicide include family problems and illnesses, which account for 34% and 18% of all suicide-related deaths.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Indian Army recently issued two Request For Proposals (RFP) for procurement of 7,000 body-worn camera systems and 1,612 ballistic shields to be procured under Emergency Procurement (EP) through the fast-track procurement (FTP) route.

• The ballistic shields should have a minimum indigenous content of 50% and the manufacturer should provide a 60 months warranty for the ballistic shield and 24 months for the harness.
• The shield should have a service life of five years.
• The shield should be of ambidextrous design with height not less than 860 mm and width not less than 520 mm.
• The weight should not be more than 20 kg plus 5%, including ballistic view port and accessories attached to the shield.
• It should be provided with support harness to enable hands-free carriage of ballistic shield while ensuring unhindered usage of personal weapon and balanced weight distribution once fully worn.

Emergency financial powers:

• Emergency financial powers were granted to the armed forces by the Defence Ministry in the past on three occasions; post the Uri surgical strikes in 2016, the Balakot air strike in 2019 and the 2020 standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.
• Under the FTP route, the forces can procure weapons systems upto ₹300 crores on an “urgent basis without any further clearances to cut short the procurement cycle”.
• Three tranches of EPs were executed under which 68 contracts worth ₹6,000 crores were placed and the fourth EP for indigenous equipment is underway.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Retired Punjab cadre IAS officer Arun Goel recently assumed the office of Election Commissioner (EC), two days after President Droupadi Murmu appointed him to the post.

Appointment of Election Commissioners:

• View of Constitution:
  • The power to appoint the CEC and the ECs lies with the President of India under Article 324(2) of the Constitution, which states that “the President shall fix the number of ECs in a manner he sees fit, subject to the provisions of any law made by Parliament”.
  • Thus, Article 324(2) left it open for the Parliament to legislate on the issue.
• Procedure:
  • But, in the absence of any Parliamentary law governing the appointment issue, the ECs are appointed by the government of the day, without pursuing any consultation process.
  • There is no concept of collegium and no involvement of the opposition.
• Tenure: The Commissioners are appointed for a 6-year period, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
• Qualification: There are no prescribed qualifications for their appointment, although convention dictates that only senior (serving or retired) civil servants, of the rank of the Cabinet Secretary or Secretary to the GoI or an equivalent rank, will be appointed.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Largest South Asian film market- Film Bazaar was recently inaugurated by Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur.

• The initiative organised on side-lines of 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), encourages creative and financial collaboration between the South Asian and International film communities.
• It was created and organized by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
• It was started in 2007.
• Every edition witnesses increased national and international participation.
• It becomes the converging point for film buyers and sellers from all over the world.
• The focus is on discovering, supporting and showcasing South Asian content and talent in filmmaking, production and distribution.
• The Bazaar also facilitates the sales of world cinema in the South Asian region.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Prof. Venu Gopal Achanta Director, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi, has been elected as a member of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM).

• The CIPM is a supreme international committee which functions under the authority of General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM).

General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM):

• CGPM is a highest intergovernmental international organisation created as diplomatic treaty called Meter Convention signed on 20th May 1875 in Paris.
• It is responsible for development and implementation of International Systems of Unites, universally abbreviated as SI, its wide dissemination; make necessary modifications time to time for the advancement of science and technology.
• Advancement of Industry in the country is directly dependent on the state of its metrology capabilities.
• This year CGPM has adopted 7 important resolutions including new SI prefixes ronna (10²⁷), quetta (10³⁰), ronto (10-²⁷) and quecto (10-³⁰).
• With this nomenclature, mass of the electron (1 quectogram) and weight of earth (1 ronnagram) can be expressed easily in SI units.

Members:

• At present, CGPM is represented by 64 member countries and meets every 4th year at International Bureau of Weight and Measure (BIPM), France.

Functions:

• The CIPM advises and recommends the amendments, changes, alterations to the SI to the CGPM for formal adoption.
• It can also pass resolutions and recommendations about the basic units of measurements, if needed, at its own authority.
• The primary objective of the CIPM, comprised of 18 members from 18 member states (nations), is to promote international harmonization of SI, meets annually, deliberate reports sent by its 18 Consultative Committees (CCs), among other matters brought to its notice as per mandate.
• Each member of the CIPM takes the responsibility of Chairmanship of one CC.

India’s Standards of Weights and Measures Act:

• The Government of India enacted the “Standards of Weights and Measures Act” for the first time in 1956 to ensure that every citizen has access to uniform standards of weights and measures those are traceable to the SI units.
• During the year 1957, India became member of the CGPM.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

According to Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), world economic growth would slow from 3.1% this year — slightly better than foreseen in September — to 2.2% next year, before accelerating to 2.7% in 2024.

• Global growth has seen falling from 3.1% in 2022 to 2.2% in 2023.
• According to OECD, the global economy should avoid a recession next year but the worst energy crisis since the 1970s will trigger a sharp slowdown, with Europe hit hardest.
• With energy prices likely to remain high, the OECD said central banks should keep raising interest rates to fight inflation, with signs that early hikes in Brazil and the United States were paying off.
• National outlooks vary widely, with the U.K.’s economy set to lag major peers.
• The OECD said the global slowdown was hitting economies unevenly, with Europe bearing the brunt as Russia’s war in Ukraine hits business activity and drives up energy prices.
• It forecast that the 19-country euro zone economy would grow 3.3% this year then slow to 0.5% in 2023 before recovering to expand by 1.4% in 2024.
• That was slightly better than the OECD’s September outlook, when it estimated 3.1% growth this year and 0.3% in 2023.
• The U.S. economy was set to hold up better, with growth expected to slow from 1.8% this year to 0.5% in 2023 before rising to 1.0% in 2024.
• China, which is not an OECD member, was one of the few major economies expected to see growth pick up next year after a wave of COVID lockdowns.
• Growth there was seen rising from 3.3% this year to 4.6% in 2023 and 4.1% in 2024, compared with previous forecasts for 2022 of 3.2% and 4.7% for 2023.

Hence both statements are correct.

India and Gabon recently held the first Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi.

• Both sides carried out a comprehensive review of the existing bilateral relations, including strengthening of cooperation in trade and economic relations, defence and maritime.
• The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in the UN and other multilateral fora, climate change, International Solar Alliance and sustainable development.
• India and Gabon have traditionally enjoyed warm and friendly relations, which are based on shared democratic values and vision.
• The bilateral relationship has further strengthened in the past few years with opening of the Gabonese Mission in New Delhi and exchange of high-level visits.
• The bilateral trade between India and Gabon is growing at a healthy rate and has touched 1.12 billion dollars in 2021-22 from 440 million dollars in 2017-18.
• India is now the second-largest destination for Gabonese exports.
• Over 50 Indian companies have set up manufacturing units in the Gabon Special Economic Zone.

Gabon:

• Gabon is a central African country, is rich in natural resources.
• Located on the Atlantic Ocean, it borders Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of Congo.
• It is sparsely populated, with a population of 2.3 million (2021) and forests covering 85% of its territory.
• Gabon, the fourth largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa, posted strong economic growth over the past decade, driven mainly by oil and manganese production.

Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

The fourth edition of the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) will start in Delhi on November 23, 2022.

• IPRD is an apex level international annual conference of the Indian Navy.
• The idea of an annual IPRD was first conceptualised and conducted in 2018, as the apex level conference of the Indian Navy.
• The National Maritime Foundation is Navy’s knowledge partner and chief organizer of each edition of the event.
• The theme of IPRD-2022 is the 'Operationalising the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative'.
• Objective: To provide a platform to focus attention on the Indo-Pacific, as a maritime geographical-entity, while deliberating aspects of great relevance to regional geopolitics.
• Previous sessions:
  • The first two editions of IPRD were held in 2018 and 2019 respectively in New Delhi, however, IPRD 2020 was cancelled due to Covid-19.
  • The third edition of IPRD was held in 2021 in online mode.
• Permanent theme: Review of India’s opportunities and challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
• It is focused on seven interconnected spokes or pillars:
  • Maritime Security,
  • Maritime Ecology,
  • Maritime Resources,
  • Disaster Risk-reduction and Management,
  • Trade-Connectivity and Maritime Transport,
  • Capacity-building and Resource sharing, and
  • Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Ministry of Ayush recently announced the Ayurveda Academic Chair at Western Sydney University’s NICM Health Research Institute, with tenure for a period of three years.

• The Ministry has selected All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi’s Associate Professor Dr. Rajagopala S. for the post of Academic Chair in Ayurvedic Science at Western Sydney University.
• The Academic Chair will undertake academic and collaborative research activities in Ayurveda, including herbal medicine and yoga, as well as design academic standards, short-term/medium-term courses, and educational guidelines.
• It will provide academic leadership in demonstrating and fostering excellence in teaching, research and policy development related to Ayurveda, within the robust Australian regulatory framework, and develop strategies to promote the translation and integration of evidence-based Ayurveda medicines into conventional healthcare.
• The Ministry of Ayush has taken concerted efforts for promoting and positioning Ayurveda and Yoga as the soft power of India.
• To facilitate the same, a Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) has been signed for Ayush Chair with 16 foreign countries.

Central Sector Scheme for the promotion of International Cooperation (IC Scheme):

• MoA has also developed a Central Sector Scheme for the promotion of International Cooperation (IC Scheme) with the mandate to promote and strengthen awareness about Ayush Systems of Medicine, to facilitate the international promotion, development and recognition of Ayush Systems in foreign countries and to support international exchange of experts.

Hence both statements are correct.

The three day-long celebration of 400th birth anniversary of Ahom General Lachit Barphukan will begin in New Delhi on November 23, 2022.

• Lachit Borphukan was a commander and councillor in the Ahom Kingdom.
• The Ahom Kingdom resisted the invasion of the Mughal Empire several times and reigned in present-day Assam for over 600 years. 
• The Ahom Dynasty was founded in 1228 in Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley.
• The first King of the Ahom Kingdom was Chaolung Sukaphaa, who crossed the Patkai mountainous region to reach the Brahmaputra valley.
• In 1615, the Ahom Dynasty engaged in its first significant conflict with the Mughal Empire.
• The Mughals conquered the Ahom capital of Garhgaon in 1662 but were defeated in later battles.
• Finally, during the battle of Saraighat in 1671, the Ahoms led by Lachit Borphukan successfully defeated the Mughals.
• Borphukan is mainly known for his leadership in this battle. By 1682, the Mughal influence in the region was completely eradicated.

Hence both statements are correct.