Test: August 2022 Weekly Current Affair - 3 - UPSC MCQ

The rate of inflation in a country can have a major impact on the value of the country’s currency and the rates of foreign exchange it has with the currencies of other nations. However, inflation is just one factor among many that combine to influence a country’s exchange rate.
Inflation is more likely to have a significant negative effect, rather than a significant positive effect, on a currency’s value and foreign exchange rate.
Inflation and Interest Rates:
Inflation is closely related to interest rates, which can influence exchange rates. Countries attempt to balance interest rates and inflation, but the interrelationship between the two is complex and often difficult to manage. Low interest rates spur consumer spending and economic growth, and generally positive influences on currency value. If consumer spending increases to the point where demand exceeds supply, inflation may ensue, which is not necessarily a bad outcome. But low interest rates do not commonly attract foreign investment. Higher interest rates tend to attract foreign investment, which is likely to increase the demand for a country’s currency.

• The RBI’s gold reserves started increasing from the 2017-18 financial year, and in the last two years it went up over 100 tonnes.
• As at end-March 2022, the Reserve Bank held 760.42 tonnes of gold, including gold deposits of 11.08 tonnes.
• While 453.52 tonnes of gold is held overseas in safe custody with the Bank of England and the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), 295.82 tonnes of gold is held domestically.
• In value terms (dollar), the share of gold in the total foreign exchange reserves increased from about 5.88 per cent as at end-September 2021 to about 7.01 per cent as at end-March 2022.
• The RBI’s decision to buy gold is significant because unlike many other central banks such as the People’s Bank of China, RBI does not regularly trade in gold, although the RBI Act permits it to do so.

Minor minerals:

• Minor minerals are those which are prescribed by Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (section 3(e)) as being categorized as ‘minor minerals’.
• Any mineral which by the notification of the Central Government may declare to be a minor mineral.
• The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for regulating the grant of quarry leases, mining leases or other mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals and for purposes connected therewith.
• In addition to those specified under MMDR Act, here are few minerals that the Central Government has declared as minor minerals:
  • boulder, shingle, chalcedony pebbles, lime shell, kankar and limestone, brick-earth, fuller’s earth, bentonite, road metal, slate, marble, stone used for making household utensils, quartzite and sandstone, saltpeter and ordinary earth.

• The West Nile virus is spread through a bite from an infected mosquito and can infect humans, birds and other mammals. Birds are the main host of the virus and mosquitoes become infected by biting birds. It cannot be spread from person to person through casual contact.
• Most people who are infected by West Nile virus do not develop any symptoms or may experience mild to moderate illness.
• A blood test can be conducted to determine a West Nile infection.
• There are no vaccines or medicines that specifically treat West Nile virus infections. Over-the-counter pain relievers can be used to help with some symptoms and hospitalization may be necessary for more severe cases.

• The ‘World Economic Situation and Prospects’ of the United Nations classifies countries into three broad categories: developed economies, economies in transition, and developing economies. 
• To categorise countries by economic conditions, the United Nations uses the World Bank’s categorisation, based on Gross National Income (GNI) per capita (in current US dollars).
• And on per capita income, India is behind even Bangladesh. China’s per capita income is 5.5 times that of India, and the UK’s is almost 33 times.
• Even though India is the world’s third-largest economy in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, most Indians are still relatively poor compared to people in other middle income or rich countries.

Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation signed in Paris, France.

What is Securities Transaction Tax?
STT is a kind of financial transaction tax which is similar to tax collected at source (TCS). STT is a direct tax levied on every purchase and sale of securities that are listed on the recognized stock exchanges in India. STT is governed by Securities Transaction Tax Act (STT Act) and STT Act has specifically listed down various taxable securities transaction i.e., transaction on which STT is leviable.

Taxable securities include equity, derivatives, unit of equity oriented mutual fund. It also includes unlisted shares sold under an offer for sale to the public included in IPO and where such shares are subsequently listed in stock exchanges. STT is an amount to be paid over and above transaction value and hence, increases transaction value.

The term ‘securities’ is defined in Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956.

The International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI is a unique number that is used to identify a device on a mobile network. It has 15 digits, and is like your phone’s unique identity. When you use the internet or place a call through your cellular service provider, then this number is used to verify the identity of your device. If you have a dual SIM phone, then you will have two IMEI numbers, one for each slot.

How is it useful?
Its operational use aside, the IMEI number can help network providers track down a device in case it gets stolen or is lost. Once such loss or theft is reported, the carrier/s can deny the device access to the cellular network even with a new SIM card. This will practically render the device useless as it won’t be able to make or receive calls.

Are there any challenges?
According to the police, few gangs have started formatting stolen phones.

“Mobile phones which don’t have a flexible operating system can be broken into. There is a software that can change IMEI numbers of the phones as well. This might cause trouble for law enforcement agencies in blocking stolen devices.

Polio terrified parents around the world for the first half of the 20th century. Affecting mainly children under five, it is often asymptomatic but can also cause symptoms including fever and vomiting. Around one in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, and among those patients, up to 10% die.
There is no cure, but since a vaccine was found in the 1950s, polio is entirely preventable. Globally, the wild form of the disease has almost disappeared.

• The OSCE has a comprehensive approach to security that encompasses politico-military, economic and environmental, and human aspects. It therefore addresses a wide range of security-related concerns, including arms control, confidence- and security-building measures, human rights, national minorities, democratization, policing strategies, counter-terrorism and economic and environmental activities. All the participating States enjoy equal status, and decisions are taken by consensus on a politically, but not legally binding basis.
• OSCE participating states enjoy equal status and take decisions by consensus.
• It has an observer status at the United Nations.
• It was created during the Cold War era as an East–West forum.

1. The Election Commission (EC) told the Supreme Court that offering freebies either before or after elections is a policy decision of a political party, and it cannot regulate state policies and decisions taken by the parties.
2. “The Election Commission cannot regulate state policies and decisions which may be taken by the winning party when they form the government. Such an action without enabling provisions in the law, would be an overreach of powers.”
3. The EC clarified that it does not have power to deregister a political party, except on three grounds. The grounds are — registration obtained on fraud and forgery, party ceased to have faith and allegiance to the Constitution, and any other alike ground.

Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease. Infection occurs when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans through mosquitoes.
Infection is usually acquired in childhood causing hidden damage to the lymphatic system.
Lymphatic filariasis is caused by infection with parasites classified as nematodes (roundworms) of the family Filariodidea. There are 3 types of these thread-like filarial worms:

• Wuchereria bancrofti, which is responsible for 90% of the cases
• Brugia malayi, which causes most of the remainder of the cases
• Brugia timori, which also causes the disease.

• Gas hydrates are ice-like crystalline minerals that form when low molecular weight gas (such as methane, ethane, or carbon dioxide) combines with water and freezes into a solid under low temperature and moderate pressure conditions.
• Most gas hydrates are formed from methane (CH₄), which has led to the terms “gas hydrate” and “methane hydrate” often being used interchangeably.
• On Earth, gas hydrates occur naturally in some marine sediments and within and beneath permafrost. They are also speculated to form on other planets.
• Gas hydrate deposits may contain roughly twice the carbon contained in all reserves of coal, oil, and conventional natural gas combined, making them a potentially valuable energy resource.
• Their decomposition can release large amounts of methane, which is a greenhouse gas that could impact Earth’s climate.
• Sudden release of pressurized methane gas may cause submarine landslides, which in turn can trigger tsunamis.

The function of a constitution is to

• provide a set of basic rules that allow for minimal coordination amongst members of a society.
• specify who has the power to make decisions in a society. It decides how the government will be constituted.
• set some limits on what a government can impose on its citizens. These limits are fundamental in the sense that government may never trespass them.
• enable the government to fulfil the aspirations of a society and create conditions for a just society.
• ensure that a dominant group does not use its power against other less powerful people or groups. Every society is prone to this tyranny of the majority. The Constitution usually contains rules that ensure that minorities are not excluded from anything that is routinely available to the majority

A constitution does not always specify for a democracy.

• As the superintendence and control over all aspects of the election process is vested in the EC, it exercises direction and control over civil servants deployed for election-related work. This means that bureaucrats engaged in the administrative aspects of elections, including police officers with law and order duties, are also amenable to the EC’s jurisdiction.
• This power enables the EC to monitor both the manner in which civil servants perform their election-related duties, and prevent activities which may be seen as partisan.
• The EC often cites its vast powers under Article 324 to transfer or suspend officials during election time, even though they normally come under the disciplinary purview of the government of India or the State governments. There have been instances of the EC transferring not only Returning Officers, but also Commissioners of Police and Superintendents of Police.

Demographic trap is combination of high fertility (birth rates) and declining mortality (death rates) in developing countries, resulting in a period of high population growth rate (PGR). 
One of the significant outcomes of the “demographic trap” is explosive population growth.

Human Development Index (HDI), a composite index where the final value is reached by looking at three factors: the health and longevity of citizens, the quality of education they receive, and their standard of life.

• Human immunodeficiency virus or HIV is an infection that attacks the immune system by destroying the body’s immune cells called CD4,which help it respond to infection.
• Once HIV attacks the CD4 cells, it starts replicating and destroying the cells, weakening the body’s immune system and making it more prone to certain “opportunistic infections” that take advantage of the weak immune system.
• Bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids and breastmilk can be carriers for HIV.
• It can be transmitted through unprotected sex, transfusion of contaminated blood, sharing needles and syringes, and from a mother with HIV to her infant during pregnancy.
• Typically, the time between HIV transmission and AIDS diagnosis is 10-15 years, although it may occur sooner.

Predatory Pricing – the pricing of goods or services at such a low level that other firms cannot compete and are forced to leave the market.

• Ocean deoxygenation is the expansion of oxygen minimum zones in the world’s oceans as a consequence of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide. The change has been fairly rapid and poses a threat to fish and other types of marine life, as well as to people who depend on marine life for nutrition or livelihood.
• Ocean deoxygenation poses implications for ocean productivity, nutrient cycling, carbon cycling, and marine habitats.
• Most of the excess heat from CO₂ and other greenhouse gas emissions is absorbed by the oceans. Warmer oceans cause deoxygenation both because oxygen is less soluble in warmer water, and through temperature driven stratification of the ocean which inhibits the production of oxygen from photosynthesis.
• Anoxic waters are areas of sea water, fresh water, or groundwater that are depleted of dissolved oxygen and are a more severe condition of hypoxia.

• Mosses are a common flowerless plant found in all cities especially in damp (humid) or shady locations. It generally absorbs water and nutrients from their immediate environments.
• So, according to scientists, delicate mosses found on rocks and trees in cities around the world can be used as low-cost bio indicator to monitor urban pollution and to measure the impact of atmospheric change.
• As a bio indicator, mosses respond to pollution or drought- stress by changing its shape, density or disappearing. This characteristic will allow scientists to calculate atmospheric alterations and air pollution.
• Statements 2 and 3 are not related to the statement Mosses is a bioindicator.

• The Chairman of the Legislative Council is elected by the council itself from amongst its members.
• The maximum strength of the council is fixed at one-third of the total strength of the assembly and the minimum strength is fixed at 40 (with some exceptions).

A Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares/stocks/bonds/debentures/securities issued by Government or local authority or other marketable securities of a like nature, leasing, hire-purchase, insurance business, chit business but does not include any institution whose principal business is that of agriculture activity, industrial activity, purchase or sale of any goods (other than securities) or providing any services and sale/purchase/construction of immovable property.

Indian Ocean Rim Association:

• The Indian Ocean Rim Association was set up with the objective of strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean Region
• The IORA is a regional forum, tripartite in nature, bringing together representatives of Government, Business and Academia, for promoting co-operation and closer interaction among them.
• It is based on the principles of Open Regionalism for strengthening Economic Cooperation particularly on Trade Facilitation and Investment, Promotion as well as Social Development of the region.

Not all countries surrounding the Indian Ocean are the members of IORA.

The language movement not only gave rise to the Bengali national identity in the then Pakistan, but also became the stepping stone for the Bengali nationalist movement, the six-point movement, the student movement in 1962, the uprising in 1969 and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. This is perhaps the only movement in history that started with protecting linguistic and cultural rights and ultimately led to the birth of an independent nation, Bangladesh.