Daily Current Affairs MCQ: 10th July 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Statement 1 is correct. The Draft Digital Competition Bill aims to regulate large digital enterprises, including news aggregators, to ensure fair competition in the digital space. This includes measures to prevent tech giants from favoring their services or using collected data to benefit other business arms.

Statement 2 is correct. The bill designates Systemically Significant Digital Enterprises (SSDEs) and bars them from practices such as self-preferencing and anti-steering, with penalties of up to 10% of their global turnover for violations.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The bill introduces an ex-ante framework, not an ex-post framework like the existing Competition Act, 2002. An ex-ante framework aims to proactively address issues before they occur, in contrast to the ex-post approach which deals with issues after they have happened.

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

The primary objective of the draft Digital Competition Bill proposed in March 2024 is to enhance competition in the digital market by regulating large digital enterprises and ensuring fair competition. This bill aims to prevent tech giants from engaging in anti-competitive practices, such as favoring their own services or utilizing collected data to benefit other business arms. It introduces presumptive norms to curb such practices proactively and imposes heavy penalties for violations.

1. Ministry overseeing the draft Digital Competition Bill: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
- Incorrect. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) oversees the draft Digital Competition Bill, not MeitY.

2. Core Digital Services (CDS): Online search engines, social networking services, news aggregators
- Correct. The draft Digital Competition Bill indeed includes online search engines, social networking services, and news aggregators under Core Digital Services.

3. Systemically Significant Digital Enterprises (SSDEs): Entities providing core digital services in India with substantial presence and financial standing
- Correct. The draft Digital Competition Bill suggests designating SSDEs based on their financial strength and user base criteria, indicating substantial presence and financial standing.

4. Financial Inclusion Index first published: 2021
- Correct. The Financial Inclusion Index (FI Index) was first published by the Reserve Bank of India in 2021.

Thus, pairs 2, 3, and 4 are correctly matched, but pair 1 is incorrectly matched. Therefore, only two pairs are correctly matched.

Statement-I correctly describes the purpose of the Financial Inclusion Index (FI Index) in measuring the progress of financial inclusion efforts in India by evaluating the accessibility, usage, and quality of financial services. Statement-II accurately states that the FI Index comprises three main parameters: Access, Usage, and Quality, each contributing to the overall index score with specific weightages. Statement-II further explains how these parameters are crucial in evaluating financial inclusion comprehensively. Therefore, both statements are correct, and Statement-II logically elaborates on Statement-I, making option (a) the correct answer.

The Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh is named after Rani Durgavati, the queen of the Gondi people. This naming honors her historical importance and symbolizes the rich cultural heritage of the region. Rani Durgavati was a valiant queen known for her courage and leadership, making the reserve's name a tribute to her legacy.

- Statement 1 is correct: The Indian PM was indeed conferred with Russia's highest civilian honour, the Order of St Andrew the Apostle, by the Russian President.

- Statement 2 is incorrect: The visit marked a departure from previous summits by focusing on economic issues rather than primarily on military supplies and defense partnerships.

- Statement 3 is correct: Indian Consulates are to be opened in Kazan and Yekaterinburg as part of the visit's outcomes.

Thus, the correct answer is Option C.

1. Order of St Andrew the Apostle - Russia's highest civilian honour: Correct. The Indian PM was conferred with Russia's highest civilian honour by the Russian President.

2. VVER-1000 reactor - Used in India's Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant: Correct. The Indian PM observed the "Atomic Symphony" at the Rosatom Pavilion, showcasing the VVER-1000 reactor used in India's Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.

3. Kazan and Yekaterinburg - Locations of new Indian Consulates in Russia: Correct. Indian Consulates are to be opened in Kazan and Yekaterinburg.

4. Extended BRICS summit - Includes five new members to the grouping of emerging economies: Correct. The Indian PM was invited to the first "Extended BRICS" summit by the Russian leader, which includes five new members to the grouping of emerging economies.

All pairs are correctly matched, so the correct answer is Option D.

Statement-I correctly states that the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve is the seventh tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Statement-II is also accurate as the reserve is indeed named after Rani Durgavati, the queen of the Gondi people. Statement-II explains Statement-I by providing the historical context and reason behind the reserve's name, making both statements correct and logically connected. Hence, option (a) is the accurate answer choice.

1. The statement that "Denisovans were first identified from remains found in a cave in Tibet" is incorrect. Denisovans were first identified from remains found in a Siberian cave in 2010.

2. The statement that "Denisovans shared a common ancestor, Homo heidelbergensis, with both Neanderthals and modern humans" is correct. Homo heidelbergensis is believed to be the common ancestor of Denisovans, Neanderthals, and modern humans.

3. The statement that "The Salazar Pit Viper is a nocturnal snake with a unique black-to-yellow stripe on the head and body in males" is incorrect. The Salazar Pit Viper has a unique orange-to-reddish stripe on the head and body in males, not a black-to-yellow stripe.

Thus, only statement 2 is correct. Therefore, the correct answer is Option C: 2 Only.

Statement-I is accurate. Denisovans, indeed, are an extinct species of hominid closely related to modern humans, first identified in 2010 from remains found in a Siberian cave. On the other hand, Statement-II is inaccurate.The venomous snake was first spotted by researchers in Arunachal Pradesh in 2019. It was named 'Trimeresurus Salazar' but has come to be commonly known as Salazar's pit viper. The snake was found in the forests of the Pakke Tiger Reserve during a field expedition.