Test: October 2023 Weekly Current Affair - 3 - UPSC MCQ

Front-running refers to buying or selling securities ahead of a large order so as to benefit from the subsequent price move. Under this illegal trading practice, a broker’s or analyst’s use of nonpublic information to acquire securities or enter into options or futures contracts for his or her own benefit, knowing that when the information becomes public, the price of the securities will change in a predictable manner.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) is an online platform available to the citizens 24×7 to lodge their grievances to the public authorities on any subject related to service delivery. It is a single portal connected to all the Ministries/Departments of Government of India and States.
• The status of the grievance filed in CPGRAMS can be tracked with the unique registration ID provided at the time of registration of the complainant. CPGRAMS also provides appeal facility to the citizens if they are not satisfied with the resolution by the Grievance Officer.
• The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) informed the parliamentary panel that in 2016, all Ministries, organisations and departments were requested to regularly examine the grievances column of newspapers to pick up the cases coming under their purview and take expeditious action to redress them in a time bound manner.

• The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is an independent judicial body established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It has jurisdiction over any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention, and over all matters specifically provided for in any other agreement which confers jurisdiction on the Tribunal. Disputes relating to the Convention may concern the delimitation of maritime zones, navigation, conservation and management of the living resources of the sea, protection and preservation of the marine environment and marine scientific research.
• The Tribunal is based in Hamburg, Germany. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea also established the International Seabed Authority, with responsibility for the regulation of seabed mining beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, that is beyond the limits of the territorial sea, the contiguous zone and the continental shelf.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• In India, apart from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory body under the Ministry that is especially meant to combat organised wildlife crime in the country. It assists and advises the customs authorities in the inspection of the consignments of flora and fauna as per the provisions of the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972, CITES and the export and import policy governing items.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• A solid-state battery is a battery technology that uses solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte, instead of the liquid or polymer gel electrolytes found in lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries.
• Solid-state batteries have found use in pacemakers, RFID and wearable devices. They are potentially safer, with higher energy densities, but at a much higher cost.
• A solid-state battery can increase energy density per unit area since only a small number of batteries are needed. For that reason, a solid-state battery is perfect to make an EV battery system of module and pack, which needs high capacity.
• Challenges to widespread adoption include energy and power density, durability, material costs, sensitivity and stability.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• The Indian government has launched the “Kisan Rin Portal” as part of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme to revolutionize the agriculture sector.
• Additionally, the government launched the Weather Information Network Data Systems (WINDS) portal and initiated a door-to-door KCC campaign.
• The Kisan Rin digital platform will offer a comprehensive view of farmer data, scheme utilization progress, loan disbursement specifics, and interest subvention claims, enhancing integration with banks for more efficient agriculture credit.
• WINDS leverage advanced weather data analytics to provide stakeholders with actionable insights for informed weather-related decisions in agriculture.

India’s first solar mission, Aditya-L1, has begun collecting data using the Supra Thermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) sub-system, one of the seven instruments on board.

STEPS

• STEPS stands for Supra Thermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer. It is a sub-system onboard India’s Aditya-L1 spacecraft and part of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload. It is designed to measure fast-moving charged particles generated by processes within the Sun. STEPS helps scientists analyze the behaviour of particles surrounding Earth and provides valuable data for solar science and space weather research.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• The Sardar Sarovar Dam (opened 2017) is a concrete gravity dam built on the Narmada River in Navagam near the town of Kevadiya, Narmada District, in the state of Gujarat. The dam was constructed to provide water and electricity to four Indian states: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan
• The Narmada is the largest west-flowing river, the fifth-largest in India, flowing through Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat before reaching the Gulf of Cambay. It is situated between the Vindhya and Satpura Ranges.

• UNCITRAL stands for the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law. It is the principal legal entity within the United Nations system dedicated to international trade law.
• UNCITRAL is a legal body with universal membership that specializes in commercial law reform worldwide. It has been working for over 50 years to modernize and harmonize rules on international business.
• UNCITRAL’s primary goal is to facilitate international trade by creating legal frameworks and instruments that promote fairness, transparency, and efficiency in cross-border commercial transactions.

• The Indian Coast Guard conducted a coastal security drill named ‘Operation Sajag’ along the west coast.
• This drill aimed to involve all stakeholders in the coastal security system, reaffirm the effectiveness of coastal security measures, and raise awareness among fishermen at sea.
• To enhance coastal security, several measures have been implemented, including the issuance of biometric cards for fishermen, color-coding of fishing boats according to each state, manned fish landing centres, access control at entry/exit points, coastal mapping, allocation of specific marine band frequencies for security agencies, and training of marine police personnel by the Indian Coast Guard.

Many animals that are in the wildlife trade are not protected by CITES. If a party violates the convention, CITES can respond with sanctions, which prevent a country from trading in CITES-listed species. But countries are rarely sanctioned.

• During heavy exercise, the demand for energy is high but the supply of oxygen to produce energy is limited. Therefore, anaerobic respiration takes places in the muscles cells to fulfil the demand for energy. This anaerobic breakdown of glucose leads to the formation of lactic acid in muscles. The accumulation of lactic acid in muscles leads to muscle cramps. We get relief from cramps after a hot water bath or a massage.
• Hot water bath or massage improves circulation of blood. As a result, the supply of oxygen to the muscle cells increases. The increase in the supply of oxygen results in the complete breakdown of lactic acid into carbon dioxide and water.

• Under Article 105(2) of the Constitution, “no Member of Parliament shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said…in Parliament or any committee thereof”. However, MPs don’t enjoy the freedom to say whatever they want inside the House.
• The speech of MPs is subject to the discipline of the Rules of Parliament, “good sense” of its Members, and the control of proceedings by the Speaker. These checks ensure that MPs cannot use “defamatory or indecent or undignified or unparliamentary words” inside the House.
• Rule 380 (“Expunction”) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha says: “If the Speaker is of opinion that words have been used in debate which are defamatory or indecent or unparliamentary or undignified, the Speaker may, while exercising discretion order that such words be expunged from the proceedings of the House.”
• Rule 381 says: “The portion of the proceedings of the House so expunged shall be marked by asterisks and an explanatory footnote shall be inserted in the proceedings as follows: ‘Expunged as ordered by the Chair’.”

Only statement 1 is correct.

• The offence under this law is mainly the laundering of money made through a crime. It has a three-part schedule of offences (or ‘predicate offences’) listing the various crimes such as terrorism, drug-trafficking, corruption and cheating that give rise to tainted money.
• The Supreme Court recently upheld the constitutional validity of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
• The Court also upheld the “twin-conditions” for bail in Section 45 of the PMLA Act.
• The Enforcement Directorate under the PMLA Act is not considered “police” and hence does not follow provisions of the CrPC for search, seizure, arrest, attachment of properties.

Projects in the neighbourhood that have been planned, financed or constructed — some involve major outlays like the railway links to Nepal and Bangladesh, the Mahakali motorable bridge and the Maitri Setu between Tripura and Bangladesh, the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) which includes a 158 km waterway, the Sittwe port project and road to Mizoram.

Statement 1 and 3 are correct.

• New Delhi held its first political dialogue with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in Brussels on December 12, 2019.
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or NATO, is a political and military alliance of 28 European countries and two countries in North America (United States and Canada).
• It was set up in 1949 by the US, Canada, and several western European nations to ensure their collective security against the Soviet Union. It was the US’s first peacetime military alliance outside the western hemisphere.
• Thirty countries are currently members of NATO, which is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

Statement 1 is incorrect.

• Dhokra art is non-ferrous metal casting art that uses the lost-wax casting technique. This technique has been in use for over 4,000 years in India, and is still practised by artisans in central and eastern India. It is in great demand in domestic and foreign markets because of its primitive simplicity, folk motifs and forceful form.
• One of the earliest known lost wax artefacts is the dancing girl of Mohenjodaro.
• The lost wax technique for casting of copper-based alloys has also been found in China, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Central America, and other places.
  

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• The date of election of the Speaker is decided by the President who needs to go by the advice of the Union cabinet which, in fact, chooses the date. In the case of the Speaker, there is no constitutional requirement for him to wait for the advice of the Union cabinet in fixing the date of election of the Deputy Speaker.
• The Deputy Speaker has the same power as the Speaker when he presides over a sitting of the House. Similarly no appeal lies to the Speaker against a ruling given by the Deputy Speaker. So the Speaker is powerless in the matter of revising or overruling a decision of the Deputy Speaker. Under Article 95(1) of the Constitution, the Deputy Speaker gets all the powers of the Speaker when the office of the Speaker is vacant, so the Deputy Speaker can also determine the petitions relating to disqualification under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.
• Although the Deputy Speaker gets to exercise these powers only in the absence of the Speaker his decisions are final and binding when he gives a ruling.

Statement 3 is incorrect.

• As a perennial crop with good foliage and root-spread, mulberry contributes to soil conservation and provides green cover.
• Waste from silkworm rearing can be recycled as inputs to garden.
• Dried mulberry twigs and branches are used as fuel in place of firewood and therefore reduce the pressure on vegetation/forest.
• Being a labour intensive and predominantly agro-based activity, involvement of smoke-emitting machinery is minimal.
• Developmental programmes initiated for mulberry plantation are mainly in upland areas where un-used cultivable land is made productive.
• Mulberry can also be cultivated as intercrop with numerous plantations.
• Mulberry being a deep-rooted perennial plant can be raised in vacant lands, hill slopes and watershed areas.

Trace metals like cadmium or copper are supplied to oceans via continental run-offs, atmospheric deposition, hydrothermal activities and continental shelf interaction. They are essential for ocean productivity.

Unlike Flood Method of irrigation (FMI), the drip method (DMI) supplies water directly to the root zone of a crop through a network of pipes and emitters. Since it supplies water directly to the crop, rather than the land around, water losses occurring through evaporation and distribution are significantly reduced.
Drip irrigation is most suitable for row crops (vegetables, soft fruit), tree and vine crops.
Other Benefits:

• Prevents disease by minimizing water contact with the leaves, stems, and fruit of plants.
• Allows the rows between plants to remain dry, improving access and reducing weed growth.
• Saves time, money, and water because the system is so efficient.
• Decreases labor.
• Increases effectiveness on uneven ground.
• Reduces leaching of water and nutrients below the root zone.

Caspian Sea is bordered by following countries:

The Government established Small Farmers’ Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) as a Society in January 1994 to facilitate agri-business ventures by catalysing private investment through Venture Capital Assistance (VCA) Scheme in close association with financial institutions.

SFAC is an Autonomous Society promoted by Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India”

It is registered under Societies Registration Act 1860. The role of State SFACs is to aggressively promote agribusiness project development in their respective States.

The main functions of SFAC are:

• Promotion of development of small agribusiness through VCA scheme.
• Helping formation and growth of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) / Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs).
• Improving availability of working capital and development of business activities of FPOs/FPCs through Equity Grant and Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme.
• Implementation of National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) Electronic Trading platform.

• Members of NATO are committed to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party. Collective defence lies at the very heart of NATO, “a unique and enduring principle that binds its members together, committing them to protect each other and setting a spirit of solidarity within the Alliance”.
• The European Recovery Programme, known as the Marshall Plan after President Harry S Truman’s Secretary of State George C Marshall, promoted the idea of shared interests and cooperation between the US and Europe. The USSR declined to participate in the Marshall Plan, and discouraged eastern European states in its sphere of influence from receiving American economic assistance.
• The Vandenburg Resolution was the stepping stone to NATO.

Rights of consumers:
Six consumer rights have been defined including the right to:
(i) be protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life and property;
(ii) be informed of the quality, quantity, potency, purity, standard and price of goods or services;
(iii) be assured of access to a variety of goods or services at competitive prices; and
(iv) seek redressal against unfair or restrictive trade practices.