Test: Weekly Current Affairs: May 1st to 7th, 2024 - UPSC MCQ

Context: Several political parties have released the list of their star campaigners for the upcoming Lok Sabha General Elections.

• The Representation of the People Act, 1951, defines rules around star campaigners, who are leaders of political parties appointed for campaigning.
• A recognised political party can appoint a maximum of 40-star campaigners while a registered unrecognized political party can appoint up to 20.
• These campaigners can incur travel expenses for campaigning without affecting candidates’ expenditure limits.

• Context: In India, the debate over inheritance tax as a tool to address economic inequality is ongoing.
• What is Inheritance Tax?
  • It is a tax levied on the assets inherited by individuals from a deceased person. The tax rate depends on the value of the inherited property and the heir’s relationship to the decedent.

• Context: Biohacking is gaining traction in India, with enthusiasts experimenting with various techniques like cryotherapy and IV therapy.
• What is Biohacking?
  • Biohacking involves using scientific knowledge and experimentation to optimize one’s body and mind. It encompasses various practices aimed at improving physical and mental performance, longevity, and overall well-being.
• Examples of biohacking include:
  • Dietary Modifications: Following specific diets like ketogenic diet or intermittent fasting to enhance energy levels and metabolic health.
  • Supplementation: Taking supplements such as vitamins, minerals, or nootropics to improve cognitive function, mood, or physical performance.
  • Physical Training: Engaging in tailored exercise routines, including high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or strength training, to build strength, endurance, and resilience.
  • Sleep Optimization: Employing techniques like sleep tracking, creating ideal sleep environments, or using sleep aids to enhance sleep quality and duration.
  • Mindfulness Practices: Practicing meditation, deep breathing exercises, or mindfulness techniques to reduce stress, improve focus, and promote mental well-being.
  • Biometric Monitoring: Using wearable devices or apps to track metrics such as heart rate variability, sleep patterns, and activity levels to gain insights into overall health and performance.
  • Biofeedback Devices: Utilizing devices like neurofeedback or heart rate variability monitors to train the body’s physiological responses and improve stress management and emotional regulation.

• Context: India has kickstarted the process of unifying its four airspace regions under Project Indian Single Sky Harmonized Air Traffic Management at Nagpur (ISHAN).
• This initiative is expected to enhance air traffic management, benefiting airlines and passengers by making operations more efficient and safer.
• Challenges include technological implementation, process changes, and retraining of staff.
  • Currently, Indian airspace is divided into 4 FIRs i.e. Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, and a sub-FIR in Guwahati, each managed separately.

Let's analyze each statement regarding Salmonella:

1. It is a virus.

   • This statement is incorrect. Salmonella is a type of bacteria, not a virus.

2. Its infection is typically transmitted through airborne droplets.

   • This statement is incorrect. Salmonella infection is typically transmitted through contaminated food or water, not through airborne droplets.

3. It can cause food poisoning.

   • This statement is correct. Salmonella is well-known for causing food poisoning, with symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps.

Given the analysis:

• Statement 1 is incorrect.
• Statement 2 is incorrect.
• Statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, the number of correct statements is:

1. Only one

• Context: In compliance with a Supreme Court order (in Feb 2024), the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) uploaded the various State Expert Committee (SEC) reports on the status of unclassed forests.
  • The SC order was in response to a PIL challenging the constitutionality of the Forest (Conservation) Act Amendment (FCAA) 2023.
• Statements 1 and 2 are correct.
• Preservation of forest areas in India under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 has been continuously monitored by the Supreme Court since the Godavarman case judgment in 1996.
• While the concept of deemed forests has not been clearly defined in any law including the Forest Conservation Act of 1980.
• Deemed forests, which comprise about 1% of India’s forest land, are a controversial subject as they refer to land tracts that appear to be a “forest”, but have not been notified so by the government or in historical records.

• Context: The RBI released a draft Master Direction for Electronic Trading Platforms (ETPs), seeking feedback from stakeholders by May 31.
• What are ETPs?
  • Electronic Trading Platforms (ETPs) are electronic systems that facilitate the trading of various financial instruments such as securities, money market instruments, foreign exchange instruments, derivatives, and more. Unlike recognized stock exchanges, ETPs operate as electronic platforms where buyers and sellers can execute trades electronically.
  • In India, examples of ETPs include: NSE NOW (NSE’s Online Trading System), BSE Bolt, Currency ETPs, MCX (Multi Commodity Exchange) and NCDEX (National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange)
• There are a total of seven credit agencies in India viz, CRISIL, CARE, ICRA, SMREA, Brickwork Rating, India Rating and Research Pvt. Ltd and Infomerics Valuation and Rating Private Limited.

Let's evaluate each statement:

1. G-Secs are issued only by the Central Government of India.

   • This is incorrect. G-Secs, or Government Securities, are issued by both the Central Government and the State Governments (known as State Development Loans or SDLs).

2. G-Secs are primarily used as a tool for financing state government projects.

   • This is partially correct but misleading. G-Secs are used to finance both central and state government projects.

3. G-Secs in India are always issued in the form of equity shares.

   • This is incorrect. G-Secs are debt instruments, not equity shares.

4. G-Secs are considered risk-free investments because they are backed by the full faith and credit of the Indian government.

   • This is correct. G-Secs are considered risk-free as they are backed by the government.

So, only one statement is correct.

Therefore, the number of correct statements is one.

• The Narmada River System
  • The Narmada is a river located in central India.
  • It rises to the summit of the Amarkantak Hill in Madhya Pradesh state.
  • It outlines the traditional frontier between North India and South India.
  • It is one of the major rivers of peninsular India. Only the Narmada, the Tapti, and the Mahi rivers run from east to west.
  • The river flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
  • It drains into the Arabian Sea in the Bharuch district of Gujarat.
• The Tapi River System
  • It is a central Indian river. It is one of the most important rivers of peninsular India with the run from east to west.
  • It originates in the Eastern Satpura Range of southern Madhya Pradesh state.
  • It flows in a westward direction, draining some important historic places like Madhya Pradesh’s Nimar region, East Vidarbha region and Maharashtra’s Khandesh in the northwest corner of the Deccan Plateau and South Gujarat before draining into the Gulf of Cambay of the Arabian Sea.
  • The River Basin of Tapi River lies mostly in eastern and northern districts of Maharashtra state.
  • The river also covers some districts of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat as well.
  • The principal tributaries of Tapi River are Waghur River, Aner River, Girna River, Purna River, Panzara River and Bori River.
• The River Cauvery originates at Talakaveri in Coorg District of Karnataka in Brahmagiri Range of hills in the Western ghats

• Statements 1 and 3 are correct.
• Context: Recently, IREDA (Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency), the financing agency for Renewable projects in India, was conferred with ‘Navratna status’ by the Department of Public Enterprises (Ministry of Finance)
• IREDA is under the administrative control of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. It was established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution in 1987.
• This status grants greater autonomy and facilitates quicker decision-making, attracting more investments and skilled talent. As a Navratna PSU, IREDA can operate more efficiently, compete effectively, and achieve sustainable growth.

• Context: NABARD has initiated a study to evaluate the impact of Geographical Indication (GI) products.
  • This study aims to assess the benefits received by artisans and producers due to GI tags.
• In India, GI tags are issued as per the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act,1999. This tag is issued by the Geographical Indication Registry under the Department of Industry Promotion and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry

• Context: In 2023, while world food prices experienced a significant decline from their 2022 highs, India saw persistently high food inflation, reaching 9.5% in December 2023. This contrasts sharply with global deflation of -10.1% during the same period.
• Core inflation — that is the inflation rate when prices of food and fuel are taken away. Core inflation typically rises and falls more gradually than inflation in food and fuel.

Hyperinflation is an extreme form of inflation characterized by rapid and out-of-control increases in prices. One consequence of hyperinflation is the erosion of savings and wealth as the real value of money rapidly declines. Option C accurately describes this consequence, as individuals’ savings and assets lose value in hyperinflationary environments. Options A, B, and D are not consequences associated with hyperinflation; instead, they may be observed under conditions of low or stable inflation.

• Context: In 2023, while world food prices experienced a significant decline from their 2022 highs, India saw persistently high food inflation, reaching 9.5% in December 2023. This contrasts sharply with global deflation of -10.1% during the same period.
• If inflation were entrenched, it would mean that prices would not come back down, and that the new prices we see in the market would be a more permanent fixture in the economic life of citizens.
• Entrenched inflation tends to stick around even after the immediate problems that spurred it on have resolved.

Demand-pull inflation occurs when the aggregate demand for goods and services in an economy exceeds aggregate supply, leading to upward pressure on prices. Option C accurately describes this situation where demand outstrips supply, causing prices to rise. Options A and B describe scenarios related to monetary policy but do not specifically address the relationship between demand and supply. Option D describes a situation of deflation, where demand is lower than supply, leading to falling prices.

• Only statements 1 and 3 are correct.
• Raja Ravi Varma was born on April 29, 1848, in Kilimanoor, a village in present-day Kerala , India. He was a self-taught artist who learned to paint by observing the works of European artists and by studying books on art.
• His work is considered one of the best examples of this fusion. Varma is sometimes called the first modern Indian artist.
• Varma’s works are known for combining Hindu mythological subject matter with European realist historicist painting style.
• Some of his works include Shakuntala, Woman Holding a Fruit, and Hamsa Damayanti.

• Context:  The Supreme Court rejected the application of the ‘eggshell skull’ rule in a medical negligence case, restoring a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs awarded by the district consumer forum.
• What is the ‘eggshell skull’?
  • The “eggshell skull” rule, also known as the “thin skull rule” in some cases, is a legal principle applied in civil litigation. Essentially, it dictates that a defendant in a lawsuit is liable for all injuries caused to the plaintiff, even if the plaintiff’s condition makes them more susceptible to harm than an average person.
  • In this case, Jyoti Devi suffered prolonged pain due to a needle left in her abdomen after surgery. While lower courts applied the rule, the SC ruled it inapplicable as Jyoti didn’t have pre-existing vulnerabilities. The ruling emphasized prolonged suffering and delayed justice as factors justifying the enhanced compensation.

• Only statement 1 is correct.
• Context: AstraZeneca has acknowledged that its COVID-19 vaccine, known as Covishield in India, can lead to a rare side effect called Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS).
  • Despite this rare side effect, experts assert that the benefits of vaccination, particularly in saving lives during the pandemic, outweigh the risks.
  • The risk period for TTS is shortly after vaccination.
• Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot (thrombus) within a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. It can occur in both arteries and veins. While physical injury can contribute to thrombosis, it can also arise from other factors such as prolonged immobility, certain medical conditions, or genetic predispositions.

Spices Board was constituted on 26th February 1987 under the Spices Board Act 1986 (No. 10 of 1986) with the merger of the erstwhile Cardamom Board (1968) and Spices Export Promotion Council (1960). Spices Board is one of the five Commodity Boards functioning under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. It is an autonomous body responsible for the export promotion of the 52 scheduled spices and development of Cardamom (Small & Large).

• Context: South Africa prepares to commemorate 30 years of freedom amidst ongoing challenges of inequality, poverty, and a tense upcoming election.
• What was Apartheid?
  • It was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination enforced by the South African government from 1948 to 1994. Under apartheid, non-white South Africans, particularly black people, were systematically oppressed and denied basic rights, including the right to vote and access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.
  • For example, the apartheid government enforced laws such as the Group Areas Act, which designated specific residential areas for different racial groups, leading to forced removals of non-white communities from their homes to segregated townships.

The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) (est. 1898; HQ: Nagpur; under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry), was established during British rule as the Department of Explosives. It oversees the administration of various acts including the Explosives Act, 1884, and the Petroleum (Production) Act, 1934. PESO regulates the import, export, transport, storage, and usage of petroleum products, explosives, and flammable materials. It operates autonomously under the Chief Controller of Explosives. PESO frames rules and regulations for various sectors such as cinematography, gas cylinders, petroleum, and explosives. Its officers are selected through the Union Public Service Commission into the Indian Petroleum and Explosives Safety Service cadre.

• Context: Sanjaya Kumar Mishra, former Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court, has been appointed as President of the GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) for a four-year term by the Appointment Committee of Cabinet.
• Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal is the forum of second appeal in GST laws and the first common forum of dispute resolution between Centre and States. The appeals against the orders in first appeals issued by the Appellate Authorities under the Central and State GST Acts lie before the GST Appellate Tribunal, which is common under the Central as well as State GST Acts. Being a common forum, GST Appellate Tribunal will ensure that there is uniformity in redressal of disputes arising under GST, and therefore, in implementation of GST across the country.
• Chapter XVIII of the CGST Act provides for the Appeal and Review Mechanism for dispute resolution under the GST Regime. Section 109 of this Chapter under CGST Act empowers the Central Government to constitute, on the recommendation of Council, by notification, with effect from such date as may be specified therein, an Appellate Tribunal known as the Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal for hearing appeals against the orders passed by the Appellate Authority or the Revisional Authority.

The electromagnetic spectrum consists of various types of electromagnetic radiation arranged in order of increasing frequency and decreasing wavelength. Gamma rays are at the highest frequency end of the spectrum and possess the highest energy. Visible light, on the other hand, falls within a specific range of frequencies and has lower energy compared to gamma rays.

About Oxytocin:

• Oxytocin is a hormone produced by the hypothalamus and released by the posterior pituitary gland. It plays a crucial role in various physiological processes, including childbirth and breastfeeding. During labor, oxytocin helps stimulate uterine contractions, facilitating the birthing process. After childbirth, it promotes milk ejection by causing contraction of the cells surrounding the mammary glands, aiding in breastfeeding.
• However, its misuse of milch cattle to boost yield is harmful. Regulated under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940, administering oxytocin is deemed animal cruelty and is punishable under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

It is a masonry gravity dam situated on the Periyar River in Thekkady, Idukki district, in Kerala.