Daily Current Affairs MCQ - March 26, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed gratitude to UN Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR). UNITAR has commended India's remarkable progress in reducing premature mortality from Non-Communicable Diseases.

• The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations system.

• UNITAR provides training and capacity development activities to assist mainly developing countries with special attention to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and other groups and communities who are most vulnerable.

• UNITAR was founded in 1963, following the recommendation of the UN Economic and Social Council to the General Assembly.

• Operated as an autonomous body within the United Nations system, UNITAR is headed by an Executive Director. Present executive director is Nikhil Seth from India who was appointed in 2015.

• UNITAR is a project-based organization and does not receive any funds from the regular United Nations budget. The institute is financed entirely from voluntary contributions.

• Headquarters are based in Geneva (Switzerland).

Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and Yamuna International Airport sign LoA for civil aviation security.

• A Letter of Agreement (LoA) was signed between the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL).

• The LoA defines provisions for civil aviation security responsibilities and functions at the upcoming international airport at Jewar, Noida.

• The contract of construction of the airport has been awarded to YIAPL, which is a joint venture of the Airport Authority of India (AAI), the Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Zurich international airport.

India Meteorological Department celebrated World Meteorological Day on 23rd March, 2021. Dr. M. Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Science inaugurated Climate Data Services Portal of IMD on this occasion.

• Climate Data Services Portal has been developed by IMD, Pune with user-friendly platforms for climate data management and supply to the users.

• The Web Portal will be available through IMD Website (http://www.mausam.imd.gov.in/) and IMD Pune website (http://www.imdpune.gov.in/).

• It complements fully automated climate data management process from real-time data acquisition to expeditious data dissemination.

• The major components of the portal are listed below:

  • Real-Time monitoring of weather observations recorded by IMD Observatories.

  • Encapsulated IMD Metadata Portal, other reports and dashboards

  • Online access to meteorological data through Data Supply Portal.

  • Free download facility for Gridded Temperature and Rainfall Data of India.

  • Climatological Tables, Extremes and Normal.

  • Information on Monsoon Rainfall and Cyclone frequencies.

  • Data analytics and info graphics.

AYUSH Ministry has set up an interdisciplinary team of experts to explore the potential of Yoga as a productivity enhancing tool for the population.

• The committee is chaired by Dr. H. R Nagendra, Chancellor, SVYASA and its members include representatives from AIIMS New Delhi, IIM Bangalore, IIT Bombay, various leading Yoga institutions, the corporate sector and the AYUSH Ministry.

• One of the primary tasks of the committee was to review evidence that linked Yoga to productivity and analyse the same. The various possible directions of the productivity dimension could then be identified systematically, and along these directions, protocols could be developed.

• The committee will submit its preliminary recommendations by May 2021.

India launched its 2nd Tranche of auction for commercial coal mining offering 67 mines for sale of coal. Union Coal Minister launched the auction process.

• This is the highest number of mines on offer in a particular tranche of auction after commencement of the auction regime since 2014.

• Out of the total 67 mines offered by the Ministry of Coal, 23 mines are under CM(SP) Act and 44 under MMDR Act.

• The coal mines on offer are spread across 6 States Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

• Government of India is moving towards adopting a ‘Rolling Auction’ mechanism for conducting future auctions.

• Coal is the first mineral resource where Rolling Auction mechanism is being implemented in which a pool of coal blocks will always remain available for auctions.

Union Minister for Corporate Affairs launched Central Scrutiny Centre (CSC) and Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority’s (IEPFA) Mobile App — two tech-enabled initiatives by Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).

Central Scrutiny Centre (CSC)

• MCA being one of the key primary sources of corporate data, is required to ensure that the data quality is uncompromised and free from flaws.

• With this objective in mind, the MCA has established a Central Scrutiny Centre

• The Central Scrutiny Centre will scrutinize certain Straight Through Process (STP) Forms filed by the corporates on the MCA21 registry and flag the companies for more in-depth scrutiny.

Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority’s (IEPFA) Mobile App

• The IEPFA Mobile App aims at achieving the goal of financial literacy, spreading investors’ awareness, education, and protection among investors.

• The IEPFA App will have the facility of tracking the status and progress of the IEPF claim refund process. Moreover, it also provides a mechanism for investors and common citizens to report on the suspected fraudulent schemes.

Union Minister of Education launched 100+ comic books created by teachers and students of CBSE schools and curated by NCERT on 24th March 2021.

• Department of School Education and Literacy, in its endeavour to provide holistic learning to students and to usher in vision envisaged in New Education Policy 2020 has launched comic books aligned to chapters of NCERT textbooks across grades 3-12.

• This innovative initiative will help in increasing the cultural and social sensitivity in our children while imparting knowledge.

• These comics can be accessed online on DIKSHA web portal (diksha.gov.in) or via the DIKSHA app on any android Smartphone.

• The comics can also be accessed through a new WhatsApp powered Chatbot. The chatbot presents a unique opportunity to expand the scope of digital learning.

Union Minister for Tourism and Culture and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh will inaugurate the ‘Chhatrasal Convention Centre at Khajuraho developed under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism.

• The Ministry of Tourism has framed ‘Development of Iconic Tourist Destinations Scheme’ a Central Sector Scheme for development of nineteen identified iconic destinations in the country following a holistic approach.

• They will also launch “MICE Roadshow – Meet in India” Brand and Roadmap for the Promotion of India as MICE Destination (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh

The Supreme Court asked the government to clarify on the status of 55 recommendations made by the Collegium for judicial appointments to High Courts six months to nearly a year-and-a-half ago.

• Of the pending recommendations, 44 were made to fill vacancies in the Calcutta, Madhya Pradesh, Gauhati, Rajasthan and Punjab High Courts. These recommendations have been pending with the government for over seven months to a year.

• The total sanctioned strength in the 25 High Courts is 1,080. However, the present working strength is 661 with 419 vacancies as on March 1.

• The Supreme Court has been repeatedly conveying to the government its growing alarm at the judicial vacancies in High Courts.

Appointment of Judges

• Article 124(2) says that the President of India Shall appoint the judges after consultation with such number of Judges of the SC/HC as he deems necessary. For appointment of any Judge of SC (other than CJI), the CJI must be consulted.

• The three Judges case of 1981, 1993 & 1998 has formalised the collegium system for the purpose of consultation.

  • The collegium for appointing SC judge consists of the CJI and 4 senior-most judges of SC.

  • Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) was set up after the Third Judge Case of 1998 to provide the process of how the Collegium would recommend names to the Executive.

• The President of India can either accept the recommendation or send it back for reconsideration. The reconsidered advice must be accepted by the President.

The Supreme Court held that the Army’s “selective” evaluation process discriminates against and disproportionately affects women short service commission officers seeking permanent commission.

• The evaluation pattern of women officers has caused them economic and psychological harm, the court said.

• The court ordered that the cases of women officers who have applied for permanent commission should be reconsidered in a month and the decision on them should be given in two months.

• They would be considered for permanent commission subject to disciplinary and vigilance clearance. The court said physical standards should be kept at a premium during selection.

Supreme court judgement of February 2020

• The Supreme Court declared that Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers are eligible for permanent commission and command posts in the Army irrespective of their years of service.

• The Supreme Court dismissed the Union government’s submissions that women are physiologically weaker than men as a “sex stereotype.”

• The court struck down a part of the government’s 2019 circular that had proposed Permanent Commission to women officers if they had not completed 14 years in service. It commented that there was a “fundamental fallacy” in the centre’s policy of considering only women with less than 14 years for Permanent Commission.

• The verdict came on a nearly 10-year-old appeal filed by the government against a 2010 decision of the Delhi High Court to grant SSC women officer’s permanent commission.