Daily Current Affairs MCQ - May 10, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

The crops that are sown in the winter season are called Rabi crops. (also known as the “winter crop”) in India. The Rabi means, when the crop is harvested. Crops that are grown in the winter season, from November to April are called Rabi Crops. Some of the important rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, gram and mustard.

Competition Commission of India is the competition regulator in India. It is a statutory body of the Government of India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 and promoting competition throughout India and to prevent activities that have an appreciable adverse effect on competition in India.

Antitrust watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) recently launched an investigation into the new WhatsApp privacy policy (it allowed the platform to share metadata with parent company Facebook), even as the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has urged the Delhi High Court to restrain WhatsApp from implementing this.

In January 2020, it launched an investigation into Amazon and Flipkart for abusing their dominant positions and carrying out acquisitions with the aim to stifle competition and for using predatory pricing tactics.

SVAMITVA (Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas) scheme is a new initiative of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

The aim to update rural land records, providing record of rights to village households and issue property cards. SVAMITVA will be implemented across the country in a phased manned over the next four years, covering around 6.62 lakh villages.

The scheme focuses on mapping rural-inhabited lands using drones as land records are inaccurate or do not exist for vast areas across India.

World number two Rafael Nadal of Spain won the 2021 “Laureus Sportsman of the Year” title. This is the second title for Nadal, who also claimed the prestigious award in 2011.

Eminent sculptor, architect, and Rajya Sabha member Raghunath Mohapatra has passed away while undergoing treatment for COVID-19. He was 78.

Himanta Biswa Sarma has been named as the new Chief Minister of Assam on May 08, 2021.He will replace incumbent Sarbananda Sonowal. Sarma will take the charge of the office with effect from May 10, 2021.

In tennis, the world number seven, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, defeated world number one Ashleigh Barty of Australia to win the 2021 Madrid Open women’s single title on May 08, 2021.

• The Centre provides the Post Devolution Revenue Deficit Grant to the States under Article 275 of the Constitution. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • The grants are released as per the recommendations of the Finance Commission in monthly installments to meet the gap in Revenue Accounts of the States post-devolution (of the divisible tax pool of the Centre).
• Article 275 of the Constitution:
  • It provides for the payment of such sums as Parliament may by law provide as grants-in aid to such States as Parliament may determine to be in need of assistance.
  • The grants are paid out of the Consolidated Fund of India in each year, and different sums may be fixed for different States. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • These grants are to be of the nature of capital and recurring sums as may be necessary.
  • These aim to enable that State to meet the costs of such schemes of development as may be undertaken by it with the approval of the Government of India for the purpose of promoting the welfare of the Scheduled Tribes in that State or raising the level of administration of the Scheduled Areas there in to that of the administration of the rest of the areas of that State. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • Grants are primarily intended to correct Inter-State disparities in financial resources and to coordinate the maintenance and expansion of the welfare schemes of the State Governments on a uniform national level.

• Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore is said to have composed over 2000 songs and his songs and music are called ‘Rabindra Sangeet’ with its own distinct lyrical and fluid style.
• He is responsible for modernising Bengali prose and poetry. His notable works include Gitanjali, Ghare-Baire, Gora, Manasi, Balaka, Sonar Tori, He is also remembered for his song ‘Ekla Chalo Re’.
  • He published his first poems aged 16 under the pen-name ‘Bhanusimha’.
• He not only gave the national anthems for two countries, India and Bangladesh, but also inspired a Ceylonese student of his, to pen and compose the national anthem of Sri Lanka.
  • Besides all his literary achievements he was also a philosopher and educationist who in 1921 established the Vishwa-Bharati University, a university that challenged conventional education. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• In 1913 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his work on Gitanjali.
  • He was the first non-European to receive the Nobel Prize. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• In 1915 he was awarded knighthood by the British King George V. In 1919, following the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre he renounced his Knighthood. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

• The Arctic region comprises the Arctic Ocean and parts of countries such as Canada, Denmark (Greenland), Norway, Russia, USA (Alaska), Finland, Sweden and Iceland.
  • These countries together form the core of the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum. Hence, option A is correct.
  • Arctic Council is headquartered in Norway.
• India’s engagement with the Arctic dates back to 1920 with the signing of the Svalbard Treaty in Paris. Hence, option B is correct.
• Since July 2008, India has had a permanent research station in the Arctic called Himadri at NyAlesund, Svalbard Area in Norway. Hence, option D is not correct.
  • It has also deployed a multi-sensor moored observatory called IndARC in the Kongsfjorden fjord since July 2014.
• India received the ‘Observer’ country status in the Arctic Council in 2013 and is one among the 13 countries across the world, including China, to have that position which was again renewed in 2018. Hence, option C is correct.