Daily Current Affairs MCQ - July 7, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said that a Common Eligibility Test, CET for job aspirants will be conducted across the country from early 2022.

• This unique initiative is being undertaken with the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to screen and shortlist candidates for recruitment to Central Government jobs.
• The Common Entrance Test is a path-breaking reform carried out by Department of Personnel & Training to bring about “Ease of Recruitment” for young job aspirants.

National Recruitment Agency (NRA)

• The National Recruitment Agency (NRA) has been constituted with the approval of the Union Cabinet for conducting CET to screen and shortlist candidates for Group-‘B’ and ‘C’ (non-technical) posts.
• NRA will conduct CET to screen and shortlist candidates for jobs in Government sector for which recruitment is presently carried out through the Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Boards and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection.
• The most significant feature of this reform is that every district in the country will have at least one Examination Centre.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Even as the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus continues to drive the rise in infections around the world, another variant, Lambda, is increasingly being seen by scientists and health experts as a new emerging threat.

• On June 14, the World Health Organization designated the Lambda variant, previously known by its formal scientific name C.37, as the seventh and newest “variant of interest”, meaning it was something to watch out for.
• Like the Delta variant, the Lambda variant, which has now been detected in more than 25 countries, is feared to be more transmissible than the original virus.
• It has been the dominant variant in Peru and other countries of South America.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Secretary (Power) Govt of India met Secretary (Power) Govt of Bangladesh for the issues related to 1320MW Maitree Power project.

• The Maitree super thermal power project is a 1,320MW coal-fired power station under construction in Rampal, Bangladesh.
• It is located at Moithara, Rampal, in the Bagerhat district, approximately 23km south-east of the Khulna city, Bangladesh. The coal-fired facility is being developed on a 1,834acre-site on the bank of Passur River in south-west Bangladesh.
• The power plant is being developed by Bangladesh India Friendship Power Company (BIFPCL), a 50:50 joint venture between India’s state-run National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).
• Construction on the Rampal power plant was started in 2017. The first unit of this project would be commissioned in December’ 2021 i.e. coinciding with Golden Jubilee celebration of Victory Day of Bangladesh
• The project is an environmentally friendly supercritical technology based thermal power plant.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Justice Department commemorates the milestone of crossing 9 lakh beneficiaries under its Tele-Law programme.

• The programme connects the disadvantaged and needy seeking legal advice from Panel Lawyers through e-interface platform available in Common Service Centres(CSC).
• Tele–Law began its humble journey in 2017 by covering 170 districts in 11 States through 1800 CSCs. In 2019, 115 Aspirational Districts were added taking the number of CSCs to 29,860.
• Tele-Law programme is presently operational in 633 districts (including 115 Aspirational Districts) across 34 States/UTs through a network of 50,000 CSCs.
• Tele-Law saw a surge of 369% growth in number of beneficiaries seeking legal advice during last one year during the Covid Pandemic.
• Even though Tele-law programme is technology driven, its success is dependent on the working of field functionaries comprising of Village Level Entrepreneurs(VLEs), Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs), State Coordinators and Panel Lawyers.
• Hence both statements are correct.

In a historic move, a separate ‘Ministry of Co-operation’ has been created by the NDA Government for realizing the vision of ‘Sahkar se Samriddhi’.

• This ministry will provide a separate administrative, legal and policy framework for strengthening the cooperative movement in the country.
• It will help deepen Co-operatives as a true people based movement reaching upto the grassroots.
• The Ministry will work to streamline processes for ‘Ease of doing business’ for co-operatives and enable development of Multi-State Co-operatives (MSCS).
• Creation of a separate Ministry for Co-operation also fulfils the budget announcement made by the Finance Minister.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent Procedures (PIC) that entered into force on 24th February, 2004, is a legally binding instrument, which was adopted on 10th September 1998 by a Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Rotterdam. India acceded to the Convention on 24.05.2006.

The Convention seeks to promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among State Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm. 

Each Party is required to designate a National Authority for performing the administrative functions required under the Convention. Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals is the Designated National Authority (DNA) for industrial chemicals and Department of Agriculture and Co-operation is the DNA for pesticides.

The Council of Europe established the Istanbul Convention, a human rights treaty, with the aim to prevent and prosecute all forms of violence against women, promote gender equality and ensure protection and rehabilitation of women who are victims of violence.

The FSR looks at questions like do Indian banks (both public and private) have enough capital to run their operations? Are the levels of bad loans (or non-performing assets) within manageable limits? Are different sectors of the economy able to get credit (or new loans) for economic activity such as starting a new business or buying a new house or car?

• Leopards (Panthera Pardus) are either light colored (pale yellow to deep gold or tawny) with black rosettes or with black fur.
  • The melanistic leopards, which are either all-black or very dark in coloration, are known as Black Panthers.
• Black Panthers are mainly in Southwestern China, Burma, Nepal, Southern India, Indonesia, and the southern part of Malaysia.
  • In India they can be spotted in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra etc. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• Protection Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  • CITES: Appendix I.
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.

• World War II was a conflict that involved virtually every part of the world during the years 1939–45.
  • It ended six years and one day after Germany’s invasion of Poland on 1st September, 1939, sparked the 20th century’s second global conflict.
  • The vast majority of those who died were civilians, including 6 million Jews killed in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust.
• Principal Belligerents:
  • Axis powers—Germany, Italy, and Japan.
  • Allies—France, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and, to a lesser extent, China. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The Indian Army was the largest volunteer force during WWII, with over 2.5 million (more than 20 lakh) Indians participating.
  • These troops fought the Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan) as part of the Allies. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.