Test: Monthly Current Affairs April- 2 - UPSC MCQ

Statement 1 is correct: The International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) is an advisory body without decision-making powers but helps in providing strategic direction to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It also considers proposals by the Executive Board to amend the Articles of Agreement and advises on any other matters that may be referred to it by the Board of Governors.
Statement 2 is correct: The IMFC usually meets twice a year, at the Bank-Fund Annual and Spring Meetings.

Option A is correct: NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft was launched 20 years ago on 7th April 2001. Currently, it is the oldest spacecraft still working at the Red Planet, Mars. It was sent to map the composition of the Martian surface, providing a window to the past so scientists could piece together how the planet evolved.

In News: The Supreme Court refused to grant relief in a petition challenging the detention of Rohingyas in Jammu and their deportation to Myanmar without following law.
Statement 1 is correct: Rohingya are an ethnic group, representing the largest percentage of Muslims in Myanmar and predominantly live in the Western Myanmar province of Rakhine.
Statement 2 is not correct: India is not a party to the United Nations Refugee Convention, 1951 or its 1967 protocol. It acceded to various Human Rights treaties including the UNHCR and it is obliged to protect the rights of refugees.
Statement 3 is not correct: As per Indian law, there is no law to deal with the refugee, both illegal migrants & refugees categories of people are viewed as one and the same and are covered under the Foreigners Act, 1946.

In News: The Reserve Bank of India will conduct the open market purchase of government securities of ₹ 1 lakh crore under the G-sec Acquisition Programme (G-SAP 1.0) in FY22.
Option C is correct: An open market operation (OMO) is an activity by a central bank to give (or take) liquidity in its currency to (or from) a bank or a group of banks. The OMOs are conducted by the RBI in the form of sale and purchase of Government Securities (G-Secs) to adjust liquidity in the market. If there is excess liquidity, then RBI undertakes sale of G-Secs and if there is liquidity crunch, then RBI conducts purchase of G-Secs. 

In News: Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) has held that the case against two Italian marines will be closed only after Republic of Italy deposits with it Rs. 10 crore as compensation to victims.
Statement 1 is correct: The Permanent Court of Arbitration is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to serve the international community in the field of dispute resolution and to facilitate arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution between States. In real terms it is not a court, it is an organizer of arbitral tribunals to resolve conflicts between member states, international organizations, or private parties.
Statement 2 is correct: All decisions delivered by it are called “awards”.
Statement 3 is not correct: Awards are binding on all the parties in the dispute and have to be carried out without delay. The parties cannot appeal against them.

In News: Recently, the Students' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement through Quality Education (SARTHAQ) has been released during a high-level meeting on the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Option D is correct: SARTHAQ is an indicative and suggestive implementation plan for school education and delineates the roadmap and way forward for the implementation of NEP 2020 for the next 10 years. It has been developed by the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education through a consultative process with States/UTs and other stakeholders.

Statement 1 is correct: The Lilavati Awards were instituted and are presented by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
Statement 2 is correct: The awards are aimed to award the efforts taken in the field of women’s development and create ‘equality and fairness’ for women in all spheres of their lives.

In News: Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has kicked off the Shaphari scheme to certify Shrimp hatcheries and farms that adopt good aquaculture practices.
Statement 1 is correct: The Shaphari Scheme is a certification scheme developed by the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) to certify Shrimp aquaculture (hatcheries and farms).
Statement 2 is not correct: It has been launched by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Option A is correct: The Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve is located in the Gondia and Bhandara districts in the North-Eastern Maharashtra. In 1970, the forest area of Nagzira was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary. It was notified as the 46th Tiger Reserve of India in December 2013.

In News: Recently, the detailed analysis of South Asian river dolphins has revealed that the Indus and Ganges River dolphins are not one, but two separate species.
Statement 1 is not correct: The Ganges and Indus River Dolphins are often referred to as blind dolphins because they live in naturally muddy rivers and over millions of years of evolution, have lost their eyesight and instead rely on a sophisticated sonar or echolocation system to navigate and catch prey.
Statement 2 is correct: The population of Ganges river dolphins is declining and is classified as ‘Endangered’ species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
Statement 3 is not correct: Due to the protection status of Ganges Dolphin, one cannot transfer any tissue or sample to foreign countries without getting the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) permission from the Competent Authority of Government of India.

In News: Recently, the Prime Minister has paid tributes to the victims of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Option B is correct: The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13th April 1919, when troops of the British Indian Army, under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer, fired machine guns into a crowd of unarmed protesters and pilgrims who had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar on the occasion of Baisakhi. They were protesting against the  Rowlatt Act, 1919 under the leadership of Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr Satyapal. The authorized the government to imprison or confine, without a trial, any person associated with seditious activities.

In news: Recently, the ambitious Indian Rhino Vision 2020 (IRV2020) has come to a close with the release of two rhinos in Assam’s Manas National Park transported from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.
Statement 1 is correct: Only the Greater One-Horned Rhino is found in India which is also known as the Indian rhino and is the largest of the rhino species.
Statement 2 is not correct: It has been classified as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. It faces the threats of habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching (especially for their horns and hide, reducing population density and decreasing genetic diversity.

Option B is correct: Hydrogen Sulphide is a colourless chalcogen hydride gas with a characteristic foul odour. It is very poisonous, corrosive, and flammable. It dissolves in water and oil, and it may be released when these liquids are heated, depressurized, or agitated. Because it is heavier than air, it may settle in low spots. H2S is the primary gas produced from the microbial breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen, and this necessitates easy detection of its emission from sewers and swamps. It occurs naturally in crude petroleum, natural gas, volcanic gases, and hot springs.

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) had constituted the ‘National Startup Advisory Council to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities.
Chairman: Minister for Commerce & Industry.
Convener of the Council: Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
Ex-officio Members: Nominees of the concerned Ministries/Departments/Organisations not below the rank of Joint Secretary

Option C is correct. The Ponzi Scheme is a fraudulent investing scam promising high rates of return with little risk to investors. It involves unscrupulous investors taking advantage of unsuspecting individuals by promising them extraordinary returns in exchange for their money.

In News: Recently, the Prime Minister of India has inaugurated the 6th edition of the Raisina Dialogue 2021.
Statement 1 is correct. The Raisina Dialogue is India’s premier conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the global community. It was started in 2016.
Statement 2 is not correct. The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. This effort is supported by a number of institutions, organisations and individuals, who are committed to the mission of the conference

In News: Report shows that a significant number of young people with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) also develop neurological symptoms.
Statement 1 is not correct. It is a newly identified and rare but severe hyperinflammatory condition in children and adolescents.
Statement 2 is correct. MIS-C is a delayed response to the SARS-CoV-2 which in turn causes massive inflammation in the body and as a result damages organs. It can also be a result of the children’s immune response making antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2.
Statement 3 is not correct. There is no single test to diagnose MIS-C. The diagnosis is based on symptoms as well as several blood tests to look for signs of inflammation in the body. Also, there is no singular treatment as well.

Option D is correct. The Transport 4 All Challenge has been launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in collaboration with The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). It aims to develop digital solutions that will make public transport safe, affordable, comfortable, and reliable for all and support the cities and start-ups all over the country to move towards digital transformation in urban mobility.

Statement 1 is correct. Lingaraj Temple is located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. It was built during the 11th century AD by king Jajati Keshari of Soma Vansh, and has been described as one of the finest examples of purely Hindu temples in India. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Statement 2 is not correct. The temple is referred to as ‘Swayambhu” (self-originated Shivling) and was built in the Kalinga School of Temple Architecture.

In News: Recently, the elections in West Bengal and Assam have been marked by violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
Option C is correct. Article 324 of the Constitution gives the Election Commission (EC) the power to supervise elections to the Parliament and state legislatures. The EC of India is an autonomous constitutional body responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India.