Daily Current Affairs MCQ - August 30, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

The Tharu community belongs to the Terai lowlands, amid the Shivaliks or lower Himalayas. The Tharus live in both India and Nepal. In the Indian terai, they live mostly in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. The word tharu is believed to be derived from sthavir, meaning followers of Theravada Buddhism.

What are earth-observation satellites used for?

Land and forest mapping and monitoring, mapping of resources like water or minerals or fishes, weather and climate observations, soil assessment, geospatial contour mapping are all done through earth-observation satellites.

The PESA Act conferred the absolute powers to Gram Sabha, whereas state legislature has given an advisory role to ensure the proper functioning of Panchayats and Gram Sabhas. The power delegated to Gram Sabha’s cannot be curtailed by a higher level, and there shall be independence throughout. Following powers and functions have been provided to the Gram Sabhas:

• Protection of traditional belief, the culture of the tribal communities
• Resolution of the local disputes
• Prevention of land alienation
• Management and protection of the common properties based on their traditions
• Management of village markets
• Right to control production, distillation, and prohibition of liquor
• Exercise of control over money-lending
• Any other rights involving the Scheduled Tribes.

• Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India.
• Administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and State Legislative Assemblies and the offices of the President and Vice President.
• Part XV of the Indian constitution deals with elections, and establishes a commission for these matters.
• Article 324 to 329 of the constitution deals with powers, function, tenure, eligibility, etc of the commission and the members.
• Originally, it had only one election commissioner but after the Election Commissioner Amendment Act 1989, it has been made a multi-member body. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • Presently, it consists of one Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and two Election Commissioners (ECs) - appointed by the President.
  • They hold office for a term of 6 years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) was started in 2009, as the flagship program of the ECI for voter education. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • Primary goal is to build an inclusive & participative democracy by encouraging all eligible citizens to vote and make an informed decision & ethical choice.

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana is a National Mission for Financial Inclusion to ensure access to financial services, namely, Banking/Savings & Deposit Accounts, Remittance, Credit, Insurance, Pension in an affordable manner. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Its main objective is ensuring access to various financial services to the excluded sections i.e. weaker sections & low income groups at an affordable cost and using the technology for the same.
• It allows the Jan Dhan account holders to withdraw money upto ?10,000 (OverDraft Facility) in the form of a short-term loan. This limit was earlier ?5,000 but the government doubled the amount last year. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The number of accounts under the PMJDY rose to 43.04 crore in August 2021 from 17.9 crore in August 2015.
• There has been a continuous increase in the percentage of operative accounts which is an indication that more and more of these accounts are being used by customers on a regular basis. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

• About Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvIT):
  • They are designed to pool small sums of money from a number of investors to invest in assets that give cash flow over a period of time. Part of this cash flow would be distributed as a dividend back to investors.
    • They are instruments that work like mutual funds. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • InvITs are structured so as to give investors an opportunity to invest in infrastructure assets with predictable cash flows, while the asset owners can raise upfront resources against future revenue cash flows from those assets, which in turn can be deployed in new assets or used to repay debt.
  • InvITs are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  • The minimum investment amount in an InvIT Initial Public Offering (IPO) is Rs 10 lakh, therefore, InvITs are suitable for high net worth individuals, institutional and non-institutional investors. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Scores of people were killed in several explosions at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai Airport.

The Afghan offshoot of the terror organization “Islamic State,” known as ISIS-Khorasan, IS-K or ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the attacks.

• Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISK) is also known as ISISK, IS-KP, or ISIS-K. The group takes its name from the Khorasan Province, an area that once included wide swaths of Afghanistan, Iran and central Asia in the Middle Ages.
• Areas of operation: It is a militant branch of the ISIS, mainly active in the border region of eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan (Nangarhar province in the eastern part of Afghanistan bordering Pakistan). However, its area of operations also includes other parts of South Asia, such as India where individuals have pledged allegiance to it.
• Formation: It was set up in 2015
• Activities: IS-K has targeted Afghan security forces, Afghan politicians and ministries, the Taliban, religious minorities, including Shia Muslims and Sikhs, US and NATO forces, and international agencies, including aid organisations. However, it has failed to hold any territory in the region, suffering huge losses because of Taliban and US-led military operations.
• Members: It recruits both Afghan and Pakistani jihadists. it mainly comprises defectors from Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) and Afghan Taliban who don't see their own organisation as extreme enough. However, some maintain that ISKP is run by Pakistan’s Inter State Intelligence.
• Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also the chairperson of the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial Trust, inaugurated the renovated Jallianwala Bagh complex in Amritsar on August 28.

• In 2019, approximately Rs 20 crore was earmarked by the Centre for the commemoration of 100 years of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
• Restoration and conservation work, and the building of facilities such as toilets, ticketing counters, and drinking water, have been undertaken by the Ministry of Culture.
• The famous ‘Shahidi Khu’ or Martyrs Well, into which people jumped to escape the hail of bullets, is now enclosed in a glass shield — a controversial decision that has been criticised since it is perceived to restrict the view.
• The monument was first opened by then President Dr Rajendra Prasad on April 13, 1961, as a grateful nation’s tribute to the victims of the massacre on April 13, 1919, when a large crowd had gathered at the Bagh to protest the arrest of nationalist leaders Saifuddin Kitchlu and Satya Pal.
• In response to the massive gathering, the British officer Col. Reginald Edward Harry Dyer ordered his troops to fire into the crowd, killing several hundred people.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Union Minister of Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal Announces Major Plans for boosting AYUSH initiatives in Northeast.

• Financial provision of Rs 70 crore, under National Ayush Mission(NAM) support, is to be provided for establishment of a new Ayurvedic College at Dudhnoi in Goalpara, Assam.
• The Ministry of AYUSH has also decided to upgrade the Government Ayurvedic College in Guwahati and develop it as a Centre of Excellence and a sum of Rs 10 crore as financial grant is to be provided in this regard.
• as many as 1000 new Health & Wellness Centres (HWC), as part of the National Ayush Mission (NAM) Scheme, will be opened in the NE states for growth and development of Ayush systems. With an aim to boost the popularity of traditional medicines provided by Ayush, the minister also announced setting up of 100 Ayush dispensaries under NAM in the north east region.
• It is also envisaged to set up Regional Raw Drug Repository (RRDR) in NE states in collaboration with National Institute of Bio-resources and sustainable development in Imphal, Manipur under Department of Bio-Technology.
• The Ayush medical facilities under North-eastern State governments, central government and teaching hospitals in Ayush Colleges will be brought under Ayush-Health Management Information System (AHMIS) so as to develop digital data base of Ayush interventions in various disease management.
• Hence both statements are correct.

The Association of Renewable Energy of States (AREAS) celebrated its 7th Foundation Day yesterday.

• On this occasion Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) were signed between AREAS and the three institutions, National Institute of Solar Energy, National Institute of Wind Energy and Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Bio Energy which function under the administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• Association of Renewable Energy Agencies (AREAS) came into existence on 27 08.2014 on the initiative of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy.
• All State Nodal Agencies for renewable energy are members of AREAS. On this platform, they can learn from each came into existence and other’s experience in promotion of renewable energy in the country.
• Hence only statement 2 is correct.