Daily Current Affairs MCQ - December 6, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

• Article 2: Parliament may by law admit into the Union, or establish, new States on such terms and conditions as it thinks fit. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
  • However, Parliament cannot establish a new territory into the Union of India by passing a law, that can only be done through a constitutional amendment.
  • States like Sikkim (previously not within India) became a part of the country under Article 2.
• Article 3: It empowered the Parliament to make law relating to the formation of new states and alteration of existing states. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

South Korea to get the world's first floating city by 2025! And it will be built off the coast of South Korea, and work on it will likely be completed as early as 2025.

The Defence Ministry gave its final clearance to over Rs 5,000 crore deal with Russia to manufacture 7.5 lakh AK-203 assault rifles in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi.

• Recently, the government has revised the base year for Wage Rate Index (WRI) to 2016 which will replace the old series with a base of 1963-65. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • The Wage Rate Index Number measures the relative changes in wage rates over a period of time, high or low Wage Rate Index in an industry does not necessarily indicate high or low wage rate in that industry as compared to other industries.
  • A base year is the first of a series of years in an economic or financial index and is typically set to an arbitrary level of 100.
• The Ministry of Labour & Employment has released a new series of Wage Rate Index (WRI) with base year 2016, being compiled and maintained by the Labour Bureau, an attached office of the ministry. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • It is based on the recommendations of the International Labour Organization and the National Statistical Commission.
• The new series on WRI has been compiled on a half-year basis (on the first of January and July every year) as against the annual in the existing series.
  • The new WRI basket (2016=100) has enhanced the scope and coverage in terms of occupations and industries as compared to old WRI series (1963-65=100).
  • Of the 37 industries covered in the new series, 16 new ones - including textile garments, footwear and petroleum - have been added under the manufacturing sector.
  • In the new series, the oil mining industry has been introduced in the basket in place of mica mines industry, to make the mining sector more representative of the three different kinds of mining namely coal, metal and oil. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • Total 3 plantation industries namely tea, coffee and rubber have been retained in the new WRI basket with enhanced coverage.
  • The top five industries - motor vehicles, coal mines, textile garments, iron & steel and cotton textiles together account for 46% of the total weight.

Arunachal Pradesh government has roped in bolloywood actor Sanjay Dutt as the brand ambassador for '50 Years of Arunachal Pradesh' celebration.

Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated "Remote Competence Examination for Seafarers" through video conferencing in New Delhi.

• The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is one of the three Financial Parliamentary committees, the other two are the Estimates Committee and the Committee on Public Undertakings.
• Parliamentary committees draw their authority from Article 105 (on privileges of Parliament members) and Article 118 (on Parliament’s authority to make rules for regulating its procedure and conduct of business).
• The Public Accounts Committee was introduced in 1921 after its first mention in the Government of India Act, 1919 also called Montford Reforms.
• It presently comprises 22 members (15 members elected by the Lok Sabha Speaker, and 7 members elected by the Rajya Sabha Chairman) with a term of one year only.
• It was framed with the purpose of ascertaining whether money granted to the Government by the Parliament has been spent by the former within the “scope of demand” or not, the PAC restricts any Minister from being elected as a member of it.
• Hence, option A is correct

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that due to low pressure region in the Bay of Bengal is "Cyclone Jawad" occurred, which is reached the coast of North Andhra Pradesh and Odisha around, with the wind speed ranging up to 100 kilometres per hour.

• Article 217 of the Constitution states that the Judge of a High Court shall be appointed by the President in consultation with the Chief Justice of India (CJI), the Governor of the State. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
  • In the case of appointment of a Judge other than the Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the High Court is consulted.
  • The high court judge retires at the age of 62 years.
• Consultation Process: High Court judges are recommended by a Collegium comprising the CJI and two senior-most judges. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • The proposal, however, is initiated by the Chief Justice of the High Court concerned in consultation with two senior-most colleagues.
  • The recommendation is sent to the Chief Minister, who advises the Governor to send the proposal to the Union Law Minister.
  • The Chief Justice of India would, in consultation with the two senior most Judges of the Supreme Court, form his opinion in regard to a person to be recommended for appointment to the High Court.

• Recently, several tribal outfits in Tripura have joined hands to push their demand for a separate state, Greater Tipraland for indigenous communities in the region.
  • Among the political parties that have come together for the cause are TIPRA Motha (Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance) and IPFT (Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura).
• Tripura was a kingdom ruled by the Manikya dynasty from the late 13^th century until the signing of the Instrument of Accession with the Indian government in 1949. Hence, option B is correct.
• The joint forum has also pointed out that the indigenous people have not only been reduced to a minority, but have also been dislodged from land reserved for them by the penultimate king of the Manikya dynasty Bir Bikram Kishore Debbarman.