Daily Current Affairs MCQ - December 16, 2021 - UPSC MCQ

At a joint press conference with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Canberra earlier this week, South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in said North Korea and South Korea, the US, and China had agreed in principle to declare a formal end to the Korean War.

• The Korean War lasted from 1950 to 1953 and the Armistice Agreement brought about a cessation of hostilities in July 1953. Both North and South Korea have technically remained at war since.
• Since Moon Jae-in became president, engagement with North Korea has remained an important part of his foreign policy. In addition, he has also been a vocal proponent of ending hostilities and conflict with Pyongyang.
• Over the past few years, particularly during Donald Trump’s presidency, there has been unusual development in DPRK-US relations.
• In June 2018, DPRK leader Kim Jong Un met with Trump in Singapore for a historical summit, becoming the first North Korean leader to meet a sitting US president.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Wholesale inflation, based on the Wholesale Price Index, jumped to 14.23 per cent in November from 12.54 per cent in October (on a year-on-year basis), data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry showed.

• It was primarily due to rise in food prices especially of vegetables, and minerals and petroleum products
• This is the highest level of wholesale inflation in the 2011-12 series and eighth consecutive month in which it has stayed at double-digit level.
• This comes after the retail inflation print for November, had shown a spike to a three-month high of 4.91 per cent despite a cut in excise duty on fuels. The wide gap between WPI and CPI inflation reflects the price pressures on the inputs side, which are expected to pass through to the retail level in the coming months.

Gap between WPI and CPI inflation

• Despite not being a policy tool, the surge in the WPI is a cause of worry. While the CPI-based retail inflation — the more widely tracked policy tool — looks at the price at which the consumer buys goods, the WPI tracks prices at the wholesale, or factory gate/mandi levels.
• Between the wholesale price and the retail price, the difference essentially is the former only tracks basic prices devoid of transportation cost, taxes and the retail margin etc.
• And that WPI pertains to only goods, not services. So, the WPI basically captures the average movement of wholesale prices of goods and is primarily used as a GDP deflator (the ratio of the value of goods an economy produces in a particular year at current prices to that of prices that prevailed during the base year).
• Hence both statements are correct.

• Goa is located on the southwestern coast of India within the region known as the Konkan, and geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Official Language of Goa is Konkani.
  • Konkani is one of the 22 languages from the Eight Schedule. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • It was added in the list along with Manipuri and Nepali by the 71st Amendment Act of 1992.
• It is surrounded by Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the east and south, with the Arabian Sea forming its western coast.
• Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks:
  • Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
  • Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary
  • Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary
  • Mollem National Park

• The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 provides for the formation of autonomous administrative divisions — Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) — that have some legislative, judicial, and administrative autonomy within a state. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • The Sixth Schedule contains special provisions for the administration of tribal areas in the four north-eastern states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
• The tribal areas in these four states have been constituted as autonomous districts. The governor is empowered to organise and re-organise the autonomous districts. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • The acts of Parliament or the state legislature do not apply to autonomous districts or apply with specified modifications and exceptions.
  • The power of direction, in this regard, lies either with the President or Governor.
• The district and regional councils administer the areas under their jurisdiction.
  • They can make laws on certain specified matters like land, forests, canal water, shifting cultivation, village administration, the inheritance of property, marriage and divorce, social customs and so on. But all such laws require the assent of the Governor.
  • They can constitute village councils or courts for trial of suits and cases between the tribes. They hear appeals from them. The jurisdiction of the high court over these suits and cases is specified by the governor.
  • The district council can establish, construct or manage primary schools, dispensaries, markets, ferries, fisheries, roads and so on in the district.
  • They are empowered to assess and collect land revenue and to impose certain specified taxes. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

• The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) in criminal matters are the bilateral treaties entered between the countries for providing international cooperation and assistance.
  • These agreements allow for the exchange of evidence and information in criminal and related matters between the signing countries. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal Ministry and the Central authority for seeking and providing mutual legal assistance in criminal law matters. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
  • The Ministry of External Affairs may be involved in this process when such requests are routed through diplomatic channels by these Ministries.
• As of November 2019, India has entered into Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties/Agreements with 42 countries.
  • Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters between the Government of India and Poland. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

• The UNs Charter established six main organs of the United Nations, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Article 23 of the UN Charter concerns the composition of the UNSC. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • The UNSC has been given primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security to the Security Council, which may meet whenever peace is threatened.
• The UNSC is composed of 15 members, 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent.
  • The ten non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly.
  • As stipulated in rule 144 of the rules of procedure, a retiring member is not eligible for immediate re-election.
  • In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election is held by secret ballot and there are no nominations. Under rule 83 of the rules of procedure, the non-permanent members of the Security Council are elected by a two-thirds majority. Hence, statement 2 and statement 3 are correct.

What is seabuckthorn?

It’s a shrub which produces an orange-yellow coloured edible berry. In India, it is found above the tree line in the Himalayan region, generally in dry areas such as the cold deserts of Ladakh and Spiti. In Himachal Pradesh, it is locally called chharma and grows in the wild in Lahaul and Spiti and parts of Kinnaur.

As a folk medicine, seabuckthorn has been widely used for treating stomach, heart and skin problems. In the last few decades, scientific research worldwide has backed many of its traditional uses. “Its fruit and leaves are rich in vitamins, carotenoids and omega fatty acids, among other substances, and it can help troops in acclimatising to high-altitude

Besides being an important source of fuelwood and fodder, seabuckthorn is a soil-binding plant which prevents soil-erosion, checks siltation in rivers and helps preserve floral biodiversity.

About 80% of India’s electricity generation is from fossil fuels. Among fossil fuels, coal constitutes the maximum share in electricity generation in India.

The agency also conducted “Operation Birbil” to curb illegal trade in wild cat and wild bird species.

The other operations include “Operation Freefly” on illegal trade of live birds and “Operation Wetmark” to ensure prohibition of sale of meat of wild animals in wet markets across the country.

“Operation Wildnet”, “Operation Wildnet-II”, “Operation Wildnet-III” and “Operation Wildnet-IV” were aimed to draw the attention of the enforcement agencies within the country to focus their attention on the ever-increasing illegal wildlife trade over internet using social media platforms.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the farmers during the valedictory session of the National Summit on Agro and Food Processing on 16th December 2021 at 11 AM in Anand, Gujarat via video conferencing.

• The Government of Gujarat is organizing the National Summit on Agro and Food Processing, with focus on Natural Farming.
• The three day Summit is being organized from 14th to 16th December, 2021.
• It is being attended by over 5000 farmers who will be present in the Summit, apart from farmers being connecting Live through Central Institutes of ICAR, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and ATMA (Agricultural Technology Management Agency) network in the States.
• The Summit brings in focus on natural farming.
• Zero Budget Natural Farming is a promising tool to minimize the dependence of farmers on purchased inputs, and reduces the cost of agriculture by relying on traditional field based technologies which lead to improved soil health.
• Desi cow, its dung and urine play an important role from which various inputs are made on the farm and provide necessary nutrients to soil.
• Other traditional practices such mulching the soil with biomass or keeping the soil covered with green cover round the year, even in the very low water availability situations, ensure sustained productivity even from the first year of adoption.
• Hence both statements are correct.