Daily Current Affairs MCQ- August 25, 2022 - UPSC MCQ

Only over 7% of over 5,297 individuals in India with diabetes were able to achieve their blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol targets, according to a recent paper published in the Lancet - Diabetes and Endocrinology.

• The latest results of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-India Diabetes (INDIAB) study, conducted in 27 States (unified Andhra Pradesh), two Union Territories and the National Capital Territory have stressed the need to have better control over various health parameters that impact mortality and quality of life.
• The report “Achievement of guideline recommended diabetes treatment targets and health habits in people with self-reported diabetes in India (ICMR-INDIAB-13): a national cross-sectional study” reasons that achievement of treatment targets remains sub optimal in India, in a pan-Indian study, and goes on to provide hints for shaping the health care response to the crises.
• Higher education, male sex, rural residence, and shorter duration of diabetes (under 10 years) were associated with better achievement of combined achievement of targets
• For the outcome assessment, good glycaemic control was defined as HbA1c of less than 7·0% (A), blood pressure control was defined as less than 140/90 mm Hg (B), and the LDL cholesterol target was defined as less than 100 mg/dL (C).
• ABC control was defined as the proportion of individuals meeting glycaemic, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol targets together.
• Only just over 36% of 4,834 people with diabetes achieved good glycaemic (blood sugar) control, over 48% achieved blood pressure control, and 41·5%, achieved good LDL cholesterol control.

Hence both statements are correct.

India’s first Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit 2022 held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat witnessed letter of intents (LoIs) worth more than Rs.9000 crore in major categories like FMCG, Medical Value Travel (Heal in India), Pharma, Technology & Diagnostic and Farmers & Agriculture.

• The assurances of investment include more than Rs. 7000 crore from FMCG, around 1000 crore from Medical Value Travel (MVT), around 345 Crores from Pharma sector, 300 crore for Farmers & Agri category and around Rs.60 crore in the Technology & Diagnostic category.
• Five significant MoUs were signed in the presence of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during the inaugural session of the event on 20 April 2022.
• During the event, a total of 12 MoUs were also signed between the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush and various prestigious research institutes including IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, ICMR NITM, AIIMS, CSIR, NIPER, NIMHANS, JNU, ICGB, AVP, TDU.
• The Summit was organized in line with Sustainable Development Goal Number 3 of promoting “Good Health and Well-being”.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Aiming to give a boost to the export value chain, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Research Development Corporation (NRDC).

• The MoU has been signed for the implementation of the Agri Export Policy announced by Government of India in 2018 and to strengthen the export value chain.
• NRDC is an enterprise of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India.
• It was established in 1953 with the primary objective to promote, develop and commercialize the technologies, know-how, inventions, and patents.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The first day of the Two-day Conference and Exhibition on the Indian National Calendar as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav concluded in Ujjain.

• The 'Indian National Calendar,' which was officially established by India’s Parliament in 1957, is a scientific statement of India's identity. This was an act of reclaiming our identity after independence.
• The Indian national calendar, sometimes called the Saka calendar, is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar, by The Gazette of India, in news broadcasts by All India Radio and in calendars and communications issued by the Government of India.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

India is designated as the Guest of Honour Country at the Paris Book Festival 2022 being organized from 21st to 24th April, 2022 as announced under the PM Narendra Modi – President Emmanuel Macron Joint Statement released in 2018 during the French President’s visit to New Delhi.

• The Paris Book Festival was inaugurated on 21st April 2022. India Pavilion at the Paris Book Festival was inaugurated on same day.
• The India Pavilion which has been designed by National Institute of Design (NID), houses more than 15 digital and physical exhibitions displaying over 400 books published in various Indian languages representing the works of 65 Indian publishers.

Hence both statements are correct.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has proposed a new law that will help international aircraft leasing companies to repossess and transfer planes out of India in case of a financial dispute with an Indian airline.

Cape Town Convention & Protocol:

• The Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment was concluded in Cape Town in November 2001, as was the Protocol on Matters Specific to Aircraft Equipment.
• 83 countries, including India, have signed and ratified the Convention & the Protocol.
• India acceded to the Convention and the Protocol in March, 2008 which after a waiting period of three months became effective in July, 2008.

Objective:

• The primary aim of the Convention and the Protocol is to resolve the problem of obtaining certain and opposable rights to high-value aviation assets, namely airframes, aircraft engines and helicopters which, by their nature, have no fixed location.

The convention & the protocol was jointly adopted by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT).

• ICAO, a specialized agency of the UN, changes the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth.
• UNIDROIT is an intergovernmental organization whose objective is to harmonize international private law across countries through uniform rules, international conventions, and the production of model laws, sets of principles, guides and guidelines.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has proposed a new law that will help international aircraft leasing companies to repossess and transfer planes out of India in case of a financial dispute with an Indian airline.

Draft Protection & Enforcement of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2022:

• The Bill implements the provisions of the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and Protocol on Matters Specific to Aircraft Equipment which was adopted at a conference in Cape Town in 2001. 
• These provide default remedies for the creditor and create a legal regime for disputes.
• The proposed law provides remedies such as repossession of an aircraft object, or its sale or lease or collection of income from its use as well as de-registration and export of planes.
• It also suggests remedies pending final adjudication of a claim as well as safeguards a debtor's claim during insolvency proceedings against its Indian buyer.

Hence both statements are correct.

NITI Aayog released a draft battery swapping policy under which all metropolitan cities with a population above 40 lakh will be prioritised for development of battery swapping network under the first phase.

NITI Aayog’s Draft Battery Swapping Policy:

• During Budget 2022-2023, the Central Government announced plans to introduce a Battery Swapping Policy and interoperability standards, with the intent of building and improving the efficiency of the battery swapping ecosystem, thereby driving EV adoption.
• The overall vision is to catalyse the large-scale adoption of EVs by improving efficient and effective use of scarce resources (viz. public funds, land, and raw materials for advanced cell batteries) for the delivery of customer centric services.
  The Policy addresses key technical, regulatory, institutional, and financing challenges that will help develop battery swapping ecosystems to unlock the large-scale adoption of battery swapping in India.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

The state government of Meghalaya is preparing the groundwork to convert the state into a hub of legalised gambling, online gaming and online betting.

Central Laws related to Gambling/Betting:

• Under the 7th Schedule of the Constitution, the state governments have the exclusive power to enact their own laws on Gambling/Betting for their own territory.
• Public Gambling Act, 1867, a colonial-era statute still in force, has been adopted by several states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. Other states like Goa, Sikkim etc have enacted their own pieces of legislation to regulate Gambling/Betting related activities within their territories.
• The Lotteries Regulation Act, 1998: Lottery is considered legal in India. Lottery should be organised by the state government and the place of Draw should be in that particular state.
• Indian Penal Code, 1860: The code has provisions for punishing anyone who to the annoyance of others does any obscene act in a public place or sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place. These provisions of the IPC may be attracted if any obscene matter is used for the purpose of advertising betting and gambling activities
• Prize Competitions Act, 1955: It defines Prize in Competitions.
• Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999: Remittance of the income generated from lottery winning, racing/riding is prohibited
• Information Technology Rules, 2011: Any internet service provider, network service provider or any search engine will not host any such content which directly or indirectly supports Gambling.
• Income Tax Act, 1961: Current taxation policy in India covers all types of Gambling industry directly and indirectly. Thus, it can be said that all regulated & legalised Gambling is supported in GDP of India.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Two of five students, who had approached the court over the hijab row, were not allowed to write the exam at the centre since they wanted to appear wearing hijab.

• SC in Hindu Religious Endowment Madras Vs Sri Lakshmindra Thirtha Swamiar of Sri Shishur Mutt (1954) case states that term “religion” will cover all rituals and practices integral to a religion. It also said that “essentiality test” will determine the definition of core religious practices.
• After taking the judges through the key judgments of the Supreme Court on this matter, including most recently in the Sabarimala case, the Advocate General of India (AGI) K. Venugopal listed out the following principles which can be followed to determine whether any particular practice is an essential religious practice (ERP):
  • That practice has to be fundamental in nature for the religion.
  • If not followed, the religion would change.
  • Not every activity associated with religion can be characterised as an essential religious practice - when it comes to food or dress this has to be conclusively demonstrated to the court.
  • The practice in question should be something which has been part of the religion from the start, it should not be a subsequently developed practice.
  • The binding nature of the practice - is it optional or compulsory, and will a person face consequences for not following it.

Hence both statements are correct.