QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 27 July 2017

Solution: b.

A GK question. Helpful, from a mains perspective.

The three reforms give the justice minister and MPs broad powers and have prompted alarm from the US, as well as the EU.

• The first reform requires all Supreme Court judges to step down and gives the justice minister the power to decide who should stay on (vetoed)
• The second gives politicians control over who sits on the National Judiciary Council which nominates Supreme Court judges (vetoed)
• The third gives the justice minister the right to select and dismiss judges in lower courts

BBC: Poland’s President vetoes judicial reforms;

TH: Poles apart;

Solution: a.

The Gold Monetisation Scheme will put to productive use idle gold holdings, not the SGB scheme.

• The main objective of the SGB scheme was to develop a financial asset as an alternative to purchasing metal gold.
• The target was to shift part of the estimated 300 tons of physical bars and coins purchased every year for Investment into ‘demat’ gold bonds.

PIB: Revision of guidelines of SGB scheme;

Solution: d.

In the news: In a major recognition of India’s efforts to benchmark global spices trade, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) has adopted three Codex standards for black, white and green pepper, cumin and thyme, paving the way for universal agreement on identifying quality spices in various countries. The Codex standards were adopted in the wake of India conducting three sessions of Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) at Kochi (2014), Goa (2015) and Chennai (2017).

• The Codex Alimentarius, or “Food Code” is a collection of standards, guidelines and codes of practice adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The Commission, also known as CAC, is the central part of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme and was established by FAO and WHO to protect consumer health and promote fair practices in food trade.
• Codex standards ensure that food is safe and can be traded. The 188 Codex members have negotiated science based recommendations in all areas related to food safety and quality: food hygiene; maximum limits for food additives; residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs; and maximum limits and codes for the prevention of chemical and microbiological contamination. Codex food safety texts are a reference in WTO trade disputes.

About the CCSCH: The 36th session of CAC, which met in Rome from July 1-5, 2013, deliberated on the proposal from India for establishing an exclusive committee for spices and culinary herbs under the aegis of the CAC. The CAC later approved the proposal with unanimous support of the member-countries. It heralded the creation of CCSCH, with India as the host country and Spices Board as the Secretariat. This was the first new Codex commodity committee to be approved in the past 25 years.

About Codex Alimentarius;

Solution: c.

• Pagdi, pag, turban, topi, cap, headgear are the part of daily men’s attire, sometimes women too, along with Indian traditional wear. These were specially designed for occasional and ceremonial bases.
• Each phase of Indian history show some distinct or peculiar style of wearing pag. Maurya-Sunga period evidences show the tying of pag in two stages, top-knot for covering the hair bun and then covers the head. During the medieval period also we witnessed the interesting types of headgear such as; Akbar’s ‘atpati turban’, was famous which was like a loosely worn, carefree style turban. It is believed that Shah Jahan introduced the ‘turban band’, which was tied above the band to secure the turban. It is believed that Aurangzeb use to make his own cap. The last Mughal ruler Bahadurshah Zafar’s ‘Chugani’ or ‘Chaugoshia’ cap has four raised points.
• Jaapi is a traditional conical hat from Assam.

PIB;

Solution: a.

• SHe-Box portal: The Minister of Women & Child Development recently launched an online complaint management system titled Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box) for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace. The complaint management system has been developed to ensure the effective implementation of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (the SH Act), 2013.
• Aarambh mobile app: This Mobile Phone App aims at use of GIS based mapping for making road inventories, condition surveys, and producing cost estimates and other relevant data for preparation and monitoring of annual road maintenance plans. Its usage would greatly enhance the service delivery of the state level institutions in planning and implementing performance based rural roads maintenance contracts.
• Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2017: The Bill aims to establish a legal framework for consolidation of related laws to replace the age old archaic laws with modern Indian legislation and to confer admiralty jurisdiction on all High Courts of the coastal states of the country.
  • As per the new Bill, High Courts of all the coastal states shall exercise admiralty jurisdiction over maritime claims which include several aspects not limited to goods imported and chattel as earlier, but also other claims such as payment of wages of seamen, loss of life, salvages, mortgage, loss or damage, services and repairs, insurance, ownership and lien, threat of damage to environment etc.
  • The Bill accords highest priority to payment of wages of the seafarers. The Bill also provides for protection against wrongful and unjustified arrest and has provision for transfer of cases from one High Court to other High Court.

PIB1; PIB2; PIB3;