QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 05 JANUARY 2018

Solution: a.

GWP is a measure of how much energy the emissions of 1 ton of a gas will absorb over a given period of time, relative to the emissions of 1 ton of carbon dioxide (CO2). The larger the GWP, the more that a given gas warms the Earth compared to CO2 over that time period.

The scientific community has developed a number of other metrics that could be used for comparing one GHG to another. These metrics may differ based on timeframe, the climate endpoint measured, or the method of calculation.

The Global Temperature Potential (GTP) is one such alternative. It is a measure of the temperature change at the end of that time period (again, relative to CO2).The calculation of the GTP is more complicated than that for the GWP, as it requires modeling how much the climate system responds to increased concentrations of GHGs.

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/understanding-global-warming-potentials;

Improvisation: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42555568;

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Solution: c.

Both statements are correct.

The Protection of Human Rights Act (1993) provides for the establishment of Human Rights Court in every district for the speedy trial of violation of human rights.

• These courts can be set up by the state government only with the concurrence of the Chief Justice of the High Court of that state.
• For every Human Rights Court, the state government specifies a public prosecutor or appoints an advocate (who has practiced for seven years) as a special public prosecutor.

State Human Rights Commission, Indian Polity by M Laxmikanth;

Source/improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/why-no-exclusive-human-rights-courts-yet-supreme-court-asks-states/article22367101.ece;

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Solution: c.

Some provisions of the original bill (http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Sexual%20Harassment/Bill%20Summary.%20Sexual%20Harassment.pdf):

• A ‘Local Complaints Committee’ is required to be constituted in every district.
• An additional ‘Local Complaints Committee’ shall also be constituted at the block/ ward level to address complaints (i) where the complainant does not have recourse to an Internal Complaints Committee (applicable in cases where the workplace employees less than 10 people); (ii) where the complaint is against the employer himself.
• Members to each LCC shall be nominated by the District Officer.

However, following Parliamentary deliberations, the following amendment to the above provisions (related to the LCC) were made before the bill was passed by the Parliament (http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Sexual%20Harassment/Comparison%20of%20Bill,%20Act%20and%20Standing%20Committee%20Recommendations.pdf):

• The District Officer shall constitute a LCC at the district level to receive complaints from workplaces which do not have ICC (less than 10 workers) or if the complaint is against the employer.
• The District Officer shall designate one nodal officer in every block, taluka and tehsil to receive complaints and forward it to the concerned LCC within seven days (no provision now for the constitution of exclusive block/ward level LCCs.)

Improvisation and in the news (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/notice-to-govt-on-law-for-working-women/article22369086.ece): The Supreme Court asked the government to respond on a petition questioning the lack of implementation of the various provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act of 2013… The 2013 statutory law had replaced the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the historic Vishaka case judgment. The petition by the NGO Initiatives for Inclusion Foundation pointed out that governments at the State level had not even bothered to appoint district officers or local committees under the Act.

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Solution: a.

By the early nineteen seventies, the first generation Dalit graduates, especially those living in city slums began to assert themselves from various platforms. Dalit Panthers, a militant organisation of the Dalit youth, was formed in Maharashtra in 1972 as a part of these assertions. In the post-Independence period, Dalit groups were mainly fighting against the perpetual caste based inequalities and material injustices that the Dalits faced in spite of constitutional guarantees of equality and justice. Effective implementation of reservations and other such policies of social justice was one of their prominent demands.

Activities of Dalit Panthers mostly centred around fighting increasing atrocities on Dalits in various parts of the State. As a result of sustained agitations on the part of Dalit Panthers along with other like minded organisations over the issue of atrocities against Dalits, the government passed a comprehensive law in 1989 that provided for rigorous punishment for such acts. The larger ideological agenda of the Panthers was to destroy the caste system and to build an organisation of all oppressed sections like the landless poor peasants and urban industrial workers along with Dalits.

Politics in India since Independence, NCERT;

Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/state-of-conflict/article22369262.ece;

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Solution: a.

The “cancer train” commences from the Bathinda station every day to reach Rajasthan’s Bikaner, where patients undergo treatment at the Acharya Tulsi Regional Cancer Treatment and Research Centre. A majority of the patients are from the Malwa region of Punjab.

Experts say this “cancer train” symbolises the adverse impact of the Green Revolution on public health in Punjab. The rise in cancer cases in the region can be attributed to the indiscriminate use of agro-chemicals.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/on-board-cancer-train-with-hope-prayer-on-lips/article17411376.ece;

Improvisation: http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-law-for-the-indian-farmer-pesticide-management-bill-5010575/;