QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 06 JANUARY 2018

Solution: c.

The base effect refers to the impact of the rise in price level (i.e. last year’s inflation) in the previous year over the corresponding rise in price levels in the current year (i.e., current inflation): if the price index had risen at a high rate in the corresponding period of the previous year leading to a high inflation rate, some of the potential rise is already factored in, therefore a similar absolute increase in the Price index in the current year will lead to a relatively lower inflation rates. On the other hand, if the inflation rate was too low in the corresponding period of the previous year, even a relatively smaller rise in the Price Index will arithmetically give a high rate of current inflation.

http://www.arthapedia.in/index.php?title=Base_Effect;

Q28, CS(P) 2011: https://www.gktoday.in/solution-of-the-upsc-prelims-2011-general-studies-paper/;

Source/Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/gdp-growth-seen-slowing-to-4-year-low-of-65-in-2017-18/article22378942.ece;

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Solution: d.

The right to privacy is valued and cherished for it involves the most intimate decisions and choices. The individual is absolutely autonomous in her territory. She is free to err, resolve and experiment. She is informed and independent to make her own decisions. Privacy is freedom giving as well as empowering in this sense. The right to engage in sexual intercourse is an intrinsic part of the right to privacy. Privacy has to invariably contain the right to bodily integrity, self-determination and sexual autonomy.

• In S. Puttaswamy (2017) … Justice J. Chelameswar in clear terms held, “I do not think that anybody would like to be told by the state as to what they should eat or how they should dress or whom they should be associated with either in their personal, social or political life.” Likewise, it seems to follow that individuals must be free from the interference of the state in matters of their sexual choices, or even in choosing their sexual partner.
• The judgment in Suresh Kumar Koushal (2013) upholding the criminalisation of voluntary sexual intercourse between those of the same sex remains a serious blow to the right to sexual freedom.

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/this-too-is-a-right/article22378799.ece;

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Solution: d.

Joseph Shine v. Union of India, the petition challenging the constitutional validity of the criminal prohibition on adultery under Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code, has now been referred to the Constitution Bench by the Supreme Court.

• The petition was admitted by the court with the preliminary observation that the provision attacks the independent identity of the woman and is archaic in its nature. As widely argued, on the intuitive grounds of both directly discriminating against men and indirectly discriminating against women, there are overwhelming reasons why the apex court should strike down this provision.
• However, there is much less discussion on another significant aspect of adultery law: the right to sexual privacy… The problem is with the fact that adultery is made a penal offence. Adultery covers sexual intercourse between consenting adults. What is under challenge is a punitive provision that existed since 1860, which crystallised Victorian notions of sexuality. To prescribe a criminal penalty for a voluntary sexual activity is strikingly disproportionate.

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/this-too-is-a-right/article22378799.ece

Solution: d.

Geolocation is the process of finding, determining and providing the exact location of a computer, networking device or equipment. It commonly uses Global Positioning System (GPS) and other related technologies (cell site/tower triangulation, wi-fi positioning) to assess and specify geographical locations.

Besides GPS, geolocation also may be identified through an Internet Protocol (IP) address, media access control (MAC) address, radio frequency (RF) systems, Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) data and other wireless positioning systems.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/192803/geolo.html;

https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1935/geolocation;

Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/enabling-a-law/article22378707.ece;

Solution: d.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had recently issued regulations that required food companies selling organic produce to get certified with one of the two authorities — National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) or the Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India).

• For nearly two decades now, organic farming certification had been done through a process of third party certification under the NPOP. It was run by the Ministry of Commerce and was used for certifying general exports. Nearly 24 agencies were authorised by the NPOP to verify farms, storages and processing units and successful ones got a special ‘India Organic’ logo.
• The PGS-India programme, in contrast, had been around for only two years and — unlike the top-down approach of the NPOP — involves a peer-review approach. Here, farmers played a role in certifying whether the farms in their vicinity adhered to organic-cultivation practices. This programme was implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture through the National Centre of Organic Farming.
• The FSSAI has introduced the ‘Jaivik Bharat’ logo; this one is among a few special logos on packaging of foods that is used to identify foods as organic.

http://www.fssai.gov.in/home/about-us/introduction.html;

Source/Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/label-mandatory-for-food-certified-as-organic-from-july/article22378459.ece;

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