Insights Revision Through MCQs – 10 November 2019

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• A thunderstorm occurs when there is a raid upward movement of warm, moist air. As it moves upward, it loses heat and cools then compresses and form cumulonimbus clouds where air currents form water droplets and ice particles which collide with each other and build up static energy which causes thunder and lighting.
• Lightning is that sudden flash of electricity in the sky which can either be straight or forked. It is very hot, reaching a temperature of up to 54,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It can travel at a speed of up to 140,000 miles per hour.
• Difference Between Thunder and Lightning
  • Lightning is an electrical energy while thunder is a sound energy.
  • Both occur at the same time during a thunderstorm, but since light travels faster than sound, lightning is seen first before one can hear the sound of thunder.
  • Lightning is fast and very hot while thunder can usher in heavy rain and strong winds, but lightning is more dangerous and destructive than thunder.
  • Lightning is formed when water and ice particles collide with warm, moist air and build up static energy while thunder is formed by the fast expansion of gases in the electrical charge of lightning.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/11/11/how-lightning-strikes-2/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• The arguments in the matter were the second longest after the landmark Keshvanand Bharti case in 1973 during which the proceedings continued for 68 days
• First Mughal Emperor Babar is believed to have constructed Babri Masjid
• The three-domed mosque built by Mir Baqi commander of Mughal emperor Babur in 1528 is in the Jaunpuri style
• Doctrine of Adverse Possession
  • Under the “doctrine of adverse possession”, under which a person who is not the original owner becomes the owner because of the fact that he has been in possession of the property for a minimum of 12-years, within which the real owner did not seek legal recourse to oust him.
  • Adverse possession is possession of a property – which has to be continuous, uninterrupted and peaceful.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/11/11/ayodhya-verdict/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Harmonised System, or simply ‘HS’, is a six-digit identification code. Of the six digits, the first two denote the HS Chapter, the next two give the HS heading, and the last two give the HS subheading.
• Developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO).
• Called the “universal economic language” for goods.
• Recently Ministry of Commerce and Industry has allocated a separate Harmonised System (HS) code for Khadi.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/11/11/hs-code/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The fall armyworm, also known as Spodoptera frugiperda or fruit destroyer, loves to eat corn but also plagues many other crops vital to human food security, such as rice and jowar
• It is a native of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas.
• First detected in the African continent in 2016. Since then, it has spread to other countries such as China, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
• The pest can attack at least 80 types of crops including bajra, jawar, ragi, paddy, wheat and vegetables.
• In India: It was reported in India for the first-time in Karnataka. Within a span of only six months, almost 50 per cent of the country, including Mizoram, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal, has reported FAW infestations.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/11/11/fall-armyworm-faw-3/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• While the Plesiosaurs evolved long necks and small heads, their Pliosaur cousins went the opposite direction. Their necks were short and their heads were large, measuring up to 10 feet long. But much like plesiosaurs, pliosaurs were massive, growing up to 50 feet long and weighing almost 100,000 pounds

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/11/11/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-11-november-2019/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• In 2018, Following the recommendation of the Election Commission (EC), the President disqualified 20 MLAs of the Delhi Legislative Assembly last month for holding an ‘office of profit’. The legislators in question were appointed as parliamentary secretaries to various ministries in the Delhi government.
• MPs and MLAs, as members of the legislature, hold the government accountable for its work. The essence of disqualification under the office of profit law is if legislators holds an ‘office of profit’ under the government, they might be susceptible to government influence, and may not discharge their constitutional mandate fairly. The intent is that there should be no conflict between the duties and interests of an elected member. Hence, the office of profit law simply seeks to enforce a basic feature of the Constitution- the principle of separation of power between the legislature and the executive.
• What does Constitution says about holding an Office of Profit?
  • Under the provisions of Article 102 (1) and Article 191 (1) of the Constitution, an MP or an MLA (or an MLC) is barred from holding any office of profit under the central or state government. The articles clarify that “a person shall not be deemed to hold an office of profit under the government of India or the government of any state by reason only that he is a minister”. The Constitution specifies that the number of ministers including the Chief Minister has to be within 15% of the total number of members of the assembly (10% in the case of Delhi, which is a union territory with legislature).
  • Provisions of Articles 102 and 191 also protect a legislator occupying a government position if the office in question has been made immune to disqualification by law. In the recent past, several state legislatures have enacted laws exempting certain offices from the purview of office of profit. Parliament has also enacted the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959, which has been amended several times to expand the exempted list.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/11/07/office-of-profit-2/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• On 6 June 1997, a new sub-regional grouping was formed in Bangkok under the name BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand Economic Cooperation). Following the inclusion of Myanmar on 22 December 1997 during a special Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, the Group was renamed ‘BIMST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation). In 1998, Nepal became an observer. In February 2004, Nepal and Bhutan become full members.
• Permanent Secretariat located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• On 31 July 2004, in the first Summit the grouping was renamed as BIMSTEC or the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
• The Asian financial crisis was a period of financial crisis that gripped much of East Asia and Southeast Asia beginning in July 1997 and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown due to financial contagion.
• BIMSTEC V/S SAARC

• India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka are common members of both SAARC and BIMSTEC

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/11/07/bimstec-2/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• CICs are non-banking financial companies with asset size of ₹100 crore and above which carry on the business of acquisition of shares and securities, subject to certain conditions.
• CICs, which are allowed to accept public funds, hold not less than 90% of their net assets in the form of investment in equity shares, preference shares, bonds, debentures, debt or loans in group companies.
• Exemption: CICs having asset size of below Rs 100 crore are exempted from registration and regulation from the RBI, except if they wish to make overseas investments in the financial sector.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/11/07/core-investment-companies-cics/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Alternative Investment   Fund   or   AIF   means   any   fund   established   or incorporated  in  India  which  is  a  privately  pooled  investment  vehicle  which collects  funds  from sophisticated investors,  whether  Indian  or  foreign,  for investing itin accordance with a defined investment policy for the benefit of its investors
• AIF does   not   include   funds   covered   under   the   SEBI   (Mutual   Funds) Regulations, 1996, SEBI (Collective Investment Schemes) Regulations, 1999 or any other regulations of the Board to regulate fund management activities.
• Category I AIF:
  • Venture capital funds (Including Angel Funds)
  • SME Funds
  • Social Venture Funds
  • Infrastructure funds

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/11/07/alternative-investment-funds-aifs/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Sarvajna was a sixteenth-century poet in the Kannada language.
• He is famous for his pithy three-lined poems which are called tripadis, “with three padas, three-liners”, a form of Vachanas.
• He is also referred to as Sarvagna in modern translation.
• In all, about 2000 three-liners are attributed to Sarvajna.
• Popular because of their alliterative structure and simplicity, they deal mainly with social, ethical and religious issues. A number of riddles are also attributed to Sarvajna.
• Sattanar or Chithalai Sathanar was the Tamil poet who composed the epic Manimekalai.
• Thiruvalluvar is a celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher whose contribution to Tamil literature is the Thirukkural, a work on ethics. He is thought to have lived sometime between the 4th century BC and the 1st century BC.

Refer: Facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/11/07/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-07-november-2019/