INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS (20 DECEMBER 2019) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (b)

Explanation: As per Article 279A of the amended Constitution, the GST Council will be a joint forum of the Center and the States. This Council shall consist of the following members namely: –

• The Union Finance Minister will be the Chairperson
• As a member, the Union Minister of State will be in charge of Revenue of Finance
• The Minister in charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated by each State government, as members.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/20/138911/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• First time since the introduction of one tax for all over the country, the Goods and Services Tax or GST Council headed by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman broke the tradition of taking decisions through consensus on Wednesday.
• In its 38th meeting, the move to fix a uniform rate on the lottery tickets across the country failed to generate a consensus and had to be put to vote.
• For a long time, the council had been discussing fixing rates for lotteries in the country. Today the council took up a proposal to fix a uniform 28 per cent tax rate on lottery effective March 1, 2020, all over the country.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/20/138911/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is an area within a country where there are different trade and business laws from the remaining regions of the country.
• Main objectives of establishing SEZs are:
  • Generation of additional economic activity
  • Promotion of exports of both goods and services
  • Generation of employment opportunities
  • Promotion of investment from foreign as well as domestic players
  • Development of infrastructure facilities
• Most number of SEZs in India is in the state of Tamil Nadu. Second is Telangana and Maharashtra comes in the third place.
• And, recently the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has notified setting up of Tripura’s first ever Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/20/tripura-gets-its-first-sez/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project or KLIP is a multi-purpose irrigation project on the Godavari River in Kaleshwaram, Bhoopalpally, Telangana, India.
• Currently the world’s largest multi-stage lift irrigation project, its farthest upstream influence is at the confluence of the Pranhita and Godavari rivers.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/20/kaleswaram-project-2/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Sahitya Academy Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the major Indian languages (24 languages, including the 22 listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution)

Refer: Facts For Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/20/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-20-december-2019/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Balimela Reservoir is on the river Sileru which is situated in the Maikangiri District of Odisha State.

Refer: Facts For Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/20/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-20-december-2019/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• RBI to carry out US-style ‘Operation Twist’ to bring down interest rates.
• ‘Operation Twist’ is when the central bank uses the proceeds from sale of short-term securities to buy long-term government debt papers, leading to easing of interest rates on the long term papers.

Refer: Facts For Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/20/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-20-december-2019/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

The Rajbongshis, the largest Scheduled Caste (SC) group of West Bengal, are all set to shut down parts of north Bengal from early January in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The organisers of the planned stir said that two key platforms of Rajbongshis had come together to lead the agitation.

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Bangladesh has not sent a delegation for the Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting with India that was scheduled to be held here on Wednesday. This has cast a shadow over the agreement to share the waters of the Feni river that was taken up during the October visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India.
• That apart, the meeting cancellation is also expected to delay the preparation of draft framework for the Interim Sharing Agreements regarding the Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gomati, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers that were also mentioned in the Joint Statement.

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• The pass on the Ladakh Range is north of Leh and is the gateway to the Shyok and Nubra valleys.
• The pass is strategically important to India as it is used to carry supplies to the Siachen Glacier.
• Khardong La is historically important as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Central Asia. About 10,000 horses and camels used to take the route annually, and a small population of Bactrian camels can still be seen at Hunder, in the area north of the pass. During World War II there was an attempt to transfer war material to China through this route.