INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS (24 DECEMBER 2019) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Constitution incorporates provisions guaranteeing everyone’s right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees protection of life and personal liberty to every citizen.
• The Supreme Court has held that the right to live with human dignity, enshrined in Article 21, derives from the directive principles of state policy and therefore includes protection of health. Further, it has also been held that the right to health is integral to the right to life and the government has a constitutional obligation to provide health facilities.
• Failure of a government hospital to provide a patient timely medical treatment results in violation of the patient’s right to life. Similarly, the Court has upheld the state’s obligation to maintain health services.
• Public interest petitions have been filed under Article 21 in response to violations of the right to health. They have been filed to provide special treatment to children in jail; on pollution hazards; against hazardous drugs; against inhuman conditions in after-care homes; on the health rights of mentally ill patients; on the rights of patients in cataract surgery camps ; for immediate medical aid to injured persons; on conditions in tuberculosis hospitals; on occupational health hazards; on the regulation of blood banks and availability of blood products; on passive smoking in public places; and in an appeal filed by a person with HIV on the rights of HIV/AIDS patients.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/24/mental-disorders-high-in-south-india/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Baha’is community are among the most persecuted religious minorities in the world.
  • In Iran, where the religion was founded, universities refuse to admit Baha’i students, Baha’i cemeteries have been destroyed and the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has confiscated properties from Baha’i families. Baha’is have also been discriminated against in Yemen and in Egypt.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/24/rohingya-crisis/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 on the initiative of the G7. It is a “policy-making body” which works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in various areas. The FATF Secretariat is housed at the OECD headquarters in Paris.
• Objectives: The objectives of the FATF are to set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/24/fatfs-another-150-questions-for-pakistan/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The original  FATF  Forty  Recommendations  were  drawn  up  in  1990  as  an  initiative  to  combat  the misuse of financial systems by persons laundering drug money. In 1996 the Recommendations were revised   for the first time to   reflect   evolving   money   laundering
• The 1996 Forty Recommendations have been endorsed by more than 130 countries and are the international anti-money laundering standard. In October 2001 the FATF expanded its mandate to deal with the issue of the financing of terrorism, and took the important step of creating the Eight Special Recommendations on Terrorist Financing. These Recommendations contain a set of measures aimed at combating the funding of terrorist acts and terrorist organisations, and are complementary to the Forty Recommendations
• The revised Forty Recommendations now apply not only to money laundering but also to terrorist financing, and when combined with the Eight Special Recommendations on Terrorist Financing provide an enhanced, comprehensive and consistent framework of measures for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/24/fatfs-another-150-questions-for-pakistan/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: QRSAM

• It has been developed to replace the ‘Akash’ missile defence system, and has 360-degree coverage.
• It uses solid fuel propellant and has a strike range of 25-30 km with capability of hitting multiple targets.
• It is capable of hitting the low flying objects.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/24/quick-reaction-surface-to-air-missiles-qrsam-3/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• National Green Corps is a programme of the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Government of India covering around 1,20,000 schools in India with NGC School Eco Clubs. Environmental activity in schools in India is promoted through the National Green Corps.
• Launched under the Environment Education Awareness and Training (EEAT), the National Green Corps (NGC) popularly known as “a programme of Ecoclubs” is a nationwide initiative of the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India (now Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/24/national-green-corps-ecoclub/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The Citizenship Act, 1955 regulates who may acquire Indian citizenship and on what grounds. A person may become an Indian citizen if they are born in India or have Indian parentage or have resided in the country for a period of time, etc.  However, illegal migrants are prohibited from acquiring Indian citizenship.  An illegal migrant is a foreigner who: (i) enters the country without valid travel documents, like a passport and visa, or (ii) enters with valid documents, but stays beyond the permitted time period

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/24/detention-centres-for-illegal-migrants/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• A Government Security (G-Sec) is a tradable instrument issued by the Central Government or the State Governments. It acknowledges the Government’s debt obligation. Such securities are short term (usually called treasury bills, with original maturities of less than one year) or long term (usually called Government bonds or dated securities with original maturity of one year or more).
• G-Secs are issued through auctions conducted by RBI.
• Floatation of State Government Loans (State Development Loans): As per the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the RBI may, by agreement with any State Government undertake the management of the public debt of that State.
• Accordingly, the RBI has entered into agreements with 29 State Governments and one Union Territory (UT of Puducherry) for management of their public debt.
• In India, the Central Government issues both, treasury bills and bonds or dated securities while the State Governments issue only bonds or dated securities, which are called the State Development Loans (SDLs). Treasury Bills (T-bills) Treasury bills or T-bills, which are money market instruments, are short term debt instruments issued by the Government of India and are presently issued in three tenors, namely, 91 day, 182 day and 3.64 day.
• Treasury bills are zero coupon securities and pay no interest. They are issued at a discount and redeemed at the face value at maturity

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/24/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-24-december-2019/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: The quantitative measures of credit control are:

• Bank Rate Policy:
• Open Market Operations:
• Cash Reserve Ratio
• Statutory Liquidity Ratio

The qualitative measures of credit control are:

• Consumer Credit Regulation
• RBI guidelines to the banks.
• Rationing of credit
• Moral Suasion
• Direct Action by the RBI

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2019/12/24/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-24-december-2019/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: This rover is called the Buoyant Rover for Under-Ice Exploration, or BRUIE.

• It is an autonomous underwater vehicle prototype by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The prototype began underwater testing in 2012 and it is meant to eventually explore the interior of water worlds in the Solar System, such as Europa or Enceladus