INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 11 May 2020) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Though Gokhale did not attend the first session of the Congress, he emerged as an important figure in the political affairs of the country. A turning point was 1889, as he attended the INC session as a delegate from Pune along with Tilak. In 1895, Gokhale was disturbed by the controversy in the Sarvajanik Sabha, especially about the Age of Consent Bill. With the guidance of his mentor, Ranade, he started the Deccan Sabha in 1896. When the British Parliament appointed the Welby Commission to enquire into the cause of famines, the Deccan Sabha sent Gokhale to England to present Indian viewpoint. This he did admirably in March, 1897.
  • Affectionately known as “The Grand Old Man of India”, Dadabhai Naoroji was an ardent patriot, a great social and political reformer and a prominent nationalist of progressive views. He was the first Indian to be elected to the British Parliament, the first Indian to sit on a Royal Commission (the Welby Commission) and more importantly, the first Indian to claim self-government or “Swaraj”.  He was thrice elected the President of the Indian National Congress.  Dadabhai’s dedicated and selfless services to the country in all fields led him to be acclaimed as the “Father of Indian Politics and Economics”.
• In 1905, Gokhale formed ‘The Servants of India Society’ and established a library for its members. For the Benares session, Gokhale was proposed as the president in his absence. Later in his address, he criticised Lord Curzon’s division of Bengal. When the Prince of Wales met Gokhale during his tour of India, he asked him pointedly if people would be happier if Indians ran the country. Gokhale’s response was that they might not be happier but they would surely have self-respect. After the split in Calcutta session, Gokhale and Motilal Nehru explained to the nation that the only practical way to attain the status of free India was to follow constitutional means.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/05/11/gopal-krishna-gokhale/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• May 9 marks birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap, the 13th Rajpur king of Mewar. Maharana Pratap was born in 1540 and died at the age of 56 in 1597.
• Battle of Haldighati:
  • He is known for his bravery in the Battle of Haldighati. It was fought in 1576 between Maharana and the forces of Akbar led by Man Singh of Amber.
  • Rana’s forces were defeated in 6 hours. But the Mughals failed to capture him. Maharana re-gathered his forces, fought and won against the Mughals after six years in 1582. Having faced a terrible defeat, Akbar stopped his military campaigns against Mewar after the battle.
• Legacy:
  • Rana Pratap’s defiance of the mighty Mughal empire, almost alone and unaided by the other Rajput states, constitute a glorious saga of Rajput valour and the spirit of self sacrifice for cherished principles. Rana Pratap’s methods of sporadic warfare was later elaborated further by Malik Ambar, the Deccani general, and by Shivaji Maharaj.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/05/11/maharana-pratap/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: Sample Registration System (SRS):

• The SRS is a demographic survey for providing reliable annual estimates of infant mortality rate, birth rate, death rate and other fertility and mortality indicators at the national and sub-national levels.
• Initiated on a pilot basis by the Registrar General of India in a few states in 1964-65, it became fully operational during 1969-70.
• The field investigation consists of continuous enumeration of births and deaths in selected sample units by resident part-time enumerators, generally anganwadi workers and teachers; and an independent retrospective survey every six months by SRS supervisors. The data obtained by these two independent functionaries are matched.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/05/11/sample-registration-system-srs/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin has been released by the Registrar General of India. It is based on data collected for 2018.
• Key findings and important facts:
  • Bihar (26.2) continues to remain at the top of list in birth rate while Andaman and Nicobar (11.2) is at the bottom.
  • Chhattisgarh has the highest death rate, while Delhi has the lowest.
  • Madhya Pradesh (48) has the worst infant mortality rate in the country while Nagaland (4) has the best.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/05/11/sample-registration-system-srs/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• What is Absolute Liability Principle?
  • Evolution:
    • The Supreme Court, while deciding the Oleum gas leak case of Delhi in 1986, found strict liability woefully inadequate to protect citizens’ rights in an industrialised economy like India and replaced it with the ‘absolute liability principle’.
  • What is it?
    • Under the absolute liability principle, the apex court held that a company in a hazardous industry cannot claim any exemption.
    • It has to mandatorily pay compensation, whether or not the disaster was caused by its negligence.
    • The court said a hazardous enterprise has an “absolute non-delegable duty to the community”.
  • The principle of absolute liability is part of Article 21 (right to life).
• Difference between Absolute & Strict Liability:
  • Payment of compensation: Under strict liability, compensation is payable as per the nature and quantum of damages caused but in cases of absolute liability, damages to be paid are exemplary in nature, and depend upon the magnitude and financial capability of the enterprise.
  • The element of “escape” is not an essential under the doctrine of Absolute Liability. This means that even if any hazardous substance does not leak from the premises of the industry but causes harm to the workers inside, the enterprise may be held absolutely liable.
  • Absolute Liability can be upheld by the courts even in those cases where a single death is reported and there is no mass destruction of property or pollution of the environment.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/05/11/vizag-gas-leak-strict-liability-or-absolute-liability/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh recently approved the abolition of 9,304 posts in the military engineering services. The posts were abolished based on the recommendation of Shekatar Committee.
• Shekatkar Committee was tasked with suggesting steps to enhance combat capability of the armed forces.
• Measures as recommended by the Committee and taken up for implementation include:
  • Optimization of Signals Establishments to include Radio Monitoring Companies, Corps Air Support Signal Regiments, Air Formation Signal Regiments, Composite Signal Regiments and merger of Corps Operating and Engineering Signal Regiments.
  • Restructuring of repair echelons in the Army to include Base Workshops, Advance Base Workshops and Static / Station Workshops in the field Army.
  • Redeployment of Ordnance echelons to include Vehicle Depots, Ordnance Depots and Central Ordnance Depots apart from streamlining inventory control mechanisms.
  • Better utilization of Supply and Transportation echelons and Animal Transport Units.
  • Closure of Military Farms and Army Postal Establishments in peace locations.
  • Enhancement in standards for recruitment of clerical staff and drivers in the Army.
  • Improving the efficiency of the National Cadet Corps.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/05/11/public-liability-insurance-act-1991/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Because of its location, PoK is of immense strategic importance. It shares borders with several countries – the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province provinces (now called Khyber-Pakhthunkhwa) in Pakistan to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan in the north-west, Xinjiang province of the People’s Republic of China to the north and India’s Jammu and Kashmir to the east.
• 

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/05/11/pakistan-occupied-kashmir-pok/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Stat1: Smallpox is an infectious disease caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor.
• Stat2: It was contagious—meaning, it spread from one person to another. People who had smallpox had a fever and a distinctive, progressive skin rash.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/05/11/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-11-may-2020/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• About Elongated tortoise:
  • It is a species of tortoise found in Southeast Asia and parts of the Indian Subcontinent, particularly Northeast India.
  • They have elongated somewhat narrow carapaces and yellow heads. Shells are typically a pale tannish-yellow to caramel color, with blotches of black.
  • IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered.
• The list of critically endangered species in India from various categories are given below:
• Critically Endangered Mammals
  • Pygmy Hog
  • Andaman White-toothed Shrew
  • Jenkin’s Andaman Spiny Shrew
  • Nicobar White-tailed Shrew
  • Kondana Rat
  • Large Rock Rat or Elvira Rat
  • Namdapha Flying Squirrel
  • Malabar Civet 
  • Sumatran Rhinoceros
  • Javan Rhinoceros
• Critically Endangered Birds
  • Aythya baeri
  • Forest Owlet
  • Great Indian Bustard
  • Bengal Florican
  • Siberian Crane
  • Spoon-billed Sandpiper
  • Sociable Lapwing
  • Jerdon’s Courser
  • White-backed Vulture
  • Red-headed Vulture
  • White-bellied Heron
  • Slender-billed Vulture
  • Indian Vulture
  • Pink-headed Duck
  • Himalayan Quail
• Critically Endangered Reptiles
  • Gharial 
  • Hawksbill Turtle
  • Leatherback Turtle
  • River Terrapin
  • Bengal Roof Turtle
  • Sispara day gecko
• Critically Endangered Fishes
  • Pondicherry Shark
  • Ganges Shark 
  • Knife-tooth Sawfish
  • Large-tooth Sawfish
  • Narrow-snout Sawfish

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/05/11/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-11-may-2020/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: here the directive word is not correct!!

• Stat1: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement.
• Stat2: Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the gut and maintains adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable normal mineralization of bone and to prevent hypocalcemic tetany.
• It is also needed for bone growth and bone remodeling by osteoblasts and osteoclasts . Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen. Vitamin D sufficiency prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults . Together with calcium, vitamin D also helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/05/11/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-11-may-2020/