DAY – 7 ( INSTA REVISION TEST)INSTA REVISION PLAN 2.0, 2020

Solution: B

The National Human Rights Commission is a statutory body. It was established in 1993 under a legislation enacted by the Parliament, namely, the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993

The protection of human rights (amendment) act 2019 has made the following changes in the composition of NHRC.

The chairperson of the NHRC shall be a person who has beenChief Justice of the Supreme Court, or a Judge of the Supreme Court.

The Act provides for three persons having knowledge of human rights to be appointed as members of the NHRC of which at least one will be a woman.

Under the Act, chairpersons of various commissions such as the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, and National Commission for Women, National Commission for Backward Classes, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, and the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities as ex-officio members of the NHRC.

https://nhrc.nic.in/acts-and-rules/protection-human-rights-amendment-act-2019

https://nhrc.nic.in/media/press-release/nhrc-takes-serious-note-deplorable-health-infrastructure-country-issues-notices

Solution: D

MaharshiPatanjali, considered the Father of Yoga, was the first one to systematize the practices of yoga in, what is believed to be, the second century BC. Through his Yoga Sutras, he disseminated the meaning of yoga, and the knowledge it has to offer. This yoga was called Raja yoga. He formulated the Astanga yoga or the eight limbs of yoga, which included yamas, niyamas, asanas, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyan, and samadhi.

https://www.un.org/en/observances/yoga-day

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/here-is-how-india-is-marking-the-international-yoga-day-2019/article28093291.ece

Solution: D

Zemu Glacier is the largest glacier in the Eastern Himalaya. It is about 26 kilometres in length and is located at the base of Kangchenjunga in the Himalayan region of Sikkim, India. The Zemu Glacier drains the east side of Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain.

Satopanth Glacier is situated in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. River Alaknanda took its origin in this glacier.

The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends. The Siachen Glacier is the highest battleground on earth. The Nubra River is a river in the Nubra Valley of Ladakh in India. It is a tributary of the Shyok River and originates from the Siachen Glacier.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/himalayan-glaciers-are-melting-twice-as-fast-since-2000-study/article28088764.ece

Solution: A

Goods and Service Tax Council (GSTC) is a constitutional body for making recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax. The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States.

The Goods and Services Tax Council shall make recommendations to the Union and the States on—

1. the taxes, cesses and surcharges levied by the Union, the States and the local bodies which may be subsumed in the goods and services tax;
2. the goods and services that may be subjected to, or exempted from the goods and services tax;
3. model Goods and Services Tax Laws, principles of levy, apportionment of Goods and Services Tax levied on supplies in the course of inter-State trade or commerce under article 269A and the principles that govern the place of supply;
4. the threshold limit of turnover below which goods and services may be exempted from goods and services tax;
5. the rates including floor rates with bands of goods and services tax;
6. any special rate or rates for a specified period, to raise additional resources during any natural calamity or disaster;
7. special provision with respect to the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand; and
8. any other matter relating to the goods and services tax, as the Council may decide.

One-half of the total number of Members of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall constitute the quorum at its meetings.

Every decision of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall be taken at a meeting, by a majority of not less than three-fourths of the weighted votes of the members present and voting, in accordance with the following principles, namely: —

1. the vote of the Central Government shall have a weightage of one third of the total votes cast, and
2. the votes of all the State Governments taken together shall have a weightage of two-thirds of the total votes cast, in that meeting.

https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/gst-council-takes-decisions-to-ease-registration-return-filing/article28101377.ece

http://gstcouncil.gov.in/gst-council

Solution: C

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was established in July 1989 by a Group of Seven (G-7) Summit in Paris, initially to examine and develop measures to combat money laundering.

In October 2001, the FATF expanded its mandate to incorporate efforts to combat terrorist financing, in addition to money laundering.  In April 2012, it added efforts to counter the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

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. Starting with its own members, the FATF monitors countries’ progress in implementing the FATF Recommendations; reviews money laundering and terrorist financing techniques and counter-measures; and, promotes the adoption and implementation of the FATF Recommendations globally.

The FATF currently comprises 37 member jurisdictions and 2 regional organizations (European Commission and Gulf Co-operation Organization (GCC) ), representing most major financial centres in all parts of the globe.

GCC is not observer organization but a member.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/fatf-warns-pakistan-but-keeps-it-off-the-blacklist/article28104277.ece

https://www.fatf-gafi.org/about/membersandobservers/

Solution: A

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, is a bird sanctuary in the Mandya District of the state of Karnataka in India. It is the largest bird sanctuary in the state, 40 acres in area, and comprises six islets on the banks of the Kaveririver.

Solution: A

The UNSC is composed of 15 members: five permanent members — China, France, Russian Federation, the United States, and the United Kingdom — and 10 non-permanent members who are elected by the General Assembly. The non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms — so every year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members out of the total 10.

These 10 seats are distributed among the regions of the world: five seats for African and Asian countries; one for Eastern European countries; two for Latin American and Caribbean countries; and two for Western European and Other Countries.

India begins its term in the beginning of 2021, and will hold the position until the end of 2022.

India was the only candidate for the vacancy from the Asia Pacific. Its candidature for the seat was endorsed unanimously by the Asia Pacific group, which comprises 55 countries, including Pakistan and China in June 2019.

India has earlier been a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92 and 2011-12. For the 2011-12 term, India won 187 of 190 votes after Kazakhstan stood down from its candidacy.

Contesting nation needs to secure the votes of two-thirds of the members present and voting at the General Assembly session — which is a minimum of 129 votes, if all 193 member states participate.

Solution: C

“Healthy States, Progressive India” is a comprehensive Health Index report released by the NITI Aayog. The report ranks states and Union territories innovatively on their year-on-year incremental change in health outcomes, as well as, their overall performance with respect to each other. The report has been developed by NITI Aayog, with technical assistance from the World Bank, and in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala-best-state-on-health-parameters-up-worst/article28136791.ece

https://vikaspedia.in/health/health-directory/healthy-states-progressive-india-report

Solution: C

The Kartarpur Corridor is a proposed border corridor between the neighbouring nations of India and Pakistan, connecting the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib (located in Punjab, India) and GurdwaraDarbar Sahib Kartarpur (in Punjab, Pakistan).

The KartarpurCorridor was first proposed in early 1999 by the prime ministers of India and Pakistan, AtalBihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif, respectively, as part of the Delhi–Lahore Bus diplomacy.

The Kartarpurgurdwara is located in Pakistan’s Narowal district across the Ravi River.

Solution: D

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) is a flagship scheme to “fund the unfunded” by bringing such enterprises to the formal financial system and extending affordable credit to them.

It enables a small borrower to borrow from all Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks, Foreign Banks, Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) and Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) for loans upto Rs 10 lakhs for non-farm income generating activities.

It is under the aegis of Ministry of Finance.

Solution: B

D-SIB stands for Domestic Systemically Important Bank. It means that the bank is too big to fail.

According to the RBI, some banks become systemically important due to their size, cross-jurisdictional activities, complexity and lack of substitute and interconnection.The RBI stated that should such a bank fail, there would be significant disruption to the essential services they provide to the banking system and the overall economy.

Banks whose assets exceed 2% of GDP are considered part of this group. The too-big-to-fail tag also indicates that in case of distress, the government is expected to support these banks.

Due to this perception, these banks enjoy certain advantages in funding. It also means that these banks have a different set of policy measures regarding systemic risks and moral hazard issues.

SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank are the systematically important banks of India.

https://www.business-standard.com/article/finance/rbi-names-sbi-icici-and-hdfc-as-systemically-important-banks-119031500019_1.html

Solution: D

Indian economic census is the census of the Indian economy through counting all entrepreneurial units in the country which involved in any economic activities of either agricultural or non-agricultural sector which engaged in production and/or distribution of goods and/or services not for the sole purpose of own consumption.

It provides detailed information on operational and other characteristics such as number of establishments, number of persons employed, source of finance, type of ownership etc.

The census will provide insights of all economic activities and ownership patterns of businesses across the country.

Solution: B

Kaleswaram projectis the world’s largest lift irrigation project and drinking water system. The project will harness the flood waters of River Godavari and will help in irrigating Telangana.

Solution: D

Bharat Ke Veer is a fund-raising initiative by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India on behalf of members of the Indian Armed Forces.

It allows donations of up to ₹15 lakhs to an individual’s account or donations to the “Bharat Ke Veer”corpus.

To ensure maximum coverage, a cap of ₹ 15 lakhs is envisaged per braveheart and the donor would be alerted if the amount exceeds ₹ 15 lakhs, so that they can choose to either decrease their contribution or divert part of the contribution to another bravehearts account, or to the Bharat Ke Veer corpus.

Bharat Ke Veer corpus would be managed by a commitee made up of eminent persons of repute and senior government officials, in equal number, who would decide to disburse the fund equitably to the bravehearts family on need basis.

Solution: C

The National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) has been constituted under Section 171 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 to ensure that the reduction in rate of tax or the benefit of input tax credit is passed on to the recipient by way of commensurate reduction in prices.

National Anti-profiteering Authority (NAA) is the institutional mechanism under GST law to check the unfair profit-making activities by the trading community.

Further, the following steps have been taken by the NAA to ensure that customers get the full benefit of tax cuts:

1. Holding regular meetings with the Zonal Screening Committees and the Chief Commissioners of Central Tax to stress upon consumer awareness programmes;
2. Launching a helpline to resolve the queries of citizens regarding registration of complaints against profiteering.
3. Receiving complaints through email and NAA portal.
4. Working with consumer welfare organizations in order to facilitate outreach activities.