DAY – 19 ( INSTA REVISION TEST)INSTA REVISION PLAN 2.0, 2020

Solution: D

Appointment of Chief Justice of India

• The Chief Justice of India is traditionally appointed by the outgoing Chief Justice of India on the day of his (or her) retirement.
• By convention, the outgoing Chief Justice of India selects the most senior then-sitting Supreme Court judge.

Seniority at the apex court is determined not by age, but by:

• The date a judge was appointed to the Supreme Court.
• If two judges are elevated to the Supreme Court on the same day:
• The one who was sworn in first as a judge would trump another.
• If both were sworn in as judges on the same day, the one with more years of high court service would ‘win’ in the seniority stakes.
• An appointment from the bench would ‘trump’ in seniority an appointee from the bar.

Is it a part of the Constitution?

• The Constitution of India does not have any provision for criteria and procedure for appointing the CJI. Article 124(1) of the Indian Constitution says there “shall be a Supreme Court of India consisting of a Chief Justice of India”.
• The closest mention is in Article 126, which deals with the appointment of an acting CJI.
• In the absence of a constitutional provision, the procedure relies on custom and convention.

What is the procedure?

The procedure to appoint the next CJI is laid out in the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) between the government and the judiciary:

• The procedure is initiated by the Law Minister seeking the recommendation of the outgoing CJI at the ‘appropriate time’, which is near to the date of retirement of the incumbent CJI.
• The CJI sends his recommendation to the Law Ministry; and in the case of any qualms, the CJI can consult the collegium regarding the fitness of an SC judge to be elevated to the post.
• After receiving recommendation from the CJI, the law minister forwards it to the Prime Minister who then advises the President on the same.
• The President administers the oath of office to the new CJI.

Solution: D

CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority):

• Supreme Court of India ordered for establishment of Compensatory Afforestation Fund and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in 2001.
• In 2006, adhoc CAMPA was established for the management of Compensatory afforestation fund.
• To compensate the loss of forest area and to maintain the sustainability, the Government of India came up with a well-defined Act, known as CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority).
• The law establishes the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India, and a State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each state.
• These Funds will receive payments for: (i) compensatory afforestation, (ii) net present value of forest (NPV), and (iii) other project specific payments.
• The National Fund will receive 10% of these funds, and the State Funds will receive the remaining 90%.
• According to the Act’s provision, a company diverting forest land must provide alternative land to take up compensatory afforestation.
• For afforestation, the company should pay to plant new trees in the alternative land provided to the state.
• The national and state compensatory afforestation funds are both non-lapsable and have been established under Public Account of India and Public Account of each state.

Solution: C

District mineral foundation (DMF):

• DMFs were instituted under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Act 2015.
• District Mineral Foundations are statutory bodies and set up as non-profit organizations to work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining-related operations.
• Objective: To work for the interest of the benefit of the persons and areas affected mining related operations in such manner as may be prescribed by the State Government.
• Jurisdiction: Its manner of operation comes under the jurisdiction of the relevant State Government.
• The fund is collected at the district level. There are certain high-priority areas identified in all states’ DMF rules, where at least 60 per cent of the fund must be used. These include vital and pressing concerns, including healthcare.

Solution: A

Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC):

• It is the apex vigilance institution created via executive resolution (based on the recommendations of Santhanam committee) in 1964 but was conferred with statutory status in 2003.
• It submits its report to the President of India.
• The Commission was set up on the recommendation of the K.Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption.
• Composition: Consists of central vigilance commissioner along with 2 vigilance commissioners.
• Appointment: They are appointed by the President of India on the recommendations of a committee consisting of Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha (if there is no LoP then the leader of the single largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha).
• Term: Their term is 4 years or 65 years, whichever is earlier.
• Removal: The Central Vigilance Commissioner or any Vigilance Commissioner can be removed from his office only by order of the President on the ground of proved misbehavior or incapacity after the Supreme Court, on a reference made to it by the President, has, on inquiry, reported that the Central Vigilance Commissioner or any Vigilance Commissioner, as the case may be, ought to be removed.

Solution: D

The government calls for applications for its latest initiative under the Swachh Bharat Mission, called the ‘San-Sadhan’ Hackathon, an initiative to ease lives of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) by making toilets smarter, more accessible, and easier to use. In this hackathon, the government is looking for smart, scalable and innovative solutions for economical toilets for individual and community use in rural and urban contexts.

The initiative is being organized jointly by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, in collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and 91springboard.

Solution: A

National Health Authority (NHA) is the apex body responsible for implementing India’s flagship public health insurance/assurance scheme called “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.” National Health Authority is the successor of the National Health Agency, which was functioning as a registered society since 23rd May, 2018. Pursuant to Cabinet decision for full functional autonomy, National Health Agency was reconstituted as the National Health Authority on 2nd January 2019.

NHA has been set-up to implement PM-JAY, as it is popularly known, at the national level. An attached office of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with full functional autonomy, NHA is governed by a Governing Board chaired by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare. It is headed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), an officer of the rank of Secretary to the Government of India, who manages its affairs. The CEO is the Ex-Office Member Secretary of the Governing Board.

To implement the scheme at the State level, State Health Agencies (SHAs) in the form of a society/trust have been set up by respective States. SHAs have full operational autonomy over the implementation of the scheme in the State including extending the coverage to non SECC beneficiaries.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1586707

Solution: B

The Nyishi tribe is one of the principal inhabitants of Arunachal Pradesh in north-eastern India. Nyi refers to “a man” and the word shi denotes “a being”, which collectively refers to a civilized human being. They are spread across six districts of Arunachal Pradesh viz.,Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, East Kameng, Some part of West Kameng, Papum Pare, parts of Lower Subansiri and Upper Subansiri and are also found in the Sonitpur and North Lakhimpur districts of Assam.

Nyokum is the festival celebrated by the Nyishi people, a religion which commemorates their ancestors. Most of them have been converted to Christianity. They live in traditionally designed house known as chang-ghar.

Their population of around 300,000 makes them the most populous tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/arunachal-govt-declares-pakke-hornbill-fest-as-state-festival–62909

Solution: C

The Arctic Council is the leading intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.

It was formally established in 1996 by the Ottawa Declaration.

The Ottawa Declaration defines these states as Members of the Arctic Council.

They are Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Russia and US.

India holds an Observer status in Arctic Council since 2013.

The Arctic Council is a forum; it has no programming budget. All projects or initiatives are sponsored by one or more Arctic States. Some projects also receive support from other entities.

The Arctic Council does not and cannot implement or enforce its guidelines, assessments or recommendations. That responsibility belongs to individual Arctic States or international bodies.

The Arctic Council’s mandate, as articulated in the Ottawa Declaration, explicitly excludes military security.

Solution: A

Aflatoxin M1 was more widely present in processed milk samples than in raw milk (141). This is the first time the presence of the contaminant in milk has been assessed. According to the FSSAI, aflatoxin M1 in milk is from feed and fodder, which is not regulated.

The highest residue levels of aflatoxin M1 in milk were seen in samples from three States — Tamil Nadu (88 out of 551 samples), Delhi (38 out of 262) and Kerala (37 out of 187). According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer the contaminant has been classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”.

Its carcinogenic potency is estimated to be about a one-tenth of aflatoxin B1. Since the current survey has limited itself to milk, it is not clear how widespread aflatoxin M1 contamination is in milk products such as cheese, and hence the total exposure to it. Aflatoxin M1 in milk and milk products is a public health concern especially in infants and young children as milk constitutes one of the major sources of nutrients.

According to the World Health Organisation, exposure to aflatoxin M1 in milk and milk products is especially high in areas where the grain quality used as animal feed is poor. Hence all attempts need to taken both before and after food crop harvest to reduce the toxin amount. Improper storage of food harvest in warm and humid conditions leads to aflatoxin contamination that is much higher than what is seen in the field. Equally important is in having facilities to regularly test for aflatoxin M1.

It is not naturally produced in milch cattle.

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/safe-but-not-entirely-on-milk-safety-survey/article29761062.ece

Solution: C

In October 2018, the Supreme Court allowed bursting of low-emission crackers relaxing the ‘complete ban’ issued in 2017. Such ‘green’ crackers were researched and developed by scientists at CSIR-NEERI as per the court’s directions.

‘Green’ crackers have a small shell size compared to traditional crackers. They are produced using less harmful raw materials and have additives which reduce emissions by suppressing dust

Currently, the fireworks industry in India is pegged at ₹1,800 crore per annum. CSIR has signed agreements with 230 companies to manufacture the crackers and make them available for sale.

Green crackers don’t contain banned chemicals such as lithium, arsenic, barium and lead. They are called Safe Water Releaser (SWAS), Safe Thermite Cracker (STAR) and Safe Minimal Aluminium (SAFAL) crackers.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/what-are-green-crackers/article29765290.ece

https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=184462

Solution: D

The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSat), also known as Ibuki, is an Earth observation satellite and the world’s first satellite dedicated to greenhouse-gas-monitoring. It measures the densities of carbon dioxide and methane from 56,000 locations on the Earth’s atmosphere.

GOSAT-2 is a follow-on Japanese mission in planning of GOSAT/Ibuki which was launched in 2009. The experiences gained from the operation of the GOSAT mission with regard to payload calibration and validation activities serve as input for the requirements of the GOSAT-2 mission.

The overall mission goal is to give policy makers further observed and analyzed data on climate changes to contribute to decisions on emission reduction targets based on scientific facts.

As the successor to the Ibuki mission, GOSAT-2 aims to gather observations of greenhouse gases with higher levels of accuracy via even higher-performance on-board observation sensors.

The project will serve to provide observation data to environmental administrations and drive international anti-global warming efforts.

Solution: A

Bhaona is a traditional form of entertainment, with religious messages, prevalent is Assam, India.

It is a creation of Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva, (written in the early sixteenth century). He created the form to convey religious messages to villagers through entertainment. Later Srimanta Madhavdeva also wrote some plays.

The plays of bhaona are popularly known as Ankiya Nats and their staging is known as bhaona. Bhaona is generally staged at xatras and namghars in Assam.

Borgeet, a new form of spiritual music and Bhaona, a mythology-based
theatrical performance, and monastic dances that evolved into the classical Sattriya

There are some special characteristics of Bhaona like the plays, dialogues, costumes, ornaments, entry and foot-steps of the characters. These characteristics helps to differentiate Bhaona from other plays.

Solution: D

The Honolulu Strategy is a framework for a comprehensive and global collaborative effort to reduce the ecological, human health, and economic impacts of marine debris worldwide. This framework is organized by a set of goals and strategies applicable all over the world, regardless of specific conditions or challenges.

The Honolulu Strategy specifies three overarching goals focused on reducing threats of marine debris:

Goal A: Reduced amount and impact of land-based litter and solid waste introduced into the marine environment

Goal B: Reduced amount and impact of sea-based sources of marine debris including solid waste, lost cargo, ALDFG, and abandoned vessels introduced into the sea

Goal C: Reduced amount and impact of accumulated marine debris on shorelines, in benthic habitats, and in pelagic waters Linked to each goal is a cohesive set of strategies.

Solution: C

Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) is launched in 2011. It is an informal, apolitical, multilateral counterterrorism (CT) platform.

It develops good practices and tools for policy-makers and practitioners to strengthen CT civilian capabilities, national strategies, action plans and training modules.

To that end, the GCTF continues to provide a dedicated forum for national CT officials and practitioners to meet with their counterparts from key states in different regions to share experiences, expertise, strategies, tools, capacity needs, and capacity-building programs.

It prioritizes civilian capacity-building in areas such as rule of law, border management, and CVE. Additionally, the GCTF works with partners around the globe to identify critical civilian needs to effectively counter terrorism, mobilize the necessary expertise and resources to address such needs, and enhance global CT cooperation.

The GCTF has 30 members. India is a founding member of GCTF.

https://www.thegctf.org/About-us/Background-and-Mission

Solution: D

Previous industrial revolutions liberated humankind from animal power, made mass production possible and brought digital capabilities to billions of people. This Fourth Industrial Revolution is, however, fundamentally different. It is characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, impacting all disciplines, economies and industries, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human.

Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, has been at the centre of global affairs for over four decades. He is convinced that we are at the beginning of a revolution that is fundamentally changing the way we live, work and relate to one another, which he explores in his new book, The Fourth Industrial Revolution.

However, Schwab also has grave concerns: that organizations might be unable to adapt; governments could fail to employ and regulate new technologies to capture their benefits; shifting power will create important new security concerns; inequality may grow; and societies fragment.

https://www.weforum.org/about/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-by-klaus-schwab