INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 21 July 2020) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• About Jyotirao Phule: Born in 1827 in Satara district of Maharashtra.
• Phule was given the title of Mahatma on May 11, 1888, by Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar, a Maharashtrian social activist.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/21/jyotirao-phule/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Social reforms and key contributions Jyotirao Phule:
  • In 1873, Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj, or the Society of Seekers of Truth, for the rights of depressed classes, to denounce the caste system and to spread rational thinking.
• His famous works:
  • Tritiya Ratna (1855), Gulamgiri (1873), Shetkarayacha Aasud, or Cultivator’s Whipcord (1881), Satyashodhak Samajokt Mangalashtakasah Sarva Puja-vidhi (1887).
• Bal Shastri Jambekar is considered as the father of Marathi Journalism.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/21/jyotirao-phule/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• What is Plea Bargaining?
  • It refers to a person charged with a criminal offence negotiating with the prosecution for a lesser punishment than what is provided in law by pleading guilty to a less serious offence.
  • It primarily involves pre-trial negotiations between the accused and the prosecutor. It may involve bargaining on the charge or in the quantum of sentence.
• When was it introduced in India?
  • Plea bargaining was introduced in 2006 as part of a set of amendments to the CrPC as Chapter XXI-A, containing Sections 265A to 265L.
• In what circumstances is it allowed? How does it work?
  • In India, a plea bargaining process can be initiated only by the accused;

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/21/what-is-plea-bargaining-and-how-does-it-work/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• About NFRA:
  • National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) was constituted on 1st October, 2018 under section 132 (1) of the Companies Act, 2013.
• Why was it needed?
  • In the wake of accounting scams, a need was felt to establish an independent regulator for enforcement of auditing standards and ensuring the quality of audits so as to enhance investor and public confidence in financial disclosures of companies.
• Composition:
  • The Companies Act requires the NFRA to have a chairperson who will be appointed by the Central Government and a maximum of 15 members.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/21/national-financial-reporting-authority-nfra/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: About Mega Food Parks scheme:

• Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing Mega Food Park Scheme in the country since 2008.
• It aims at providing a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers.
• These food parks give a major boost to the food processing sector by adding value and reducing food wastage at each stage of the supply chain with particular focus on perishables.
• Funding: A maximum grant of Rs 50 crore is given for setting up a MFP, in minimum 50 acres of contiguous land with only 50% contribution to the total project cost.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/21/mega-food-park/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• “Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency” (RAISE) national programme has been launched.
• It is a joint initiative of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and the Agency for International Development’s (USAID) MAITREE Program.
• Need for and significance of the programme:
• Poor air quality has been a concern in India for quite some time and has become more important in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• As people return to their offices and public spaces, maintaining good indoor air quality is essential for occupant comfort, well-being, productivity and the overall public health.
• RAISE initiative can potentially alleviate the issue of bad air quality in workspaces across the nation and pioneer ways to make them healthier and greener.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/21/raise-initiative/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: About Bathynomus raksasa:

• It is a “supergiant” Bathynomus, and is being described as the “cockroach of the sea”.
• It is the first ‘supergiant’ isopod species discovered recently by the researchers in the eastern Indian Ocean (Bantan, off the southern coast of West Java in Indonesia).
• It has 14 legs but uses these only to crawl along the bed of oceans in search of food.
• It measures around 50 centimetres (1.6 feet) in length, which is big for isopods, which normally do not grow beyond 33 cm (just over a foot).
• Isopods that reach 50 cm are referred to as supergiants.
• The giant isopods are distantly related to crabs, lobsters, and shrimps (which belong to the order of decapods), and are found in the cold depths of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
• The only member of the isopod species that exceeds the raksasa in size is the Bathynomus giganteus, which is commonly found in the deep waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/21/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-21-july-2020/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Right to decent environment including pollution free water and air and protection against hazardous industries is part of Article 21.
• While water supplies, irrigation and canals, drainage and embankments and storage fall in the State List, issues like development of inter-state rivers come under the Union List.

Refer: http://www.legalserviceindia.com/article/l399-A-Mandate-To-Pollution-Free-Environment.html

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Limestone neutralizes the natural acidity of thesoil. So, (a) statement itself is wrong. In fact calcerous clays areused in vineyards to improve drainage for the crop.
• Limestone released CO2 when it reacts with water. But, that isnot the major problem since plants can uptake the extra CO2.So, (b) is wrong too.
• Solubility of limestone makes it ineffective to grow major crops. Moreover, the landforms made by limestone make an area difficult as a habitat for humans.

Refer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5032897/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Option D: For Cotton, light rainfall is needed. For Jute high rainfall and temperature is needed.
• Option B: Wheat requires moderate temperature and rainfall during growing season and bright sunshine at the time of harvest. It thrives best in well drained loamy soil. Wheat is grown extensively in USA, Canada, Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, Australia and India. In India it is grown in winter.
• Maize requires moderate temperature, rainfall and lots of sunshine. It needs well-drained fertile soils.
• Maize is grown in North America, Brazil, China, Russia, Canada, India, and Mexico.

Refer: https://www.prsindia.org/policy/discussion-papers/state-agriculture-india