INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 22 August 2020) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Stat1: Advisory Jurisdiction & Quasi-Judicial Functions
  • Under the Constitution, the Commission also has advisory jurisdiction in the matter of post election disqualification of sitting members of Parliament and State Legislatures. Further, the cases of persons found guilty of corrupt practices at elections which come before the Supreme Court and High Courts are also referred to the Commission for its opinion on the question as to whether such person shall be disqualified and, if so, for what period. The opinion of the Commission in all such matters is binding on the President or, as the case may be, the Governor to whom such opinion is tendered.
  • The Commission has the power to disqualify a candidate who has failed to lodge an account of his election expenses within the time and in the manner prescribed by law. The Commission has also the power for removing or reducing the period of such disqualification as also other disqualification under the law
• Stat2: Budget & Expenditure
  • The Secretariat of the Commission has an independent budget, which is finalised directly in consultation between the Commission and the Finance Ministry of the Union Government. The latter generally accepts the recommendations of the Commission for its budgets. The major expenditure on actual conduct of elections is, however, reflected in the budgets of the concerned constituent units of the Union – States and Union Territories.
  • If elections are being held only for the Parliament, the expenditure is borne entirely by the Union Government while for the elections being held only for the State Legislature, the expenditure is borne entirely by the concerned State. In case of simultaneous elections to the Parliament and State Legislature, the expenditure is shared equally between the Union and the State Governments. For Capital equipment, expenditure related to preparation for electoral rolls and the scheme for Electors’ Identity Cards too, the expenditure is shared equally.
• Stat3: Judicial Review
  • The decisions of the Commission can be challenged in the High Court and the Supreme Court of the India by appropriate petitions. By long standing convention and several judicial pronouncements, once the actual process of elections has started, the judiciary does not intervene in the actual conduct of the polls.
  • Once the polls are completed and result declared, the Commission cannot review any result on its own. This can only be reviewed through the process of an election petition, which can be filed before the High Court, in respect of elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures. In respect of elections for the offices of the President and Vice President, such petitions can only be filed before the Supreme Court.
• Stat4: The President appoints regional commissioners after consultation with the election commission to assist the election commission.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/22/appointment-of-election-commissioners/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: Why in News?

• Relaxation in eligibility criteria and enhancement in the payment of unemployment benefits under the Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana of ESIC.
• About Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana:
• Launched by the Employee’s State Insurance (ESI) in 2018.
• Aim: It aims to financially support those who lost their jobs or rendered jobless for whatsoever reasons due to changing employment pattern.
• What are the latest changes?
  • Eligibility criteria for availing the relief has been relaxed, as under:
  • The payment of relief has been enhanced to 50% of average of wages from earlier 25% of average wages payable upto maximum 90 days of unemployment.
  • Instead of the relief becoming payable 90 days after unemployment, it shall become due for payment after 30 days.
  • The Insured Person can submit the claim directly to ESIC Branch Office instead of the claim being forwarded by the last employer and the payment shall be made directly in the bank account of IP.
  • The Insured Person should have been insurable employment for a minimum period of 2 years before his/her unemployment and should have contributed for not les than 78 days in the contribution period immediately preceding to unemployment and minimum 78 days in one of the remaining 3 contribution periods in 02 years prior to unemployment.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/22/atal-bimit-vyakti-kalyan-yojana/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

Why in News?

• PMEGP projects records 44% implementation jump.
• About Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme:
  • PMEGP is a central sector scheme administered by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME).
  • Launched in 2008-09,it is a credit-linked subsidy scheme which promotes self-employment through setting up of micro-enterprises, where subsidy up to 35% is provided by the Government through Ministry of MSME for loans up to ₹25 lakhs in manufacturing and ₹10 lakhs in the service sector.
• Implementation:
• National Level-Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) as the nodal agency.
• State Level-State KVIC Directorates, State Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs), District Industries Centres (DICs) and banks.
• Eligibility:
  • Any individual above 18 years of age, Self Help Groups, Institutions registered under Societies Registration Act 1860, Production Co-operative Societies and Charitable Trusts are eligible.
  • Existing Units and the units that have already availed Government Subsidy under any other scheme of Government of India or State Government are not eligible.
  • Only new projects are considered for sanction under PMEGP.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/22/prime-minister-employment-generation-program-pmegp/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• What are Participatory Notes?
  • Participatory Notes or P-Notes (PNs) are financial instruments issued by a registered foreign institutional investor (FII) to an overseas investor who wishes to invest in Indian stock markets without registering themselves with the market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• Key points:
  • P-Notes are Offshore Derivative Investments (ODIs) with equity shares or debt securities as underlying assets.
  • They provide liquidity to the investors as they can transfer the ownership by endorsement and delivery.
  • While the FIIs have to report all such investments each quarter to SEBI, they need not disclose the identity of the actual investors. 
  • What are govt & regulator’s concerns?
  • The primary reason why P-Notes are worrying is because of the anonymous nature of the instrument as these investors could be beyond the reach of Indian regulators.
  • Further, there is a view that it is being used in money laundering with wealthy Indians, like the promoters of companies, using it to bring back unaccounted funds and to manipulate their stock prices.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/22/what-are-participatory-notes/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Sajibu Cheiraoba: Manipur
• Dragonfly Festival: Kerala
  • It is the first-ever State Dragonfly Festival in Kerala.
  • World Wide Fund for Nature-India (WWF–India) State unit has joined hands with the Society for Odonate Studies (SOS) and Thumbipuranam for the festival.
  • Official mascot of the festival:

• Medaram’s Sammakka-Sarakka/Saralamma Jatara:
  • Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara held by forest dwelling Koya tribe of Telangana and surrounding States, is the biggest Tribal festival in Asia which is attended by one crore people on an average.
  • The event is held bi-annually to honour the twin goddesses Sammakka and her daughter Sarakka. Several communities in Telangana society support Jatara as it is also a mythical narrative of two tribal women leaders who fought against the Kakatiya rulers who tried to annex their land and forests. According to the myth it was Sammakka’s curse which caused gradual decline and death of Kakatiya rule.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/22/thumbimahotsavam-2020/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: About the World Wide Fund for Nature:

• It is an international non-governmental organization.
• Founded in 1961
• Headquarter — Gland (Switzerland).
• Aim: wilderness preservation & the reduction of human impact on the environment.
• Reports & programmes:
  • Living Planet Report— published every two years by WWF since 1998; it is based on a Living Planet Index and ecological footprint calculation.
  • Earth hour – a worldwide movement organized by WWF annually, encouraging individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights, for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on a specific day towards the end of March, as a symbol of commitment to the planet.
  • Debt-for-nature swaps–financial transactions in which a portion of a developing nation’s foreign debt is forgiven in exchange for local investments in environmental conservation measures.
  • Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) — independent non-profit organization which sets a standard for sustainable fishing.
  • Healthy GrownPotato — eco-brand that provides high-quality, sustainably grown, packaged, and shipped potatoes to consumers by leveraging integrated pest management (IPM) farming practices on large scale farms.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/22/thumbimahotsavam-2020/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: About State Pollution Control Boards:

• They are constitutes in pursuance of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
• After the enactment of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, the enforcing responsibility was entrusted to these Boards.
• Composition and selection of members:
• The members of State Pollution Control Boards are nominated by respective State Governments.
• Apart from the above said Acts, the Board is also enforcing the following Rule and Notifications framed under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986:
  • Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.
  • Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006.
  • Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016.
  • Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
  • The Noise Pollution (Regulation & Control) Rules, 2000.
  • Construction & Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016
  • The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991.
  • Fly Ash Notification, 1999 and 2008.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/22/state-pollution-control-boards/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Kariye Museum:
• It is located in Turkey. Built in 534 AD, during the early Byzantine period.
• Why in News? Turkish President has issued a decree to open this Orthodox church that was previously a popular Istanbul museum to Muslim worship upon a court order.
• Background:
• The decision to transform the Kariye (Chora) Museum into a mosque came just a month after a similar conversion of the UNESCO World Heritage-recognized Hagia Sophia.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/22/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-22-august-2020/

Ans: (c)

Explanation: Hari Path app:

• It is a mobile app launched recently by the National Highway Authority of India.
• It will monitor plantation along national highways.
• The app will monitor location, growth, species details, maintenance activities, targets and achievements of each of the NHAI’s field units for each and every plant under all plantation projects.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/22/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-22-august-2020/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The National Cadet Corps is the youth wing of Armed Forces with its Headquarters at New Delhi, Delhi, India.
• It is open to school and college students on voluntary basis.
• National Cadet Corps is a Tri-Services Organisation, comprising the Army, Navy and Air Wing, engaged in grooming the youth of the country into disciplined and patriotic citizens.
• The National Cadet Corps in India is a voluntary organisation which recruits cadets from high schools, higher secondary, colleges and universities all over India.
• The Cadets are given basic military training in small arms and parades. The officers and cadets have no liability for active military service once they complete their course.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/08/22/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-22-august-2020/