INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 25 November 2020) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (b)

Explanation: Who was Lachit Borphukan?

• He was a commander in the Ahom kingdom.
• Known for his leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by Mughal forces under the command of Ramsingh I to take over Ahom kingdom.
• The battle of Saraighat was fought on the banks of the Brahmaputra in Guwahati.
• The National Defence Academy (NDA), ever since 1999 has been conferring the best passing out cadet with the Lachit Borphukan gold medal.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/25/lachit-borphukan/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• What is La Nina?
  • La Niña (Spanish for ‘little girl’) is an abnormal cooling of eastern and central regions of the Pacific Ocean surface waters.
  • Together, the El Niño and La Niña phenomena are termed as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
  • These are large-scale ocean phenomena which inflence the global weather — winds, temperature and rainfall.
  • They have the ability to trigger extreme weather events like droughts, floods, hot and cold conditions, globally.
  • Each cycle can last anywhere between 9 to 12 months, at times extendable to 18 months — and re-occur after every three to five years.
• What is the Northeast monsoon?
  • Occurs during October to December, and is a small-scale monsoon compared to South- West Monsoon.
  • It is confined to the Southern peninsula.
  • The rainfall associated with the Northeast monsoon is important for Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, north interior Karnataka, Mahe and Lakshadweep.
  • Some South Asian countries such as Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, too, record rainfall during October to December.
• But how is La Niña linked with the Northeast monsoon?
  • While La Niña conditions enhance the rainfall associated with the Southwest monsoon, it has a negative impact on rainfall associated with the Northeast monsoon.
  • During La Niña years, the synoptic systems — low pressure or cyclones — formed in the Bay of Bengal remain significantly to the north of their normal position.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/25/why-has-the-northeast-monsoon-remained-subdued-this-year/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• “The right to marry a person of one’s choice is integral to Article 21 (right to life and liberty) of the Constitution”, the Supreme Court had recently set aside a 2017 order of the Kerala High Court which annulled the marriage of Kerala Muslim convert girl Hadiya and Shefin Jahan.
• P. Unlawful Religious Conversion Prohibition Ordinance, 2020:
  • The law has come under sharp criticism from several legal scholars who had contended that the concept of ‘love jihad’ did not have any constitutional or legal basis.
  • They have pointed to Article 21 of the constitution which guarantees individuals the right to marry a person of one’s choice.
  • Also, under Article 25, freedom of conscience, the practice and conversion of religion of one’s choice including not following any religion, are also guaranteed.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/25/u-p-unlawful-religious-conversion-prohibition-ordinance-2020/

Ans: (c)

Explanation: About Poshan Abhiyaan:

• POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), Government of India,
• The programme seeks to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
• Launched in 2018 with specific targets to be achieved by 2022.
• It aims to reduce:
  • Stunting and wasting by 2% a year (total 6% until 2022) among children.
  • Anaemia by 3% a year (total 9%) among children, adolescent girls and pregnant women and lactating mothers.
  • The target of the mission is to bring down stunting among children in the age group 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by 2022.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/25/poshan-abhiyaan/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: Relationship between Bond Price and Yield:

• A bond’s price moves inversely with its yield or interest rate; the higher the price of a bond, the lower the yield.
• The reason for the inverse relationship between price and yield is due, in part, to bonds being fixed-rate investments.
• Investors might sell their bonds if it’s expected that interest rates will rise in the coming months and opt for the higher-rate bonds later on.
• Conversely, bond investors might buy bonds, driving the prices higher, if they believe interest rates will fall in the future because existing fixed-rate bonds will have a higher rate or yield.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/25/what-are-negative-yield-bonds/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: Govt. bans 43 more apps citing threat to security:

• The government has blocked 43 more mobile apps, including major Chinese ones such as AliSuppliers, AliExpress, Alipay Cashier, CamCard and DingTalk, citing threat to national security, integrity and sovereignty.
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued an order under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act blocking access to 43 mobile apps.
• Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, was introduced by an amendment to the Act in 2008. It gives the Central government the power to block public access to any information online — whether on websites or mobile apps.
• Under Section 69A, if a website threatens India’s defence, its sovereignty and integrity, friendly relations with foreign countries and public order, the government can ban it, after following due procedure.
• The detailed procedures to do so are listed under the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009. Apart from this, a court may also issue directions for blocking information online. The Department of Telecommunications, too, can issue blocking orders to internet service providers, to enforce licensing conditions

Refer: facts for prelims:https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/25/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-25-november-2020/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia.
• Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
• The SAARC comprises 3% of the world’s area, 21% of the world’s population and 4.21% of the global economy, as of 2019.
• The SAARC was founded in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.
• Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
• The organization promotes development of economic and regional integration.It launched the South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006.
• The SAARC maintains permanent diplomatic relations at the United Nations as an observer and has developed links with multilateral entities, including the European Union.
• South Asian University:
  • Established in 2010, it is an international university, located in India.
  • It is sponsored by the eight Member States of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
  • Degrees and Certificates awarded by the SAU are at par with the respective Degrees and Certificates awarded by the National Universities/ Institutions.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/25/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-25-november-2020/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: Sir Chhotu Ram:

• Born in 1881, he was a prominent politician in British India’s Punjab Province.
• He championed the interest of oppressed communities of the Indian subcontinent. For this feat, he was knighted in 1937.
• He was a co-founder of the National Unionist Party.
• The enactment of two agrarian laws was primarily due to his contribution- the Punjab Relief Indebtedness Act of 1934 and the Punjab Debtor’s Protection Act of 1936, which emancipated the peasants from the clutches of the moneylenders and restored the right of land to the tiller.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/25/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-25-november-2020/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: About NCDC:

• It is a statutory corporation set up under the National Cooperative Development Corporation Act, 1962.
• The objectives of NCDC are planning and promoting programmes for production, processing, marketing, storage, export and import of agricultural produce, foodstuffs, industrial goods, and livestock and certain other notified commodities and services on cooperative principles.
• NCDC is a major financial institution for cooperatives, and has started Mission Sahakar 22, which aims to double farmers’ income by 2022.
• Sahakar Pragya:
  • With an aim to help primary cooperative societies play bigger roles in AtmaNirbhar Bharat, the Government has launched Sahakar Pragya, an innovative capacity building initiative for the farmers associated with such entities in the country.
  • Under this, farmers in primary cooperatives in rural areas of the country would be trained under Sahakar Pragya by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), an autonomous body under the Ministry.
  • Under Sahakar Pragya, forty five training modules for transferring knowledge, skills and organisational capacities have been prepared.

Refer: facts for prelims:https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/25/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-25-november-2020/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The economic cost of food grains procured by the FCI is a total of MSP and bonus (if any) paid to the farmers plus the procurement incidentals and distribution cost. See https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/es2004-05/chapt2005/chap513.pdf

Source: UPSC CSE 2019