INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 27 November 2020) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Article 72 of the Constitution empowers the President to grant pardons to persons who have been tried and convicted of any offence in all cases where the:
  • Punishment or sentence is for an offence against a Union Law;
  • Punishment or sentence is by a court martial (military court); and
  • Sentence is a sentence of death.
• S1 and S2: The pardoning power of the President is independent of the Judiciary; it is an executive power. But, the President while exercising this power, does not sit as a court of appeal.
• The object of conferring this power on the President is two-fold: (a) to keep the door open for correcting any judicial errors in the operation of law; and, (b) to afford relief from a sentence, which the President regards as unduly harsh.
• S3: The President can pardon death sentence while governor cannot. Even if a state law prescribes death sentence, the power to grant pardon lies with the President and not the governor. However, the governor can suspend, remit or commute a death sentence

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/27/presidents-powers-to-pardon-in-us-india/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: The main points of the code of conduct (link) are:

• S1: The government may not lay any new ground for projects or public initiatives once the Model Code of Conduct comes into force.
• S2: Government bodies are not to participate in any recruitment process during the electoral process.
• The election campaign rallies and road shows must not hinder the road traffic.
• S3: Candidates are asked to refrain from distributing liquor to voters. It is a widely known fact in India that during election campaigning, liquor may be distributed to the voters.
• Rest you can find it here: https://eci.gov.in/mcc/

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/27/one-nation-one-election-2/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• 3rd Global Renewable Energy Investment Meeting and Expo (RE-Invest 2020) was inaugurated recently.
• The summit is organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• The theme for 2020 is ‘Innovations for Sustainable Energy Transition’.
• How is India performing on this front?
  • India’s renewable power capacity is the 4th largest in the world and is growing at the fastest speed among all major countries.
  • The renewable energy capacity in India is currently 136 Giga Watts, which is about 36% of our total capacity.
  • India’s annual renewable energy capacity addition has been exceeding that of coal based thermal power since 2017.
  • In the last 6 years, India has increased installed renewable energy capacity by two and half times.
• Overall, India has shown to the world that investing in renewable energy early on even when it was not affordable has helped in achieving the scale, which is bringing costs down. Sound environmental policies can also be sound economics.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/27/global-renewable-energy-investment-meeting-and-expo/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The tide producing a fluorescent blue hue, popularly known as bioluminescence, recently made an appearance at Mumbai’s Juhu Beach and Devgad Beach in Sindhudurg, along Maharashtra’s coastline.
• Background:
  • Bioluminescence has been an annual occurrence along the west coast since 2016, especially during the months of November and December.
• Why is it caused?
  • The spectacle occurs when phytoplankton (microscopic marine plants), commonly known as dinoflagellates, produce light through chemical reactions in proteins. Waves disturb these unicellular microorganisms and makes them release blue light.
  • Main factors for its occurrence could be eutrophication – the reduction of oxygen in the water – which makes the phytoplanktons very dominant.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/27/what-is-the-beautiful-blue-tide-spotted-along-mumbai-coastline/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC):

• Context:
• The Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) will soon become a National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) centre, with all stakeholders having their presence there.
• About IMAC:
  • It is the nodal agency for maritime data fusion.
  • It was set up after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
  • Approved by the Defence Acquisition Council in 2012.
  • Became operational in 2014 and is located in Gurugram.
• It is the nodal centre of the National Command Control Communication and Intelligence System (NC3I), which was established to link the operational centres and lower echelons of the Navy and the Coast Guard spread across the country’s coastline, including the island territories.
• The IMAC tracks vessels on the high seas and gets data from the coastal radars, white shipping agreements, Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) transponders fitted on merchant ships, air and traffic management system and global shipping databases.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/27/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-27-november-2020/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S1: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations’ global development network. As the UN’s development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
• S2: The UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states. The organization operates in 177 countries, where it works with local governments to meet development challenges and develop local capacity.
• United Nations Specialized Agencies are autonomous organizations working with the United Nations and each other through the co-ordinating machinery of the United Nations Economic and Social Council at the intergovernmental level, and through the Chief Executives Board for co-ordination (CEB) at the inter-secretariat level. Specialized agencies may or may not have been originally created by the United Nations, but they are incorporated into the United Nations System by the United Nations Economic and Social Council acting under Articles 57 and 63 of the United Nations Charter. At present the UN has in total specialized agencies that carry out various functions on behalf of the UN. The specialized agencies are listed below
  • FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization
  • IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development
  • ILO: International Labour Organization
  • IMF: International Monetary Fund
  • IMO: International Maritime Organization
  • ITU: International Telecommunication Union
  • UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
  • UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development Organization
  • UNWTO: World Tourism Organization
  • UPU: Universal Postal Union
  • WHO: World Health Organization
  • WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization
  • WMO: World Meteorological Organization
  • World Bank Group’
• SDG Investor Map:
  • Launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Invest India.
  • The map lays down 18 Investment Opportunities Areas (IOAs) in six critical SDG enabling sectors, that can help India push the needle forward on Sustainable Development.
  • By mapping the overlaps and gaps between public sector priorities and private sector interest, the SDG Investor Map lays out pathways that can bring together private-sector investment and public sector support.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/11/27/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-27-november-2020/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Recently after an Oil India Ltd (OIL) well in Assam’s Tinsukia district caught fire following a blowout, the state government ordered a high-level probe into the ecological disaster. The fire at Baghjan 5 well—close to the ecologically-sensitive Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and MaguriMotapung wetland—occurred 14 days after natural gas started leaking from the well.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/06/08/assam-gas-leak/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Places in News:
  • Context: Mentioned as part of 32nd session of the DekhoApnaDesh webinar series of Ministry of Tourism titled “Trekking in the Himalayas- Magical Experiences”.
• Places:
  • Kuari Pass (Uttrakhand): This trek was explored by Lord Curzon and is also known as the Curzon trail.
  • Brahma Taal (Uttrakhand): It is a hidden and secluded lake amidst the ridge, where Lord Brahma meditated according to the mythology.
  • Fotoksaris a picturesque village in Ladakh. It is the part of the Lingshed- Padum trek (also known as The Great Zanskar trek).
  • Roopkhund (Uttarakhand): It is a high altitude glacial lake. It lies in the lap of Trishul massif.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/06/16/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-16-june-2020/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: Review petition: 

• Under Article 137, the Supreme Court has the power to review any of its judgments or orders.
• When a review takes place, the law is that it is allowed not to take fresh stock of the case but to correct grave errors that have resulted in the miscarriage of justice.
• The court has the power to review its rulings to correct a “patent error” and not “minor mistakes of inconsequential import”.
  • In a 1975 ruling, Justice Krishna Iyer said a review can be accepted “only where a glaring omission or patent mistake or like grave error has crept in earlier by judicial fallibility”.
  • As per the Civil Procedure Code and the Supreme Court Rules, any person aggrieved by a ruling can seek a review. However, the court exercises its discretion to allow a review petition only when it shows the grounds for seeking the review.
• Time- period within which a review petition should be filed?
  • As per 1996 rules framed by the Supreme Court:
  • A review petition must be filed within 30 days of the date of judgment or order. While a judgment is the final decision in a case, an order is an interim ruling that is subject to its final verdict.
  • In certain circumstances, the court can condone a delay in filing the review petition if the petitioner can establish strong reasons that justify the delay.
• The procedure to be followed:
  • The rules state that review petitions would ordinarily be entertained without oral arguments by lawyers. It is heard “through circulation” by the judges in their chambers.
  • Review petitions are also heard, as far as practicable, by the same combination of judges who delivered the order or judgment that is sought to be reviewed.
  • If a judge has retired or is unavailable, a replacement is made keeping in mind the seniority of judges.
  • In exceptional cases, the court allows an oral hearing. In a 2014 case, the Supreme Court held that review petitions in all death penalty cases will be heard in open court by a Bench of three judges.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/06/29/what-is-a-review-petition/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is under the National Disaster Management Authority. The head of the NDRF is designated as Director General. The Director Generals of NDRF are IPS officers on deputation from Indian police organisations. Director General wears the uniform and badges of rank of an army three-star general.
• The responsibility of managing disasters in India is that of the State Government. The ‘Nodal Ministry’ in the central government for management of natural disasters is the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/03/20/national-disaster-response-force/