INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 3 December 2020) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• S3: Tropical Cyclones require low wind shear to form. Wind shear is the change in wind speed or direction with height in the atmosphere. High wind shear will slow spinning cyclones down and prevent them from lasting a long time.
• S2: Tropical cyclones need to form at least five degrees of latitude away from the equator. During a tropical cyclone, the Coriolis Force deflects winds blowing towards the low pressure center of the storm and creates circulation.
• S1: Tropical cyclones can only form over ocean surfaces that are at least 27 degrees Celsius warm.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/12/03/why-cyclone-burevi-will-not-be-as-strong-as-cyclone-nivar/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• What is the law on contempt of courts?
  • The Contempt of Courts Act 1971 defines civil and criminal contempt, and lays down the powers and procedures by which courts can penalise contempt, as well as the penalties that can be given for the offence of contempt.
  • Contempt of court is the offense of being disobedient to or disrespectful toward a court of law and its officers in the form of behavior that opposes or defies the authority, justice and dignity of the court.
• Why is the consent of the Attorney General required to initiate contempt proceedings?
  • The objective behind requiring the consent of the Attorney General before taking cognizance of a complaint is to save the time of the court.
  • This is necessary because judicial time is squandered if frivolous petitions are made and the court is the first forum for bringing them in.
  • The AG’s consent is meant to be a safeguard against frivolous petitions, as it is deemed that the AG, as an officer of the court, will independently ascertain whether the complaint is indeed valid.
• Under what circumstances is the AG’s consent not needed?
  • The AG’s consent is mandatory when a private citizen wants to initiate a case of contempt of court against a person.
  • However, when the court itself initiates a contempt of court case the AG’s consent is not required.
  • This is because the court is exercising its inherent powers under the Constitution to punish for contempt and such Constitutional powers cannot be restricted because the AG declined to grant consent.
• What happens if the AG denies consent?
  • If the AG denies consent, the matter all but ends.
  • The complainant can, however, separately bring the issue to the notice of the court and urge the court to take suo motu cognizance.
  • Article 129 of the Constitution gives the Supreme Court the power to initiate contempt cases on its own, independent of the motion brought before it by the AG or with the consent of the AG.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/12/03/consent-for-contempt/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• WHO World Malaria Report 2020:
• Key findings:
  • India has made considerable progress in reducing its malaria burden.
  • India is the only high endemic country which has reported a decline of 17.6% in 2019 as compared to 2018.
  • The Annual Parasitic Incidence (API) reduced by 27.6% in 2018 compared to 2017 and by 18.4% in 2019 as compared to 2018. India has sustained API less than one since year 2012.
  • India has also contributed to the largest drop in cases region-wide, from approximately 20 million to about 6 million. The percentage drop in the malaria cases was 71.8% and deaths was 73.9% between 2000 to 2019.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/12/03/who-world-malaria-report-2020/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, which are active mainly between dusk and dawn.
• Spread: Female Anopheles mosquitoes deposit parasite sporozoites into the skin of a human host.
• Four kinds of malaria parasites infect humans:
  • Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae. In addition, P. knowlesi, a type of malaria that naturally infects macaques in Southeast Asia, also infects humans, causing malaria that is transmitted from animal to human (“zoonotic” malaria).
• There are currently no licensed vaccines against malaria. One research vaccine against falciparum, known as RTS, S/AS01, is most advanced. This vaccine has been evaluated in a clinical trial in 7 countries in Africa and received a positive opinion by the European Medicines Agency.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/12/03/who-world-malaria-report-2020/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Iran, Iraq and Libya – all among the 14-member Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) – and states torn by conflicts such as Yemen and South Sudan have not ratified the agreement.
• Angola was the latest country to ratify the climate deal on 12 August 2020.
• Kyrgyzstan ratified on 18 February and Lebanon on 5 February.
• Turkey is now the only member of the G20 not to have formally endorsed the deal after Russia ratified in October 2019.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/12/03/panel-formed-to-oversee-indias-paris-climate-goals/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: BWC is the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning the development, production and stockpiling of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction, was opened for signature on 10 April 1972. The BWC entered into force on 26 March 1975.
• S2: It is a legally binding treaty.
• S3: India signed the BWC with some reservations on January 15, 1973 and ratified the treaty a year and a half later on July 15, 1974.
• The BWC bans:
  • The development, stockpiling, acquisition, retention, and production of:
  • Biological agents and toxins “of types and in quantities that have no justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes;”
  • Weapons, equipment, and delivery vehicles “designed to use such agents or toxins for hostile purposes or in armed conflict.”
  • The transfer of or assistance with acquiring the agents, toxins, weapons, equipment, and delivery vehicles described above.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/12/03/bioweapons/

Ans: (c)

Explanation: Bihar plans migratory bird festival to raise awareness about them:

• Bihar is holding a bird festival for the first time as part of its initiative to save migratory birds that arrive in the state in large numbers every year.
• The festival is being organised in eastern Bihar’s Bhagalpur district which has special significance. This was because the 60-kilometre-long stretch of the Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary between Sultanganj and Kahalgaon had long been a hub of migratory birds.
• Some prominent migratory birds arriving in Bhagalpur include bar-headed goose, steppe eagle, Ferruginous duck, Eurasian curlew, white wagtail, great crested grebe, common greenshank and Eurasian coot.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/12/03/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-3-december-2020/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The McMahon Line forms the northern boundary of Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern Himalayas administered by India but claimed by China. The area was the focus of the 1962 Sino-Indian
• Sumdorong Chu:
  • In 1986–87, a military standoff took place between India and China in the Sumdorong Chu Valley bordering the Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh and Cona County, Tibet.
  • The standoff was the first military confrontation along the disputed McMahon Line after the 1962 war and gave rise to fears of escalation.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/12/03/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-3-december-2020/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Participatory Notes are Overseas Derivative Instruments that have Indian stocks as their underlying assets. They allow foreign investors to buy stocks listed on Indian exchanges without being registered. The instrument gained popularity as FIIs, to avoid the formalities of registering and to remain anonymous, started betting on stocks through this route.

Source: UPSC CSE 2019

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• RBI does not issue CDs to corporations, so S2 is wrong.
• S4 is incorrect too. Zero Coupon Bonds are G-secs that are issued at a discount and redeemed at par. No interest payment is made on such bonds at periodic intervals before maturity.

Source: UPSC CSE 2020