INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 28 January 2021) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Lajpat Rai adopted Mazzini as his own guru after reading Surendranath’s Speeches. In 1896, he wrote a series of books in Urdu, which he named the ‘Great Men of the World’. The first great man he chose was his Italian guru Giuseppe Mazzini, and then Garibaldi, along with Sivaji, Dayananda and Sri Krishna.
• His purpose in selecting Mazzini and Garibladi was to infuse patriotic sentiment in the youth of Punjab, who had no access to books in English.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/28/lala-lajpat-rai-3/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: About Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana:

• It is a small deposit scheme for the girl child launched as a part of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign.
• A Sukanya Samriddhi Account can be opened any time after the birth of a girl till she turns 10, with a minimum deposit of Rs 250 (Earlier it was Rs 1,000). In subsequent years, a minimum of Rs 250 and a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh can be deposited during the ongoing financial year.
• The account can be opened in any post office or authorised branches of commercial banks.
• The account will remain operative for 21 years from the date of its opening or till the marriage of the girl after she turns 18.
• To meet the requirement of her higher education expenses, partial withdrawal of 50% of the balance is allowed after she turns 18.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/28/village-celebrates-its-newborn-daughters/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: Highlights of the Bill:

• As per the Bill, national and regional DNA data banks will be set up for maintaining a national database for identification of victims, suspects in cases, undertrials, missing persons and unidentified human remains.
• Punishment: Those leaking the DNA profile information to people or entities who are not entitled to have it, will be punished with a jail term of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs. 1 lakh.
• Usage: As per the bill, all DNA data, including DNA profiles, DNA samples and records, will only be used for identification of the person and not for “any other purpose”.
• The bill’s provisions will enable the cross-matching between persons who have been reported missing on the one hand and unidentified dead bodies found in various parts of the country on the other, and also for establishing the identity of victims in mass disasters.
• The Bill establishes a DNA Regulatory Board to accredit the DNA laboratories that analyse DNA samples to establish the identity of an individual.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/28/dna-technology-use-and-application-regulation-bill-2019/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: About the New START treaty:

• The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), was signed in 2010 by former US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart at the time, Dmitry Medvedev.
• The treaty limits each party to 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), 1,550 nuclear warheads on deployed ICBMs and SLBMs, and 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers.
• It also envisions a rigorous inspection regime to verify compliance.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/28/russia-gives-nod-to-extend-start-treaty/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Stat1 and 2: International Energy Agency (IEA) was established during the oil crisis of 1973. It is an intergovernmental autonomous organisation based in Paris. IEA has a major role to play in providing information related to the international oil market and taking action against any physical disruptions in the supply of oil.
• Stat3: Source: India became an associate member of IEA in March 2017 but it was in engagement with IEA long before its association with the organization. India was a party to the Declaration of Cooperation, signed in 1998 which covered the matters relating to energy security and statistics

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/28/international-energy-agency-iea-2/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills ranges of South India. The Nilgiri Sub-Cluster is a part of the Western Ghats, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012.
• It is the largest protected forest area in India, spreading across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
• It includes the Aralam, Mudumalai, Mukurthi, Nagarhole, Bandipur and Silent Valley national parks, as well as the Wayanad, Karimpuzha, and Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuaries.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/28/conservationist-joins-panel-on-elephant-corridor-case/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/28/conservationist-joins-panel-on-elephant-corridor-case/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: here the directive word is not correct!!

• S1: The leader of a group is the oldest female. She guides the herd in their search of food and water sources. These matriarchal units can occasionally divide into smaller, temporary groups.
• S2: A breeding pair remains together for about 3 weeks. Gestation period lasts for 22 months, yielding a single baby. During the birth, females of the herd surround the mother in order to protect her.
• S3: Adulthood starts at about 18 years of age, and the elephant has an average life expectancy of 70 years. Although sexually mature in their early teens, elephants generally only start to mate at about 20 years and stop bearing calves at about 50
• S4: South India had the highest number of wild elephants – 14,612. Among the south Indian states, Karnataka leads the table with 6,049 elephants followed by Kerala.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/28/conservationist-joins-panel-on-elephant-corridor-case/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: About the Official Secrets Act:

• Originally enacted during the time of Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905.
• One of the main purposes of the Act was to muzzle the voice of nationalist publications.
• The Act replaced the earlier Act, and was extended to all matters of secrecy and confidentiality in governance in the country.
• It broadly deals with two aspects:
• Spying or espionage, covered under Section 3.
• Disclosure of other secret information of the government, under Section 5.
• Is “secret information” defined?
  • The Act does not say what a “secret” document is. It is the government’s discretion to decide what falls under the ambit of a “secret” document.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/28/official-secrets-act-2/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Minimum Support Price of Copra:
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of copra for 2021 season.
• The approval is based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
• The increase in MSP for copra for 2021 season is in line with the principle of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times the all India weighted average cost of production which was announced by the Government in the Budget 2018-19.
• Government announces minimum support prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane. The mandated crops are 14 crops of the kharif season, 6 rabi crops and two other commercial crops. In addition, the MSPs of toria and de-husked coconut are fixed on the basis of the MSPs of rapeseed/mustard and copra, respectively. The list of crops are as follows.
  • Cereals (7) – paddy, wheat, barley, jowar, bajra, maize and ragi
  • Pulses (5) – gram, arhar/tur, moong, urad and lentil
  • Oilseeds (8) – groundnut, rapeseed/mustard, toria, soyabean, sunflower seed, sesamum, safflower seed and nigerseed
  • Raw cotton
  • Raw jute
  • Copra
  • De-husked coconut
  • Sugarcane (Fair and remunerative price)
  • Virginia flu cured (VFC) tobacco

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/01/28/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-27-january-2021-2/