INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 17 March 2021) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (a)

Explanation: About the Scheme:

• Under the scheme, a monthly assistance of Rs 830 is transferred to women members of marginalised families of Assam.
• On account of being a DBT, or a Direct Benefit Transfer scheme, the money is credited directly to the bank account of the woman head of a family because they are “primary caretakers of the household”.
• The scheme gives “a choice to the poor and needy households on how they want to spend their money”.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/17/orunudoi-scheme/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: The anti-defection law is contained in the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. It was enacted by Parliament in 1985. It came into effect on 1st March 1985.
• S2: There are two grounds on which a member of a legislature can be disqualified.
  • One, if the member voluntarily gives up the membership of the party, he shall be disqualified. Voluntarily giving up the membership is not the same as resigning from a party. Even without resigning, a legislator can be disqualified if by his conduct the Speaker/Chairman of the concerned House draws a reasonable inference that the member has voluntarily given up the membership of his party.
  • Second, if a legislator votes in the House against the direction of his party and his action is not condoned by his party, he can be disqualified. These are the two grounds on which a legislator can be disqualified from being a member of the House.
• However, there is an exception that was provided in the law to protect the legislators from disqualification. The 10th Schedule says that if there is a merger between two political parties and two-thirds of the members of a legislature party agree to the merger, they will not be disqualified.
• S3: The law does not specify a time-period for the Presiding Officer to decide on a disqualification plea. Given that courts can intervene only after the Presiding Officer has decided on the matter, the petitioner seeking disqualification has no option but to wait for this decision to be made.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/17/applicability-of-anti-defection-law-for-nominated-mps/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• In 1985, the Rajiv Gandhi government brought a Bill to amend the Constitution and curb defection. The 10th Schedule of the Constitution, which contains the anti-defection law, was added to the Constitution through this amendment.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/17/applicability-of-anti-defection-law-for-nominated-mps/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: Mullaperiyar Dam- what you need to know?

• Although the dam is located in Kerala, it is operated by Tamil Nadu following an 1886 lease indenture for 999 years (the Periyar Lake Lease Agreement) that was signed between the Maharaja of Travancore and the Secretary of State for India for the Periyar Irrigation works.
• Constructed between 1887 and 1895, the dam redirected the river to flow towards the Bay of Bengal, instead of the Arabian Sea and provide water to the arid rain region of Madurai in Madras Presidency.
• The dam is located on the confluence of the Mullayar and Periyar rivers in Kerala’s Idukki district.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/17/mullaperiyar-dam-isssue/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• It is a report on air quality released by Swiss organisation, IQAir.
• The global cities ranking report is based on PM2.5 data from 106 countries, which is measured by ground-based monitoring stations, most of which are operated by government agencies.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/17/the-world-air-quality-report-2020/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• The Union Cabinet has approved a Bill to set up a Development Finance Institution – National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID).
• S2: NaBFID will be set up with a corpus of ₹20,000 crore and an initial grant of ₹5,000 crore from the government.
• S1: Initially, it will be wholly owned by the Government but the Government stake will be lowered to a quarter.
• It will also enjoy some tax benefits for an initial 10-year period and some amendments will be carried out in the Indian Stamp Act in this regard.
• It will have a professional board and at least 50% of members will be non-official directors.
• An eminent person will be appointed chairperson.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/17/cabinet-gives-nod-to-bill-for-setting-up-dfi/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S2: the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 allocates the Chenab River to Pakistan for exploitation. India can use its water for domestic and agricultural uses or for “non-consumptive” uses such as hydro power.
• S1: It rises in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh state, India, and flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir into the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, before flowing into the Indus River near the city of Uch Sharif.
• World’s highest railway bridge:
  • It is being constructed over the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • The ₹1,250-crore bridge will be 359 metres above the Chenab river bed.
  • The rail line is expected to be 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower.
  • Once completed, it will surpass the record of the Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge (275 m) in China.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/17/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-17-march-2021/

Ans: (c)

Explanation: About IRENA:

• It is an intergovernmental organisation mandated to facilitate cooperation, advance knowledge, and promote the adoption and sustainable use of renewable energy.
• S1: It is the first international organisation to focus exclusively on renewable energy, addressing needs in both industrialized and developing countries.
• S3: It was founded in 2009 & its statute entered into force on 8 July 2010 and is headquartered in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.
• IRENA is an official United Nations observer.
• S2: The International Energy Agency is best known for the publication of its annual World Energy Outlook.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/17/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-17-march-2021/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• S1 and S2: The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports. But becoming the member of the ‘Nuclear Suppliers Group’ will NOT automatically make a country a member of “The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
• The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a multilateral export control regime and a group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
• Membership of the NSG enables access to technology for a range of uses from medicine to building nuclear power plants for India from the NSG which is essentially a traders’ cartel.

Source/Refer: UPSC CSE 2018:  http://www.nuclearsuppliersgroup.org/en/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Opportunity cost represents the benefits an individual, investor or business misses out on when choosing one alternative over another.
• When you have the opportunity to access public services for free, this would always come at a cost of somebody paying for it. In this case, the tax payer bears the opportunity cost.

Source: UPSC CSE 2018