INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 20 March 2021) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Additional Grant: It is granted when a need has arisen during the current financial year for supplementary or additional expenditure upon some new service not contemplated in the Budget for that year.
• Excess Grant: It is granted when money has been spent on any service during a financial year in excess of the amount granted for that year. The demands for excess grants are made after the expenditure has actually been incurred and after the financial year to which it relates, has expired.
• Exceptional Grants: It is granted for an exceptional purpose which forms no part of the current service of any financial year.
• Token Grant: It is granted when funds to meet proposed expenditure on a new service can be made available by re-appropriation, a demand for the grant of a token sum may be submitted to the vote of the House and, if the House assents to the demand, funds may be so made available.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/20/supplementary-demand-for-grants/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• The constitution says that no money can be withdrawn by the government from the Consolidated Fund of India except under appropriation made by law. For that an appropriation bill is passed during the Budget process. However, the appropriation bill may take time to pass through the Parliament and become a law. Meanwhile, the government would need permission to spend even a single penny from April 1 when the new financial year starts. Vote on account is the permission to withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund of India in that period, usually two months. Vote on account is a formality and requires no debate. When elections are scheduled a few months into the new financial year, the government seeks vote on account for four months. Essentially, vote on account is the interim permission of the parliament to the government to spend money.
• So vote on account is just an interim permission to spend money as against a full Budget which is an elaborate financial statement of expenditure and receipts including changes in taxes and government policies. It is passed (or granted) after the general discussion on budget is over. In the election year when the elections are scheduled a few months into the new financial year, the government prefers to seek a vote on account instead of presenting a full Budget because if the government changes after elections it is not fair to deny it the right to design it.
• A vote-on-account only deals with the expenditure side of the government’s budget while an Interim Budget is a complete set of accounts, including both expenditure and receipts, akin to a full budget.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/20/supplementary-demand-for-grants/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• (If one overthinks the answer could be ‘D’ – overthinking that Voter eligibility is not mentioned in the Constitution and Age 25 is not mentioned. As you know UPSC doesn’t reward overthinking. Here the question is related to checking the concept rather than fact)
• S1: Not quite technically true, since one who is eligible to vote isn’t necessarily eligible to be a Minister (for e.g. on grounds of age). But, since UPSC has used the term a voter “can” and not “every voter”, S1 is correct since many voters who meet the eligibility to be a Member of Parliament can be made a Minister.
• For e.g. here are few correct and incorrect statements:
• CORRECT: A voter CAN become a minister for six months.
• CORRECT: A voter eligible to become a Member of Parliament CAN become a minister for six months.
• CORRECT: Every voter that is eligible to become a Member of Parliament CAN become a minister for six months.
• First statement is only part of a larger correct statement, still true.
• INOCRRECT: EVERY voter can become a minister for six months.
• S2: Specifically, Section 8 of RPA, 1951 states the grounds for disqualification on conviction of certain offences pursuant to Section 8 of RPA, 1951, in case the candidate is convicted of certain offences specified under sub-section (1) (2) (3) of Sec. 8 and sentenced to indicated fine or imprisonment, then such a candidate is disqualified from being a member of either house of Parliament or State Legislature from the date of such conviction till the stated time. This is not permanent, so S2 is wrong.

Refer: UPSC CSE 2020: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/20/sc-stays-hc-decision-barring-aided-school-teachers-from-contesting-polls/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The insurance industry of India has 57 insurance companies 24 are in the life insurance business, while 33 are non-life insurers. Among the life insurers, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) is the sole public sector company. There are six public sector insurers in the non-life insurance segment. In addition to these, there is a sole national re-insurer, namely General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re). Other stakeholders in the Indian Insurance market include agents (individual and corporate), brokers, surveyors and third-party administrators servicing health insurance claims. More>>
• According to the economic survey, insurance penetration in India increased to 3.76 per cent in 2019 from the 2.71 per cent in 2001. However, it was much lower than Malaysia, Thailand, and China’s, which clocked 4.72, 4.99 and 4.30 per cent, respectively in 2019.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/20/insurance-amendment-bill-2021/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Horn of Africa:
  • Eritrea
  • Djibouti
  • Somalia
  • Ethiopia

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/20/the-indian-ocean-border-dispute-between-kenya-and-somalia/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: About IOC:

• It is an intergovernmental organization created in 1982.
• It was institutionalized in 1984 by the Victoria Agreement in Seychelles.
• It is composed of five African Indian Ocean nations: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion (an overseas region of France), and Seychelles.
• It’s principal mission is to strengthen the ties of friendship between the countries and to be a platform of solidarity for the entire population of the African Indian Ocean region.
• The Commission has a Secretariat which is located in Mauritius and headed by a Secretary General.
• The Commission has five observers — China, India, EU, Malta and International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/20/the-indian-ocean-border-dispute-between-kenya-and-somalia/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: What is Global Hunger Index?

• The report is a peer-reviewed publication released annually by Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide.
• It tracks hunger at global, regional and national levels.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/20/government-questions-methodology-and-data-accuracy-of-global-hunger-index/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• S2: Because aluminum is a lightweight metal and the cathode material, oxygen, does not have to be stored in the battery, an aluminum–air battery is considerably lighter than a comparable lithium-ion battery.
• S3: Aluminium–air batteries are primary cells, i.e., non–rechargeable. Once the aluminium anode is consumed by its reaction with atmospheric oxygen at a cathode immersed in a water-based electrolyte to form hydrated aluminium oxide, the battery will no longer produce electricity.
• S1: The total fuel efficiency during the cycle process in Al/air electric vehicles (EVs) can be 15% (present stage) or 20% (projected), comparable to that of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEs) (13%). S1 is incorrect since it is not possible.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/20/what-are-aluminium-air-batteries/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: What types of inventions are not patentable in India?

• An invention may satisfy the condition of novelty, inventiveness and usefulness but it may not qualify for a patent under the following situations:
  • an invention which is frivolous or which claims anything obviously contrary to well established natural laws;
  • an invention the primary or intended use or commercial exploitation of which could be contrary to public order or morality or which causes serious prejudice to human, animal or plant life or health or to the environment;
  • the mere discovery of scientific principle or the formulation of an abstract theory or discovery of any living thing or non-living substance occurring in nature;
  • the mere discovery of a new form of a known substance which does not result in enhancement of the known efficacy of that substance or the mere discovery of any new property or new use for a known substance or of the mere use of a known process, machine or apparatus unless such known process results in a new product or employs at least one new reactant;
• Explanation: For the purposes of this clause, salts, esters, ethers, polymorphs, metabolites, pure form, particle size, isomers, mixtures of isomers, complexes, combinations and other derivatives of known substance shall be considered to be the same substance, unless they differ significantly in properties with regards to efficacy;
  • a substance obtained by mere admixture resulting only in the aggregation of the properties of the components thereof or a process for producing such substance;
  • the mere arrangement or re-arrangement or duplication of known devices each functioning independently of one another in a known way;
  • a method of agriculture or horticulture;
  • any process for medicinal, surgical, curative, prophylactic (diagnostic, therapeutic) or other treatment of human beings or any process for a similar treatment of animals to render them free of disease or to increase their economic value or that of their products;
  • plants and animals in whole or any part thereof other than microorganisms but including seeds, varieties and species and essentially biological processes for production or propagation of plants and animals;
  • a mathematical or business method or a computer program per se or algorithms;
  • a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work or any other aesthetic creation whatsoever including cinematographic works and television productions;
  • a mere scheme or rule or method of performing mental act or method of playing game;
  • a presentation of information;
  • topography of integrated circuits;
  • an invention which, in effect, is traditional knowledge or which is an aggregation or duplication of known properties of traditionally known component or components;
  • inventions relating to atomic energy;

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/20/india-japan-agree-for-greater-cooperation-in-patent-verification/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• 5th and 6th schedule directly concern themselves with tribal governance as all the special provisions made under the constitution fall under it. For e.g. constituting a tribal advisory council; giving tribals control over land and forests etc.
• 7th schedule is concerned with the division of legislative power between Centre and States. It concerns with forests; welfare; mining and minerals which have a direct bearing on the tribal community in India. 10th schedule is about anti-defection.
• Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021:
  • Passed in Lok Sabha recently.
  • It seeks to put seven castes under one nomenclature of “Devendrakula Vellalars” with some exceptions for some of the castes in certain districts of Tamil Nadu.
  • The castes include Devendrakulathan, Kadaiyan, Kalladi, Kudumban, Pallan, Pannadi and Vathiriyan.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/20/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-20-march-2021/