INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 25 March 2021) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: The Attorney General (AG) is appointed by the president. He must be a person who is qualified to be appointed a judge of the Supreme Court. In other words, he must be a citizen of India and he must have been a judge of some high court for five years or an advocate of some high court for ten years or an eminent jurist, in the opinion of the president.
• S2: The term of office of the AG is not fixed by the Constitution. Further, the Constitution does not contain the procedure and grounds for his removal. He holds office during the pleasure of the president. This means that he may be removed by the president at any time. He may also quit his office by submitting his resignation to the president. Conventionally, he resigns when the government (council of ministers) resigns or is replaced, as he is appointed on its advice.
• S3: 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.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/25/a-g-says-no-to-contempt-proceedings/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• S2 & S3: The judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president. The chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with such judges of the Supreme Court and high courts as he deems necessary. The other judges are appointed by president after consultation with the chief justice and such other judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts as he deems necessary. The consultation with the chief justice is obligatory in the case of appointment of a judge other than Chief justice.
• S1: The Supreme Court of India was inaugurated on January 28, 1950. It succeeded the Federal Court of India, established under the Government of India Act of 1935.
• S4: There are currently 29 judges (including the Chief Justice of India) and maximum possible strength is 34.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/25/how-supreme-court-chooses-the-chief-justice-of-india-2/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Predatory Pricing– the pricing of goods or services at such a low level that other firms cannot compete and are forced to leave the market.
• Predatory pricing is a short-term strategy, adopted by some of the market giants with deep pockets to sustain short-term losses and reduce the prices of their products below the average variable costs.
• This may lead to wiping out competition from the market and could be detrimental to the consumers in the long run.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/25/consumer-protection-e-commerce-rules-2020/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: It is incorrect. Equalisation Levy is a tax on business transaction for online marketing in which any Indian pays a sum of more than Rs.1 lakh to non-residents entities such Google and Facebook etc. It is part of the Finance act.
• S2: It is incorrect. Since Equalisation Levy is outside the scope of tax treaties entered into by India with other countries, the foreign company cannot claim a tax credit in its home country.
• The new amendment, effective from April 1, 2020, expands the equalization levy from online advertising to nearly all online commerce activities done in India by businesses that do not have taxable presence in India through applicability of 2% on its revenues.
• Specifically, it is levied on consideration receivable by the e-commerce operator for supply or services or facilitation of supply or service to – Person resident in India, Non-resident under specified circumstances such as through sale of data collected from a person resident in India, and Person who buys goods or services through an IP address located in India.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/25/no-digital-tax-if-goods-sold-via-india-arm/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• A transcriptome is the full range of messenger RNA, or mRNA, molecules expressed by an organism.
• The term “transcriptome” can also be used to describe the array of mRNA transcripts produced in a particular cell or tissue type.
• In contrast with the genome, which is characterized by its stability, the transcriptome actively changes.
• In fact, an organism’s transcriptome varies depending on many factors, including stage of development and environmental conditions.
• http://www.nature.com/scitable/definition/transcriptome-296

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/25/double-mutant-virus-variant-found/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is an energy service company (ESCO) of the Government of India and is the world’s largest public ESCO.
• It is 100% government-owned, a joint venture of state-owned NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation, REC Limited and POWERGRID.
• EESL was formed under India’s Ministry of Power to facilitate energy efficiency projects. Innovative business and implementation models can significantly reduce consumption and costs. EESL also acts as the resource center for capacity building of state electricity distribution companies, electricity regulatory commissions (ERCs), state-designated agencies (SDAs), upcoming ESCOs, financial institutions, etc.
• Gram Ujala: Under this program Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), will distribute high quality LED bulbs, at an affordable cost of 10 rupees per bulb in rural areas.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/25/gram-ujala/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project (1,000 MW) is proposed on the Marusudar river, a tributary of the Chenab river, in Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir.

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/03/25/insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-25-march-2021/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Dachigam National park is located in the Zabarwan Range of the western Himalayas. It was initially created to ensure clean drinking water supply for the city of Srinagar. It was upgraded and declared a National Park in the year 1981.
• It is popular as the home of the rare and critically endangered Hangul or Kashmir stag.
• S2 and S3: are related to Hemis National Park.

Refer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dachigam_National_Park

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• It is a high altitude national park in Ladakh, India. Globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world.
• It is the only national park in India that is north of the Himalayas, the largest notified protected area in India (largest National park) and is the second largest contiguous protected area, after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas.
• The park is bounded on the north by the banks of the Indus River.
• No metalled or motorable roads traverse the park.

Refer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemis_National_Park

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• The Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park in the Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur in India.
• It is the only floating park in the world, located in North East India, and an integral part of Loktak Lake.
• The national park is characterized by floating decomposed plant material locally called phumdi. It was created in 1966 as a wildlife sanctuary to preserve the natural habitat of the endangered Eld’s deer (Cervus eldi eldi). In 1977, it was gazetted as national park.
• It is also the world’s sole habitat for the sangai, or brow-antlered deer, in the wild. It’s the state animal of Manipur.

Refer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keibul_Lamjao_National_Park