INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 11 August 2021) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S1: The 102nd constitutional amendment (Inserted Articles 338B and 342 A after Article 342) was related to giving constitutional status to the National Commission of Backward Classes and interpretation of this constitutional amendment effectively struck a blow to the authority of state governments in identifying backward classes and provide them with reservation benefits.
• S2: According to the Constitution of India, Articles 15(4), 15(5) and 16(4) confer power on a state to identify and declare the list of socially and educationally backward classes. As a matter of practice, separate OBC lists are drawn up by the Centre and each state concerned.
• S3: The Constitution 127th Amendment Bill, 2021 was passed with unanimous support in Lok Sabha, recently.
  • The Bill amends the Constitution to allow states and union territories to prepare their own list of socially and educationally backward classes.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/11/bill-to-restore-states-rights-to-specify-obc-groups/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• An amendment of the Constitution can be initiated only by the introduction of a bill in either House of Parliament.
• The bill must then be passed in each House by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a special majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting. In case of disagreement between the two Houses, there is no provision for a joint sitting.
• If the amendment seeks to make any change in any of the provisions mentioned in the provision to Article 368, it must be ratified by the Legislatures of not less than one-half of the states. Although there is no prescribed time limit for ratification, it must be completed before the amending bill is presented to the president for his assent.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/11/bill-to-restore-states-rights-to-specify-obc-groups/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: The responsibility of conducting the decennial Census rests with the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India under Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
• S2: The individual data collected in Census under the Census Act, 1948, are not made public as per the provisions contained in the Act. The individual data are not used for the preparation of any other database, including the National Register of Citizens.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/11/what-is-census/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• The scheme guarantees one meal to all children in government and aided schools and madarsas supported under Samagra Shiksha.
• Students up to Class VIII are guaranteed one nutritional cooked meal at least 200 days in a year.
• The Scheme comes under the Ministry of HRD.
• It was launched in the year 1995 as the National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education (NP – NSPE), a centrally sponsored scheme. In 2004, the scheme was relaunched as the Mid Day Meal Scheme.
• The Scheme is also covered by the National Food Security Act, 2013.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/11/what-is-midday-meal-scheme/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: The MDM rules 2015, provide that:

• S1: The place of serving meals to the children shall be school only.
  • If the Mid-Day Meal is not provided in school on any school day due to non-availability of food grains or any other reason, the State Government shall pay food security allowance by 15th of the succeeding month.
• S2: The School Management Committee mandated under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 shall also monitor implementation of the Mid-day meal Scheme.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/11/what-is-midday-meal-scheme/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S2: Eligibility criteria to avail connection under Ujjwala 2.0
  • Applicant (woman only) must have attained 18 years of age.
  • There should not be any other LPG connection from any OMC in the same household.
• S1: Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is a scheme of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for providing LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/11/ujjwala-2-0-scheme/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The One Country Two Systems policy was originally proposed by Deng Xiaoping shortly after he took the reins of the country in the late 1970s. Deng’s plan was to unify China and Taiwan under the One Country Two Systems policy.

Refer:  https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/11/how-is-hong-kong-administered/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Recently, South Africa, first time in the world, has granted a patent to an ‘artificial intelligence system’ relating to a “food container based on fractal geometry” innovation.
• The innovation involves interlocking food containers that are easy for robots to grasp and stack.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/08/11/south-africa-grants-patent-to-an-artificial-intelligence-system/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• S3: The Reserve is also home to two major tribes – the Gond tribes and Korkus tribe whereas the most primitive tribe, Bhariya, reside in the Patalkot region, which is a completely isolated valley in the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh
• S2: Pachmarhi comprises three protection sites: the Bori Sanctuary, Satpura National Park and Pachmarhi Sanctuary – otherwise known as the Satpura Tiger Reserve.
• S1: The Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve is a non-use conservation area and biosphere reserve in the Satpura Range of Madhya Pradesh state in central India.

Refer: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/asia-and-the-pacific/india/pachmarhi

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Pachmarhi BR area is often recognized as “Genetic Express Highway” linking two biological hot spots of the country viz. Eastern Himalayas (not Eastern Ghats) and Western Ghats, also as confluence of northern and southern type of vegetation.

Refer: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/biosphere-reserves/asia-and-the-pacific/india/pachmarhi