[MISSION 2022] INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 5 January 2022 ) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is governed by the GST Council. Article 279 (1) of the amended Indian Constitution states that the GST Council has to be constituted by the President within 60 days of the commencement of the Article 279A.
• According to the article, GST Council will be a joint forum for the Centre and the States. It consists of the following members:
  • The Union Finance Minister will be the Chairperson
  • As a member, the Union Minister of State will be in charge of Revenue of Finance
  • The Minister in charge of finance or taxation or any other Minister nominated by each State government, as members.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/01/05/gst-compensation-3/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• S1: it is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of 4,225 m (13,862 ft).
• S2: Pangong Tso is in disputed territory.
  • The Line of Actual Control (LAC) – the line that separates Indian and Chinese troops since 1962 – generally runs along the land except for the width of Pangong Tso. Here, it runs through water.
  • Both sides have marked their areas announcing which side belongs to which country.
  • India controls about 45 km stretch of the Pangong Tso and China the rest.
• S3: The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under the convention.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/01/05/china-constructing-bridge-on-pangong-lake-in-ladakh/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: The NPT is a multilateral treatyaimed at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons including three elements: (1) non-proliferation, (2) disarmament, and (3) peaceful use of nuclear energy. These elements constitute a “grand bargain” between the five nuclear weapon states and the non-nuclear weapon states.
• The treaty was signed in 1968 and entered into force in 1970.
• S2: The Treaty represents the only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty to the goal of disarmament by the nuclear-weapon States.
• S3: The treaty defines nuclear-weapon states as those that have built and tested a nuclear explosive device before 1 January 1967; these are the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China. Four other states are known or believed to possess nuclear weapons: India, Pakistan, and North Korea have openly tested and declared that they possess nuclear weapons, while Israel is deliberately ambiguous regarding its nuclear weapons status.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/01/05/the-treaty-on-the-non-proliferation-of-nuclear-weapons-npt/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
• It is an intergovernmental military alliance.
• Established by Washington treaty.
• Headquarters — Brussels, Belgium.
• Headquarters of Allied Command Operations — Mons, Belgium.’

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/01/05/russia-vs-nato-in-ukraine/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• 5G is the 5th generation mobile network. It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.
• S1: 5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience to more users. Higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connects new industries.
• Like its predecessors, 5G networks are cellular networks, in which the service area is divided into small geographical areas called cells. All 5G wireless devices in a cell are connected to the Internet and telephone network by radio waves through a local antenna in the cell. 
• First generation – 1G
  1980s: 1G delivered analog voice.
• Second generation – 2G
  Early 1990s: 2G introduced digital voice (e.g. CDMA- Code Division Multiple Access).
• Third generation – 3G
  Early 2000s: 3G brought mobile data (e.g. CDMA2000).
• Fourth generation – 4G LTE
  2010s: 4G LTE ushered in the era of mobile broadband.
• 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G all led to 5G, which is designed to provide more connectivity than was ever available before.
• 5G is already here today, and global operators started launching new 5G networks in early 2019. In 2020, many countries expect nationwide 5G mobile networks. Also, all major Android phone manufacturers are commercializing 5G phones. And soon, even more people may be able to access 5G.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/01/05/where-does-the-5g-rollout-stand/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• VoLTE is voice calls over a 4G LTE network, rather than the 2G or 3G connections. VolTE can transmit data too. VoLTE has up to three times more voice and data capacity than 3G UMTS and up to six times more than 2G GSM. So, both 1 and 2 are wrong.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/01/05/where-does-the-5g-rollout-stand/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has come out with the framework for facilitating small-value digital payments in offline mode,a move that would promote digital payments in semi-urban and rural areas.
• What are Offline E-payments?
  • Offline digital payment does not require Internet or telecom connectivity.
  • Such payments can be carried out face-to-face (proximity mode) using any channel or instrument like cards, wallets and mobile devices.
  • Such transactions would not require an Additional Factor of Authentication.
  • Since the transactions are offline, alerts (by way of SMS and/or e-mail) will be received by the customer after a time lag.
  • There is a limit of ₹200 per transaction and an overall limit of ₹2,000 until the balance in the account is replenished.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/01/05/mission-2022-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-05-january-2022-5/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Warren Hastings, himself an intellectual, set up the Calcutta Madrasa in 1781 for the study and learning of Persian and Arabic.
• In 1791 the efforts of Jonathan Duncan, the British Resident at Benares, bore fruit and a Sanskrit College was opened at Benares.
• Lord Richard Colley Wellesley (NOT ARTHUR WELLESLEY) took the first step for training of Civil Servants when he founded the fort William College, in Calcutta in November 1800 where the Civil Servants of the Company were to receive training in the literature, science and languages of India.
• Source: (BL GROVER MODERN India, PAGE NO. 176 and 257)

Refer: UPSC CSE 2018

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Wood’s Despatch is called Magnacarta of English Education in India. As per this despatch:
• An education department was to be set in every province.
• Universities on the model of the London University be established in big cities such as Bombay, Calcutta and Madras.
• At least one government school be opened in every district.
• Affiliated private schools should be given grant in aid.
• The Indian natives should be given training in their mother tongue also.
• In accordance with Wood’s despatch, Education Departments were established in every province and universities were opened at Calcutta, Bombay and Madras in 1857 on the model of the London University.
• Later more universities were opened in Punjab in 1882 and at Allahabad 1887.

Refer: UPSC CSE 2018

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• India ratified two fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization namely, Minimum Age Convention (No 138) concerning minimum age for admission to employment and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No 182) concerning the prohibition and immediate action for elimination of the worst forms of Child Labour.

Refer: UPSC CSE 2018