[MISSION 2022] INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS ( 11 February 2022 ) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S1: According to the Constitution, the powers, privileges and immunities of Parliament and MP’s are to be defined by Parliament. No law has so far been enacted in this respect. In the absence of any such law, it continues to be governed by British Parliamentary conventions.
• S2: The Speaker/RS chairpersonis the first level of scrutiny of a privilege motion.
• The Speaker/Chair can decide on the privilege motion himself or herself or refer it to the privileges committee of Parliament.
• If the Speaker/Chair gives consent under relevant rules, the member concerned is given an opportunity to make a short statement.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/02/11/privilege-motion-2/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• S2: The parliamentary privileges do not extend to the President who is also an integral part of the Parliament. Article 361 of the Constitution provides for privileges for the President.
• S1 and S3: Originally, the Constitution (Article 105) expressedly mentioned two privileges, that is, freedom of speech in Parliament and right of publication of its proceedings. With regard to other privileges, it provided that they were to be the same as those of the British House of Commons, its committees and its members on the date of its commencement (ie, 26 January, 1950), until defined by Parliament.
• The 44th Amendment Act of 1978 provided that the other privileges of each House of Parliament, its committees and its members are to be those which they had on the date of its commencement (ie, 20 June, 1979), until defined by Parliament. This means that the position with regard to other privileges remains same. In other words, the amendment has made only verbal changes by dropping a direct reference to the British House of Commons, without making any change in the implication of the provision.
• It should be noted here that the Parliament, till now, has not made any special law to exhaustively codify all the privileges. They are based on five sources, namely, 1. Constitutional provisions, 2. Various laws made by Parliament, 3. Rules of both the Houses, 4. Parliamentary conventions, and 5. Judicial interpretations.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/02/11/privilege-motion-2/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• A notice is moved in the form of a motion by any member of either House against those being held guilty of breach of privilege. Each House also claims the right to punish as contempt actions which, while not breach of any specific privilege, are offences against its authority and dignity.
• The Speaker/RS chairperson is the first level of scrutiny of a privilege motion. The Speaker/Chair can decide on the privilege motion himself or herself or refer it to the privileges committee of Parliament.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/02/11/privilege-motion-2/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The Association of Southeast Asian Nationsis a regional organization which was established to promote political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s post-colonial states.
• The motto of ASEAN is“One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
• ASEAN Secretariat –Indonesia, Jakarta.
• Genesis:
  • Established in 1967 with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration)by its founding fathers.
• Founding Fathers of ASEAN are:Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
• Ten Members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/02/11/asean-2/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• A tokamakis a device which uses a powerful magnetic field to confine hot plasma in the shape of a torus. The tokamak is one of several types of magnetic confinement devices being developed to produce controlled thermonuclear fusion power.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/02/11/nuclear-fusion-technology/

Ans: (c)

Explanation: International Thermonuclear Reactor (ITER):

• ITER is a step towards future production of electricity from fusion energy. Nuclear Fusion is the process in which the Sun and the stars produce the energy by fusing light nuclei of hydrogen.
• Stat1: ITER will produce at least ten times more energy than the energy required to operate it. In future demo or commercial reactors based on fusion, this energy can be converted to electricity.
• Stat2: An unprecedented international scientific and technological collaboration representing more than half the worlds human population is presently involved towards construction of ITER. The ITER partners are presently the People’s Republic of China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and the United States of America.
• Stat3 and 4: ITER will be built mostly through in-kind contributions from the participant countries (Parties) in the form of components manufactured by the Parties and delivered/installed at ITER.
• ITER-India is the Indian Domestic Agency (DA), formed with the responsibility to provide to ITER the Indian contribution.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/02/11/nuclear-fusion-technology/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder, a radio receiver and transmitter. When triggered by an electromagnetic interrogation pulse from a nearby RFID reader device, the tag transmits digital data, usually an identifying inventory number, back to the reader. This number can be used to track inventory goods.
• Passive tags are powered by energy from the RFID reader’s interrogating radio waves. Active tags are powered by a battery and thus can be read at a greater range from the RFID reader, up to hundreds of meters.
• Unlike a barcode, the tag does not need to be within the line of sight of the reader, so it may be embedded in the tracked object. RFID is one method of automatic identification and data capture (AIDC).

Refer: Facts for Prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/02/11/mission-2022-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-11-february-2022/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: Infrastructure for Resilient Island States

• This initiative has been launched by India for developing the infrastructure of small island nations vulnerable to climate change.
• The new initiative is the result of cooperation between India, the U.K. and Australia and included the participation of leaders of small island nations such as Fiji, Jamaica and Mauritius.
• Implementation: The IRIS initiative is a part of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) that would focus on building capacity, having pilot projects, especially in small island developing states.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/11/03/infrastructure-for-resilient-island-states/

Ans: (a)

Explanation: About CDRI:

• Launched by Modi in September 2019 at the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit in New York, US.
• It is a platform where knowledge is generated and exchanged on different aspects of disaster and climate resilience of infrastructure.
• It will create a mechanism to assist countries to upgrade their capacities and practices, with regard to infrastructure development in accordance with their risk context and economic needs.
• So far, 25 other countries, including Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, and the United States have joined this coalition.
• CDRI is the second international collaboration set up by India in the climate change sphere, the other being the International Solar Alliance that has now evolved to the status of a “treaty-based” intergovernmental organisation.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2021/11/03/infrastructure-for-resilient-island-states/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• S1 is a protocol under UNTOC, and S3 is wrong as UNCAC has that provision.
• The United Nations Convention against Corruption is the only legally binding international anti-corruption multilateral treaty
• The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is mandated by its Member States to assist in the implementation of both Conventions, which along with the UN Drug Conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988 underpin all the operational work of UNODC.
• See https://www.unodc.org/southasia/en/frontpage/2011/may/indian-govt-ratifies-two-un-conventions.html

Refer: UPSC CSE 2018