[MISSION 2023] INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS (19 July 2022 ) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Article 29:
  • It provides that any section of the citizens residing in any part of India having a distinct language, script or culture of its own, shall have the right to conserve the same.
  • It grants protection to both religious minorities as well as linguistic minorities.
  • However, the SC held that the scope of this article is not necessarily restricted to minorities only, as the use of the word ‘section of citizens’ in the Article includes minorities as well as the majority.
• Article 30:
  • S1: All minorities shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
  • S2: The protection under Article 30 is confined only to minorities (religious or linguistic)and does not extend to any section of citizens (as under Article 29).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/07/19/minority-status-of-religious-and-linguistic-communities-is-state-dependent-sc/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Originally, the Constitution of India did not make any provision with respect to the Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities. Later, the States Reorganization Commission (1953-55) made a recommendation in this regard. Accordingly, the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1956 inserted a new Article 350-B in Part XVII of the Constitution. This article contains the following provisions: There should be a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities. He is to be appointed by the President of India.
• It would be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities under the Constitution. He would report to the President upon those matters at such intervals as the President may direct. The President should place all such reports before each House of Parliament and send to the governments of the states concerned.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/07/19/minority-status-of-religious-and-linguistic-communities-is-state-dependent-sc/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• S1 and S3: The sections of the society as enlisted under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act are entitled for free legal services, they are :
  • A member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe;
  • A victim of trafficking in human beings or begar as referred to in Article 23 of the Constitution;
  • A woman or a child;
  • A mentally ill or otherwise disabled person;
  • A person under circumstances of undeserved want such as being a victim of a mass disaster, ethnic violence, caste atrocity, flood, drought, earthquake or industrial disaster; or
  • An industrial workman; or
  • In custody, including custody in a protective home within the meaning of clause (g) of Section 2 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956(104 of 1956); or in a juvenile home within the meaning of clause(j) of Section 2 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 1986 (53 of 1986); or in a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric nursing home within the meaning of clause (g) of Section 2 of the Mental Health Act, 1987(14 of 1987);or
  • a person in receipt of annual income less than the amount mentioned in the following schedule (or any other higher amount as may be prescribed by the State Government), if the case is before a Court other than the Supreme Court, and less than Rs 5 Lakh, if the case is before the Supreme Court.
• The Income Ceiling Limit prescribed u/S 12(h) of the Act for availing free legal services in different States has been stated here https://nalsa.gov.in/faqs
• S2: Limit for Transgender – Rs. 2,00,000 see https://nalsa.gov.in/faqs
• S4: Senior citizens’ eligibility for free legal aid depends on the Rules framed by the respective State Governments in this regard.
• In Delhi for example, senior citizens are eligible for free legal aid subject to prescribed ceiling of annual income. Any individual above the age of 60 can apply for free legal aid/services.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/07/19/tele-law-service-is-being-made-free-of-cost-for-citizens-from-this-year-minister-of-law-and-justice/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free Legal Services to the weaker sections of the society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.
• The Chief Justice of India is patron-in-chief of NALSA while second senior most judge of Supreme Court of India is the Executive-Chairman.
• In every State, State Legal Services Authority has been constituted to give effect to the policies and directions of the NALSA and to give free legal services to the people and conduct Lok Adalats in the State.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/07/19/tele-law-service-is-being-made-free-of-cost-for-citizens-from-this-year-minister-of-law-and-justice/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Stat1: There is no definition of generic or branded medicines under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945 made thereunder. However, generic medicines are generally those which contain same amount of same active ingredient(s) in same dosage form and are intended to be administered by the same route of administration as that of branded medicine.
• Stat2: Drugs manufactured in the country, irrespective of whether they are generic or branded, are required to comply with the same standards as prescribed in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945 made thereunder for their quality.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/07/19/what-the-draft-medical-devices-bill-says-and-what-it-does-not/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• S1: The annual Champions of the Earth Awardis the UN’s highest environmental honour. It recognizes outstanding leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector
• S2: The United Nations Sasakawa Award for Disaster Risk Reduction is a global award established in 1986 by the founding Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, Mr Ryoichi Sasakawa for recognising excellence in reducing disaster risk.
  • SEEDS has been working with the communities across South Asia over for the last 28 years.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/07/19/risk-reduction-strategies-using-traditional-knowledge/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• During the excavations (2000 to 2002) at Kanganahalli, the most important finding of the excavation include a stone sculptured slab bearing the name Raya Ashoka. This was the first inscribed portrait of Ashoka (surrounded by female attendants and queens) that was unearthed from the ruined Buddhist stupa.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/07/19/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-july-2022/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• The festival is dedicated to Goddess Mahakali, thanking her for fulfilling the wishes of her devotees.
• Bonalu is a popular festival celebrated in Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
• Bonalu is celebrated in the month of Ashada which, according to the modern calendar, falls around July-August.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/07/19/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-july-2022/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Not all crypto-currencies are based on Blockchain technology. For instance, ‘IOTA’ is one such crypto-currency. Instead of a blockchain, IOTA uses a mathematical ‘tangle’. Altcoins are the alternative cryptocurrencies launched after the success of Bitcoin. Generally, they project themselves as better substitutes to Bitcoin.

Refer: facts for prelims: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2022/07/19/mission-2023-insights-daily-current-affairs-pib-summary-19-july-2022/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• A blockchain is a decentralized, distributed, and oftentimes public, digital ledger consisting of records called blocks that is used to record transactions across many computers so that any involved block cannot be altered retroactively, without the alteration of all subsequent blocks.
• This allows the participants to verify and audit transactions independently and relatively inexpensively. A blockchain database is managed autonomously using a peer-to-peer network and a distributed timestamping server. They are authenticated by mass collaboration powered by collective self-interests.Such a design facilitates robust workflow where participants’ uncertainty regarding data security is marginal.
• The great advantage to an open, permissionless, or public, blockchain network is that guarding against bad actors is not required and no access control is needed. This means that applications can be added to the network without the approval or trust of others, using the blockchain as a transport layer.
• S2 is clearly wrong, Blockchain can be used for a variety of purposes of which cryptocurrency is only one of them.

Refer: UPSC CSE 2019