[Mission 2023] QUED ( Questions from Editorials ) 18 February 2023

Solution: b)

Article 243R(2)(a) of the Constitution, which was introduced by the 74th Amendment, provides that state legislation can include those with special knowledge on municipal administration to be represented in municipalities but such persons shall not have the right to vote.

Local governments are a state subject under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.

74th Amendment envisaged States to devolve a set of 18 functions to municipal governments.

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Solution: c)

Two Indian hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir: the 330MW Kishanganga hydroelectric project (Jhelum) and the 850MW Ratle hydroelectric project (Chenab). 

The treaty allows India to use the western river waters for limited irrigation use.

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Solution: b)

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Solution: d)

The Directorate of Enforcement is a multi-disciplinary organization mandated with investigation of offence of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws. The statutory functions of the Directorate include enforcement of following Acts:

1. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA):It is a criminal law enacted to prevent money laundering and to provide for confiscation of property derived from, or involved in, money-laundering and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
2. The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA): ED has been given the responsibility to conduct investigation into suspected contraventions of foreign exchange laws and regulations, to adjudicate and impose penalties on those adjudged to have contravened the law.
3. The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 (FEOA): It is a law whereby Directorate is mandated to attach the properties of the fugitive economic offenders who have escaped from the India warranting arrest and provide for the confiscation of their properties to the Central Government.
4. Sponsoring agency under COFEPOSA:Under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974 (COFEPOSA), this Directorate is empowered to sponsor cases of preventive detention with regard to contraventions of FEMA.

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Solution: a)

The Government reviews the price situation regularly and has taken number of measures from time to time to stabilize prices of food items. These include:

1. Banning the export of inflated food item.
2. Imposition of stock limit to prevent hoarding.

3. Easing of restrictions on imports, facilitating imports at integrated check-posts, issuance of licenses for imports and reduction in import duties. This has resulted in cooling of prices.