[Mission 2024] QUED ( Questions from Editorials ) 5 July 2023

Solution: b)

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an electoral watchdog established in 1999 by a group of professors from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, on June 19 wrote to the Election Commission seeking action against parties that fail to publish details of criminal antecedents of candidates as per orders of the Supreme Court and the poll panel.

Hearing a petition filed by Public Interest Foundation, the Supreme Court on September 25, 2018, made it mandatory for political parties to publish the details of criminal cases pending against their candidates, including on their websites, in a format prescribed by the Election Commission of India.

Source

Solution: b)

Statement 1 is incorrect.

The International Seabed Authority — the United Nations body that regulates the world’s ocean floor — is preparing to resume negotiations that could open the international seabed for mining, including for materials critical for the green energy transition.

Deep sea mining involves removing mineral deposits and metals from the ocean’s seabed. There are three types of such mining: taking deposit-rich polymetallic nodules off the ocean floor, mining massive seafloor sulphide deposits and stripping cobalt crusts from rock.

Countries manage their own maritime territory and exclusive economic zones, while the high seas and the international ocean floor are governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas. It is considered to apply to states regardless of whether or not they have signed or ratified it.

Under the treaty, the seabed and its mineral resources are considered the “common heritage of mankind” that must be managed in a way that protects the interests of humanity through the sharing of economic benefits, support for marine scientific research, and protecting marine environments.

Source

Solution: d)

The Centre has asked e-commerce companies to not use “dark patterns” on their platforms that may deceive customers or manipulate their choices.

What are dark patterns?

Dark patterns, also known as deceptive patterns, is the term used to describe the ways in which websites or apps make their users do things that the users do not intend to do or would not otherwise do, as well as to discourage user behaviour that is not beneficial for the companies.

The Consumer Affairs Ministry has identified nine types of dark patterns being used by e-commerce companies.

* False urgency: Creates a sense of urgency or scarcity to pressure consumers into making a purchase or taking an action;

* Basket sneaking: Dark patterns are used to add additional products or services to the shopping cart without the user’s consent;

* Confirm shaming: Uses guilt to make consumers adhere; criticises or attacks consumers for not conforming to a particular belief or viewpoint;

* Forced action: Pushes consumers into taking an action they may not want to take, such as signing up for a service in order to access content;

* Nagging: Persistent criticism, complaints, and requests for action;

* Subscription traps: Easy to sign up for a service but difficult to quit or cancel; option is hidden or requires multiple steps;

* Bait & switch: Advertising a certain product/ service but delivering another, often of lower quality;

* Hidden costs: Hiding additional costs until consumers are already committed to making a purchase;

* Disguised ads: Designed to look like content, such as news articles or user-generated content.

Source

Solution: c)

Indira Point on the southern tip of Great Nicobar Island is India’s southernmost point, less than 150 km from the northernmost island of the Indonesian archipelago.

The Great Nicobar Island has tropical wet evergreen forests, mountain ranges reaching almost 650 m above sea level, and coastal plains. Fourteen species of mammals, 71 species of birds, 26 species of reptiles, 10 species of amphibians, and 113 species of fish are found on the island, some of which are endangered. The leatherback sea turtle is the island’s flagship species.

Solution: b)

Statement 2 is incorrect.

The CH3+ molecule, which is also known as methyl cation, has been detected in space for the first time by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Organic molecules are carbon based. They contain carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms but can also bond to other elements, such as oxygen, nitrogen or phosphorus.

Everything that makes us and all life on Earth is carbon based.

CH3+ is a very simple organic molecule, just one carbon atom and 3 hydrogen atoms. But it reacts with other molecules to form more complex ones. Its presence in space tells us that basic building blocks for life are out there.

Source