[Mission 2024] Current Affairs Quiz , 24 October 2023

Solution: b)

Statement 1 and 3 are correct.

Solution: b)

Statement 1 is incorrect.

The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women separate electorates but did not reserve seats for them in the legislature. It marked a step toward political participation for women.

The issue of women’s reservation was discussed in the Constituent Assembly debates. However, it was rejected on the grounds that a democracy should provide representation to all groups.

The 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution, which mandated all State governments to reserve one-third of the seats for women in local bodies.

Solution: b)

Paryushan Parv is a significant festival in Jainism, observed by both Digambara and Shwetambar communities.

Spiritual Significance: Paryushan Parv inspires individuals to cultivate virtuous qualities. It involves fasting, penance, meditation, and self-reflection, aiming for soul purification and vowing to avoid future transgressions. It’s a time for seeking righteousness and spiritual purity, ultimately aiming for salvation.

Five Duties of Paryushan: These include Samvatsari (forgiveness and reconciliation), Keshlochan (introspection and self-improvement), Pratikraman (seeking forgiveness for past wrongdoings), Penance (commitment to spiritual growth), and self-criticism and apology for past mistakes.

Source

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

India has recently introduced a National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF) after a prolonged delay.

The NHEQF is meant to streamline higher education qualifications, but it has several shortcomings.

• NHEQF coexists with other frameworks, such as the National Credit Framework and the Academic Bank of Credits, creating confusion and defeating the purpose of a unified framework.
• Certain disciplines like agriculture, law, medicine, and pharmacy are not included, despite their importance.
• The NHEQF draws heavily from the European Bologna process, which may not fully suit India’s diverse and complex higher education system.

Source

Solution: c)

• Currently, only a few countries, such as Morocco and the Western Sahara region, control most of the world’s phosphorus reserves, raising geopolitical concerns.
• A significant issue is the coexistence of cadmium, a harmful heavy metal, with phosphorus in some deposits. Cadmium-laden fertilizers are often used in agriculture, leading to health concerns, including heart disease.
• India is the world’s largest importer of phosphorus, primarily from cadmium-laden deposits in West Africa.
• Moreover, only a small portion of mined phosphorus is used in food production, with a significant amount lost to water bodies as agricultural runoff. Most of the phosphorus consumed by people ends up in sewage, exacerbating environmental problems like algal blooms and fish deaths.