UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 02 January 2024

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

A reserve currency refers to any currency that is widely used in cross-border transactions and is commonly held as reserves by central banks. 

Other currencies such as the British pound and the French franc have served as international reserve currencies in the past. It should be noted that it is the currencies of economic superpowers that have usually ended up being used as the global reserve currency. As the economic clout of these countries waned, their currencies faced a similar downfall. This was the case, for example, with the British pound which was gradually replaced by the U.S. dollar as Britain lost its status as a global economic superpower in the first half of the 20th century.

Solution: c)

The EU in 2021, came up with a proposal for a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

The CBAM plans to impose a tariff on a set of carbon-intensive imports, which will have to be paid by EU importers and companies who export such goods to EU countries.

With the CBAM, the EU also wants to create a level-playing field for business in the bloc with those outside by making equal the price for the carbon content of goods regardless of where they are made.

Solution: b)

Statement 1 is incorrect.

The combination of high temperature and high humidity, referred to as the wet bulb temperature, is what makes heatwaves deadly. High moisture content in the atmosphere makes it difficult for the sweat to evaporate and bodies to cool down, as a result of which the internal body temperature increases sharply, and is often fatal.

Access to drinking water or oral rehydration solutions (ORS). These can be lifesavers in such situations.

Solution: a)

Only Statement 1 is correct.

FCRA seeks to “regulate the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality by certain individuals or associations or companies and to prohibit [such] acceptance and utilisation…for any activities detrimental to the national interest…”

The law was enacted during the Emergency in 1976.

The Act prohibits receipt of foreign funds by candidates for elections, journalists or newspaper and media broadcast companies, judges and government servants, members of legislature and political parties or their office-bearers, and organisations of a political nature.

FCRA registrations are granted to individuals or associations that have definite cultural, economic, educational, religious, and social programmes.

Following the application, the MHA makes inquiries through the Intelligence Bureau into the antecedents of the applicant, and accordingly processes the application. The MHA is required to approve or reject the application within 90 days — failing which it is expected to inform the NGO of the reasons for the same.

Once granted, FCRA registration is valid for five years. NGOs are expected to apply for renewal within six months of the date of expiry of registration. In case of failure to apply for renewal, the registration is deemed to have expired.

The government reserves the right to cancel the FCRA registration of any NGO if it finds it to be in violation of the Act. Registration can be cancelled for a range of reasons including, if “in the opinion of the Central Government, it is necessary in the public interest to cancel the certificate”. Once the registration of an NGO is cancelled, it is not eligible for re-registration for three years. All orders of the government can be challenged in the High Court.

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

ADHD is one the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood, usually diagnosed at an early age and lasting into adulthood. According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children with ADHD might have trouble paying attention or controlling impulsive behaviours, and can be overly active.

Many adults remain undiagnosed, and symptoms can cause difficulty at work, home or relationships. The CDC states that symptoms can appear different at older ages, for example, hyperactivity can appear as extreme restlessness.

For people diagnosed with ADHD, Adderall can help improve focus, concentration, impulse control and hyperactivity, because of its effects on the central nervous system.