UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 20 March 2024

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Article 200 provides that when a Bill passed by the State Legislature, is presented to the Governor, the Governor shall declare—

(a) that he assents to the Bill; or

(b) that he withholds assent therefrom; or

(c) that he reserves the Bill for the President’s consideration; or

(d) the Governor may, as soon as possible, return the Bill (other than a Money Bill) with a message for re-consideration by the State Legislature. But, if the Bill is again passed by the Legislature with or without amendment, the Governor shall not withhold assent therefrom (First Proviso); or

• (e) if in the opinion of the Governor, the Bill, if it became law, would so derogate from the powers of the High Court as to endanger its constitutional position, he shall not assent to but shall reserve it for the consideration of the President (Second Proviso).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/03/19/power-of-withholding-bills-passed-by-state-assembly/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Context: Madhya Pradesh celebrates a significant achievement as six of its heritage sites are included in UNESCO’s tentative list.
• The sites included are Gwalior Fort, the Historical Group of Dhamnar, Bhojeshwar Mahadev Temple, Rock Art Sites of Chambal Valley, Khooni Bhandara in Burhanpur, and God Memorial of Ramnagar in Mandla.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/03/19/unescos-tentative-list/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Context: The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has been enforced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, beginning from the announcement of the election schedule until the declaration of results.
• This code regulates the behaviour of political parties and candidates during the election period, aiming to ensure free and fair elections.
• It includes provisions regarding general conduct, meetings, processions, polling day, polling booths, observers, the party in power, and election manifestos.
• Key restrictions imposed by the MCC include prohibiting the announcement of policy decisions by the ruling party, using official positions for campaigning, combining official visits with election work, using government resources for campaigning, and making ad-hoc appointments that may influence voters.
• The MCC is not legally binding but is enforced through moral sanction or censure by the ECI.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/03/19/model-code-of-conduct-3/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 3 is not correct.
• Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952.
• Films can be publicly exhibited in India only after they have been certified by the Central Board of Film Certification.
• The Board consists of non-official members and a Chairman (all of whom are appointed by Central Government) and functions with headquarters at Mumbai. It has nine Regional offices, one each at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati. The Regional Offices are assisted in the examination of films by Advisory Panels. The members of the panels are nominated by the Central Government by drawing people from different walks of life for a period of 2 years.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/03/19/cinematograph-certification-rules-2024/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Biofuels are usually liquid fuels created using organic materials, such as biomass and natural waste. Typical materials used to make biofuels are sugar cane, corn and soybeans.
• “Most biofuels are used as transportation fuels, but they may also be used for heating and electricity generation,” the US Energy Information Administration says.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/03/19/22-defence-and-foreign-ministerial-dialogue/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Context: Sebi has decided to repeal certain circulars related to the private placement of securities, which provided relaxation for allotment.
• What is Private Placement of Securities?
  • Private Placement of Securities refers to the process of selling stocks, bonds, or other securities directly to a select group of investors, rather than making them available to the general public. This method is often used by companies to raise capital without having to go through the extensive regulatory requirements associated with a public offering.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/03/19/private-placement-of-securities/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, and Food Processing Industries, unveiled a new dwarf coconut variety called ‘Kalpa Suvarna’ and two hybrid cocoa varieties developed by the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI).
• The new cocoa varieties, VTL CH I and VTL CH II, are high-yielding and one of them is tolerant to black pod rot, particularly beneficial in regions with high rainfall.
• ‘Kalpa Suvarna’ is recommended for tender coconut and copra production.
• Both cocoa varieties have high fat and nutrient contents, suitable for cultivation in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/03/19/cpcri/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Context: The biomining project aimed at clearing Delhi’s landfill sites in Ghazipur and Bhalswa is likely to miss the 2024 deadline due to slow progress.
  • Biomining is also known as bioleaching. It involves digging up waste, segregating it, and treating and separating the toxins.The soil is then treated with bacteria and pathogens to cleanse it.
• Biomining is indeed a process that involves the use of microorganisms such as bacteria to extract metals from ores. These microorganisms break down the ores and separate the metals from them.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/03/19/biomining/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Context: Google DeepMind has unveiled SIMA (Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent), a new AI gaming agent capable of understanding and executing natural language instructions to perform tasks across various video game environments.
• Unlike AI models trained on specific datasets, SIMA functions as a generalist AI agent, able to process instructions and take actions independently.
• It learns and improves over time through interactions with users, becoming smarter and better at fulfilling requests.
• SIMA has been trained on a variety of video games in collaboration with game developers, demonstrating its ability to understand diverse gaming worlds and follow instructions like a human player.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/03/19/sima/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Context: Astronomers analysing data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica have potentially detected the first evidence for astrophysical tau neutrinos, nicknamed “ghost particles” due to their elusive nature.
• IceCube is a particle detector at the South Pole that records the interactions of a nearly massless subatomic particle called the neutrino. IceCube searches for neutrinos from the most violent astrophysical sources: events like exploding stars, gamma-ray bursts, and cataclysmic phenomena involving black holes and neutron stars.
• The IceCube telescope is a powerful tool to search for dark matter and could reveal the physical processes associated with the enigmatic origin of the highest energy particles in nature. In addition, exploring the background of neutrinos produced in the atmosphere, IceCube studies the neutrinos themselves; their energies far exceed those produced by accelerator beams. IceCube is the world’s largest neutrino detector, encompassing a cubic kilometer of ice.
• It is buried beneath the surface, extending to a depth of about 2,500 meters. Burying it deep in ice is important to enhance the precision of the detector.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/03/19/ghost-particles/