UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 27 April 2024

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Context: Recent deadly storms that submerged Dubai and caused fatalities in Oman were likely exacerbated by climate change, with human-induced heat making the record rainfall 10-40% heavier, according to scientists.
• difference between Cyclone and Anticyclone:

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/04/26/deadly-dubai-floods-made-worse-by-climate-change/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Context: The Maharashtra government informed the Supreme Court that the phrase “material resources of the community” encompasses both public and private resources, subject to judicial review for redistribution.
• The case concerns Article 39(b) of the Constitution, directing the state to distribute material resources for the common good. The SC bench, comprising nine judges, seeks clarity on whether privately owned resources fall under this provision.
• Certain principles of policy to be followed by the State
• The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing–

(a) that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means to livelihood;

(b) that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to sub serve the common good;

(c) that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment;

(d) that there is equal pay for equal work for both men and women;

(e) that the health and strength of workers, men and women, and the tender age of children are not abused and that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength;

[In article 39 of the Constitution, for clause (f), the following clause shall be substituted through Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act, 1976]

(f) that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/04/26/material-resource-of-the-communityarticle-39-b/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: The Maharashtra government informed the Supreme Court that the phrase “material resources of the community” encompasses both public and private resources, subject to judicial review for redistribution.
• The concentration of wealth violates the Directive principles of state policy. Under Article 39 of the Constitution of India, the State shall direct its policy towards securing that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/04/26/material-resource-of-the-communityarticle-39-b/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: In the Surat Lok Sabha constituency, the BJP candidate won uncontested due to the rejection of the Congress candidate’s nomination papers (due to alleged discrepancies in the signatures of his proposers) and the withdrawal of other candidates. The Congress alleged coercion of their proposers and appealed to the Election Commission (EC).
• Nominations in elections follow specific criteria outlined in the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RoPA). Section 33 of the RoPA specifies the requirements for valid nominations, including the need for proposers from the respective constituency. The Returning Officer (RO) can reject nominations if signatures are found to be not genuine, as per Section 36 of the RoPA.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/04/26/nomination-in-election/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Context: PayU, a digital financial services provider, has received in-principle authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a Payments Aggregator (PA) under the Payment Settlements Act, 2007.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/04/26/payments-aggregator/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a master direction for asset reconstruction companies (ARCs), effective from April 24, 2024.
• Technically, a bad bank is an asset reconstruction company (ARC) or an asset management company that takes over the bad loans of commercial banks, manages them and finally recovers the money over a period of time. The bad bank is not involved in lending and taking deposits, but helps commercial banks clean up their balance sheets and resolve bad loans. The takeover of bad loans is normally below the book value of the loan and the bad bank tries to recover as much as possible subsequently.
  • An Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC) is a financial institution that buys Non-Performing Assets (NPA) or bad assets from banks and financial institutions so that the latter can clean up their balance sheets.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/04/26/asset-reconstruction-companies-arcs/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• S1: Correct: Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were indeed launched by NASA in the late 1970s to explore the outer planets of our solar system, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
• S2: Incorrect:Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have reached interstellar space.
• S3: Correct: Both Voyager spacecraft carry a golden record known as the “Voyager Golden Record,” which contains sounds and images representing Earth’s culture, languages, music, and biodiversity. The records are intended as messages to any extraterrestrial civilizations that might encounter the spacecraft.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/04/26/voyager-1/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: The Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference, held in Paro, Bhutan, concluded with the Paro Statement, committing to mobilize an additional $1 billion over the next decade to conserve tigers and their landscapes.
• Tiger Range Countries present included Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/04/26/paro-statement/

Ans: (c)

Explanation: About Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary (Yamunanagar, Haryana):

• It lies within the Shivalik foothills of the Himalayas. Its name derives from the Kalesar forest and Kalesar Mahadev temple situated within its bounds. Established as a national park on December 8, 2003, it holds historical significance, having served as hunting grounds for Mughal and British rulers. The sanctuary boasts the historic Kalesar Fort, possibly constructed during Aurangzeb’s reign. Once a prime tiger habitat, the population dwindled in the late 19th century, leading to a hunting ban. Bounded by the Yamuna River to the east, it shares borders with Rajaji National Park to the northeast

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/04/26/haryanas-kalesar-wildlife-sanctuary/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: About Crystal Maze 2 (also known as ROCKS)

• It is a medium-range ballistic missile developed by Israel. It has a strike range of over 250 km and is classified as an air-to-surface missile. Designed to operate in GPS-denied environments, it aims to strike high-value stationary and relocatable targets, including long-range radar and air defence systems.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/04/26/rocks-or-crystal-maze-2/