UPSC Current Affairs Quiz : 19 July 2024

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Article 110 defines a “Money Bill” as one containing provisions dealing with taxes, regulation of the government’s borrowing of money, and expenditure or receipt of money from the Consolidated Fund of India, among others, whereas Article 109 delineates the procedure for the passage of such a Bill and confers an overriding authority on the Lok Sabha in the passage of Money Bills.
• A major difference between money and Financial Bills is that while the latter has the provision of including the Rajya Sabha’s (Upper House) recommendations, the former does not make their inclusion mandatory. The Lok Sabha has the right to reject the Rajya Sabha’s recommendations when it comes to Money Bills.
• What differentiates a Money Bill from any ordinary Bill or Financial Bill is that while an ordinary Bill can originate in either house, a Money Bill can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha, as laid down in Article 117 (1). Additionally, no one can introduce or move Money Bills in the Lok Sabha, except on the President’s recommendation. Amendments relating to the reduction or abolition of any tax are exempt from the requirement of the President’s recommendation.
• The two prerequisites for any financial Bill to become a Money Bill are that first, it must only be introduced in the Lok Sabha and not the Rajya Sabha. Secondly, these bills can only be introduced on the President’s recommendation.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/18/upsc-current-affairs-18-july-2024/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Definition of Money Bill
• (1) For the purposes of this Chapter, a Bill shall be deemed to be a Money Bill if it contains only provisions dealing with all or any of the following matters, namely
• (a) the imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of any tax;
• (b) the regulation of the borrowing of money or the giving of any guarantee by the Government of India, or the amendment of the law with respect to any financial obligations undertaken or to be undertaken by the Government of India;
• (c) the custody of the consolidated Fund or the Contingency Fund of India, the payment of moneys into or the withdrawal of moneys from any such Fund;
• (d) the appropriation of moneys out of the consolidated Fund of India (not Contingency Fund of India). So, C is incorrect.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/18/upsc-current-affairs-18-july-2024/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: A new report, surveying the existing capabilities of India in the field of Quantum technology, has found that countries like China and the United States have a huge head start over India.
• S1 is correct: Quantum entanglement allows qubits that are entangled to share information instantly, regardless of the distance between them. This is a key principle of quantum mechanics.
• S2 is incorrect: Quantum computers are not yet faster than classical computers for all types of computations. They excel in certain types of problems, such as factoring large numbers or simulating quantum systems, but are not universally faster.
• S3 is correct: Quantum superposition allows a qubit to exist in multiple states at once, enabling quantum computers to process many possibilities simultaneously, which is a fundamental advantage over classical computers.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/18/upsc-current-affairs-18-july-2024/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• S1 is correct: The principle of superposition states that a quantum system can exist in multiple states simultaneously. This is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics.
• S2 is incorrect: The principle of superposition applies to all quantum systems, not just particles at rest. It is a general property of quantum systems.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/18/upsc-current-affairs-18-july-2024/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: The Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC) launched the ASMITA project to develop 22,000 books in Indian languages over the next five years.
• This initiative, in collaboration with the Bharatiya Bhasha Samiti, aims to promote Indian languages in education.
• The project includes three key components: ASMITA, Bahubhasha Shabdkosh, and Real-time Translation Architecture.
• These initiatives are expected to enhance learning in Indian languages, empower students, and preserve linguistic traditions, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP).
• Thirteen nodal universities will lead the project, with a standard operating procedure (SOP) guiding the book-writing process.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/18/upsc-current-affairs-18-july-2024/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: Sebi’s new asset class proposal for high-risk investors is expected to provide access to advanced strategies like long-short equity funds and inverse Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF).
• An ETF is a type of investment fund and exchange-traded product, meaning it is traded on stock exchanges. ETFs typically track an index, commodity, bonds, or a basket of assets like an index fund. Unlike mutual funds, ETFs trade like a common stock on an exchange, meaning they can be bought and sold throughout the trading day at market prices.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/18/upsc-current-affairs-18-july-2024/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: Sebi’s new asset class proposal for high-risk investors is expected to provide access to advanced strategies like long-short equity funds and inverse ETFs
• One of the key advantages of ETFs is that they can be traded throughout the trading day at market prices, much like individual stocks. This is in contrast to mutual funds, which are priced once at the end of the trading day. This feature provides ETF investors with greater flexibility in managing their investments.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/18/upsc-current-affairs-18-july-2024/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Context: Asia’s first “Pre-clinical Network Facility” under the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) at the Translational Health Science & Technology Institute (THSTI) was inaugurated recently.
  • This facility, capable of handling BSL3 pathogens, becomes the 9th such lab globally and the first in Asia, enhancing research capabilities for infectious diseases.
  • The Genetically Defined Human Associated Microbial Culture Collection (Ge-HuMic) Facility was also inaugurated which will serve as a repository for microbial cultures and genetically characterized animals, fostering collaborations among academic institutions, hospitals, and industry for R&D.
• CEPI was conceived in 2015 and formally launched in 2017 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
• CEPI is headquartered in Oslo, Norway.

Refer: https://www.insig

htsonindia.com/2024/07/18/upsc-current-affairs-18-july-2024/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Context: Rwandan President Paul Kagame has won a fourth term, securing 99.15% of the vote according to partial results from the recent election.
• About Rwanda:
  • Rwanda is a landlocked country located in East-Central Africa.
  • Rwanda is bordered by Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. The country is known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills” due to its hilly and mountainous terrain.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/18/upsc-current-affairs-18-july-2024/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: Rwandan President Paul Kagame has won a fourth term, securing 99.15% of the vote according to partial results from the recent election.
• About Rwanda:
  • Rwanda is a landlocked country located in East-Central Africa.
  • Rwanda is bordered by Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. The country is known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills” due to its hilly and mountainous terrain.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2024/07/18/upsc-current-affairs-18-july-2024/