Current Affairs Quiz 13 and 14 July

Current Affairs MCQs [ 13 and 14 July 2017 ] PIB TheHindu IndianExpress & Other leading newspapers

Sumant Kumar, B.Tech NIT Allahabad

Consider the following statements regarding Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs 1. The Cabinet Committee on

Economic Affairs is chaired by the Finance Minister

2. On 2 January 2013, Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure was merged with CCEA.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Ans : (b) 2 only The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs is chaired by the Prime Minister

The major function of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) is to 1. review economic trends on a continuous basis, as also the

problems and prospects, with a view to evolving a consistent and integrated economic policy framework for the country.

2. It also directs and coordinates all policies and activities in the economic field including foreign investment that require policy decisions at the highest level.

3. Matters regarding fixation of prices of agricultural products are in CCEA’s competence.

Within the purview of CCEA 1. Price controls of industrial raw materials and products, 2. industrial licensing policies 3. reviewing performance of Public Sector Undertakings 4. all matters relating to disinvestment including cases of

strategic sale, and pricing of Government shares in Public Sector Undertakings

Consider the following statements regarding SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program 1. The project will improve connectivity

between Imphal with the eastern part of the state.

2. The project is being developed with AIIB's loan assistance under the South Asian Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Road Connectivity Investment Program

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Ans : (a) 1 only The project is being developed with ADB's loan assistance.

AIIB Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank • Region served : Asia and Oceania

• Type : Regional Investment Bank

• Purpose : Crediting

• Headquarters : Beijing, China

• regarded as a rival for IMF, WB and ADB. AIIB says that these are dominated by developed countries like the USA and Japan.

• Established to finance infrastructure projects including energy, transport and infrastructure projects.

Asian Development Bank: • Established in 1966

• HQ : Manila, Philippines

• It is a multi-lateral lending agency

o It has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed based on member's capital subscriptions.

o Japan and USA are its major donors.

• It is modeled on the World Bank

• a regional development bank

• Aim :

o to facilitate economic development of countries in Asia.

o an Poverty free Asia and Pacific.

o India has about 6% voting rights (4th highest; Japan highest, USA 2nd highest)

o It is owned by 67 members – 48 from the

region including India.

o It provides finance to both sovereign

countries as well as to the private parties.

o It provides hard loans to middle-income

countries and soft loans to poorer countries

Consider the following statements regarding Manipur : 1. Manipur is a landlocked state 2. Almost 90% of the area under

difficult terrain presently has only road transport as a means of mass transport system within the state.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Ans : (c) Both 1 and 2

• The workers of Manipur who specialize in creating bamboo and wood based handicraft items and uniquely designed hand woven textile items will get a new market among the Myanmar's customers.

• Small scale industries such as those making farm implements and tools, stationery, plastic extrusion items, carpentry units, could also develop markets beyond the border.

Consider the following statements regarding CERT-IN 1. The Indian Computer Emergency Response

Team (CERT-In) is an office within the Ministry of Home Affairs.

2. It is the nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing.

3. It issued a list of security guidelines to all critical departments.

Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans : (d) 1, 2 and 3 The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

‘CERT-In’ is a national nodal agency under the 1. Ministry of Home Affairs 2. Ministry of Electronics

and Information Technology 3. Ministry of Finance 4. Ministry of Information

and Broadcasting Solution: B

Consider the following statements regarding The Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) 1. It aims at correcting the imbalances in the availability of affordable

healthcare facilities in the different parts of the country 2. The first phase in the PMSSY has two components - setting up of six

institutions in the line of AIIMS; and upgradation of 13 existing Government medical college institutions.

3. It has been decided to set up 6 AIIMS-like institutions, one each in the States of Bihar (Patna), Chattisgarh (Raipur), Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal), Orissa (Bhubaneswar), Rajasthan (Jodhpur) and Uttaranchal (Rishikesh)

Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans : (d) 1, 2 and 3

PMSSY has two components: (i) Setting up new AIIMS. • Six AIIMS are already

functional.

• AIIMS Rae Bareli is under construction.

• Thirteen more AIIMS are announced. Out of which, Five AIIMS are approved by cabinet.

(ii) Upgradation of government medical colleges. • Phase l : 13 GMCs • Phase ll: 06 GMCs • Phase lll : 39 GMCs • Phase lV : 13 GMCs • Phase VA : 2 GMCs

Consider the following statements regarding RailCloud : 1. RailCloud is a virtual server with an inbuilt security system to optimise server

usage and faster connectivity. 2. It has been developed by IRCTC

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Ans : (a) 1 only It has been developed by rail PSU RailTel From <http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/railways/suresh-prabhu-launches-railcloud-for-server-optimisation/articleshow/59567324.cms>

Currently all IT applications have separate servers which increase the cost of operations and purchases. The technology enables maximising the usage of the available server and storage resulting in accommodation of bigger data and more applications within same server space. In cloud, the server resources are constantly scaled up or down as per the number of users logged on to the system. This ensures a better user experience to the customer.

Consider the following statements regarding RailCloud : 1. RailCloud will pave the way for swifter deployment of applications within 24 hours as

compared to conventional time running into weeks and months.

2. RailCloud works on popular cloud computing system. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Ans : (c) Both 1 and 2

Consider the following statements regarding Nivaran-Grievance Portal 1. It is the first IT application on the

RailCloud. 2. It serves as a platform for resolution of

service-related grievances and of serving and former railway employees.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Ans : (c) Both 1 and 2

o The existing application hosted on a conventional server was migrated on RailCloud.

o It will save significant revenue and improve user experience at same time.

Consider the following statements regarding India-UN Development Partnership Fund o The fund was set up in 9 June 2017 (on occasion of

the World Oceans Day) as a partnership between India and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).

o It is managed by UNDP. o The fund will be utilized to carry out country-level

projects to achieve the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.

Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans : (c) 1 and 3 only It is managed by UNOSSC.

1. The fund prioritises projects reducing poverty and hunger, improving health, education and equality, and expanding access to clean water and energy and livelihoods.

2. It mainly focuses on transformational sustainable development projects in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States.

3. The projects under the fund are implemented by UN agencies in close collaboration with partnering governments.

Consider the following statements regarding United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) o The UNOSSC was established with an objective to

promote, coordinate and support South-South and triangular cooperation across the world within the UN system.

o It has its genesis in 1974 when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) had endorsed the establishment of a special unit to promote technical cooperation among developing countries within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

o UNOSSC receives policy directives and guidance from the UNGA.

Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans : (d) 1, 2 and 3

South–South Cooperation is a term historically used by policymakers and academics to describe the exchange of resources, technology, and knowledge between developing countries, also known as countries of the Global South. • Involving two or more developing

countries, it can take place on a bilateral, regional, subregional or interregional basis.

• Collaboration in which traditional donor countries and multilateral organizations facilitate South-South initiatives through the provision of funding, training, and management and technological systems as well as other forms of support is referred to as triangular cooperation.

From <http://ssc.undp.org/content/ssc/about/what_is_ssc.html>

Consider the following statements o China's first military base is in South China Sea o Djibouti base is the first overseas military base being set up by China. o The second base is coming up in Gwadar, Pakistan.

Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans : (b) 2 and 3 only

China’s first overseas military base has come up at/in a) The western-most point of what earlier was British India b) The mouth of the Red Sea c) The chokepoint between the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean d) An island in the only sea where incidents of piracy are rising in the world today e) None of the above Solution: b. Djibouti = China's first military base overseas

Consider the following statements regarding The Great Red Spot o It is a crater of a volcano o It is a persistent zone of high pressure, producing an

anticyclonic storm on the planet Jupiter o Storms such as this are not uncommon within the

turbulent atmospheres of gas giants. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans : (b) 2 and 3 only o The churning cyclone ranks as the largest known

storm in the solar system, measuring about 16,000 km in diameter with winds clocked at hundreds of kilometres an hour around its outer edges.

o It appears as a deep, red orb surrounded by layers of pale yellow, orange and white.

A wider view of Jupiter and the Great Red Spot as seen from Voyager 1 in 1979 Astronomers also believe a greater understanding of the Great Red Spot may yield clues to the structure, mechanics and formation of Jupiter as a whole. “This is a storm bigger than the entire Earth. It’s been there for hundreds of years. We want to know what makes it tick,”

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/790106-0203_Voyager_58M_to_31M_reduced.gif Which of the following pair is/are correctly matched? Spacecraft Purpose 1. Juno Orbiting Jupiter and

studying its composition 2. Rosetta Mapping and investigating

the Mercury 3. New Horizons Exploring the Kuiper Belt Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans : (c) 1 and 3 only

Juno o a NASA space probe; orbiting Jupiter.

o JUNO = Jupiter Near-polar Orbiter

o Unmanned spacecraft

o Juno is not the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter. It is second spacecraft to orbit Jupiter, after Galileo probe which had orbited the planet from 1995–2003.

o The spacecraft is in a polar orbit to study Jupiter's composition, gravity field, magnetic field, and polar magnetosphere.

o Juno will also search for clues about how the planet formed, including whether it has a rocky core.

Rosetta o a space probe built by the European Space Agency.

o Along with Philae, its lander module, Rosetta is performing a detailed study of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P).

New Horizons o an interplanetary space probe

o primary mission to perform a flyby study of the Pluto system,

o secondary mission to fly by and study one or more other Kuiper belt objects (KBOs).

Consider the following statements regarding carbon footprint o It is defined as the total set of greenhouse gas emissions

caused by an individual, event, organisation, or product, expressed as carbon dioxide equivalent.

o Carbon footprints are less specific than ecological footprints o Carbon footprint is one of a family of footprint indicators,

which also includes water footprint and land footprint. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans : (c) 1 and 3 only Carbon footprints are much more specific than ecological footprints since they measure direct emissions of gases that cause climate change into the atmosphere.

Consider the following statements regarding UDAN Scheme o UDAY stands for Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik o The UDAN scheme seeks to provide connectivity to

un-served and under-served airports of the country through revival of existing air-strips and airports.

o It aims to increase ticketing volume from 80 million to 300 million by 2022.

Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans : (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ministry/Department: Ministry of Civil Aviation Its Objective is • To get more people to fly in the smaller towns.

• To boost regional air connectivity and provide various incentives to airlines

Consider the following statements regarding UDAN Scheme : • It will create affordable yet economically viable and profitable flights on regional routes so that flying

becomes affordable to the common man even in small towns. • Airlines will have exclusive rights for three years to fly on a particular regional route. • On these routes for regional flights Airfares will be capped at 2500 rupees for an hour’s flight. • Government will provide subsidy to airlines for first three years of operations when they will have

exclusive flying rights on the selected routes. • Once the market in these routes gets jump started, it will operate on a commercial basis as per market

forces of supply and demand.

The recent decision of the National Green Tribunal to declare a ‘No Development Zone’ along a stretch of River Ganga extends from-to a) Haridwar-Unnao b) Kanpur-Allahabad c) Varanasi-Begusarai d) Bijnor-Patna e)None of the above Solution: a. “An area of 100 metres from the edge of the Ganga between Haridwar (Uttarakhand) and Unnao (UP) has been declared a ‘No Development Zone,.

Consider the following statements regarding NGT : 1. The NGT was established in

2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010, passed by the Central Government.

2. It is a statutory body. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Ans : (c) Both 1 and 2

Consider the following statements regarding NGT : • The Principal Bench of the NGT has been established in the National

Capital – New Delhi

The Principal Bench of the NGT has been established in the National Capital – New Delhi, with regional benches in : o Pune (Western Zone Bench),

• Each Bench of NGT has a specified geographical jurisdiction covering several States in a region.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Ans : (c) Both 1 and 2 Consider the following statements regarding NGT : • The Chairperson of the NGT is a retired Judge of a High Court • Each bench of the NGT will comprise of at least one Judicial Member

and one Expert Member. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2Ans : (b) 2 only The Chairperson of the NGT is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court

o Bhopal (Central Zone Bench), o Chennai (Southern Bench) and o Kolkata (Eastern Bench).

Expert members should have a professional qualification and a minimum of 15 years' experience in the field of environment/forest conservation and related subjects.

The NGT has the power to hear all civil cases relating to environmental issues and questions that are linked to the implementation of laws listed in Schedule I of the NGT Act. These include the following:

1. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; 2. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977; (yes, cess act) 3. The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; 4. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; 5. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; (aka EPA) 6. The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991; (good option to confuse) 7. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The NGT has not been vested with powers to hear any matter relating to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and various laws enacted by States relating to forests, tree preservation etc. Therefore, specific and substantial issues related to these laws cannot be raised before the NGT.

Consider the following statements regarding Bitcoin 1. They’re produced by people, and

increasingly businesses, running computers all around the world, using software that solves mathematical problems.

2. It is also called a “cryptocurrency” since it is decentralized and uses cryptography to prevent double-spending, a significant challenge inherent to digital currencies.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Ans : (c) Both 1 and 2

Consider the following statements regarding Bitcoin 1. Bitcoin is a distributed peer-to-

peer digital currency that functions without the inter-mediation of any central authority.

2. It cannot be traded on an open market

3. Its exchange rate does not fluctuates

Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans : (a) 1 only Its exchange rate fluctuates much like a stock market i.e. based on the demand.

Which of the following are virtual or crypto currencies : • Ethereum • Ripple • Litecoin • Bitcoin • Ribero

Select the correct answer using the code given below: a) 1. 2 and 4 only b) 1, 2 and 3 only c) 3 and 4 only d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 e) All of the above Solution: b. Other important cryptocurrencies include – Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Monero, Dash and Zcash.

Consider the following statements regarding Bitcoin 1. Bitcoin is a form of digital currency or

virtual currency created and held electronically.

2. It is not regulated by any central bank or government.

3. They are printed, like dollars or euros. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans : (c) 1 and 2 only They aren’t printed, like dollars or euros.

Consider the following statements regarding Blockchain technology

1) It is a decentralised digital ledger. 2) It records transactions on thousands of computers globally in such a way that the registered transactions

cannot be altered retrospectively. 3) It is a secured way of conducting online transactions and its use removes the characteristic of infinite

reproducibility from a digital asset. 4) In case of cross border remittances, its use enables instant transfer of money as against the current

system that takes about a week for the same.

‘Bihugeet’ songs 1. Are a distinctive

type of folk song of Mizoram

2. Celebrate the life-sustaining character of the Brahmaputra Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 Solution: b. “Assam’s Bihugeet songs celebrate the many colours of the Brahmaputra and its life-sustaining character”

‘Joint Interpretative Notes’ or ‘JIN’ recently appeared in the news in the context of affairs related to a) Participatory Notes b) Indian Ocean Naval Symposium c) Demonetisation d) Investment Treaties e) None of the above Solution: d.