13 APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index that shows the growth rates in different industry groups of the economy in a fixed period of time.
2. It is compiled and published bimonthly by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: a)

Index of Industrial Production

● The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index that shows the growth rates in different industry groups of the economy in a fixed period of time.

● It is compiled and published monthly by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

● IIP is a composite indicator that measures the growth rate of industry groups classified under:

○ Broad sectors, namely, Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity.

○ Use-based sectors, namely Basic Goods, Capital Goods, and Intermediate Goods.

● Base Year for IIP is 2011-2012.

● The eight core industries of India represent about 40% of the weight of items that are included in the IIP.

● Significance of IIP :

○ IIP is the only measure on the physical volume of production.

○ It is used by government agencies including the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, etc, for policy-making purposes.

○ IIP remains extremely relevant for the calculation of the quarterly and advance GDP estimates.

Q2. Which of the following is called as “Grand Old Lady”?

1. INS Vikranth
2. INS Arihant
3. INS Viraat
4. None of the above

Answer: c)

Achievements of INS Viraat

● It played an important role in Operation Jupiter in 1989 during the Sri Lankan Peacekeeping operation. In the operation, the ship sent Indian peacekeeping forces to Sri Lanka

● The ship also performed blockading Pakistani ports, primarily the Karachi port as part of 1999‟s

Operation Vijay

● It was also deployed in Operation Parakram during 2001-02 following the terror attack on the Indian Parliament.

● The ship is nicknamed as the “Grand Old Lady“

● The ship has also participated in various international joint exercises.

● Like Malabar (with US Navy), Varuna (with French Navy), Naseem-Al-Bahr (with Oman Navy) and has been an integral element of annual Theater Level Operational Exercise (TROPEX).

● It is the longest-serving warship in the world. The ship also holds a Guinness Book of World Records for the same.

Q3. Consider the following statements:

1. The CPI calculates the difference in the price of commodities and services such as food, medical care, education, electronics etc, which Indian consumers buy for use.
2. CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined) is compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: a)

Consumer Price Index

● It measures price changes from the perspective of a retail buyer.

● The CPI calculates the difference in the price of commodities and services such as food, medical care, education, electronics etc, which Indian consumers buy for use.

● The CPI has several sub-groups including food and beverages, fuel and light, housing and clothing, bedding and footwear.

● Four types of CPI are as follows:

○ CPI for Industrial Workers (IW).

○ CPI for Agricultural Labourer (AL).

○ CPI for Rural Labourer (RL).

○ CPI (Rural/Urban/Combined).

● Of these, the first three are compiled by the Labour Bureau in the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Fourth is compiled by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

● Base Year for CPI is 2012. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) uses CPI data to control inflation.

Q4. Which of the Countries are Participating in Shantir Ogrosena-2021?

1. India
2. Bhutan
3. Sri Lanka
4. Bangladesh

Code:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 2, 3 and 4 only
4. All the above

Answer: d)

Shantir Ogrosena-2021

● The Exercise started on 4th April 2021 to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangabandhuand Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh Father of the Nation.

● 9 Days Long Exercise is being conducted from 4th April to 12th April 2021.

● It was organised at Bangabandhu Senanibas, Bangladesh.

● It is also known as Jamuna Cantonment.

● “SHANTIR OGROSHENA‟ 2021 means Front Runner of the Peace.

● Countries Participating: India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

● Military observers – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UK, Turkey, USA, and Singapore

● Theme of the Military Exercise – Robust Peacekeeping Operations.

Q5. Consider the following statements:

1. Election Commission is not concerned with the elections to panchayats and municipalities in the states.
2. Election Commissioners have tenure of 5 years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: a)

Election Commissioner

● The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India.

● The body administers elections to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies in India, and the offices of the President and Vice President in the country (Article 324).

● It is not concerned with the elections to panchayats and municipalities in the states.

● For this, the Constitution of India provides for a separate State Election Commission.

● The Election Commission shall consist of the chief election commissioner and such number of other election commissioners, if any, as the President may from time to time fix.

● Presently, it consists of the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.

Appointment & Tenure of Commissioners

● The President appoints Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.

● They have tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

● They enjoy the same status and receive salary and perks as available to Judges of the Supreme Court of India.

● All Election Commissioners have equal say in the decision making of the Commission

Q6. Which of the following Indian Laws are Against Hate Crimes?

1. The Representation of People Act, 1951.
2. Information Technology Act 2000.
3. Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Code:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. All the above

Answer: d)

Hate Crime in India

● Hate Crime in India is defined in terms of the harm done to a community at large rather than an individual’s right to freedom of speech and expression and the harm done as a result of hate speech.

● In India, hate speech is prohibited which is based upon religion, ethnicity, culture or race.

Indian Laws Against Hate Crimes

● Though the term is nowhere mentioned in any statute, its different forms are identified across the laws.

● The IPC under Sections 153A, 153B, 295A, 298, 505(1) and 505(2)25 declares that word, spoken or written, that promotes disharmony, hatred, or insults on basis of religion, ethnicity, culture, language, region, caste, community, race etc., is punishable under law.

● Some other laws which contain provisions concerning hate speech and its prevention are:

● The Representation of People Act, 1951.

● Information Technology Act 2000.

● Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

Q7. Consider the following statements:

1. Russia had become the first country to officially register a Covid-19 vaccine and declare it ready for use.
2. The vaccine has been called Sputnik V, named after the first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik-I launched by the Soviet Union.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c)

Sputnik V: Russian Covid Vaccine

● In 2020, Russia had become the first country to officially register a Covid-19 vaccine and declare it ready for use.

● The vaccine has been called Sputnik V, named after the first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik-I launched by the Soviet Union.

● It is the first Covid-19 vaccine to be approved.

○ However, a Chinese vaccine had been cleared for „limited use‟ before this.

○ It is an adenovirus vector vaccine approved to be administered only on soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army.

● The russian vaccine has outrun other Covid-19 vaccines like Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer which are still in trials.

○ India‟s Covaxin has been approved for human clinical trials. Another Indian vaccine ZyCoV-D has entered phase I/II of clinical trials.

● This vaccine has been developed by Moscow‟s Gamaleya Institute in collaboration with the Russia‟s defence ministry.

Q8. With reference to the Sputnik V, consider the following statements:

1. Sputnik V has been recommended for emergency use authorisation in India following a meeting of the Subject Expert Committee (SEC).

2. It would be the second Covid vaccine to be made available in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: a)

Answer: a)

Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine — Sputnik V — has been recommended for emergency use authorisation in India following a meeting of the Subject Expert Committee (SEC).

• If approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), Sputnik V would be the third vaccine to be made available in India after the Serum Institute of India’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
• Sputnik V, developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, claims to be one of the three vaccines in the world with efficacy of over 90%.
• the vaccine supplies for the global market will be produced by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) international partners in India, Brazil, China, South Korea and other countries.

Hence only statement 1 is correct.

Q9. Consider the following statements about Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PM1A), 2002

1. To provide for confiscation and seizure of property obtained from laundered money.
2. Under the PMLA Act, the Enforcement Directorate is empowered to conduct a Money Laundering investigation.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c)

Prevention of Money-Laundering Act (PM1A), 2002

In India. the specific legislation dealing with money laundering is the Prevention of Money-Laundering Act((PMLA). 2002

The law was enacted to combat money laundering in India and has three main Objectives

To prevent and control money laundering.

To provide for confiscation and seizure of property obtained from laundered money.

To deal with any other issue connected with money-laundering in India. Under the PMLA Act, the Enforcement Directorate is empowered to conduct a Money Laundering investigation.

Apart from the provisions of PMLA. there are other specialised provisions such as RBISESFIRDA anti-money laundering regulations.

Q9. Consider the following statements

1. The CDSCO is the Central Drug Authority for discharging functions assigned to the Central Government under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
2. DCGI comes under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c)

Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)

The CDSCO is the Central Drug Authority for discharging functions assigned to the Central Government under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

Major Functions:

Regulatory control over the import of drugs. approval of new drugs and clinical trials.

Approval of certain licences as Central Licence Approving Authority

Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)

DCGI is responsible for approval of licences of specified categories of drugs such as blood and blood products. IV fluids, vaccines and sera in India. o

It comes under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.