16 APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

1. Which committee urged for insertion of Artcle 21A?
   a) Sarkaraia Committee
   b) Punchi Committee
   c) Rajamannar Committee
   d) Tapas Majumdar Committee

Answer: d)
Right To Education
● Originally Part IV of Indian Constitution, Article 45 and Article 39 (f) of DPSP, had a provision for state funded as well as equitable and accessible education.
● The first official document on the Right to Education was the Ramamurti Committee Report in 1990.
● In 1993, the Supreme Court‟s landmark judgment in the Unnikrishnan JP vs State of Andhra Pradesh & Others held that Education is a Fundamental right flowing from Article 21.
● Tapas Majumdar Committee (1999) was set up, which encompassed insertion of Article 21A.
● The 86th Constitutional Amendment in 2002, provided Right to Education as a fundamental right in Part-III of the Constitution.
● It inserted Article 21A which made Right to Education a fundamental right for children between 6-14 years.
● It provided for a follow-up legislation Right to Education Act 2009.

2. Which of following are Initiatives by the Government of India in Child Labour?
3. 1.Gurupadswamy Committe
4. National Policy on Child Labour (1987)
5. Right to Education Act, 2009
   Code:
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) 3 only
   d) All the above

Answer: d)
Initiatives by the Government of India
● Gurupadswamy Committe: In 1979, the central government formed the first statutory committee to analyse and research on the issue of child labour in India.
○ One of their major observations was that the problem of child labour is inextricably linked to poverty.
○ Taking into account the findings and recommendations of the committee, the Union Government enacted the Child labour (Prohibition and & Regulation) Act in 1986.
● National Policy on Child Labour (1987): It focuses more on rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes, rather than on prevention.
● Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 (the JJ Act) and amendment of the JJ Act in 2006: It includes the working child in the category of children in need of care and protection, without any limitation of age or type of occupation.
● The Right to Education Act, 2009 has made it mandatory for the state to ensure that all children aged 6 to 14 years are in school and receive free education.
● Another landmark step was the enactment of the Child labour (Prohibition and Prevention) Amendment Act, 2016.
● Initiatives like Operation Smile, Operation Muskaan to rescue and rehabilitation of children from an unorganised sector, manufacturing units and other factories.
● Recently, India has ratified International Labour Organizations Convention (ILO) no 138 (minimum age for employment) and Convention no 182 (worst forms of child labour).

3. Which of the following are Constitutional Provisions regarding Child Labours?
4. Article 21A
5. Article 24
6. Article 39
   Code:
   a) 1 and 2 only
   b) 2 and 3 only
   c) 1 and 3 only
   d) All the above

Answer: d)
Constitutional Provisions
● Article 21A: Right to Education
● Article 24: Prohibition of employment of children (below the age fourteen years) in factories, etc.
● Article 39: The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing 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.

4. Consider the following statements
   1. Union Cabinet has approved the inclusion of AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres (AYUSH HWCs) in the National AYUSH Mission (NAM).
5. AYUSH HWC is a component of the Ayushman Bharat.
   Which of the above statement/s is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c)
AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres
● In 2020, the Union Cabinet has approved the inclusion of AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres (AYUSH HWCs) in the National AYUSH Mission (NAM).
○ AYUSH HWC is a component of the Ayushman Bharat.
● In 2018, the Government of India decided that 1.5 lakh health & wellness Centres would be
created by transforming existing sub-health centres and primary health centres to deliver comprehensive primary health care.
● So, it was decided that the Ministry of AYUSH would operationalize 10% of the total sub-health centres as HWCs under Ayushman Bharat.
● Expenditure – ₹3399.35 Crore (with a ratio of almost 2:1 between the centre and the states
respectively)
● Time – Within a period of five years from 2019-20 to 2023-24.

5. Consider the following statements
6. The S-400 Triumf is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system (SAM) designed by Russia.
7. The system can track 100 airborne targets and engage six of them simultaneously.
   Which of the above statement/s is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c)
About the S-400 Triumf Missile System
● The S-400 Triumf is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system (SAM) designed by Russia.
● It is the most dangerous operationally deployed modern long-range SAM (MLR SAM) in the world, considered much ahead of the US-developed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD).
● The system can engage all types of aerial targets including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and ballistic and cruise missiles within the range of 400km, at an altitude of up to 30km.
● The system can track 100 airborne targets and engage six of them simultaneously.

6. Consider the following statements
7. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was signed into existence by 15 countries led by China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the 10-state ASEAN grouping, creating one of the world’s largest trading blocs.
8. India had been a part of negotiations for almost nine years till it pulled out in November 2019
   Which of the above statement/s is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c)
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
● In 2020, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was signed into existence by 15 countries led by China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the 10-state ASEAN grouping, creating one of the world’s largest trading blocs.
● India had been a part of negotiations for almost nine years till it pulled out in November 2019, stating that inadequate safeguards and lowering of customs duties will adversely impact its manufacturing, agriculture and dairy sectors.
● However, by staying out, India has blocked itself from a trade bloc that represents 30% of the global economy and world population, touching over 2.2 billion people.

7. Consider the following statements
8. North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949, by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the erstwhile Soviet Union.
9. Its headquarters are located in Evere, Brussels, Belgium,
   Which of the above statement/s is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
● It is an intergovernmental military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949, by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the erstwhile Soviet Union.
● Its headquarters are located in Evere, Brussels, Belgium, while the headquarters of Allied Command Operations is near Mons, Belgium and it has 30 members at present mainly in Europe and North America.
● The most recent member state to be added to NATO was North Macedonia on 27 March 2020.
● Its purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.
● Political Objective: It promotes democratic values and enables members to consult and cooperate on defence and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.
● Military Objective: It is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake crisis-management operations.
● A key provision of the treaty is Article 5. It states that if one member of the alliance is attacked in Europe or North America, it is to be considered an attack on all members. That effectively put Western Europe under the ―nuclear umbrella‖ of the US.

8. Who projected the increase in India’s public debt ratio?
   a) World Bank
   b) IMF
   c) NITI Aayog
   d) UN

Answer: b)
India‟s Public Debt Ratio
● As per the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India‘s public debt ratio is projected to jump by 17 percentage points to almost 90% because of an increase in public spending due to Covid-19.
● India‘s public debt ratio has remained stable at about 70% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) since 1991.

9. Consider the following statements
10. India lags far behind China in manufacturing prowess. China ranks first in contribution to world manufacturing output, while India ranks sixth.
11. Industry value added grew at an average annual rate of 10.68% since China opened up its economy in 1978.
    Which of the above statement/s is/are correct?
    a) 1 only
    b) 2 only
    c) Both 1 and 2
    d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c)
Manufacturing in India
● India lags far behind China in manufacturing prowess. China ranks first in contribution to world manufacturing output, while India ranks sixth.
● Against India‘s target of pulling up the share of manufacturing in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 25% by 2022, its share stood at 15% in 2018, only half of China‘s figure.
● Industry value added grew at an average annual rate of 10.68% since China opened up its economy in 1978.
● In contrast, against the target of 12%, the manufacturing sector has grown at 7% after India opened up its economy.
● Next to the European Union, China was the largest exporter of manufactured goods in 2018, with an 18% world share. India is not a part of the top 10 exporters who accounted for 83% of world manufacturing exports in 2018.

10. Consider the following statements
11. Indian capital market has shown its resilience to withstand the ripples caused by exogenous shocks like the pandemic.
12. Assets under management (AUM) of mutual fund industry increased by 41% from Rs 22.26 lakh crore as on March 31, 2020 to Rs 31.43 lakh crore as on March 31, 2021.
    Which of the above statement/s is/are correct?
    a) 1 only
    b) 2 only
    c) Both 1 and 2
    d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c)
Indian capital market
● Indian capital market has shown its resilience to withstand the ripples caused by exogenous shocks like the pandemic.
● Assets under management (AUM) of mutual fund industry increased by 41% from Rs 22.26 lakh crore as on March 31, 2020 to Rs 31.43 lakh crore as on March 31, 2021.
● The number of unique investors across mutual fund schemes also increased by 10% from 2.08 crore as on March 31, 2020 to 2.28 crore as on March 31, 2021.
● With the increasing expansion of the mutual fund industry in smaller cities, the AUM from below the top 30 cities increased by 54 per cent from Rs 3.48 lakh crore as of March 31, 2020, to Rs 5.35 lakh crore as of March 31, 2021.
● Bank deposits have also been rising even as credit growth has not kept pace with the expansion in deposits.
● Despite over a 100-basis point decline in interest rates, bank deposits surged by 11.4 per cent during the financial year ended March 2021, as against 7.9 per cent in the previous year.
● However, credit growth declined to 5.6 per cent in FY21 from 6.1 per cent in the previous year.