18 MAY CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. The two-state solution refers to
a) Israel-Palestine conflict
b) Yemen conflict
c) Suez crisis
d) Iran nuclear tests

Solution: a)
Explanation:
The two-state solution
 In 1974, a UN resolution on the “Peaceful settlement of the question of
Palestine” called for “two States, Israel and Palestine side by side within
secure and recognized borders” together with “a just resolution of the refugee
question in conformity with UN resolution 194″.
 The borders of the state of Palestine would be “based on the pre-1967
borders”. The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict envisages
an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the
Jordan River.
 The Palestinian leadership has accepted the concept. It is not accepted by
Israel.

Q2. The Gulf of Oman connects
a) The Red Sea to the Arabian Sea
b) The Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf
c) The Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea
d) Strait of Hormuz to the Arabian Sea

Solution: d)
Explanation:
The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman is a gulf that connects the Arabian Sea with the
Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It borders Iran and Pakistan
on the north, Oman on the south, and the United Arab Emirates on the west And
in some countries it is known as Makran Sea.

Q3. Which of the following statements is/are incorrect regarding Legislative
Council?

1. The Parliament can abolish a legislative council (where it already exists) or
   create it (where it does not exist) by a special majority.
2. In India, six states have Legislative Councils.
3. Under Article 161 of the Constitution, the Legislative Council of a state shall
   not have more than one-third of the total strength of the State Assembly, and
   not less than 40 members.
   Select the correct code
   a) 1 and 2 only
   b) 2 and 3 only
   c) 1 and 3 only
   d) 2 only

Solution: c)
Explanation:
India has a bicameral system of legislature. Just as Parliament has two Houses,
the states can also have a Legislative Council in addition to the Legislative
Assembly through Article 169 of the Constitution.
Six States having a Legislative Council: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka.
Recently, the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Council has been abolished through
the J&K Reorganisation Bill, 2019, which reduced the State of J&K to the Union
Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Abolition or Creation – Article 169
The Parliament can abolish a legislative council (where it already exists) or create
it (where it does not exist) by a simple majority, that is, a majority of the members
of each House present and voting, if the legislative assembly of the concerned state,
by a special majority, passes a resolution to that effect.
Special majority implies
A majority of the total membership of the assembly and
A majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of the assembly present and
voting.
Composition
Under Article 171 of the Constitution not 161, the Legislative Council of a state
shall not have more than one-third of the total strength of the State Assembly, and
not less than 40 members.
Like the Rajya Sabha, the legislative council is a continuing chamber, that is, it is
a permanent body and is not subject to dissolution. The tenure of a Member of the
Legislative Council (MLC) is six years, with one-third of the members retiring every
two years.

Q4. Consider the following statements1. The power to carve out a new district lies with a state.

2. In order to carve out a district in state, a legislative bill shall be passed by
   Simple Majority.
3. Before passing a law, nod from Central Government should be taken.
   Select the correct answer using the code belowa) 1 only
   b) 1 and 3 only
   c) 2 and 3 only
   d) 1, 2 and 3

Solution: a)
Explanation:
How are new districts carved?
The power to create new districts or alter or abolish existing districts rests with the
State governments. This can either be done through an executive order or by
passing a law in the State Assembly. Many States prefer the executive route by
simply issuing a notification in the official gazette.
How does it help?
States argue that smaller districts lead to better administration and governance.
For example, in 2016, the Assam government issued a notification to upgrade the
Majuli sub-division to Majuli district for “administrative expediency”.
Are there are any exceptions?
The State government has been vested with unfettered powers under Section 5 of
the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887 to create new districts, says K.B.S. Siddhu,
former financial commissioner (revenue) of Punjab. “This power is generally held
temporarily in abeyance only during active census operations or during the
delimitation exercise of Lok Sabha/Vidhan Sabha constituencies,“ Mr. Sidhu said.
Does the Central government have a role to play here?
The Centre has no role to play in the alteration of districts or creation of new ones.
States are free to decide. The Home Ministry comes into the picture when a State
wants to change the name of a district or a railway station. The State government’s
request is sent to other departments and agencies such as the Ministry of Earth
Sciences, Intelligence Bureau, Department of Posts, Geographical Survey of India
Sciences and the Railway Ministry seeking clearance. A no-objection certificate may
be issued after examining their replies.
What has been the trend?
According to the 2011 Census, there were 593 districts in the country. The Census
results showed that between 2001-2011, as many as 46 districts were created by
States. Though the 2021 Census is yet to happen, Know India, a website run by
the Government of India, says currently there are 718 districts in the country. The
surge in number is also due to bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh into A.P and
Telangana in 2014. Telangana at present has 33 districts and A.P has 13 districts.

Q5. With reference to Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of
India, consider the following statements1. It has recently mooted the idea of “Model Insurance Village”.

2. It was converted into an autonomous body on recommendation of Malhotra
   Committee.
3. It is headquartered in Delhi.
   Select the correct answer using the code belowa) 1 and 3 only
   b) 3 only
   c) 1 and 2 only
   d) 2 only

Solution: c)
Explanation:
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has mooted
the concept of ‘Model Insurance Village (MIV)’ to boost insurance penetration in
rural areas.
According to the Economic Survey for 2020-21, India’s insurance penetration,
which was at 2.71% in 2001, has steadily increased to 3.76% in 2019, but stayed
much below the global average of 7.23%.
Concept of Model Insurance Village (MIV):
The idea is to offer comprehensive insurance protection to all the major insurable
risks that villagers are exposed to and make available covers at affordable or
subsidised cost.
 In order to make the premium affordable, financial support needs to be
explored through NABARD, other institutions, CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility) funds, government support and support from reinsurance
companies.
 It may be implemented in a minimum of 500 villages in different districts of
the country in the first year and increased to 1,000 villages in the subsequent
two years.
 Every general insurance company and reinsurance company accepting
general insurance business and having offices in India needs to be involved
for piloting the concept.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
 Following the recommendations of the Malhotra Committee report, in 1999,
the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) was constituted
as an autonomous body to regulate and develop the insurance industry.
 The IRDA was incorporated as a statutory body in April 2000.
 The key objectives of the IRDA include the promotion of competition so as to
enhance customer satisfaction through increased consumer choice and
lower premiums while ensuring the financial security of the insurance
market.
 It is headquartered in Hyderabad.

Q6. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
Regions sometimes mentioned in News Country

1. Sumatra Indonesia
2. Whitsun Reef Philippines
3. Ashdod Germany
4. Marib Yemen
5. Darfur Iraq
   Select the correct answer using the code belowa) 1, 3 and 4 only
   b) 2 and 3 only
   c) 1, 2 and 4 only
   d) 1, 3, 4 and 5 only

Solution: c)
Explanation:
Sumatra- Indonesia
Whitsun Reef- Philippines
Ashdod- Israel
Marib- Yemen
Darfur- South-Sudan

Q7. With reference to Bogs, consider the following statements:

1. A bog is a freshwater wetland of soft, spongy ground consisting mainly of
   partially decayed plant matter called peat.
2. They are formed in northern climates, and take thousands of years to develop.
3. They can act as carbon sinks.
4. The world’s largest wetland is a bog and it is situated in North-America.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
   a) 1 and 2 only
   b) 2, 3 and 4 only
   c) 1, 3 and 4 only
   d) 1, 2 and 3 only

Solution: d)
Explanation:

Bogs (also called quagmires) are soft, spongy wetlands that accumulate peat– a
fossil fuel that is used for heating homes and businesses in northern Europe. They
are formed in northern climates, and take thousands of years to develop.
Bogs also act as carbon sinks, sequestering around 200 million tons of carbon from
the environment in Siberia and Scandinavia.
For centuries, however, they have been drained for extracting peat or for
development, leading to the destruction of their delicate ecosystems, including
damage to species such as cranes that breed here.
The world’s largest wetland is a series of bogs in the Siberia region of Russia. The
Western Siberian Lowlands cover more than a million square kilometers (386,102
square miles).

Q8. With reference to Wholesale Price Index(WPI), consider the following
statements1. It is published by Office of Economic Advisor, Ministry of Commerce and
Industry.

2. Recently, Base Year has been revised from 2004-05 to 2011-12.
3. It is most widely used indicator for Inflation in India.
   Select the correct answer using the code belowa) 1 and 2 only
   b) 2 and 3 only
   c) 1 and 3 only
   d) 1, 2 and 3

Solution: d)
Explanation:
Wholesale Price Index
 It measures the changes in the prices of goods sold and traded in bulk by
wholesale businesses to other businesses.
 Published by the Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and
Industry.
 It is the most widely used inflation indicator in India.
 Major criticism for this index is that the general public does not buy products
at wholesale price.
 The base year of All-India WPI has been revised from 2004-05 to 2011-12 in
2017.
CPI vs. WPI
 WPI, tracks inflation at the producer level and CPI captures changes in prices
levels at the consumer level.
 WPI does not capture changes in the prices of services, which CPI does.
 In April 2014, the RBI had adopted the CPI as its key measure of inflation.
Consumer Price Index
It measures price changes from the perspective of a retail buyer. It is released by
the National Statistical Office (NSO).
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.

Q9. If the proposal of India and South Africa at WTO gets approved to give a
waiver to vaccine production, which of the following statement(s) is/are
correct?

1. Countries will be able to distribute vaccines at no cost.
2. Countries will not be under WTO obligation, to grant or enforce patent related
   to COVID-19 Vaccines or related Drugs.
3. Vaccine production will likely increase.
   Select the correct answer using the code belowa) 1 and 2 only
   b) 2 and 3 only
   c) 3 only
   d) 1 and 3
   Solution: b)
   Explanation:
   The United States has announced the support for waiving Intellectual Property (IP)
   protection for Covid-19 vaccines.
   The decision is a breakthrough in India and South Africa’s attempts to get World
   Trade Organisation (WTO) member countries to agree to such a waiver to fight the
   pandemic equitably.
   About:
   The 1995 agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
   (TRIPS) requires ratifying countries to adopt a minimum standard of
   intellectual property rights to protect creators and promote innovation.
   India and South Africa have proposed a waiver from the implementation and
   application of certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement (waiving IP rights like
   patents, copyright, and trademarks) for prevention, containment or treatment of
   Covid-19.
   If the waiver is granted, WTO member countries will not be under an
   obligation, for a temporary period, to either grant or enforce patents and
   other IP-related rights to Covid-19 drugs, vaccines, and other treatments.
   This will immunise the measures adopted by countries to vaccinate their
   populations from claims of illegality under WTO law.

Q10. Which of the following is declared as India’s 51st Tiger Reserve?
a) Kamleng Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh
b) Tadoba Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra
c) Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Karnataka
d) Meghamalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu

Solution: d)
Explanation:
The Central government has given its approval for the creation of a fifth tiger
reserve in Tamil Nadu that will encompass the Meghamalai and Srivilliputhur
Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuaries.
This is 5th Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu and 51st in India. Kamleng Tiger Reserve is
50th Tiger reserve in India. It’s in state of Arunachal Pradesh.