22 MARCH CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. “Consultation of plurality judges” relates with [Page 12]

1. First Judges case
2. Second Judges case
3. Third Judges case
4. 99^th Amendment Act

Answer: C

Explanation:

In the First Judges case (1982), the Court held that consultation does not mean concurrence and it only implies exchange of views.

In the Second Judges case (1993), the Court reversed its earlier ruling and changed the meaning of the word consultation to concurrence.

In the Third Judges case (1998), the Court opined that the consultation process to be adopted by the Chief Justice of India requires „consultation of plurality judges‟.

Q2. Which of the following are 3 top performing states as per Annual Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2020? [Page 12]

1. Kerala
2. Punjab
3. Tamil Nadu

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. All the above
4. None of the above

Answer: D

Explanation:

Annual Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2020

State TB Index: On the basis of the score in State TB Index, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh were the top three best-performing states for tuberculosis control under the category of states with 50 lakh population.

○ Tripura and Nagaland were best-performing in the category of states having less than 50 lakh population.

○ Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu were selected as the best performing Union Territories.

Q3. Saksham Project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) relate to [Page 12]

1. Restructuring of bad loans
2. Tuberculosis
3. Digital payment
4. Both a and c

Answer: B

Explanation:

● The Nikshay Ecosystem: It is the National TB information system which is a one-stop solution to manage information of patients and monitor program activity and performance throughout the country.

● Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY): This scheme is aimed at providing financial support to TB patients for their nutrition.

● TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign: Launched In September 2019 it is showcasing the highest level of commitment for the elimination of TB.

● The Saksham Project: It is a project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) that has been providing psycho-social counselling to DR-TB patients.

Q4. Which of the Indian states borders Mynamar? [Page 1]

1. Arunachal Pradesh
2. Nagaland 
3. Manipur
4. Mizoram

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

Answer: D

Q5. Shilung La, Nyakmikle and Hena are situated in [Page 11]

1. Ladakh
2. Sikkim
3. Uttar Pradesh
4. Uttarakhand

Answer: A

Q6. Which of the following related with South China Sea dispute? [Page 15]

1. Philippines
2. Malaysia
3. Brunei

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

Answer: D

Explanation:

China: claims by far the largest portion of territory – an area defined by the “nine-dash line” which stretches hundreds of miles south and east from its most southerly province of Hainan.

Vietnam: hotly disputes China‟s historical account, saying China had never claimed sovereignty over the islands before the 1940s. Vietnam says it has actively ruled over both the Paracels and the Spratlys since the 17th Century – and has the documents to prove it.

Philippines: both the Philippines and China lay claim to the Scarborough Shoal (known as Huangyan Island in China) – a little more than 100 miles (160km) from the Philippines and 500 miles from China.

Malaysia and Brunei: They lay claim to territory in the South China Sea that they say falls within their economic exclusion zones, as defined by UNCLOS – the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.  Brunei does not claim any of the disputed islands, but Malaysia claims a small number of islands in the Spratlys

Q7. Muria tribes belongs to [Page 10]

1. Bihar
2. Assam
3. Nagaland
4. Chhattisgarh

Answer: D

Q8. In the Indian context, what is the implication of ratifying the ‘Additional Protocol’ with the ‘International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’? [Page 9]

1. The civilian nuclear reactors come under IAEA safeguards.
2. The military nuclear installations come under the inspection of IAEA.
3. The country will have the privilege to buy uranium from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
4. The country automatically becomes a member of the NSG.

Answer: A

Explanation:

• Under the old IAEA safeguards, all NPT signatories would specify their nuclear sites and IAEA would carry out inspections in the specified sites. Thus, IAEA, under the old safeguards, could only carry out inspection for unauthorised activities only at designated or specified sites declared by a country. This basically left an option open for states to carry out covert nuclear programmes – as it happened in case of Iraq.
• Thus, in 1993, the IAEA designed Additional Protocols (AP) to tighten the existing safeguarding regime.
• However, India specific Additional Protocols (AP) do not give IAEA the right to hinder or interfere with activities which are outside the scope of India’s safeguard agreements, thus recognizing that India reserves a right to a military nuclear program outside IAEA agreement.

Q9. Recently seen in news, Whitsun Reef is located in: [Page 15]

1. Dead Sea
2. Red Sea
3. Arabian Sea
4. South China Sea

Answer: D

Explanation:

The Philippines government has claimed that around 220 Chinese boats have been spotted at a reef in the South China Sea waters controlled by Manila.

• It urged China to recall the boats saying the presence of the vessels violated Manila’s maritime rights by encroaching into the Philippines’ sovereign territory.
• The boats are believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel. The boats were spotted on March 7 at the Whitsun Reef, which Manila calls the Julian Felipe Reef.
• Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Q10. Right to Health is a [Page 12]

1. Fundamental right
2. Constitutional Right
3. Legal Right
4. Statutory Right

Answer: A