28-29 JULY CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. The father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, called him “The Maker of Modern
   India”.
2. He wrote the books, The Arctic Home of Vedas and Gita Rahasya.
   Identify the personality from the options given below:
   a) Subhash Chandra Bose
   b) Gopal Krishna Gokhle
   c) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
   d) Raja Ram Mohan Rai

Solution: c)
Explanation:
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, was the first leader of the Indian independence movement.
He was called “The father of the Indian unrest”, conferred with the title
of Lokmanya, which means “accepted by the people as a leader”.
• The father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, called him “The Maker of
Modern India”.
• Tilak left the blueprint of the home rule movement, Swaraj and
Swadeshi, which made him the first national leader who envisioned the
formation of linguistic states.
• All India Home Rule League was founded by Tilak in April 1916 at
Belgaum.
• He was part of the popular triumvirate of Lal, Bal, and Pal. The trio included
Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal and Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
• Surat Split: It was the splitting of the INC into two groups – the Extremists
and the Moderates – at the Surat session in 1907.
o In Surat Session (1907), Extremists wanted Rai or Tilak as a
presidential candidate and Moderates supported Ghosh to be the
President.

• Newspapers: He launched two newspapers–the Kesari (in Marathi) and the
Maratha (in English).
Books: He wrote the books The Arctic Home of Vedas and Gita Rahasya.

Q2. Consider the following statements:

1. He was involved in the Kakori Train Robbery on August 9, 1925, against the
   British Raj.
2. He was a revolutionary who reorganised the Hindustan Republican
   Association (HRA) after the death of its founder Ramprasad Bismil.
   Identify the personality from the options given below:
   a) Bhagat Singh
   b) Sukhdev
   c) Chandrashekhar Azad
   d) Rajguru

Solution: c)
Explanation:
After the suspension of the non-cooperation movement in 1922, Chandrashekhar
Azad joined the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), a revolutionary
organisation formed by Ramprasad Bismil.
• Azad was involved in the Kakori Train Robbery on August 9, 1925, against
the British Raj.
• He was also involved in the shooting of JP Saunders at Lahore in 1928 to
avenge the killing of Lala Lajpat Rai, and in the attempt to blow up the
Viceroy of India’s train in 1929.
• Hindustan Socialist Republican Association: He was a revolutionary
who reorganised the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) after the
death of its founder Ramprasad Bismil.
o It was established in 1928 at Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi by
Chandrasekhar Azad, Ashfaqulla Khan, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev
Thapar and Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee.

Q3. Consider the following statements:

1. Dharma chakra Pravartana Sutra comprises the Four Noble Truths and
   Noble Eightfold Path.
2. The Fourth Buddhist Council was held in Kashmir under the patronage of
   King Kanishka in 1st Century A.D.
   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

Solution: c)
Explanation:
• The teaching of Dhamma Cakka- PavattanaSutta (Pali) or Dharma chakra
Pravartana Sutra (Sanskrit) is also known as the First Turning of Wheels of
Dharma and comprised of the Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold
Path. 1 is correct.
• The Four Noble Truths: They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the
cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the
path that leads to the end of suffering.
• The Eightfold Path consists of eight practices: right view, right resolve,
right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right
mindfulness, and right samadhi (‘meditative absorption or union’).
The Fourth Buddhist Council
• It was held in Kashmir under the patronage of King Kanishka in 1st Century
A.D and was presided over by Vasumitra. 2 is correct.

Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to Marine Aids to Navigation
Bill, 2021

1. The bill which replaces the Lighthouse Act, 1927 applies to the whole of India
   including territorial waters, continental shelf, and exclusive economic zone.
2. The Bill provides that no person shall be allowed to operate on any aid to
   navigation or any vessel traffic service in any place unless he holds a valid
   training certificate.
   Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: c)
Explanation:
• Indian Parliament has recently passed the landmark ‘Marine Aids to Navigation
Bill 2021.
The Marine Aids to Navigation Bill, 2021
• It repeals the Lighthouse Act, 1927, which provides for the maintenance and
control of lighthouses in India.
• The Bill seeks to provide a framework for the development, maintenance, and
management of aids to navigation in India.
Key features of the Bill include:
• The Bill applies to the whole of India including various maritime zones
including territorial waters, continental shelf, and exclusive economic zone.
• The Bill provides that the central government will appoint a Director General
and she/he will advise the central government on matters related to aids to
navigation, among others.
• The Bill provides that no person shall be allowed to operate on any aid to
navigation (including any ancillary activities), or any vessel traffic service in
any place unless he holds a valid training certificate.
• The central government may designate any aid to navigation under its control
as a heritage lighthouse.
• In addition to their function as aids to navigation, such lighthouses will be
developed for educational, cultural, and tourism purposes.

Q5. Which of the following languages are not listed under the Eighth Schedule of
the Indian Constitution?

1. Bodo
2. Khasi
3. Dogri
4. English
5. Rajasthani
   Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
   a) 2 and 5 only
   b) 1, 2 and 3 only
   c) 2, 4 and 5 only
   d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Solution: c)
Explanation:
• There have been demands from time to time for inclusion of Khasi in the Eighth
Schedule to the Constitution.
• As the evolution of dialects and languages is a dynamic process, influenced by
socio-cultural, economic and political developments, it is difficult to fix any
criteria for languages, whether to distinguish them from dialects, or for their
inclusion in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution.
• The earlier attempts, through the Pahwa (1996) and Sitakant Mohapatra
(2003) Committees, to evolve such fixed criteria have been inconclusive.
Eighth Schedule Languages
• (1) Assamese, (2) Bengali, (3) Gujarati, (4) Hindi, (5) Kannada, (6) Kashmiri, (7)
Konkani, (8) Malayalam, (9) Manipuri, (10) Marathi, (11) Nepali, (12) Oriya, (13)
Punjabi, (14) Sanskrit, (15) Sindhi, (16) Tamil, (17) Telugu, (18) Urdu
(19) Bodo, (20) Santhali, (21) Maithili and (22) Dogri.
Demands of other Languages
• At present, there are demands for inclusion of 38 more languages in the Eighth
Schedule to the Constitution.
• (1) Angika, (2) Banjara, (3) Bazika, (4) Bhojpuri, (5) Bhoti, (6) Bhotia, (7)
Bundelkhandi (8) Chhattisgarhi, (9) Dhatki, (10) English, (11) Garhwali
(Pahari), (12) Gondi, (13) Gujjar/Gujjari (14) Ho, (15) Kachachhi, (16)
Kamtapuri, (17) Karbi, (18) Khasi, (19) Kodava (Coorg), (20) Kok Barak, (21)
Kumaoni (Pahari), (22) Kurak, (23) Kurmali, (24) Lepcha, (25) Limbu, (26) Mizo
(Lushai), (27) Magahi, (28) Mundari, (29) Nagpuri, (30) Nicobarese, (31) Pahari
(Himachali), (32) Pali, (33) Rajasthani, (34) Sambalpuri/Kosali, (35) Shaurseni
(Prakrit), (36) Siraiki, (37) Tenyidi and (38) Tulu.

Q6. Consider the following statements with respect to Trafficking in Persons
(Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021

1. Under the bill, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a counter-terrorism
   agency, has been made the nodal investigative agency for trafficking crimes.

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2. The Bill proposed a provision of separate protection and rehabilitation homes
   for transgender.
3. Under the bill, consent of the victim shall be irrelevant and immaterial in
   determination of the offence of trafficking in persons.
   Which of the statements given above are correct?
   a) 1 and 2 only
   b) 2 and 3 only
   c) 1 and 3 only
   d) 1, 2 and 3

Solution: d)
Explanation:
• There has been considerable debate over the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention,
Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021, which is likely to be introduced in the
ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament.
Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021
• The objective of the bill is to prevent and counter trafficking in persons,
especially women and children, to provide for care, protection, and
rehabilitation to the victims, while respecting their rights, and creating a
supportive legal, economic and social environment for them.
• The National Investigation Agency, a counter-terrorism agency, has been made
the nodal investigative agency for trafficking crimes.
• The Bill also states that the consent of the victim could be immaterial, leading
to concerns that it would criminalise consensual adult sex work.
• Other concerns raised include draconian penal provisions, including death for
some offences, and a heavy-handed approach that does not adequately address
the root cause of trafficking – poverty.

Q7. With respect to Nauka, sometimes seen in the news recently, consider the
following statements:

1. It is the biggest space laboratory and primary research facility of China.
2. It is a part of Harmony of the Heaven, the core module of Tiangong Space
   Station.
   Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: d)
Explanation:
• Russia’s space agency Roscosmos had recently launched the Nauka module.
• Nauka was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan using a
Proton rocket, is scheduled to be integrated with the ISS.
• Pirs, a Russian module on the International Space Station (ISS) used as a
docking port for spacecraft and as a door for cosmonauts to go out on
spacewalks.
• It was detached recently and in its place, Nauka will serve as the country’s
main research facility on the space station.
• Nauka — meaning “science” in Russian — is the biggest space laboratory
Russia has launched to date, and will primarily serve as a research facility.
• It is also bringing to the ISS another oxygen generator, a spare bed, another
toilet, and a robotic cargo crane built by the European Space Agency (ESA).
• The ISS is a pathbreaking collaborative effort between five participating space
agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA
(Europe) and CSA (Canada).

Q8. Consider the following statements about Dholavira

1. It is the second largest metropolis of IVC.
2. Graves in Dholavira have no mortal remains of humans.
3. The decline of Dholavira also coincided with the collapse of Mesopotamia.
   Which of the above statement(s) is/are true?
   a) 1 only
   b) 1 and 3 only
   c) 2 and 3 only
   d) All of the above

Solution: c)

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Explanation:
• After Mohen-jo-Daro, Ganweriwala and Harappa in Pakistan and Rakhigarhi
in Haryana of India, Dholavira is the 5th largest metropolis of IVC.
• The site has a fortified citadel, a middle town and a lower town with walls made
of sandstone or limestone instead of mud bricks in many other Harappan sites.
• While unlike graves at other IVC sites, no mortal remains of humans have been
discovered at Dholavira.
• The memorials that contain no bones or ashes but offerings of precious stones,
etc. add a new dimension to the personality of the Harappans.
• The beads peculiar to the Harappan workmanship have been found in the royal
graves of Mesopotamia, indicating Dholavira used to trade with the
Mesopotamians.
• Its decline also coincided with the collapse of Mesopotamia, indicating the
integration of economies.
• Harappans, who were maritime people, lost a huge market, affecting the local
mining, manufacturing, marketing and export businesses once Mesopotamia
fell.

Q9. Consider the following statements with respective to Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code (Amendment Bill)

1. It introduced an alternate insolvency resolution process for MSMEs called
   the Pre-packaged Insolvency Resolution Process (PIRP).
2. Distressed Corporate Debtors (CDs) are permitted to initiate a PIRP with the
   approval of two-thirds of their creditors.
3. The PIRP allows for a Swiss challenge to the resolution plan submitted in
   case operational creditors are not paid 100 % of their outstanding dues.
   Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
   a) 1 and 2 only
   b) 2 and 3 only
   c) 1 and 3 only
   d) 1, 2 and 3

Solution: d)
Explanation:

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Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment Bill)
• It introduced an alternate insolvency resolution process for Micro, Small and

Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with defaults up to Rs 1 crore called the Pre-
packaged Insolvency Resolution Process (PIRP).

• Distressed Corporate Debtors (CDs) are permitted to initiate a PIRP with the
approval of two-thirds of their creditors to resolve their outstanding debt
under the new mechanism.
• The PIRP also allows for a Swiss challenge to the resolution plan submitted
by a CD in case operational creditors are not paid 100 % of their outstanding
dues.
• A Swiss Challenge is a method of bidding, often used in public projects, in
which an interested party initiates a proposal for a contract or the bid for a
project.
• Pre-packs are largely aimed at providing MSMEs with an opportunity to
restructure their liabilities and start with a clean slate while still providing
adequate protections so that the system is not misused by firms to avoid
making payments to creditors.

Q10. Which of the following statements is incorrect?
a) India had signed the UN Convention against Torture but not ratified it
b) India acceded to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
c) India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of
Refugees
d) All of the above statements are correct

Solution: d)
Explanation:
• India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of
Refugees and the 1967 Protocol thereon.
• India signed the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment on 14 October 1997.
• However, India has not ratified the Convention.
• India acceded to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) on 10.04.1979.