03 MAY CURRENT AFFAIRS
Q1. The President of Indian Red Cross Society, a voluntary humanitarian organization, is
(a) Union Health Minister
(b) Prime Minister
(c) President
(d) NITI Aayog Vice-President
Solution: c)
Explanation:
- Correct option is ‘c’
- IRCS is a voluntary humanitarian organization to protect human life and health with the help of its network of over 1100 branches throughout India.
- The President of India is the President and the Union Health Minister is the Chairman of the Society.
Q2. Arrange the following countries from north to south –
1. Singapore
2. Malaysia
3. Philippines
4. Vietnam
Select the correct option from the following:
(a) 1-2-3-4
(b) 3-4-2-1
(c) 2-3-4-1
(d) 4-3-2-1
Solution: b)
Explanation:
Correct option is ‘b’
Q3. Which of the following constitute Capital Account?
1. Foreign Loans
2. Foreign Direct Investment
3. Private Remittances
4. Portfolio Investment
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1, 2 and 4
(c) 2, 3 and 4
(d) 1, 3 and 4
Solution: b)
Explanation:
- Correct option is ‘b’
- Current Account shows export and import of visibles (also called merchandise or goods – represent trade balance) and invisibles (also called non-merchandise).
- Invisibles include services, transfers and income.
Q4. Consider the following statements:
1. Liquid oxygen has a dark white color and is strongly paramagnetic.
2. Liquid oxygen is a very powerful oxidizing agent.
3. Liquid oxygen is the most common cryogenic liquid oxidizer propellant for spacecraft rocket applications.
Which of the given above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Solution: c)
Explanation:
- Correct option is ‘c’
- Liquid oxygen has a pale blue color and is strongly paramagnetic: it can be suspended between the poles of a powerful horseshoe magnet.
- Liquid oxygen is also a very powerful oxidizing agent: organic materials will burn rapidly and energetically in liquid oxygen.
- Liquid oxygen is the most common cryogenic liquid oxidizer propellant for spacecraft rocket applications, usually in combination with liquid hydrogen, kerosene or methane.
Q5. Which of the following are correctly matched?
Agreements – Year of India signed
1. GSOMIA – 2002
2. LEMOA – 2016
3. CISMOA – 2019
Select the correct code
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Solution: a)
Explanation:
“Four Foundational Agreements” between the US and its Partners
General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA)
- GSOMIA allows militaries to share the intelligence gathered by them.
- Signed by India in 2002.
Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA)
- LEMOA allows both countries to have access to each other’s designated military facilities for refueling and replenishment.
- Signed by India in 2016.
Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA)
- COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) is the India specific version of CISMOA.
- Valid for 10 years, COMCASA aims to provide a legal framework for the transfer of highly sensitive communication security equipment from the US to India that will streamline and facilitate interoperability between their armed forces.
- Signed by India in 2018.
Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA)
- BECA will allow India and US to share geospatial and satellite data with each other.
- India has not signed BECA yet.
Q6. With reference to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), consider the
following statements:
- It was constituted under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
- It is the primary fund available with State Governments for responses to notified
disasters. - The Central Government contributes 75% of SDRF allocation for general category
States/UTs and 90% for special category States/UTs.
Which of the statements 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:
As a special dispensation, the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance at
the recommendation of Ministry of Home Affairs has released in advance of the
normal schedule the 1st instalment of the Central Share of the State Disaster
Response Fund (SDRF) for the year 2021-22 to all the States. An amount of
Rs.8873.6 crore has been released to the States.
Normally, the first instalment of SDRF is released in the month of June as per the
recommendations of the Finance Commission.
However, in relaxation of normal procedure, not only has the release of SDRF been
advanced, the amount has also been released without waiting for the utilization
certificate of the amount provided to the States in the last financial year.
Up to 50% of the amount released i.e. Rs.4436.8 crore can be used by the States
for COVID-19 containment measures. The funds from SDRF may be used by the
States for various measures related to containment of COVID-19.
The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), constituted under Section 48 (1) (a) of
the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is the primary fund available with State Governments for responses to notified disasters. Hence statements 1 and 2 are
correct.
The Central Government contributes 75% of SDRF allocation for general category
States/UTs and 90% for special category States/UTs (NE States, Sikkim,
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir). Hence statement 3 is
correct.
Q7. With reference to the Polar wander, consider the following statements:
- True polar wander represents the shift in the geographical poles relative to
Earth’s surface, after accounting for the motion of the tectonic plates. - It can be used to measure the degree to which Earth’s magnetic poles have been
observed to move relative to the Earth’s rotation axis.
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:
Global warming and melting glaciers could have redistributed the global water
fronts to such an extent that they have redefined the ‘polar wander’ or the drifting
of the Earth’s axis, finds a study published in Geophysical Research Letters.
Polar wander is the motion of a pole in relation to some reference frame. It can be
used, for example, to measure the degree to which Earth’s magnetic poles have
been observed to move relative to the Earth’s rotation axis.
True polar wander represents the shift in the geographical poles relative to Earth’s
surface, after accounting for the motion of the tectonic plates. This motion is
caused by the rearrangement of the mantle and the crust in order to align the
maximum inertia with the current rotation axis.
This is the situation with the lowest kinetic energy for the given, unchanging,
angular momentum of the earth, and is attained as kinetic energy is dissipated due
to the non-rigidity of the earth.
Hence both statements are correct.
Q8. With reference to the P-8I patrol aircraft, consider the following
statements:
- The U.S. State Department recently approved the proposed sale of six P-8I patrol
aircraft and related equipment to India. - The P-8I is based on the Boeing 737 commercial aircraft and India was its first
international customer.
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 U.S. State Department recently approved the proposed sale of six P-8I patrol
aircraft and related equipment to India, a deal estimated to cost $2.42 billion.
In November 2019, the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh, approved the procurement of the long-range maritime surveillance
aircraft manufactured by Boeing.
The original proposal was for 10 more aircraft but was cut down to six due to
budgetary constraints as well as because the Navy had adopted some fleet
rationalisation measures and was considering long-endurance unmanned
platforms.
The possible sale comes through the Foreign Military Sale route and requires that
the U.S. Congress be notified.
With India having signed the Communications Compatibility and Security
Agreement (COMCASA) foundational agreement with the U.S., the six aircraft will
come fitted with encrypted systems.
These systems were replaced with commercial off-the-shelf systems in the earlier
deals.
The P-8I is based on the Boeing 737 commercial aircraft and India was its first
international customer.
Hence both statements are correct.
Q9. Consider the following statements:
- Indian medicines once were the cheapest until the WTO patent regime in the
mid-1990s. - Currently, the WTO’s strict patent rules prevent firms other than the inventor
from manufacturing the same product using a different process.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution: c)
Explanation:
Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have agreed to provide patent
protection for any invention, be it a product (say, a medicine) or a process (method
of producing it).
Previously, the IPRs of products used to be protected through the Process
Patent under Indian Patent Act, 1970, allowing the manufacture of a
patented product by others by a different process.
This is how Indian medicines once were the cheapest until the WTO regime
in the mid-1990s.
Currently, the WTO’s strict patent rules prevent firms other than the inventor
from manufacturing the same product using a different process.
Q10. Consider the following statements:
- The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes COVID-19 pneumonia and hypoxaemia.
- Hypoxaemia is a lack of oxygen in the blood.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution: c)
Explanation:
Both statements are correct.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes COVID-19 pneumonia and hypoxaemia.
Hypoxaemia is a lack of oxygen in the blood. It is the most important
complication of COVID-19 pneumonia and a major cause of death.
In severe pneumonia, oxygen relieves hypoxaemia. It can allow time for the
infection to clear and the lungs to heal.