14 & 15 FEB CURRENT AFFAIRS

Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to the procedure to impeachment the President of India

1. Article 61 of the Indian Constitution provides for procedure for impeachment of the president for violation of the constitution by impeachment.
2. The resolution that contains charges against the president has to be passed (in each house separately) by a majority of not less than twothirds of the members present and voting.
3. The president can be prosecuted after he or she steps down from the post for the guilty committed during the term of presidency as declared earlier by the courts.
   Which of the above statement/s is/are correct?
   a) 1 and 3 only
   b) 2 Only
   c) 1 only
   d) All of the above Solution : a)
   Explanation :-
   Procedure to impeachment the President of India:
   • A borrowed feature: From the constitution of the United States of America (USA).
   • Article 61 of the Indian Constitution: It provides for procedure for impeachment of the president for violation of the constitution by impeachment.
   • The charges: The charges shall be preferred by either House of
   Parliament. No such charge shall be preferred unless- o The proposal to prefer such charge: Is contained in a resolution which has been moved after at least fourteen days notice in writing signed by not less than one-quarter of the total number of members of the House has been given of their intention to move the resolution.
   o Type of majority required: Such resolution has been passed by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the House.
   • It is then sent to the other house. The other house investigates the charges that have been made.
   o During this process, the president has the right to defend oneself through an authorised counsel.
   o If the second house also approves the charges made by a special majority again, the president stands impeached and is deemed to have vacated their office from the date when such a resolution is passed.
   • No president has faced impeachment proceedings so far.
   • Legal immunity:
   o Rameshwar Prasad & Ors vs Union Of India: The Supreme court said that the president cannot be prosecuted and imprisoned during his term of office.
    He or she can be prosecuted after he or she steps down from the post for the guilty committed during the term of presidency as declared earlier by the courts.
   Q2. Which of the following features of the Indian Constitution has been borrowed from the USA’s constitution?
4. Impeachment of the president
5. Functions of president and vice-president
6. Removal of Supreme Court and High court judges
7. Fundamental Rights
   Select the correct code:
   a) 1, 2 & 3 only
   b) 2, 3 & 4 only
   c) 1 & 3 only
   d) All of the above Solution : d)
   Explanation :-
   Borrowed Features of the Indian Constitution from United States of America
8. Impeachment of the president
9. Functions of president and vice-president
10. Removal of Supreme Court and High court judges
11. Fundamental Rights
12. Judicial review
13. Independence of judiciary
14. Preamble of the constitution
    Q3. Consider the following statements with respect to the SANKALP Scheme
15. It is an Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan assisted programme to strengthen the district skill administration and the District Skill Committees (DSCs).
16. It was launched by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), government of India with a special focus on decentralised planning and quality improvement.
    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 Solution : b)
    Explanation :-
    About Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP):
    • A World Bank loan assisted programme: To strengthen the district skill administration and the District Skill Committees (DSCs).
    • Launched by: The Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), government of India with a special focus on decentralised planning and quality improvement.
    • Centrally Sponsored Scheme: Which aims to implement the mandate of the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM).
    Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) programme
17. It is a Certificate Program in Public Policy and Management offered by IIMs.
18. The programme has been launched under the World Bank (WB) loan assisted programme SANKALP.
    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
    Solution : c)
    Explanation :-
    Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF):
    • It is a nationwide programme in partnership with nine Indian Institutes of Management across India.
    • MGNF is a Certificate Program in Public Policy and
    Management offered by IIMs.
    • It has been designed at the initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India (GoI) and implemented in collaboration with State Skill Development Missions (SSDMs).
    • The programme has been launched under the World Bank loan assisted programme SANKALP. Q5. MK-1A, recently in news, is a/an
    a) Indigenously developed Arjun Main Battle Tank
    b) Satellite launch vehicle indigenously developed by India
    c) 120-mm calibre rifled gun developed by DRDO
    d) None of the above
    Solution : a)
    Explanation :-
    Recently, the Prime Minister of India handed over the indigenously developed Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A) to the Indian Army.
    About the Arjun Main Battle Tank:
    • The tank project was initiated by DRDO in 1972: With the Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) as its lead laboratory.
    o Mass production of the tank began in 1996 at the Indian Ordnance Factory’s production facility in Avadi, Tamil Nadu. o MK-1A is the upgraded version of the previous version.
    • Objective: To create a state-of-the-art tank with superior fire power, high mobility, and excellent protection.
    Q6. Consider the following statements:
19. The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are in the foothills of the Himalayas.
20. Bhimbetka is closely associated with a hunting and gathering economy.
    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 : b)
    Explanation :-
    Bhimbetka Paintings
    • Discovered by archaeologist V S Wakankar in 1957 – 58.
    • Location: The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau.
    • Continuous occupation of these caves from 100000 BC to 1000 AD.
    • Bhimbetka is closely associated with a hunting and gathering economy as demonstrated in the rock art and in the relics of this tradition in the local adivasi villages on the periphery of this site.
    • Two major sites of prehistoric rock/cave paintings in India:
    Bhimbetka Caves and Jogimara Caves (Amarnath, Madhya Pradesh). • Bhimbetka drawings can be categorised into 3 Periods.
21. Period I: Upper Palaeolithic
22. Period II: Mesolithic
23. Period III: Chalcolithic
    Q7. ‘Dickinsonia’ is the news. It is a
    a) Town in Spain
    b) Fossil
    c) A chemical compound
    d) A spacecraft
    Solution : b)
    Explanation :-
    Researchers have discovered three fossils of the earliest known living animal ‘Dickinsonia’ on the roof of the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, near Bhopal.
    • One can identify the fossils from the white leaf-like patches with a central vertebra (central midrib) and connecting veins.
    • The new discoveries can be seen right at the beginning of the ‘Auditorium Cave’, the first of such caves at Bhimbetka, a UNESCO heritage site, located about 3.5 metres above the ground.
    Q8. Consider the following statements:
24. The Finance Commission is a Constitutional body that is at the centre of fiscal federalism.
25. Its recommendations are binding on the central governments.
    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 : a)
    Explanation :-
    About the Finance Commission
    • The Finance Commission is a Constitutional body that is at the centre of fiscal federalism.
    • Set up under Article 280 of the Constitution, its core responsibility is to evaluate the state of finances of the Union and State Governments, recommend the sharing of taxes between them, lay down the principles determining the distribution of these taxes among States.
    • The Finance Commission has to be reconstituted every five years. The Constitution doesn’t talk about whether it should be continuous or not continuous.
    • It is a quasi judicial body.
    • Its recommendations are advisory in nature. Statement 2 is incorrect.
    The 15th Finance Commission: The 15th Finance commission makes recommendations for the period of 2020-2025 (5 years).

Q9. Consider the following statements:

1. The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution divides the subjects on which the Centre and states can make laws under the Union, State and Concurrent lists.
2. Article 246 deals with the 7th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
   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 :-
   • The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution divides the subjects on which the Centre and states can make laws under the Union, State and Concurrent lists.
   • Article 246 deals with the 7th Schedule of the Indian Constitution that mentions three lists named as Union List, State List and Concurrent List which specify the divisions of power between Union and States.
   • Article 282 of the constitution says “The Union or a State may make any grants for any public purpose, notwithstanding that the purpose is not one with respect to which Parliament or the Legislature of the State, as the case may be, may make laws.”
   Q10. What is Sagarika, recently seen in news?
   a) It is the country’s first full-fledged international cruise terminal
   b) A human atlas initiative
   c) Genetically modified rice variety
   d) None of the above

Solution : a)
Explanation :-
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stone of various projects in Kochi, Kerala.
• The inauguration of Sagarika, the International Cruise Terminal in Kochi will cater to over a lakh cruise guests. It is the country’s first full-fledged international cruise terminal.
• He also inaugrated the Marine Engineering Training Institute of Cochin Shipyard Ltd. Vigyan Sagar, the new knowledge campus of Cochin Shipyard would particularly help those wanting to study marine engineering.
• South Coal Berth would bring down logistics costs and improve cargo capacities.
• Propylene Derivative Petrochemical Project (PDPP) will help strengthen India’s journey towards being Aatmanirbhar as it will save foreign exchange.
• With Ro-Ro Vessels, a distance of almost thirty kilometres on road will become 3.5 kilometers through waterways leading to less congestion and more convenience, commerce and capacity-building. • Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q11. Chittaura Lake, recently seen in news, is in:
a) Bihar
b) Gujarat
c) West Bengal
d) Uttar Pradesh

Solution : d)
Explanation :-
Prime Minister Modi will lay the foundation stone of development work of Chittaura Lake on 16th February 2021.
• Chittaura Jheel, also known as Ashtwarka jheel is a lake in Uttar Pradesh.
• It is situated about 8 km from Bahraich city, on Gonda road, near Jittora or Chittaura village.
• A small river, Teri Nadi, flows from this lake.
• Chittaura Jheel is a Hindu pilgrimage site. According to local legends, Ashtwarka Muni, the Guru of Maharaja Janak used to live here in his ashram.
• The area beside the lake is also the site of an 11th-century battle between the Hindu king Suhaldev and the Muslim invader Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masud. • Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Q12. With reference to the Mandarin duck, consider the following statements:

1. It is a “small-exotic looking bird” native to East Asia.
2. Its IUCN Status is Endangered.
   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 : a)
Explanation :-
Floating in the Maguri-Motapung beel (or wetland) in Assam’s Tinsukia district for over a week is the spectacular and rare Mandarin duck. First spotted on February 8 by Madhab Gogoi, the duck has since become the star of the wetland.
• Considered the most beautiful duck in the world, the Mandarin duck, or the (Aix galericulata) was first identified by Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
• It is a “small-exotic looking bird” native to East Asia.
• The migratory duck breeds in Russia, Korea, Japan and northeastern parts of China, explained Gogoi. It now has established populations in Western Europe and America too.
• The duck, however, rarely visits India as it does not fall in its usual migratory route.
• Its IUCN Status is Least Concern.
• While the duck is not a globally threatened species, spotting one is always considered significant because they only make “rare appearances.”
• The Maguri Motapung wetland — an Important Bird Area as declared by the Bombay Natural History Society — is located close to the Dibru Saikhowa National Park in Upper Assam.
• In May 2020, the beel was adversely affected by a blowout and fire at an Oil India Limited-owned gas well.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q13. What is BL Lacertae, recently seen in news?
a) A supermassive black hole or blazar
b) A ransomware
c) New Supercomputer developed by China
d) None of the above

Solution : a)
Explanation :-
Indian Astronomers have reported one of the strongest flares from a feeding supermassive black hole or blazar called BL Lacertae.
• Blazars or feeding supermassive black holes in the heart of distant galaxies receive a lot of attention from the astronomical community because of their complicated emission mechanism.
• They emit jets of charged particles traveling nearly at the speed of light and are one of the most luminous and energetic objects in the Universe.
• BL Lacertae blazar is 10 million light-years away and is among the 50 most prominent blazars that can be observed with the help of a relatively small telescope.
• It was among the 3 to 4 blazars that was predicted to be experiencing flares by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT), an international consortium of astronomers.
• Analysis of the flare from this blazar, one of the oldest astronomical objects, can help trace the mass of the black hole and the source of this emission.
• Such analysis can provide a lead to probe into mysteries and trace events at different stages of evolution of the Universe. • Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q14. With reference to the SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion), consider the following statements: 1. It is a World Bank loan assisted programme to strengthen the district skill administration and the District Skill Committees (DSCs).

2. The two-year academic programme comes with an in-built component of on-ground practical experience with the district administration.
   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 Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship chaired a function ‘Transforming skilling through strategic partnerships under SANKALP’.
• SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion) is a World Bank loan assisted programme to strengthen the district skill administration and the District Skill Committees (DSCs).
• The two-year academic programme comes with an in-built component of onground practical experience with the district administration.
• To further bolster the trainer ecosystem, the SANKALP programme will also support in Training of Trainer (ToT) system in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode that a collaborative approach between industry and the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) ecosystem.
• MSDE has instituted the “Awards for Excellence in District Skill Development Planning (DSDP Awards)” under SANKALP in 2018. • Hence both statements are correct.

Q15. With reference to the Vembanad lake, consider the following statements:

1. It is the longest lake in India and the largest lake in the state of Kerala.
2. It is the largest Ramsar site in India.
   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 : a)
Explanation :-
Authorities have initiated preliminary steps to demolish the illegally constructed villas of Kapico Kerala Resorts Private Limited on Nediyathuruthu island in Vembanad Lake.
• Vembanad (Vembanad Kayal or Vembanad Kol) is the longest lake in India and the largest lake in the state of Kerala.
• With an area of 2033 square kilometers, it is the second largest Ramsar site in India only after the Sunderbans in West Bengal.
• Spanning several districts in Kerala, it is known as Vembanadu Lake in Kottayam, Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha and Kochi Lake in Kochi.
• Several groups of small islands including Vypin, Mulavukad, Vallarpadam, Willingdon Island are located in the Kochi Lake portion. Kochi Port is built around the Willingdon Island and the Vallarpadam island.
• The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is conducted in a portion of the lake.
• The Government of India has identified the Vembanad wetland under the National Wetlands Conservation Programme. • Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.