16 APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. With reference to the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI), consider the following statements:

1. It is a not-for-profit organization working since 2003.

2. NIXI has developed an IPv6 index portal for the Internet community.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: 3)

Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) inaugurated three initiatives for National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI).

1. IPv6 Expert Panel (IP Guru): IP Guru is a group to extend support to all the Indian entities who are finding it technically challenging to migrate and adopt IPv6. It’s a joint effort of DOT, MeitY & community to promote IPv6. The expert panel group comprises members from government and private organizations.
2. NIXI Academy: NIXI Academy is created to educate technical/non-technical people in India to learn and relearn technologies like IPv6 which are normally not taught in Educational Institutes.
3. NIXI-IP-INDEX: NIXI has developed an IPv6 index portal for the Internet community. NIXI-IP-INDEX portal will showcase the IPv6 adoption rate in India and across the world.

• National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) is a not-for-profit organization (section 8 of the Companies Act 2013) working since 2003 for spreading the internet infrastructure to the citizens of India through the following activities:
  • Internet Exchanges through which the internet data is exchanged amongst ISP’s, Data Centers and CDNs.
  • .IN Registry, managing and operation of .IN country code domain and .भारत IDN domain for India.
  • IRINN, managing and operating Internet protocol (IPv4/IPv6).
• Hence both statements are correct.

Q2. Consider the following statements:

1. The National Pension System (NPS) will no longer compel investors to convert 40% of their accumulated retirement corpus into an annuity.

2. Post-retirement, a person has to take 40% of the total corpus as an annuity as per the law’s mandate, and 60% can be commuted and taken as a lump sum.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: 3)

The National Pension System (NPS) will no longer compel investors to convert 40% of their accumulated retirement corpus into an annuity, as poor yields and high inflation are translating into negative returns, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) said.

• The regulator will soon allow those saving up to ₹5 lakh to take the whole amount at retirement, up from ₹2 lakh at present.
• The pension fund regulator is also hoping to launch the first guaranteed return NPS scheme in the coming year.
• Separately, amendments will be made to the PFRDA Act of 2013 to allow NPS members with a balance over ₹5 lakh to retain 40% of the corpus in the NPS or wind it down over a few years through a system akin to a systematic withdrawal plan.
• Post-retirement, a person has to take 40% of the total corpus as an annuity as per the law’s mandate, and 60% can be commuted and taken as a lump sum.
• The Finance Ministry has announced plans to amend the PFRDA law since Budget 2019-20 and to make legislative changes to override the statutory annuitisation provision.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Q3. ‘State of World Population Report 2021’ is published by:

1. United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA)
2. World Bank
3. World Economic Forum
4. None of the above

Answer: 1)

The United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) flagship ‘State of World Population Report 2021’ titled ‘My Body is My Own’ was launched.

• This is the first time a United Nations report has focused on bodily autonomy, defined as the power and agency to make choices about your body without the fear of violence or having someone else decide for you.
• Nearly half the women from 57 developing countries do not have the right to make decisions regarding their bodies, including using contraception, seeking healthcare or even on their sexuality.
• In countries where data is available, only 55% of women are fully empowered to make choices over healthcare, contraception and the ability to say yes or no to sex. It also highlights that only 75% of countries legally ensure full and equal access to contraception.
• Some examples of violation of bodily autonomy include, child marriage, female genital mutilation, a lack of contraceptive choices leading to unplanned pregnancy, unwanted sex exchanged for a home and food or when people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities cannot walk down a street without fearing assault or humiliation.
• Under its ambit also fall people with disabilities stripped of their rights to self-determination, to be free from violence and to enjoy a safe and satisfying sexual life.
• Women around the world are denied the fundamental right of bodily autonomy with the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbating this situation.
• Hence, option (1) is the correct answer.

Q4. With reference to e-visa, consider the following statements:

1. An e-visa facility for foreigners is provided only in medical and medical attendant categories.

2. Entry through e-visas is allowed only at 28 designated international airports and five major seaports in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: 2)

The Union Home Ministry has restored the electronic visa (e-visa) facility for foreigners from 156 countries who intend to visit India for business, conferences and medical reasons, including for medical attendants. E-visa for tourists is yet to be restored.

• An e-visa is provided in five categories — tourist, business, conference, medical, and medical attendant.
• Under the arrangement, a foreigner can apply online four days prior to travel.
• After the details are verified, an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is generated, which has to be presented at the immigration checkpost on arrival.
• Entry through e-visas is allowed only at 28 designated international airports and five major seaports in India.
• Though available to people of 171 countries before restrictions were announced in 2020, the facility has been restored only for 156. China, the U.K., Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia are notable exclusions. The relaxation comes in the wake of a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hence only statement 2 is correct.

Q5. With reference to the Ponzi scheme, consider the following statements:

1. A Ponzi scheme is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors.

2. The term “Ponzi Scheme” was coined after a swindler named Charles Ponzi in 1919.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: 3)

Bernie Madoff, the Wall Street financier who was sentenced to 150 years after being convicted for what came to be known as the largest and most devastating Ponzi scheme in financial history, died in the US.

• A Ponzi scheme is a form of fraud that lures investors and pays profits to earlier investors with funds from more recent investors.
• The scheme leads victims to believe that profits are coming from legitimate business activity (e.g. product sales and/or successful investments), and they remain unaware that other investors are the source of funds.
• Ponzi schemes rely on a constant flow of new investments to continue to provide returns to older investors. When this flow runs out, the scheme falls apart.
• The term “Ponzi Scheme” was coined after a swindler named Charles Ponzi in 1919. However, the first recorded instances of this sort of investment scam can be traced back to the mid-to-late 1800s.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Q6. NATO’s current mission, Resolute Support, is to train and equip which of the following security forces?

1. Iraq
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Yemen
4. Afghanistan

Answer: 4)

The announcement by President Joe Biden that the US will withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, has sent tremors through the region’s fault-lines.

• Unlike the Trump Administration, which made its troop withdrawal by May 1 conditional — on Taliban taking steps to prevent al-Qaeda or any other group from sheltering in Afghanistan, and agreeing to a dialogue on power sharing with the Afghan government — the Biden plan has no strings attached.
• There are about 2,500-3,500 US troops in Afghanistan at present, plus a NATO force of under 8,000. A co-ordinated withdrawal is expected to begin soon.
• After withdrawing, the U.S. and NATO aim to rely on Afghan military and police forces, which they have developed with billions of dollars in funding, to maintain security though peace talks are struggling and the insurgency is resilient.
• September 11 is a highly symbolic date as it will be 20 years since al-Qaeda attacked the U.S. with hijacked airliners, triggering military intervention in Afghanistan.
• An integral part of NATO’s current mission, Resolute Support, is to train and equip Afghan security forces fighting the Islamist Taliban.

Impact on Afghanistan

• Biden’s announcement has removed all incentives for the Taliban to agree for a dialogue with the Afghan government.
• After the full withdrawal of troops, Taliban are likely to see the war, which they believe they have already won, to its completion.
• Hence, option (4) is the correct answer.