2 DEC CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

1. It is the world’s second largest inter-governmental organisation after the UN, with a membership of 57 states.
2. India has joined the grouping with the status of Observer state in 2019. 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 : a)
Explanation :-
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC):
• The OIC (formerly Organisation of the Islamic Conference) is the world’s second largest inter-governmental organisation after the UN, with a membership of 57 states.
• It was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco in 1969.
• The OIC’s stated objective is to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. OIC has reserved membership for Muslim-majority countries. Russia, Thailand, and a couple of other small countries have Observer status.
• It has its headquarter located in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union.
• Despite the presence of 185 million Muslims and of their contribution to its pluralistic ethos and contribution to the Islamic world, India is neither a full time member nor has observer status in OIC.

Q2. Consider the following statements with respect to the crops minimum support price (MSP)

1. The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) in the Ministry of Agriculture would recommend MSPs after doing field-based cost estimates.
2. The CACP’s job is to estimate production costs for a season and recommend the MSPs by applying the 1.5-times formula. 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 :-
How is this MSPs being fixed?:
• Recommendation: The Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) in the Ministry of Agriculture would recommend MSPs.
• For 23 crops: These include 14 grown during the kharif or post-monsoon season and six in rabi or winter (wheat, barley, chana, masur, mustard and safflower), apart from sugarcane, jute and copra.
• Factors considered: The CACP considered various factors while recommending the
MSP for a commodity, including cost of cultivation. It also took into account o The supply and demand situation for the commodity.
o Market price trends (domestic and global) and parity vis-à-vis other crops and o Implications for consumers (inflation), environment (soil and water use) and terms of trade between agriculture and non-agriculture sectors.
• Changes with the 2018 budget:

• MSPs would henceforth be fixed at 1.5 times of the production costs for crops as a predetermined principle.
• The CACP’s job now was only to estimate production costs for a season and recommend the MSPs by applying the 1.5-times formula.
• How was this production cost arrived at?:
o The CACP does not do any field-based cost estimates. o It merely makes projections using state-wise, crop-specific production cost estimates provided by the Directorate of Economics & Statistics in the Agriculture Ministry (available with a three-year lag). o The CACP further projects three kinds of production cost for every crop (both at state and all-India average levels).
 A2: It covers all paid-out costs directly incurred by the farmer (in cash and kind) on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, hired labour, leased-in land, fuel, irrigation, etc.
 A2+FL: It includes A2 plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour.
 C2: It is a more comprehensive cost that factors in rentals and interest forgone on owned land and fixed capital assets, on top of A2+FL.

Q3. The Chardham Project in news, is located in
a) Jammu and Kashmir
b) Uttarakhand
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Himachal Pradesh

Solution : b)
Explanation :-
Chardham project
• It aims to build an 889-km all-weather road, connecting the Hindu pilgrimage sites of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri in the Himalayas.
• It aims to build an under construction two-lane (in each direction) express National Highway with a minimum width of 10 metres in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.
• The project includes 900 km national highways which will connect the whole of Uttarakhand state.
• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is the coordinator of the project

Q4. Consider the following statements:

1. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act specifically provides for persons with disabilities who are imprisoned.
2. The Nelson Mandela Rules sets standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners.
   Which of the above statements is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 & 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution : b)
Explanation :-
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016
• It was enacted with the object of giving effect to the CRPD.
• It also requires that persons with disabilities enjoy o the right to equality,
o life with dignity and respect for integrity equally with others;
o they are not to be discriminated against on the ground of disability, unless to achieve a legitimate aim.
• It also enjoins the state to take necessary steps to protect persons with disabilities from being subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; and o take necessary steps to ensure reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.
• While the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act does not specifically provide for persons with disabilities who are incarcerated, given the object of the legislation to give effect to the CRPD, it would even encompass prisoners. 1 is incorrect.
• It is important to note that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act explicitly recognises Parkinson’s disease as specified disability in its Schedule. The Nelson Mandela Rules approved by the UN General Assembly, 2015 on the standard minimum rules for the treatment of prisoners, also requires that the prison administration “make all reasonable accommodation and adjustments to ensure that prisoners with physical, mental or other disabilities have full and effective access to prison life on equitable basis”. 2 is correct.

Q5. Which of the following best describes the term “XP100”, recently seen in news?
a) India’s first octane petrol
b) NASA’s First Electric Airplane
c) Multilateral Navy exercise hosted by the Indian Navy
d) Corona Vaccine led by WHO

Solution : a)
Explanation :-
Indian Oil launched a new premium grade petrol – Octane 100. Branded as XP100, the premium grade petrol was launched across ten cities by Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The technology for India’s first octane petrol has been indigenously created by Indian Oil Research and Development. The availability of XP100 puts India in an elite group of countries, having access to such high- quality oil. The petrol will provide high quality and power to the engine. Indian Oil plans to roll-out XP100 premium grade petrol in 15 identified cities across the country in two phases. Hence option (a) is correct.

Q6. With respect to “Honey Mission”, consider the following statements:

1. It is launched by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
2. It provides training and 10 bee boxes with live colonies to beneficiaries including farmers, beekeepers and unemployed youth.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 & 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution : c)
Explanation :-
Responding to the Prime Minister’s call for Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) engaged hundreds of migrant workers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and engaged them with its flagship scheme like Honey Mission.
The distressed migrant workers who were engaged with KVIC’s Honey Mission in Uttar Pradesh in the month of August, have reaped their first honey harvest and are awaiting a bumper yield in the months from December to March.
Hence Statement 1 is correct: The Honey Mission launched by KVIC 3 years ago aims at creating employment for farmers, Adivasis, women and unemployed youth by roping them with beekeeping and increasing India’s honey production.
Hence Statement 2 is correct: Under the Honey Mission, KVIC provides training and 10 bee boxes with live colonies to beneficiaries including farmers, beekeepers and unemployed youth. KVIC also runs beekeeping training programmes and courses. Hence option (c) is correct.

Q7. Roshni Act of 2001, now scrapped, which gave ownership rights to the unauthorized occupants of state land against payment of a premium was passed by which of the following state/UT governments?
a) Arunachal Pradesh
b) West Bengal
c) Chhattisgarh
d) Jammu & Kashmir

Solution : d)
Explanation :-
The Jammu & Kashmir administration has recently released a series of lists of alleged beneficiaries of the Roshni Act of 2001, now scrapped, which gave ownership rights to the unauthorized occupants of state land against payment of a premium. Hence option (d) is correct.
Following a recent order by the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, the administration has annulled the Act (it was earlier repealed prospectively) and decided to retrieve land transferred under the Roshni scheme. Formally the Jammu and Kashmir State Land (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act, 2001, Roshni Act was passed by the then National Conference government to give ownership to people in possession of state land, with a cutoff of 1990, and against a payment as determined by the government. Since the aim was to generate resources for hydroelectric power projects, it was called Roshni (Light) Act. In its 2014 report, the CAG termed the scheme a Rs-25,000-crore scam. In October 2018, then Governor Satya Pal Malik repealed the Roshni Act prospectively.

Q8. Consider the following statements:

1. It became the 20th State of the Union of India on 1st December 1963.
2. It is bordered by the state of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Meghalaya to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 & 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution : d)
Explanation :-
Hence Statement 1 is incorrect: Nagaland is a state in north-eastern India. It celebrated its 58th Statehood day. It became the 16th State of the Union of India on 1st December 1963.
Hence Statement 2 is incorrect: It is bordered by the state of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south and the Sagaing Region of Myanmar to the east. It’s capital city is Kohima and its largest city is Dimapur.
After the independence of India in 1947, the area dominated by Naga ethnic groups remained a part of the province of Assam. Nationalist activities arose amongst a section of the Nagas. Phizo-led Naga National Council demanded a political union of their ancestral and native groups. In July 1960, following discussion between Prime Minister Nehru and the leaders of the Naga People Convention (NPC), a 16-point agreement was arrived at whereby the Government of India recognised the formation of Nagaland as a full-fledged state within the Union of India. Hence option (d) is correct.

Q9. With respect to “virtual edition of Aadi Mahotsav”, consider the following statements: 1. It is a joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India & Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).

2. The main focus is on the tribal craft and culture of Jharkhand.
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 & 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2 Solution : a)
   Explanation :-
   Hence Statement 2 is incorrect: Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, launched the virtual edition of Aadi Mahotsav- Madhya Pradesh. The 10-day long festival, commencing on December 1, 2020, is being hosted on the Tribes India website. The main focus is on the tribal craft and culture of Madhya Pradesh.
   Hence Statement 1 is correct: It is a national tribal festival and a joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India & Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED).
   The Aadi Mahotsav – A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Crafts, Cuisine and Commerce – is a successful initiative that was commenced in 2017. The festival showcases traditional art and handicrafts and cultural heritage of the country. It is an attempt to familiarise the people with the rich and diverse craft, culture of the tribal communities across the country, in one place. Hence option (a) is correct.

Q10. With reference to the emergency use authorization (USA), consider the following statements:

1. Emergency use authorisation (EUA) allows the medicine or the vaccine to be used on the public.
2. In India, the regulatory authority for Vaccines and medicines is the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
   Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 & 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution : c)
Explanation :-
US drugmaker Moderna said it was applying for emergency use authorisation for its Covid-19 vaccine. In India, Serum Institute of India, which is trialling a version of the AstraZenecaOxford vaccine, has said it expects to seek emergency use authorisation within the next two weeks.
• Vaccines and medicines, and even diagnostic tests and medical devices, require the approval of a regulatory authority before they can be administered. In India, the regulatory authority is the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).
• For vaccines and medicines, approval is granted after an assessment of their safety and effectiveness, based on data from trials. This is a long process, designed to ensure that a medicine or vaccine is absolutely safe and effective.
• In emergency situations, like the current one, regulatory authorities around the world have developed mechanisms to grant interim approvals if there is sufficient evidence to suggest a medical product is safe and effective.
• Final approval is granted only after completion of the trials and analysis of full data; until then, emergency use authorisation (EUA) allows the medicine or the vaccine to be used on the public.
• Hence both statements are correct.

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