28 APRIL CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. What is the provision to safeguard the autonomy of the Supreme Court of
India?

1. While appointing the Supreme Court Judges, the President of India has to
   consult the Chief Justice of India.
2. The Supreme Court Judges can be removed by the Chief Justice of India only.
3. The salaries of the Judges are charged on the Consolidated Fund of India to
   which the legislature does not have to vote.
4. All appointments of officers and staffs of the Supreme Court of India are made
   by the Government only after consulting the Chief Justice of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a) 1 and 3 only
b) 3 and 4 only
c) 4 only
d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Solution: a)

Explanation:
Correct option is ‘a’.
A judge of the Supreme Court can be removed under the Constitution only on
grounds of proven misconduct or incapacity and by an order of the President of
India, after a notice signed by at least 100 members of the Lok Sabha or 50
members of the Rajya Sabha is passed by a two-third majority in each House of
the Parliament.
The Union Cabinet and Parliament have almost no role to play in the appointment
of judges to the Supreme Court or High Courts.

Q2. Under the Constitution of India, which one of the following is not a
fundamental duty?
a) To vote in public elections
b) To develop the scientific temper
c) To safeguard public property
d) To abide by me Constitution and respect its ideals

Solution: a)

Explanation:
Correct option is ‘a’.
Vote in public elections is not a fundamental duty.

Q3. The Narmada river flows to the west, while most other large peninsular
rivers flow to the east. Why?

1. It occupies a linear rift valley.
2. It flows between the Vindhyas and the Satpuras.
3. The land slopes to the west from Central India.
   Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 and 3 only
   c) 1 and 3 only
   d) None of the above

Solution: a)

Explanation:
Correct option is ‘a’.
The Narmada and the Tapi flow through the rift valley.
Statement 3 is wrong as land slopes to the east in the region.
Statement 2 is factually correct however, is not the reason for the rivers to flow to
the west.

Q4. Turkey is located between
a) Black Sea and Caspian Sea
b) Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea
c) Gulf of Suez and Mediterranean Sea
d) Gulf of Aqaba and Dead Sea

Solution: b)

Explanation:
Correct option is ‘b’.

Q5. Which of the following statements is / are correct?

1. Viruses lack enzymes necessary for the generation of energy.
2. Viruses can be cultured in any synthetic medium.
3. Viruses are transmitted from one organism to another by biological vectors only.
   Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 and 3 only
   c) 1 and 3 only
   d) 1, 2 and 3

Solution: c)

Explanation:
Correct option is ‘c’.
Option 1 is right because viruses do not have the chemical machinery needed to
survive on their own.
Option 2 is wrong because they seek out host cells in which they can multiply.
Viruses can’t be grown on synthetic media (e.g., agar [a type of gelatin]) but they
can be grown on cultures of bacteria. Bacteria reproduce and live like any other
living organism would, it takes in nutrients and reproduces using binary fission
(like mitosis). Viruses on the other hand are like little aliens. They really aren’t
“living” since they don’t absorb nutrients or produce waste.

Q6. Consider the following statements:

1. The Patents Act, 1970 held that monopolies over pharmaceutical drugs be
   altogether removed, with protections offered only over claims to processes.
2. This rule allowed generic manufacturers in India to grow.
   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 colonial-era laws that the country inherited expressly allowed for
pharmaceutical patents.
 But in 1959, a committee chaired by Justice N. Rajagopala Ayyangar noted
that access to drugs at affordable prices suffered severely on account of the
existing regime.
 The committee found that foreign corporations used patents, and injunctions
secured from courts, to suppress competition from Indian entities, and thus,
medicines were priced at exorbitant rates.
 The Patents Act, 1970 held that monopolies over pharmaceutical drugs be
altogether removed, with protections offered only over claims to processes.
 This change in rule allowed generic manufacturers in India to grow.
 As a result, life-saving drugs were made available to people at more affordable
prices.

Q7. Consider the following statements:

1. Solid oxygen with at least 99.4% purity is needed for medical use.
2. Industrial oxygen has only 92%-93% purity.
   Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?
   a) 1 only
   b) 2 only
   c) Both 1 and 2
   d) Neither 1 nor 2

Solution : a)

Explanation :-
Statement 1 is incorrect.
Oxygen in copper plant
 The oxygen is fed the furnaces of the copper-melting plant.
 These facilities suck in air from the atmosphere, which is processed so that
the oxygen-rich fraction of the air is absorbed in the final process.
 Liquid oxygen with at least 99.4% purity is needed for medical use while
industrial oxygen has only 92%-93% purity.
 The oxygen produced at Sterlite’s units is crude oxygen.
Sterlite also has to install compression and bottling plants to convert gaseous
oxygen to liquid oxygen.

Q8. Consider the following statements:

1. Disaster Management Act,2005 was mainly aimed at prevention, mitigation
   and preparation for disasters.
2. The Act mandated the creation of a three tier structure.
   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 :-
Disaster Management Act,2005
 It entered into force in the aftermath of three major disasters in the Indian
subcontinent.
o Odisha’s Super cyclone (1999)
o Bhuj earthquake (2001)
o Indian Ocean tsunami (2004)
 It was mainly aimed at prevention, mitigation and preparation for
disasters.
 The Act mandated the creation of a three tier structure along with
the framework, roles and responsibilities to formulate DM plans at
individual levels.
o National Disaster Management Authority at National Level.
o State Disaster Management Authority at State level
District Disaster Management Authorities at District level.

Q9. Consider the following statements:

1. The ‘Ct value’ in RT-PCR tests determines whether a patient is positive for
   Covid-19.
2. In an RT-PCR test, DNA is extracted from the swab collected from the
   patient.
   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 :-
Statement 2 is incorrect.
CT Value
 It is short for cycle threshold.
 Ct is a value that emerges during RT-PCR tests which is the gold standard
for detection of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
 In an RT-PCR test, RNA is extracted from the swab collected from the
patient.
 It is then converted into DNA, which is then amplified.
 Amplification refers to the process of creating multiple copies of the genetic
material.
 This improves the ability of the test to detect the presence of virus.
o Amplification takes place through a series of cycles and it is after
multiple cycles that a detectable amount of virus is produced.
 The Ct value of an RT-PCR reaction is the number of cycles at which
fluorescence of the PCR product is detectable over and above the
background signal.
o The Ct value refers to the number of cycles after which the virus can
be detected.
o If a higher number of cycles is required, it implies that the virus went
undetected when the number of cycles was lower.
o The lower the Ct value, the higher the viral load.

Q10. With reference to the ‘Large Area Certification’ scheme, consider the
following statements:

1. It is a sub scheme under the soil health card scheme.
2. LAC is a Quick certification process that is cost-effective and farmers do not have
   to wait for 2-3 years for marketing PGS organic certified products.
   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: b)

Explanation:

14,491 ha area of UT of A&N Islands becomes the first large contiguous territory
to be conferred with organic certification under ‘Large Area Certification’ scheme.
 Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) is working
to identify Traditional Organic Areas to transform them into certified organic
production hubs.
 The Government of India has certified 14,491 ha of such area under Car Nicobar
and Nancowry group of islands in UT of A&N Islands.
 This area becomes the first large contiguous territory to be conferred with organic
certification under the ‘Large Area Certification’ (LAC) scheme of the PGS-India
(Participatory Guarantee System) certification programme.
“Large Area Certification” (LAC) programme
 Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under its flagship scheme of
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) has launched a unique quick certification
programme “Large Area Certification” (LAC) to harness these potential areas.
 LAC is a Quick certification process that is cost-effective and farmers do not have
to wait for 2-3 years for marketing PGS organic certified products.
 Under LAC, each village in the area is considered as one cluster/group.
Documentations are simple and maintained village-wise.
 All farmers with their farmland and livestock need to adhere to the standard
requirements and on being verified get certified en-mass without the need to go
under conversion period.
 Certification is renewed on annual basis through annual verification by a process
of peer appraisals as per the process of PGS-India.
Hence only statement 2 is correct.