29 DEC CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. The terms, ‘Community Forest Rights’ and ‘Habitat Rights’ are related to
a) The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
b) The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
c) The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights)
Act 2006
d) None of the above

Solution : c)
Explanation :-
• Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act [FRA] 2006, Gram Sabhas can claim collective ownership over a patch of forest traditionally owned and used by the village in the form of Community Forest Rights.
• Habitat rights under the FRA are granted to the particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG). Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.

Q2. Zero coupon bond is a bond
a) Which pays interest to bondholders, while a regular bond does not issue such interest payments.
b) Which is held at the held-to-maturity (HTM) category of the bank as per the RBI guidelines.
c) Which can only be issued by the government.
d) None of the above

Solution : b)
Explanation :-
Zero Coupon Bonds:
• About: A zero-coupon bond is a debt security that does not pay interest but instead trades at a deep discount, rendering a profit at maturity, when the bond is redeemed for its full face value.
• The difference between a regular bond and a zero-coupon bond:
o It is the payment of interest, otherwise known as coupons, which makes a zero coupon bond different. o A regular bond (or a coupon bond) pays interest to bondholders, while a zero-coupon bond does not issue such interest payments.
 Regular bonds, which are also called coupon bonds, pay interest over the life of the bond and also repay the principal at maturity.
o Instead, zero-coupon bondholders merely receive the face value of the bond when it reaches maturity.
• Zero coupon bond issued by government vs private firm: The zero coupon bonds issued by private companies are normally issued at discount, but the zero coupon bonds of the government are special bonds which are not tradable as these can be issued at par.

Significance (Financial innovation) Concerns (Financial illusion)

It is held at the held-tomaturity (HTM) category of the
• bank as per the RBI guidelines.
• It is not tradable and not
• transferable.
• It is limited only to a specific bank, and it is for a specified period.
• It does not affect the fiscal deficit
• while at the same time provides much needed equity capital to the banks.
• The funds raised can be deployed to capitalise the state-run bank.
Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

They are subject to interest rates risk if sold prior to the date of maturity. The value of zero coupon bonds is inversely related to the rise in the interest rates i.e. with rising interest rates there is a decline in the value of these bonds in the secondary market.
This exposes them to duration risk which implies that higher a bond’s duration, the greater will be its sensitivity to interest rate changes.

Q3. Consider the following statements about Blue flag certification.

1. The certification is accorded by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environment Education.
2. It does not accord any weightage to the bathing water quality of the beach. 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 Blue flag certification
• The ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an ‘eco-tourism model’.
• It marks out beaches as providing tourists and beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, a safe and healthy environment, and sustainable development of the area.
• The certification is accorded by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environment
Education, with 33 stringent criteria under four major heads for the beaches, that is, o Environmental Education and Information o Bathing Water Quality o Environment Management and Conservation and o Safety and Services.
• It was first started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987. Since 2001 it has been implemented in areas outside Europe when South Africa joined.
• Japan and South Korea are the only countries in south and southeastern Asia to have Blue Flag beaches.
• Spain tops the list with 566 such beaches; Greece and France follow with 515 and 395 Blue Flag beaches.
Significance of Blue Flag:
Environmental conservation: Blue flag beaches have grey water treatment plants, solid waste management plants, solar power plants, solar lighting etc.
• Tourism: It prompts the administration to develop more beaches to attract a large number of tourists for promoting tourism in the district. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q4. Consider the following statements:

1. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) provides a health protection cover of rupees 5 lakh per family per year.
2. Only the government hospitals empanelled under PM-JAY scheme across the country shall provide services under this scheme.
   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 : d)
Explanation :-

Ayushman Bharat
Ayushman Bharat is a two pronged approach towards Universal Healthcare.
• Health and Wellness centres – They will provide comprehensive Primary Health Care, free essential drugs and follow up of hospitalization cases. They will also conduct yoga sessions to promote wellness and have a much wider range of free drugs and diagnostics. o The HWCs serve as the awareness, screening and referral link between patients and PMJAY.
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) – It provides a health protection cover of rupees 5 lakh per family per year to the bottom 40% of poor and vulnerable population for hospitalization expenses towards the treatment of serious illnesses. Ayushman Bharat aims to offer financial risk protection to the beneficiary families through a system of demand led Healthcare initiative that meets their immediate hospitalization needs in a cashless manner.

Support Mechanisms
• A National Health Authority (NHA) has been mandated to roll out and coordinate the programme.
• A cadre of frontline health service professionals called Pradhan Mantri Arogya Mitras (PMAMs) are trained to facilitate provision of treatment to beneficiaries at hospitals.
Implementation Model
Considering the fact that states are at different levels of preparedness and have varying capacities the PM-JAY provides them with the flexibility to choose their implementation model which can be through Insurance, Trust or Mix mode.
• Insurance Mode – The state government appoints an insurer at a defined rate for taking over the financial risk of the beneficiaries.
Trust Mode – The state government creates an agency which pays the claims of the hospitals as per actual utilisation. The risk of health protection lies with the state.
• Mixed Mode – The state uses a combination of insurance and trust modes generally where low-cost common procedure (secondary care) is managed by the insurer and high cost specialised procedures managed by the state trust.
PMJAY, being a centrally sponsored scheme is fully funded from the consolidated fund of India. The expenditure is shared between Central Government and state government as per the sharing instructions issued by the Ministry of Finance. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Q5. What is thermopolium, recently seen in news?
a) Recently excavated snack food counter at the Pompeii archaeological park’s Regio V
b) New type of mineral in lunar meteorite
c) Atmospheric boundary of Earth’s energy system
d) None of the above

Solution : a)
Explanation :-
Researchers have unearthed a thermopolium, Latin for hot drinks counter, in the Roman empire town of Pompeii, today one of the world’s largest and most significant archaeological sites.
• The snack food counter called the thermopolium at the Pompeii archaeological park’s Regio V was partially excavated in 2019.
• It was found complete with an image of a Nereid riding a sea-horse, decorative still-life frescoes, food residues, animals bones and victims who died during the volcanic eruption of 79 CE.
Significance:
• The find is significant because it shows the variety of food consumed by the residents of the town — traces of pork, fish, snails and beef have been found in the containers of the stall.
• It is also the first time an entire thermopolium has been excavated, complete with pateras, or bronze drinking bowls, ceramic jars used for cooking stews and soups, wine flasks etc.
• Pompeii was a Roman town in Southern Italy’s Campania region situated along the Bay of Naples. The town was completely buried by volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, over 2000 years ago.
• Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q6. With reference to the Hypothermia, consider the following statements:

1. Hypothermia is a severe medical condition where the body loses heat before it can generate it, resulting in a dangerously low body temperature.
2. While normal body temperature lies at around 37 degrees Celsius, the body temperature of a person suffering from hypothermia drops to below 35 degrees Celsius. 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 :-
Predicting a severe cold wave in the national capital and several other parts of North India, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) urged residents of India’s northernmost states to protect themselves from the biting cold by avoiding alcohol.
• To avoid an adverse reaction to the cold wave, the IMD shared a list of recommendations, one of which was avoiding alcohol as it “reduces your body temperature”.
• According to Health Experts, while alcohol may make you feel warmer, it actually reduces your body temperature and compromises your immunity if you then venture out into the cold.
• Alcohol can decrease the core temperature of the body and increase the risk of hypothermia during cold exposure.
• Alcohol is a vasodilator, which means that it causes blood vessels to relax and dilate or open. So after consuming alcohol, the volume of blood brought to the skin’s surface increases, making you feel warmer as a result.
Hypothermia:
• Hypothermia is a severe medical condition where the body loses heat before it can generate it, resulting in a dangerously low body temperature.
• While normal body temperature lies at around 37 degrees Celsius, the body temperature of a person suffering from hypothermia drops to below 35 degrees Celsius.
• Common signs include shivering, slow rate of breathing, slurred speech, cold skin and fatigue.
• Heavy alcohol consumption is often linked to an increased risk of hypothermia and other conditions linked to extreme cold weather.
Hence both statements are correct.

Q7. R P Tiwari panel, recently seen in news, is related to:
a) consider the issue (of) holding common entrance test at undergraduate level only from the next academic year
b) Non-Banking Financial Companies (NFBCs)
c) find the problems faced by the farmers
d) None of the above

Solution : a)
Explanation :-
The UGC set up a seven-member committee, headed by Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Punjab R P Tiwari, “to consider the issue (of) holding common entrance test at undergraduate level only from the next academic year”.
• The new National Education Policy (NEP), released in July this year, advocates reducing the number of entrance tests to “eliminate the need for taking coaching for these exams”.
• There are 40-odd central universities run by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and, collectively, all of them have about 1 to 1.25 lakh seats across different disciplines at the undergraduate level.
• Of these, currently about 16 central universities, all set up under the UPA-II government, have a common entrance test for Bachelor’s study.
If the NEP suggestion is implemented, the National Testing Agency will be tasked to conduct a common aptitude test as well as specialised common exams for different disciplines at least twice a year, for admission to bachelor’s in central universities. Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Q8. A new species of wild sun rose named Portulaca laljii has been recently discovered from:
a) Western Ghats
b) Eastern Ghats
c) Eastern Himalayas
d) Western Himalayas

Solution : b)
Explanation :-
Botanists have discovered a new species of wild sun rose from the Eastern Ghats in India.
• The new species, named Portulaca laljii, discovered from Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh has unique features such as a tuberous root, no hair in its leaf axils, a reddish pink flower, prolate-shaped fruits, and copper brown seeds without lustre.
• The flowers are very attractive and bloom for months from June to February.
• The plant bears beautiful, tiny pink flowers for eight months. It is because of the succulent nature of tuberous roots that the plant can survive on rocky crevices.
• Portulaca laljii has been named to honour the contribution of Lal Ji Singh, an eminent botanist of the Botanical Survey of India associated with its Andaman and Nicobar Centre.
• Hence, option (b) is the correct answer.

Q9. With reference to the National Common Mobility Card, consider the following statements:

1. The idea of NCMC was floated by the Nandan Nilekani committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
2. This one card will give integrated access to the commuters wherever they travel, whichever public transport they take.
   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 :-
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated fully operational National Common Mobility Card service on the Airport Express Line of Delhi Metro, which was started in Ahmedabad last year.
• This one card will give integrated access to the commuters wherever they travel, whichever public transport they take.
• The idea of NCMC was floated by the Nandan Nilekani committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
NCMC will allow passengers with RuPay debit card, issued in the last 18 months by 23 banks to be swiped for Metro travel. This facility will become available on the entire Delhi Metro network by 2022.
NCMC is an automatic fare collection system. It will turn smartphones into an inter-operable transport card that commuters can use eventually to pay for Metro, bus and suburban railways services.
• It will allow entry and exit from Metro stations with the help of a smartphone, known as the automatic fare collection (AFC) system.
One Nation, One system examples:
• Taking the example of the Common Mobility Card, the Prime Minister dwelled on the process of consolidating all the systems.
• One Nation, One Fastag has made travel seamless on highways across the country.
• One Nation, One Tax i.e. GST has ended the complications in the tax system and has brought uniformity in indirect tax system.
• One Nation, One Power Grid, is ensuring adequate and continuous power availability in every part of the country.
• With One Nation, One Gas Grid, Seamless Gas Connectivity is being ensured of the parts where gas-based life and economy used to be a dream earlier.
• One Nation, One Health Insurance Scheme i.e. Ayushman Bharat through which millions of people from India are taking advantage anywhere in the country.
• Citizens moving from one place to another have got freedom from the trouble of making new ration cards through One Nation, One Ration Card.
• Similarly, the country is moving in the direction of One Nation, One Agriculture Market due to new agricultural reforms and arrangements like e-NAM.
• Hence both statements are correct.

Q10. Which of the following are the medicinal plant species?

1. Pippali
2. Aonla
3. Guggulu
   Select the correct answer using the code given below:
   a) 1 only
   b) 1 and 2 only
   c) 2 and 3 only
   d) 1, 2 and 3

Solution : d)
Explanation :-
National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH has launched Consortia for Medicinal Plants.
• NMPB envisages the necessity of connectivity between stakeholders in the supply chain and value chain of Medicinal Plants.
• NMPB Consortia will address/deliberate (not limited to) on Quality Planting Material, Research & Development, Cultivation, Trade of medicinal plants/market linkage etc.
• To establish the linkage between the farmers and manufacturers, a ‘Seed to Shelf’ approach is being introduced, wherein, aspects related to Quality Planting Materials (QPM), Good
Agriculture Practices (GAP’s), Good Post Harvest Practices (GPHP’s) would be addressed.
In the first phase NMPB consortia is proposed for medicinal plant species – Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Pippali (Piper longum), Aonla (Phyllanthus emblica), Guggulu (Commiphora wightii), Satavari (Asparagus racemosus).
Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

---