9 FEB CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)

Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to River Ganga

1. The Ganga originates as Bhagirathi from the Gangotri glacier in UttarKashi District of Uttarakhand.
2. Alaknanda River joins Bhagirathi at Devprayag, from where the river is called Ganga.
   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 :- River Ganga:
• The Ganga originates as Bhagirathi from the Gangotri glacier in UttarKashi District of Uttarakhand.
• Alaknanda River joins Bhagirathi at Devprayag. • From Devapryag the river is called Ganga.

Q2. Consider the following statements with respect to the National
Disaster Management Act, 2005

1. The Act paved the way for establishing Disaster Management
   Authorities at the national, state, and district levels .
2. It also provided for setting up the National Disaster Response and Mitigation Funds, and the formation of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
3. The National Disaster Management Authority is chaired by the Union Home Minister of India.
   Which of the above statement/s is/are correct? a) 1 Only
   b) 1 and 3
   c) 2 only
   d) 1 and 2 only

Solution : d)
Explanation :-
National Disaster Management Act, 2005:
• The law laid down a legal framework for disaster response at the national, state, and district levels.
• The Act paved the way for establishing Disaster Management
Authorities at the national, state, and district levels .
• It also provided for setting up the National Disaster Response and Mitigation Funds, and the formation of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
• The National Disaster Management Authority is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.

Q3. Einsteinium, recently in news, is a/an
a) Synthetic element with the symbol Es and atomic number 99
b) New species of fish discovered from western ghats in India
c) New star discovered in the solar system
d) None of the above

Solution : a)
Explanation :-
About Einsteinium:
• Synthetic element: Because of its high radioactivity and short halflife, Einsteinium, though present on Earth during its formation, has most certainly decayed. This is the reason that it cannot be found in nature and needs to be manufactured.
o Therefore, the element has been produced in very small quantities and its usage is limited for the purposes of scientific research.
• Not visible to the naked eye: Therefore, after its discovery, it took over nine years to manufacture enough of it so that it could be seen with the naked eye.
• No known uses: It’s an element without a role in life. Therefore, there is no reason to make einsteinium, except as an element to produce something else.

Q4. The World Sustainable Development Summit is organised every year by
a) The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI)
b) United Nations (UN)
c) World Bank (WB)
d) None of the above

Solution : a)
Explanation :-
About the World Sustainable Development Summit 2021:
• The theme of the 2021 Summit: Redefining our common future: Safe and secure environment for all.
• Organised by: The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI).
• Key partners: Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Ministry of Earth Sciences. • Objective:
o The summit aims at providing long-term solutions for the benefits of the global community post the signing of the Paris Agreement and the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals.
o Taking a step in a direction of achieving constructive action in combating issues that are significant to the future of humanity by bringing together various stakeholders on a single platform.

Q5. Consider the following statements:

1. The UN Human Rights Council is made of 47 Member States, which are elected by the majority of members of the General Assembly of the United Nations through direct and secret ballot.
2. The UNHRC passes binding resolutions on human rights issues.
   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 :-
U.N. Human Rights Council
• UNHRC was reconstituted from its predecessor organisation, the UN Commission on Human Rights to help overcome the “credibility deficit” of the previous organisation.
• Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• UN Human Rights is part of the United Nations Secretariat, and its headquarters in Geneva, as well as an office in New York.
• The High Commissioner for Human Rights is the principal human rights official of the United Nations.
Membership
• Under the Human Rights Council’s rules, seats are allocated to regions to ensure geographical representation.
• The Council is made of 47 Member States, which are elected by the majority of members of the General Assembly of the United Nations through direct and secret ballot.
• The General Assembly takes into account the candidate States’ contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as their voluntary pledges and commitments in this regard.
• Members of the Council serve for a period of three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.
• The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a mechanism of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) that emerged from the 2005 UN reform process.
• The UNHRC passes non-binding resolutions on human rights issues through UPR. Statement 2 is incorrect.

Q6. Consider the following statements about the Occupational Safety Code Bill 2020:

1. It proposes to allow the women employees to work at night, subject to the conditions relating to safety, holiday, working hours and their consent.
2. The Code does not cover working animation, cartoon depiction, digital production and web serials.
   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 :-
The Occupational Safety Code Bill 2020
• It proposes to allow the women employees to work at night, subject to the conditions relating to safety, holiday, working hours and their consent.
• It proposes to subsume the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, which has been highlighted during the recent migrant workers crisis due to COVID-19, along with 13 other Acts.
• While the Act covered those migrant workers who were hired through contractors, the Code covers those who are directly employed as well.
• The Code has also been extended to those working animation, cartoon depiction, digital production and web serials by including these categories in the definition of audio-visual production. Statement 2 is incorrect.

Q7. Consider the following statements:

1. India is a leading exporter of affordable generics.
2. The Department of Pharmaceutical is under the Ministry of Health. 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 :-
• The total market size of the Indian Pharma Industry is expected to reach the US $ 130 Billion by 2030.
• The medical devices industry in India has the potential to reach $ 50 bn by 2025.
• India is a leading exporter of affordable generics and a major hub for medical devices and diagnostics.
• The Department of Pharmaceuticals is under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers. Statement 2 is incorrect.

Q8. Consider the following statements:

1. The Governor of a State has the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against any law.
2. It must be related to a matter to which the executive power of the state extends.
3. Governor cannot reject the state’s recommendation but there is no time limit prescribed to make a decision.
   Which of the above statements is/are correct? a) 1 and 2
   b) 2 and 3
   c) 1 and 3
   d) 1, 2 and 3

Solution : d)
Explanation :-
Pardoning power of the governor: Article 161
• The Governor of a State has the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence against any law.
• It must be related to a matter to which the executive power of the state extends.
• Death sentence: It should be noted that the President can grant pardon to a person awarded death sentence. But a governor of a state does not enjoy this power.
• There was a constitutional provision which says the Governor cannot reject the state’s recommendation but there is no time limit prescribed to take a decision.

Various powers
• Pardon: It means completely absolving the person of the crime and letting him go free. The pardoned criminal will be like a normal citizen.
• Commutation: means changing the type of punishment given to the guilty into a less harsh one, for example, a death penalty commuted to a life sentence.
• Reprieve: It means a delay allowed in the execution of a sentence, usually a death sentence, for a guilty person to allow him some time to apply for Presidential Pardon or some other legal remedy to prove his innocence or successful rehabilitation.
• Respite: It means reducing the quantum or degree of the punishment to a criminal in view of some special circumstances, like pregnancy, mental condition etc.
• Remission: It means changing the quantum of the punishment without changing its nature, for example reducing twenty year rigorous imprisonment to ten years.

Q9. Which of the following country is not an Island?
a) New Zealand
b) Jamaica
c) Madagascar
d) Gabon

Solution : d)
Explanation :-
A chameleon discovered in the island country of Madagascar by scientists from Germany and Madagascar may be the world’s smallest adult reptile. The discovery has been reported in the journal Scientific Reports.
• The team found one male and one female of the species, named Brookesia nana, during an expedition in 2012. The male has a length (snout to vent) of 13.5 mm and a total length of 21.6 mm when the tail is included.
• Previously, the chameleon species Brookesia micra was thought to be the smallest. The average length of adults of this species is 16 mm (29 mm with tail), while the smallest adult male has been recorded at 15.3 mm.
• Reptiles come in a wide size range. The longest, the reticulated python, at 6.25 m is almost as long as 289 Brookesia nanas.
• Madagascar is home to tiny lizards and also the smallest species of snakes. One possible reason for such small species is the so-called “island effect” that causes species on small islands to get smaller.
Jamaica is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. Gabon is lying on the west coast of Africa.
Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Q10. With reference to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, consider the following statements:

1. The pipeline entirely falls in France territory.
2. Currently, EU countries rely on Russia for 40% of their gas needs.
   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 :-
In a development that could ratchet up tensions between the United States and Germany, the consortium building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has said that it has resumed work on the controversial project.
• In 2015, Gazprom and 5 other European energy firms decided to build Nord Stream 2, valued at around $11 billion.
• The 1,200 km pipeline will run from Ust-Luga in Russia to Greifswald in Germany, and will carry 55 billion cubic metres of gas per year.
• The under-construction pipeline will run along the already-completed Nord Stream 1 system, and the two together will supply an aggregate of 110 billion cubic metres of gas to Germany per year.
• The pipeline falls in German and Danish territory, and all but 150 km of pipes for the project have already been laid.
• Nord Stream 2 has drawn criticism from the US, where it is believed that the project would increase Europe’s dependence on Russia for natural gas, thus boldening its President Vladimir Putin. Currently, EU countries already rely on Russia for 40% of their gas needs.
Hence only statement 2 is correct.