Current Affairs MCQs [ 6 and 7 December 2017 ] PIB TheHindu IndianExpress & Other leading newspapers

Sumant Kumar, B.Tech NIT Allahabad sumant.magadh@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/SumantKM/

Which of the following are classified under the Right to Freedom of Religion? 1. Prohibition of discrimination on

grounds of religion. 2. Freedom of conscience and free

profession of religion. 3. Protection of culture of minorities. 4. Freedom to manage religious

institutions and affairs. Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1, 2 and 4 only (c) 2 and 4 only (d) 2, 3 and 4 only Ans C

1st = Article 15 3rd statement = Article 29 Right to Freedom of Religion consists of the following Articles (25-28): • Article 25 - Freedom of conscience and

free profession, practice and propagation of religion.

• Article 26- Freedom to manage religious affairs.

• Article 27- Freedom from payments of taxes for promotion of any religion.

• Article 28- Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions

Forcible conversions impinge upon which of the following rights guaranteed under Article 25 of the constitution? (a) Freedom of Conscience

(b) Right to Profess (c) Right to Practice (d) Right to Propagate Ans A Article 25 accords the Right to propagate one's own religious belief. But it does not include a right to convert another person to one's own religion. Forcible conversions amounts to violation of one's freedom of conscience'.

Which of the following statements is/are incorrect regarding freedom of religion? 1) Article 25 excludes Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists. 2) Article 25 include a right to convert another person to one’s own religion. 1. Only 1 2. Only 2 3. Both 1 and 2 4. Neither 1 nor 2

Ans C

Freedom of Conscience and Free Profession, Practice and Propagation of Religion – • Article 25 says that all persons are equally entitled to freedom of

conscience and the right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion.

Under Article 25, there is: o Freedom of conscience : Inner freedom of an individual to mold his

relation with God, etc. in whatever way he desires. o Right to profess : Declare one’s religious beliefs and faith openly

and freely. o Right to practice : Perform religious worship, rituals, ceremonies

and exhibition of beliefs and ideas. o Right to propagate : Transmission and dissemination of one’s

religious beliefs to others or exposition of the tenets of one’s religion.

o However, it does not include a right to convert another person to one’s own religion.

o Forcible conversions impinge on the ‘freedom of conscience’ guaranteed to all the persons alike.

With reference to the Paris Climate Agreement, consider the following statements: 1. The agreement does

not penalise countries who fail to meet their commitments.

2. It can impose an obligation on countries to implement their plans.

Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct? 1. Only 1 2. Only 2 3. Both 1 and 2 4. Neither 1 nor 2

• The agreement as a whole is not legally binding and does not penalise nations who fail to meet their commitments.

• But it does impose an obligation on countries to implement their plans and includes a review process designed to pressure them into compliance and to increase the scope of their efforts every five years.

• Paris Climate Agreement is an agreement within the UNFCCC dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020.

• The aim is to limit global temperature rise to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2100.

• This level is considered a crucial tipping point, above which there will be serious consequences for global food production and more frequent and dangerous climate events, such as flooding and drought.

• To achieve this, global greenhouse gas emissions will need to be cut by an estimated 40-70 percent by 2050, and by 2100 the planet must be carbon-neutral.

• Under the Paris accord, each country must submit its own plan to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and address the impact of climate change.

The recently introduced scheme for skilling in smart cities is known as: 1. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra 2. Standup India 3. Swavalamban 4. Udhisa

• India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal

Kendra (PMKK) for skilling in smart cities was inaugurated in October 23, 2017.

SC bans use of pet coke in National Capital Region. Which of the statements is/are correct about pet coke? 1) A by-product of the oil refining process. 2) A liquid carbon material. a) Only 1 b) Only 2 c) Both d) Neither Solution: a

• The main aim behind the move is to bring momentum in skilling through collaborative efforts.

• The Centre is emphasizing on the commitment of the Union Government to support skilling in smart cities.

Petroleum coke or pet coke is a by-product of the oil refining process. • As refineries worldwide seek to operate more

efficiently and extract more gasoline and other high value fuels from each barrel of crude oil, a solid carbon material known as pet coke is produced.

Consider the following pairs: Region often in news

Country

1. Raqqa Syria 2. Mosul Iraq 3. Gwoza Nigeria Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched? (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) None Ans C

• Al-Raqqah

o aka Raqqa,

o a city in Syria o located on the north bank of the Euphrates River. o During the Syrian Civil War, in 2013, the city was captured by

the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which made it its headquarters in Syria.

• Mosul o a city of northern Iraq, o occupied since 10 June 2014 by the Islamic State salafi-jihadi

militant group and therefore a major city in its self-declared caliphate.

• Gwoza o is a Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria. o Gwoza has been called "a notorious hide out for the Boko

Haram insurgents. o In March 2015, Boko Haram, announced its allegiance to the

Islamic State.

Indian government has indicated that it is not inclined to automatically grant the coveted ‘Market Economy Status’ (MES) to China this December under World Trade Organisation (WTO) norm. What does ‘Market Economy Status’ mean? a) A country whose exports is growing at rapid rate b) A country’s domestic prices are largely set by open competition c) A country which strictly adheres to WTO norms d) None of the above Solution: b) • Giving a trading partner “market economy status” (MES) implies accepting that its

domestic prices are largely set by open competition rather than the government.

• Crucially, in trade law it is easier to impose antidumping and countervailing duties against imports from a non-market economy.

• The aggrieved importing nation can pick an “analogue country” with which to make price comparisons rather than having to use data from the trading partner.

What are the implications of China being granted “Market Economy Status”? o India will be bound under

WTO rules to negotiate and sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China.

o It will severely curb India’s ability to impose anti-dumping duties on unfairly priced Chinese imports.

Which of the above is/are correct? a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 Solution: b

• Under WTO norms, once a country gets MES status, exports from it are to be accepted at the production costs and selling price as the benchmark.

• Prior to this status, country is considered as a Non Market Economy (NME).

• Market Economy Status will mean lesser chances of anti-dumping duties being imposed or lesser anti-dumping duties even if they are imposed. This is because a market economy does not exploit the monopoly of the state to unreasonably lower the prices of goods to make them competitive abroad.

• Statement 1: There is no such compulsion. WTO operates on multilateral basis. No nation is forced to sign FTAs or treaties with other nations.

• Statement 2:The WTO-member countries had decided to deem China as a ‘market economy’ in anti-dumping cases from December 2016. As per the 2001 agreement (before this one), to calculate the ‘normal value’ of exported goods while adjudicating anti-dumping cases, the WTO member nations could ignore the selling price and production costs in China. India is not inclined to automatically grant the coveted ‘Market Economy Status’ (MES) to China under World Trade Organisation (WTO) norms in December 2016. The main reason India is reluctant to grant MES to China is that it will severely curb India’s ability to impose anti-dumping duties on “unfairly priced” Chinese imports.

With reference to the anti-dumping duty, consider the following statements: 1. It is a tariff that a domestic

government imposes on foreign imports.

2. In India, it is recommended by the Union Ministry of Commerce, while the Union Finance Ministry imposes it.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only

• Anti-dumping duty is a protectionist tariff that a domestic government imposes on foreign imports that it believes are priced below fair market value.

• Usually countries initiate anti-dumping probes to check if domestic industry has been hurt because of a surge in below-cost imports.

• For example recently in India, Ministry of finance has imposed anti-dumping duty on imports of graphite electrodes used in steel plants, cold-rolled flat products of stainless steel, Linen imports from China and Hong

(b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Ans C

Kong, Vitamin-C imports from China and phenol imports from South Africa.

• In India, anti-dumping duty is recommended by the Union Ministry of Commerce, while the Union Finance Ministry imposes it. Hence C is the correct answer.

Consider the following statements regarding Anti-dumping duty : 1. Anti-dumping duty is an import duty imposed by

government on imported products which have prices less than their normal values or domestic price.

2. It is protectionist and counter import measure used by a country under the multilateral WTO regime to protect its domestic producers and market from below-cost/cheap imports.

3. In India, it is recommended by the Union Ministry of Commerce (i.e. by DGAD), while the Union Finance Ministry imposes it.

Select the correct answer using the code given below. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Ans D

Investigations of DGAD had found that the tempered glass has been exported to India from China below its associated normal market value. It was also found that domestic industry had suffered material injury due to cheap imports from China.

Recently Paika Rebellion was proposed to be named as First war of Independence. Match the rebellions before 1857 and their years of occurrence. Rebellions Years 1) Paika Rebellion A) 1806 2) Vellore Mutiny B) 1817 3) Kittur Mutiny C) 1824 a) 1-A, 2-B, 3-C b) 1-B, 2-A, 3-C c) 1-A, 2-C, 3-B d) 1-B, 2-C, 3-A Solution: b

India hosted the golden jubilee celebrations of UNCITRAL, a UN body. UNCITRAL aims to a) Promote the progressive harmonisation and unification of international trade law b) Promote arbitration in trade disputes c) Promote free trade among member countries d) None of the above Solution: a) The core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law. • A legal body with universal membership

specializing in commercial law reform worldwide for over 40 years, UNCITRAL’s business is the modernization and harmonization of rules on international business.

Consider the following pairs: Region of India – Species that can be found here 1. West India– Great Indian Bustard 2. Central India – Sangai 3. South India – Pangolin

Which of the pairs mentioned above is/are correctly matched? a) 1 only b) 1 and 3 only c) 2 only d) 2 and 3 only Solution: b. The Great Indian Bustard is the State Bird of Rajasthan (but it can be found as far south as Karnataka). The Sangai is the State Animal of Manipur. The Pangolin can be found all over India (except for the Himalayan regions).

UPSC Prelims 2012 Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species? (a) Great Indian Bustard, Musk Deer, Red Panda and Asiatic Wild Ass. (b) Kashmir Stag, Cheetal, Blue Bull and Great Indian Bustard. (c) Snow Leopard, Swamp Deer, Rhesus Monkey and Saras (Crane). (d) Lion-tailed Macaque, Blue Bull, Hanuman Langur and Cheetal. Ans A o Great Indian Bustard is a Critically

Endangered Species;

o Snow Leopard???

Consider the following statements with reference to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction: 1. The Law Commission of India’s draft law – the Protection of Children (Inter-Country Removal and Retention) bill, 2016 is in consonance with it 2. India has not ratified it as it believes the worst affected in cases under the convention will be women who often flee abusive marriages Which of the statements given above is/are correct? a) 1 only

• The Commission’s draft is in consonance with the principles of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, 1980, which seeks to protect a child from the harmful effect of wrongful removal and secure prompt return and reintegration of the child in an environment of his/her ‘habitual residence’.

• “We found that there are more cases of Indian women who return to the safety of their homes in India after escaping a bad marriage.

• Cases of women who are foreign citizens, married to Indian men, going away with their children are far fewer.

b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 Solution: c.

• Hence signing the Hague Convention would be to the disadvantage of Indian women.

• Also, a majority of such cases pertain to women instead of men running away,” said a WCD official.

With reference to “Mt Agung”, recently in news, which of the following statement is/are correct?

1. It is an active volcano situated in Lakshadweep.

2. It is also called Gunung Agung Select the correct option using the code given below.

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

Ans A Mount Agung is a volcano in Bali, Indonesia, southeast of Mt Batur volcano, also in Bali. • Gunung Agung is an active volcano, with a

large and deep crater that occasionally emits smoke and ash.

• It is also called Gunung Agung. • Gunung Agung stratovolcano is the highest

point on Bali.

With reference to “NIKSHAY”, recently in news, which of the following statement is/are correct?

1. It is a case based monitoring application, developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC).

2. Its main function is to monitor Malaria Patients treatment

Select the correct answer using the code given below. 1. 1 only 2. 2 only 3. Both 1 and 2 4. Neither 1 nor 2

Ans A To monitor Revised National Tuberculosis Programme (RNTCP) effectively, a web enabled and case based monitoring application called NIKSHAY has been developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC). Its main function is to monitoring of TB Patients Treatment.

With reference to Indian Resource Panel (InRP) , consider the following statements: 1. It is embedded within the Ministry of Environment, Forest

and Climate Change. 2. It is implemented at national level.

Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. 1 only

“SIMBEX” is related to which of the following? 1. a joint naval exercise

between India and SriLanka 2. a joint naval exercise

between India and Singapore

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

Ans C The Indian Resource Panel (InRP) was set up in November 2015. • The InRP is an advisory panel embedded within the Ministry

of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. • Its role is to advise on key barriers to progress on resource

efficiency at national, regional and sectoral levels and give practical suggestions on how to deal with them.

3. a joint naval exercise between India and Myanmar.

4. a joint naval exercise between India and Bangladesh

SIMBEX (Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercises): • It is a joint naval exercise

between Indian and Singapore navies.

• Latest edition i.e. SIMBEX 17, was held in South China Sea in May 2017

With reference to “Malaria”, which of the following statement is/are correct? 1. It is transmitted by the infective

bite of Anopheles mosquito 2. The Plasmodium parasite that

causes malaria is neither a virus nor a bacterium

Select the correct answer using the code given below. 1. 1 only 2. 2 only 3. Both 1 and 2 4. Neither 1 nor 2

Ans C It is transmitted by the infective bite of Anopheles mosquito The Plasmodium parasite that causes malaria is neither a virus nor a bacterium

Consider the following statements about the Hague Convention 1. The Convention came into force in 1983. 2. India ratified the convention recently . 3. The convention provides for the prompt return of

children wrongfully retained or removed from their habitual residence

Which of the above statements is/are correct? 1. 1 and 2 only 2. 1 and 3 only 3. 2 and 3 only 4. 1, 2 and 3

Ans B • The Convention came into force in 1983. • Over 90 countries are signatories to it, India is yet to

sign it

• The convention provides for the prompt return of children wrongfully retained or removed from their habitual residence