14 September 2022: Daily Current Affairs & GK for HAS/HPAS & Allied Services
Ques:1
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct regarding Aravalli?
- It is one of the oldest fold mountains of the world, now forming residual mountains with an elevation usually below 1 km.
- Aravalli range checked the spread of the Thar desert towards the Indo-Gangetic plains.
- During monsoons, it deflects monsoon clouds eastwards, helping nurture the sub-Himalayan rivers and feeding the north Indian plains.
Select the correct option from the code given below:
Solution : D
The Aravallis of Northwestern India, one of the oldest fold mountains of the world, now forming residual mountains with an elevation of 300m to 900m. They stretch for a distance of 800 km from Himmatnagar in Gujarat to Delhi, spanning Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi.
These are fold mountains of which rocks are formed primarily of folded crust, when two convergent plates move towards each other by the process called orogenic movement. It was formed when a pre-Indian subcontinent collided with the mainland Eurasian Plate, at least in 5th century BC.
The Aravallis act as a barrier between the fertile plains in the east and the sandy desert in the west. Historically, it is said that the Aravalli range checked the spread of the Thar desert towards the Indo-Gangetic plains, serving as a catchment of rivers and plains.
Aravallis have an impact upon the climate of northwest India and beyond. During monsoons, it acts as barrier to monsoon clouds which move eastwards towards Shimla and Nainital, thus helping nurture the sub-Himalayan rivers and feeding the north Indian plains. In the winter months, it protects the fertile alluvial river valleys from the cold westerly winds from Central Asia.
Ques:2
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct regarding Indian ports?
- India has 22 major ports and hundreds of minor ports.
- Major ports are in the Union List and other ports are in the State List of legislative subjects.
- The Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) under chairmanship of Union Minister of Shipping, serves as an apex advisory body for the coordinated development of major ports and non-major ports of India.
Select the correct option from the code given below:
Solution : C
India has 12 major ports and 212 non-major ports. Most of the non-major ports are small fishing harbours and only a few of them cater to international shipping. Major ports figure in the Union List and come under the jurisdiction of the Central government. Non-major ports are in the Concurrent List and come under the respective State governments, but the Centre has overriding legislative and executive powers.
In 1997, a Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) was created by an executive order, with the Union Minister of Shipping as chairperson and the Ministers in charge of ports of the maritime States/Union Territories (UTs) as members. The MSDC serves as an apex advisory body for the coordinated development of major ports and non-major ports. The Union Ministry of Shipping provides secretarial services for the MSDC’s meetings.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/an-improved-bill-but-still-contentious/article65886291.ece
Ques:3
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct regarding natural rubber ?
- It consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds.
- India is currently the world’s fifth largest producer of natural rubber and the second biggest consumer.
Select the correct option from the code given below:
Solution : C
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, caucho, or caoutchouc,as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds.
Types of polyisoprene that are used as natural rubbers are classified as elastomers. Currently, rubber is harvested mainly in the form of the latex from the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) or others.
After a moderate post-pandemic revival, the price of natural rubber has crashed to a 16-month low of ₹150 per kg in the Indian market. The price of latex, which soared during the pandemic due to huge demand from glove makers, took a more severe drubbing recently. With the impact of the falling prices beginning to reflect in their daily lives as well as the local economy, the growers are up in arms against the authorities for their perceived delay in checking the slide.
Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia are three of the leading rubber producers.
India is currently the world’s fifth largest producer of natural rubber while it also remains the second biggest consumer of the material globally. About 40% of India’s total natural rubber consumption is currently met through imports.
Ques:4
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct regarding windfall tax?
- These are taxes imposed over and above the normal rates of tax on profits of a company or industry during a specific time.
- It is imposed to help the concerned company or industry recover additional expenses due to its rising cost of production.
Select the correct option from the code given below:
Solution : A
A windfall tax is a higher tax rate on profits that result from a sudden windfall gain to a particular company or industry, often as the result of a geo-political disturbance, war or natural disaster that creates unusual spikes in demand and/or interruptions to supply.
Central government in July 2022, introduced a windfall profit tax of ₹23,250 per tonne on domestic crude oil production, which was subsequently revised fortnightly four times so far. It was a way to rein in the “phenomenal profits” made by some oil refiners who chose to export fuel to reap the benefits of skyrocketing global prices while affecting domestic supplies.
Recently in oil markets, the Russia-Ukraine war has led to price fluctuation and volatile or erratic profits for the industry.
Ques:5
Which of the following statement(s) is INCORRECT regarding essential medicines in India?
Solution : D
Essential medicines are those that satisfy the priority health care needs of the country’s population. They are listed with reference to the levels of healthcare namely primary, secondary and tertiary.
They are generally based on the country’s disease burden, priority health concerns, affordability concerns etc.
In India, National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) formed in 2011 decides the essential medicines. The list is prepared by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
National Pharma Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixes ceiling price of essential medicines of Schedule I under Drug Prices and Control Order (DPCO), 2013.
Twenty-six drugs, including the common gastrointestinal medicines ranitidine and sucralfate, have been deleted from the revised National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022 recently released.
Ivermectin and mupirocin have been added, while ranitidine and sucralfate have been dropped.
The National List of Essential Medicines was first compiled in 1996 and it was revised thrice earlier in 2003, 2011, and 2015.
384 drugs find place in the NLEM, 2022, categorised into 27 therapeutic categories.
Ques:6
Consider the following statement, with respect to CRISPR-Cas9 technology
1. It is genome editing technology which is used for altering genetic expression.
2. CRISPR is an enzyme which edits the targeted DNA.
3. It can be used to cure colour blindness and sickle cell anaemia.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Solution : (C)
Statement 1 is correct: CRISPR-Cas9 technology is a gene-editing technology that can be used for the purpose of altering genetic expression.
CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) scans the genome for the right location and then uses the Cas9 protein as molecular scissors in targeted DNA
Statement 2 is not correct: Cas9 protein is an enzyme that cuts the two strands of Double helix DNA at a specific location in the genome.
Statement 3 is correct: a vast number of diseases and disorders which are genetic in nature can be cured by this technology which includes sickle cell anaemia, colour blindness, several types of cancer, diabetes, HIV, and liver and heart diseases.
Ques:7
Consider the following statements about ‘National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)’
- It is set up as an attached office of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals
- It fixes and revise the prices of controlled bulk drugs and formulations and monitors the prices of decontrolled drug
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution : (D)
Statement 1 is correct: National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority was set up as an attached office of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (now Department of Pharmaceuticals since July, 2008) on 29th August 1997.
Statement 2 is correct: It fix/revise the prices of controlled bulk drugs and formulations and to enforce prices and availability of the medicines in the country, under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995.
Source : https://pharmaceuticals.gov.in/national-pharmaceutical-pricing-authority
Ques:8
Currently, which of the following nations are part of G20 ‘Troika’
1. India,
2. Indonesia
3. South Africa
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Solution : (C)
It refers to the top grouping within the G20 that consists of the current, previous and the incoming presidencies.
India is currently part of the G20 Troika (current, previous and incoming G20 Presidencies) comprising Indonesia, Italy and India.
Source : https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-to-host-g-20-summit-in-september-2023-8147703/
Ques:9
Which of the following indicator are used to calculate Gender Inequality Index (GII)
1. Maternal mortality ratio
2. Participation in labour force
3. share of seats in Parliament
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Solution : (D)
Gender Inequality Index (GII) : It is published under Human development report by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GDI uses HDI sub-components to look at the gender gap.
- GII is a composite metric of gender inequality using three dimensions:
- Reproductive health: its indicators are
- maternal mortality ratio and
- adolescent birth rate.
- Empowerment its indicators are
- percentage of parliamentary seats held by women and
- percentage of the population with at least some secondary education by gender.
- Labour market and indicator is
- participation in the labour force by gender.
- Reproductive health: its indicators are
- A low GII value indicates low inequality between women and men, and vice-versa.
https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/thematic-composite-indices/gender-inequality-index#/indicies/GII
Ques:10
Consider the following statements, with respect to Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) :
- It is a statutory body under the ministry of home affair.
- ‘General consent’ of state government allows CBI to conduct its investigation into cases of corruption against central government employees in the concerned state
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution : (B)
- Statement 1 is not correct: The CBI is main investigating agency of the Central Government which is not a statutory body. It derives its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. Currently, CBI functions under Dept. of Personnel, Ministry of Personnel, Pension & Public Grievances, Government of India
- Statement 2 is correct: As the CBI is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act that makes consent of a state government mandatory for conducting investigation in that state.
- There are two kinds of consent in the form of case-specific consent and general consent.
- Case-specific consent– Given that the CBI has jurisdiction only over central government departments and employees, it can investigate a case involving state government employees or a violent crime in a given state only after that state government gives its consent.
- “General consent” is normally given to help the CBI seamlessly conduct its investigation into cases of corruption against central government employees in the concerned state. Almost all states have given such consent. Otherwise, the CBI would require consent in every case.
