Current Affairs MCQs – July 21

The National Commission for Minorities is a constitutional body established under Article 350B of the Constitution.
Linguistic minorities do not fall within the jurisdiction of the National Commission for Minorities under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
The National Commission for Minorities possesses powers of a civil court while investigating complaints pertaining to minority rights violations.
The annual report of the National Commission for Minorities is laid before both Houses of Parliament along with a memorandum explaining the reasons for non-acceptance of its recommendations, if any.

The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) is a statutory body established under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. Article 350B of the Constitution provides for a Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities, making the statement incorrect.

The NCM Act, 1992, covers only those minority communities notified by the Central Government. Linguistic minorities are excluded from its ambit and are instead protected through the constitutional mechanism under Article 350B.

While investigating complaints relating to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of minorities, the Commission exercises certain powers of a civil court, such as summoning witnesses, receiving evidence on affidavits, and requisitioning public records.

The Commission submits an annual report (and special reports, if necessary) to the Central Government. These reports are laid before both Houses of Parliament along with a memorandum indicating the action taken on the recommendations and the reasons for non-acceptance of any recommendation.

Tamil Nadu State Department of Archaeology is excavating the Karivalamvanthanallur site on the banks of the Vaippar River in Tenkasi district.
Excavations revealed continuous occupation from the Microlithic period directly into the Iron and Early Historic ages, bypassing the Neolithic and Chalcolithic phases.
Key Findings: A 2,500-year-old square brick stepwell, Red-slipped burial urn painted with peacock motifs, perforated bowls and black-and-red pottery.
Significance: The recovery of high-tin bronze makes Karivalamvanthanallur only the sixth site in Tamil Nadu to confirm this early historic alloy. Copper coins and graffiti-inscribed pottery indicate the settlement operated along ancient routes linking Madurai to the west coast.

The revised ICI has expanded the basket of core industries from eight to nine by including iron ore.
Electricity carries the highest weight in the revised Index of Core Industries, followed by refinery products.
The revised methodology uses net production data for the Steel index to maintain continuity with the previous series.

The Office of Economic Adviser (OEA) has revised the Index of Core Industries (ICI) by adopting 2022–23 as the new base year and expanding the basket of core sectors from eight to nine industries through the inclusion of iron ore. Iron ore has been assigned a weight of 4.905%, reflecting its growing importance in India’s industrial ecosystem and its strong linkages with sectors such as steel and infrastructure.

The revised ICI assigns the highest weight to Electricity (30.932%), underscoring its role as a key input across economic activities. It is followed by Refinery Products (22.572%). The revised sectoral weights have been rationalized to better capture the present structure of the Indian economy and to ensure consistency with the revised Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

The revised ICI does not continue with the use of net production data for the Steel index. Instead, it adopts gross production data for steel in line with the methodology used in the IIP (Base Year 2022–23). This change enhances comparability across industrial indicators and provides a more comprehensive measure of steel production.

The Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) was in the news after Argentina’s players displayed a “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” banner during the 2026 FIFA World Cup celebrations, reviving the sovereignty dispute with the UK.

Location: The Falkland Islands (known as Islas Malvinas in Argentina) are a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean, around 500 km east of Argentina.

A recombinant vaccine developed to prevent Japanese Encephalitis in children below five years of age.
A live-attenuated, tetravalent vaccine developed to provide protection against all four serotypes of the dengue virus.
A monoclonal antibody therapy used for the treatment of severe dengue infections in adults.
An mRNA-based vaccine developed to prevent Zika virus infections in tropical regions

Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) approved Qdenga as India’s first dengue vaccine. It is a live-attenuated, tetravalent vaccine by Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceuticals targeting all four dengue virus serotypes. It is for individuals aged 4 to 60, requiring two doses 3 months apart, with no pre-vaccination screening needed.
Dengue is a vector-borne disease (VBD) caused by the dengue virus (Genus Flavivirus) transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. India accounts for nearly one-third of global dengue infections.