Current Affairs MCQs – July 1

 With reference to the Charter of the United Nations (UN Charter), consider the following statements:

1. The UN Charter entered into force in 1945 and established the six principal organs of the United Nations.
2. Article 2 of the UN Charter enshrines the principle of the sovereign equality of all Member States.
3. Under Article 27, any permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) can prevent the adoption of a non-procedural resolution by exercising its veto.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. All three
4. None

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The UN Charter was signed on 26 June 1945, entered into force on 24 October 1945, and established the six principal organs of the United Nations: the General Assembly, Security Council, International Court of Justice, Economic and Social Council, Secretariat, and Trusteeship Council. India was a founding UN Member and signed the Charter as British India in June 1945.

Statement 2 is correct

• Article 2 lays down the fundamental principles governing the UN, including the sovereign equality of all Member States.

Statement 3 is correct

• Article 27 grants the five permanent members (P5) of the Security Council the power to veto non-procedural (substantive) resolutions, enabling any one of them to block their adoption.

Answer: (c) All three; Difficulty Level: Easy

With reference to the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025 (VB-G-RAM-G), consider the following statements:

1. The Act guarantees 135 days of wage employment annually to every rural household.
2. Public works under the Act are confined to four thematic sectors, including water security and extreme weather mitigation.
3. The Act provides for biometric and facial authentication, GPS-based worksite monitoring, and AI-driven fraud detection.
4. State governments are empowered to suspend work for an unlimited period during sowing and harvesting seasons.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. None

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The proposed Act guarantees 125 days of wage employment annually to every rural household.

Statement 2 is correct

• It restricts public works to four thematic heads—water security, core rural infrastructure, livelihood-related infrastructure, and extreme weather mitigation.

Statement 3 is correct

• The Act mandates biometric and facial authentication, GPS-based worksite monitoring, real-time dashboards, and AI-driven fraud detection to improve transparency and accountability.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• The Act allows State governments to suspend work only for a maximum of 60 days during peak sowing and harvesting seasons, not for an unlimited period.

Answer: (b) Only two; Difficulty Level: Easy

With reference to the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), consider the following statements:

1. It was established as a sovereign-anchored Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) to catalyse long-term investments in infrastructure and strategic sectors, with the Government of India as its anchor investor.
2. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the nodal authority for NIIF, and the Fund is directly managed by the Ministry of Finance.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) was established in 2015 as a sovereign-anchored Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) to catalyse long-term investments in infrastructure and strategic sectors. The Government of India is its anchor investor with a 49% shareholding, while the fund is professionally managed by National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL).

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The Ministry of Finance is the nodal ministry for NIIF, and its Governing Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister. The fund is professionally managed by NIIFL, not directly by the Ministry of Finance or the Reserve Bank of India.

Answer: (a) 1 only; Difficulty Level: Easy

With reference to the Telecommunications Act, 2023 and the Telecom Authorisation Rules, 2026, consider the following statements:

1. The Telecom Authorisation Rules, 2026 replace the fragmented licensing system with a single unified authorisation framework having a maximum validity of 20 years.
2. Under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, all spectrum can be assigned only through competitive auctions, without any provision for administrative allocation.
3. The Telecom Authorisation Rules, 2026 exclude non-telecom revenues from the calculation of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR).
4. The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) has been renamed Digital Bharat Nidhi, with its scope expanded to support research and development, pilot projects, and start-ups.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. 1, 3 and 4 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 2, 3 and 4 only
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Telecom Authorisation Rules, 2026, introduce a unified authorisation framework replacing multiple licensing categories for telecom services. The authorisation can be granted for a maximum period of 20 years.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• While the Telecommunications Act, 2023 provides that spectrum will generally be assigned through competitive auctions, it also permits administrative allocation for specified purposes such as satellite services, space research, national security, and disaster management.

Statement 3 is correct

The Rules exclude non-telecom revenues from the computation of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR), addressing a long-standing demand of the telecom industry.

Statement 4 is correct

• The Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) has been renamed Digital Bharat Nidhi, and its mandate has been expanded beyond rural connectivity to include research and development, pilot projects, innovation, and start-up support in the telecom sector.

Answer: (a) 1, 3 and 4 only; Difficulty Level: Hard