Current Affairs MCQs – June 24-25

Consider the following statements regarding the Mullaperiyar Dam:

1. It is a masonry gravity dam constructed across the Periyar River in Kerala.
2. The dam is located within the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
3. It operates under an agreement under which Tamil Nadu manages and utilises the dam’s waters

How many of the statements given above are correct?

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

Explanation

• Kerala objected to the removal of its nominee from the Dam Safety Committee constituted to assess the safety of the Mullaperiyar Dam.

All statements are correct

• The Comprehensive Dam Safety Evaluation Committee is constituted by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) under the Dam Safety Act, 2021.
• Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam built across the Periyar River in Kerala’s Idukki district between 1887–1895 by British engineer John Pennycuick.
• It is located within the Periyar TR and diverts water from the west-flowing Periyar basin to the east-flowing Vaigai basin in Tamil Nadu.
• It operates under an 1886 lease agreement (renewed in 1970), under which Tamil Nadu manages and utilises the dam’s waters.

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

Consider the following statements regarding the constitutional and statutory framework governing inter-State river water disputes in India:

1. The Constitution empowers Parliament to exclude the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in matters relating to inter-State river water disputes.
2. Water is a subject exclusively under the State List, and Parliament has no legislative competence over inter-State rivers.
3. The Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 provides for the establishment of Water Disputes Tribunals to adjudicate disputes between States.
4. Although the River Boards Act, 1956 enables the Union Government to establish River Boards, no such River Board has been constituted so far.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Article 262 empowers Parliament to provide for the adjudication of disputes relating to inter-State rivers and river valleys and permits it to exclude the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and other courts over such disputes.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Although Entry 17 of the State List makes water primarily a State subject, Entry 56 of the Union List empowers Parliament to regulate and develop inter-State rivers and river valleys in the public interest.

Statement 3 is correct

• The Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, enacted under Article 262, provides for the constitution of Water Disputes Tribunals to adjudicate inter-State river water disputes.

Statement 4 is correct

• The River Boards Act, 1956, authorises the Union Government to establish River Boards for the regulation and development of inter-State rivers. However, no River Board has been constituted under the Act so far.

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

Consider the following statements regarding the Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS):

1. It is an RBI-regulated electronic platform that enables MSMEs to obtain working capital by discounting their trade receivables through competitive bidding.
2. Registration on TReDS is mandatory for all Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and corporate buyers with an annual turnover exceeding ₹250 crore.
3. TReDS is regulated by the RBI under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, while transactions on the platform are governed by the Factoring Regulation Act, 2011.
4. Only scheduled commercial banks are permitted to act as financiers on TReDS platforms.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• TReDS is an RBI-regulated electronic platform that enables MSMEs to access working capital by discounting invoices through competitive bidding among financiers.

Statement 2 is correct

• Registration on TReDS is mandatory for all Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and corporate buyers with an annual turnover exceeding ₹250 crore.

Statement 3 is correct

• RBI regulates TReDS under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, while transactions on the platform are governed by the Factoring Regulation Act, 2011.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• Financiers on TReDS are not limited to scheduled commercial banks. They also include NBFCs, insurance companies, and credit guarantee trusts, besides banks. Recent RBI measures also permit eligible financiers to avail government-backed credit guarantee cover for financed invoices.

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Hard

Consider the following statements regarding the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA):

1. Associations appointing foreign citizens, including Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), as key functionaries are ineligible for FCRA registration.
2. Under the amended rules, foreign contributions may be used for religious education but cannot be used for proselytisation or forced religious conversion.
3. The amended rules require NGOs to disclose their social-media accounts, identify the original donors behind transfers, and submit detailed activity reports along with annual returns.

How many of the statements given above are not correct?

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Associations appointing foreign citizens, except Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), as key functionaries are ineligible for FCRA registration. Thus, PIOs are exempt from this restriction.

Statement 2 is correct

• The amended rules permit foreign contributions to support faith-based activities, including religious education, but prohibit their use for proselytisation or forced religious conversion.

Statement 3 is correct

• To enhance transparency, NGOs are required to disclose their social-media accounts, identify the original donors behind transfers, and submit detailed activity reports along with annual returns.

Answer: (a) Only one; Difficulty Level: Easy

 Consider the following statements regarding Rakhigarhi:

1. It is the largest known Harappan site and is located in Haryana along the seasonal Drishadvati River.
2. Archaeological excavations have revealed a mud-brick granary, brick-lined public fire altars, and animal sacrificial pits.
3. It is the only Harappan site from which ancient DNA (aDNA) has been successfully recovered.
4. Excavations indicate that the site lacked evidence of specialised craft production and long-distance trade.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. 1, 2 and 3 only
2. 2, 3 and 4 only
3. 1, 2, 3 and 4
4. None of the above

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Rakhigarhi, located in Hisar district of Haryana along the seasonal Drishadvati River, is the largest known Harappan site, with continuous occupation from the Early to Mature Harappan phases.

Statement 2 is correct

• Excavations have uncovered a mud-brick granary with seven rectangular chambers insulated using lime and decomposed grass, along with brick-lined public fire altars and animal sacrificial pits.

Statement 3 is correct

• Rakhigarhi is the only Harappan site from which ancient DNA (aDNA) has been successfully recovered, providing valuable insights into the ancestry of the Harappan population.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• The site provides strong evidence of specialised craft production and long-distance trade, including a gold foundry with an active furnace, a gemstone workshop with over 3,000 semi-precious stones, chert trade weights, and a rare cylindrical steatite seal bearing Harappan script and an alligator motif.

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Consider the following statements regarding the Omega Block atmospheric pattern:

1. It is a persistent atmospheric blocking pattern in which a high-pressure system becomes trapped between two low-pressure systems due to a distorted jet stream.
2. The sinking and compression of air beneath the high-pressure system promote cloud formation, resulting in prolonged rainfall over the affected region.
3. While Omega Blocks are natural atmospheric phenomena, human-induced climate change can intensify the severity of the associated heatwaves and droughts.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• An Omega Block is a persistent atmospheric blocking pattern in which a strong high-pressure system is sandwiched between two low-pressure systems, resembling the Greek letter Ω (Omega). It forms when the jet stream develops a large meander, creating a stable blocking pattern.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Air beneath the high-pressure system sinks and undergoes compressional heating, which suppresses cloud formation and traps heat near the Earth’s surface. This results in prolonged heatwaves, droughts, and increased wildfire risk, not persistent rainfall.

Statement 3 is correct

• Omega Blocks are natural weather phenomena, but human-induced climate change has increased the intensity and impacts of the associated heatwaves, droughts, and extreme weather events.

Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

 Consider the following statements regarding black tigers:

1. Black tigers are a rare pseudo-melanistic variant of the Bengal tiger caused by a recessive mutation in the Taqpep gene.
2. Similipal Tiger Reserve is the only known wild habitat where black tigers occur naturally.

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

Both statements are correct

• Similipal Tiger Reserve’s small, isolated tiger population has experienced limited gene flow and inbreeding, increasing the frequency of the recessive black-tiger trait.

• Black tigers are a rare pseudo-melanistic variant of the Bengal tiger, not a distinct species or subspecies.
• Appearance: Characterised by broad, merged black stripes that cover much of the orange coat, giving a nearly black appearance.
• Genetic Basis: Caused by a recessive mutation in the Taqpep gene, which alters normal stripe patterns and produces the pseudo-melanistic phenotype.
• Habitat: Similipal Tiger Reserve, Odisha, is the only known wild habitat where black tigers occur naturally.

Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2; Difficulty Level: Easy