December 07 2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• He was appointed the Military Secretary to the Maharaja of Baroda but faced untouchability and moved back to Bombay.
• Conferred with the title of “Bodhisattva” at “Jagatik Buddhism Council” in 1954 in Kathmandu, Nepal.
• Historic Movements: Led the Mahad March (1927) for Dalits’ right to access public water sources. Spearheaded the temple entry movement at Kalaram Temple (1930) to challenge caste hierarchies.
• Voice of the oppressed: He launched the newspaper Mooknayaka and Bahiskrit Bharat (addressed the issues of the “depressed” classes) and established the Bahishkrit Hitkarini Sabha in 1923.

Statement 2 is correct

• Architect of the Constitution: As Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee, crafted a constitution that upheld equality and protected marginalised communities like SCs, STs, and OBCs.
• First Law Minister: He was the first Law Minister of Independent India and played an important role in drafting the Indian Constitution.

Statement 3 is correct

• Economic Contributions: Ambedkar’s doctoral thesis inspired the establishment of the Finance Com-mission of India.
• His ideas were also instrumental in framing the guidelines for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934 and influencing the creation of the RBI itself.
• Poona Pact of 1932: Played a pivotal role in replacing separate electorates with reserved Dalit seats.
• Political Engagement: He formed the Independent Labour Party (1936) was formed to represent labourers and the depressed classes.

Statement 4 is correct

• Religious Conversion: He declared at the Yeola Conference (1935) that he would leave Hinduism. He embraced Buddhism, along with thousands of followers in Nagpur.
• Dalit Buddhist Movement: He was a key figure in the Dalit Buddhist movement, leading a mass conversion of Dalits to Buddhism in 1956.

Answer: (d) All four; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Option (b) is correct

• Friendshoring refers to relocating supply chains to allied or friendly nations for economic and geopolitical stability.
• The Sixteenth Finance Commission (FC) aims to address fiscal challenges & shape India’s economic trajectory amid global trends like “friendshoring” and “reshoring.”
• Reshoring involves bringing manufacturing and production back to the home country to reduce reliance on foreign nations.

Answer: (b) Relocating supply chains to allied or friendly nations for economic and geopolitical stability; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate.
• The most significant compounds in this group are vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocal-ciferol).
• It is essential for bone health, immune function, and overall well-being.
• Sources: Sunlight, Fatty fish, egg yolks, mushrooms, cheese, etc.

Statement 2 is correct

• Vitamin D toxicity, also known as hypervitaminosis D, occurs when the body has excessively high levels of vitamin D. This condition can lead to elevated calcium levels in the blood, known as hypercalcemia.
• Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL): The safe daily upper limit for vitamin D for most adults is 4,000 IU. Toxicity is usually associated with intakes exceeding 10,000 IU/day over an extended period.
• Symptoms: Nausea and vomiting, Weakness and fatigue, Frequent urination leading to dehydration, Con-fusion and disorientation, Bone pain, Kidney damage due to high calcium levels.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The PM inaugurated Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav to highlight the vast cultural tapestry of Northeast India, bringing together an array of traditional arts, crafts, and cultural practices.
• The event underscores the region’s economic potential, focusing on sectors like textiles, tourism, handicrafts, and Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products.

Statement 2 is correct

• Significance of the Name: The eight states of Northeast India are referred to as ‘Ashtalakshmi‘, rep-resenting eight forms of prosperity (Wealth, Purity, Knowledge, etc.) embodied by the goddess Lakshmi.
• Mascot: Poorvi, a young girl representing all eight states of Northeast India, was chosen as the festival’s mascot. It is envisaged that this mascot will remain a symbol of the Northeast region even after the event.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Organised by: The Ministry of Development of Northeast Region (MoDoNER) and managed by North-east Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation Limited.

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Option (b) is incorrect and all other options are correct

• Anna Chaka is a PDS supply chain optimisation tool that enhances logistics efficiency in food distribution.
• The tool was developed through collaboration between the Department of Food and Public Distribution, the World Food Programme (WFP), & Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer at IIT-Delhi.
• Efficiency: Advanced algorithms identify optimal transportation routes, ensuring the smooth movement of food grains across supply chain nodes from farmers to Fair Price Shops (FPS).
• The tool is integrated with the Railways’ Freight Operations Information System (FOIS) portal through the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP). It is also integrated with the PM Gati Shakti platform, which maps geo-locations of FPSs and warehouses across states.
• Cost Savings: The initiative is projected to save around Rs. 250 crores annually.
• Environmental Impact: Minimizes transportation emissions and contributes to a lower carbon footprint.

Answer: (b) It was developed through collaboration between the Department of Food and Public Distribution and the World Bank; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The “windfall gains tax” was introduced to tax the extraordinary profits earned by oil companies during unusual global market conditions.
• In India, it applied to fuel exports and domestic crude oil production under central excise laws.

Statement 2 is correct

• Tax rates were reviewed every two weeks based on international fuel prices and profit margins. In the first review, the tax on petrol exports was set to zero and stayed that way.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The government ended the windfall gains tax on crude oil production within the country and exports of diesel, petrol, and aviation fuel (ATF).
• This tax was introduced 30 months ago when global fuel prices surged after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Answer: (b) 1 and 2 only; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct and Statement 2 is incorrect

• Anti-sabotage security check refers to security drills conducted to detect and prevent any attempts to compromise the safety and security of parliamentary proceedings by introducing harmful or disruptive objects.
• Conducted by: Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
• The CISF took over all counterterrorism and anti-sabotage security duties at Parliament Complex in 2024.
• The drill is conducted every morning for around three hours when Parliament is in session.
• Every seat in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha is checked during this period.
• Parliament staff withdraw, and the chamber is handed over to the CISF security team for checks.

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

Explanation

Option (d) is correct

• The SCAN (Subsidy Claim Application for NFSA) portal was launched to streamline subsidy claim processes at the state level.
• It facilitates states’ single-window submission of subsidy claims, streamlining the claim scrutiny and approval by the Department of Food Public Distribution (DFPD) & expediting the settlement process.
• It ensures an automated, rule-based workflow for releasing and settling food subsidies, resulting in faster claim processing and settlements.
• It is important to enhance transparency & reduce bureaucratic hurdles in subsidy management.

Answer: (d) A portal for subsidy claim processes at the state level.; Difficulty Level: Medium