November 07 2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Option (a) is correct

• The Asia-Pacific Climate Report is a knowledge series from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that provides insights on climate change in the Asia-Pacific region. The 2024 edition of the report includes:
  • Climate change perception: A survey of 14 regional economies found that 91% of respondents consider global warming a serious problem.
  • Climate change impact: Updated estimates of the impact of climate change on the region.
  • Policy options: Discussions on policy options for governments to mobilize private capital and implement carbon pricing.
  • Adaptation needs: Estimates of the annual investment needs for regional countries to adapt to global warming, ranging from $102 billion to $431 billion.
  • Renewable energy: Analysis of the region’s potential to transition to net zero through renewable energy.
  • Carbon markets: Discussion on how domestic and international carbon markets can help achieve climate action goals.

Answer: (a) Asian Development Bank; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The Indian Constitution did not adopt the Right to Privacy from the Swedish Constitution. Instead, the Supreme Court of India in the K.S. Puttaswamay case verdict recognized the Right to Privacy as an intrinsic part of the Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
• This right protects individuals from unwarranted intrusion into their personal and private lives.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Eventhough SC have upheld Right to Privacy as matter of Right to Life in K.S Puttaswamy Case, it has not defined RoP in explicit terms. Experts argue “Personal autonomy, freedom to make choices and the right to determine what happens with personal information” are three core elements of RoP.

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• DFCs are implemented by the Ministry of Railways (not Ministry of Commerce and Industry), under the Indian Railways’ ambitious plan to modernize and expand its freight transportation network.

Statement 2 is correct

• DFCs are specialized rail tracks designed exclusively for freight transportation.
• Separating passenger and freight traffic, it alleviates congestion, improving overall rail traffic flow.
• It aims to enhance logistics efficiency, reduce costs, and increase India’s competitiveness in global trade.
• DFCs integrate with ports, airports, and logistics hubs, streamlining cargo movement.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), 1,506 km long, connecting Mumbai (not Surat) to Dadri (UP), handles goods like textiles, chemicals, and industrial products.
• Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC), 1,337 km long, from Sonnagar (Bihar) to Sahnewal (Punjab), focuses on coal, steel, and agricultural products.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Aditya-L1 is India’s first space-based solar observatory mission, focusing on studying the Sun’s corona.

Statement 2 is correct

• Aditya-L1 facilitates studies on:
  • Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration: Investigating how the Sun’s corona heats up and accelerates solar wind particles.
  • CME and Flare Initiation: Understanding the origin of Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares and their impact on space weather near Earth.
  • Solar Atmospheric Dynamics: Studying the interactions within different layers of the Sun’s atmosphere.
  • Solar Wind Distribution and Temperature Anisotropy: Examining the solar wind’s properties, including temperature distribution across different directions.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Aditya-L1 has a planned mission life of five years (not three), with seven payloads (4 remote sensing and 3 in-situ) for comprehensive solar studies.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• PM-VidyaLakshmi is a Central Sector Scheme approved by the Government of India recently, aimed at providing financial assistance to students pursuing higher education.
• The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Education and complements existing schemes such as the Central Sector Interest Subsidy (CSIS) Scheme and the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Education Loans (CGFSEL) under Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PMUSP).

Statement 2 is correct

• The scheme provides collateral-free and guarantor-free education loans to deserving students, simplify the loan application process through a dedicated online portal and support meritorious students from economically weaker sections.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Students can apply for loans through the PM-Vidyalaxmi portal and under the available multiple lender options, they can choose from participating banks and get real-time loan application status updates.
• The portal is administered by Department of Education and managed by NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited.

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

Explanation

Option (d) is incorrect

• e-Rupee is a legal tender issued by RBI in digital form.
• It is the same as a fiat currency and is no different from cash. It is exchangeable one-to-one with the fiat currency (bank notes/cash) at par.
• RBI Act 1934 has been amended to include the e-rupee in ‘bank note’.
• CBDC is controlled and tracked by a country’s central bank and corresponds to that country’s fiat currency.
• Unlike Cryptocurrencies CBDCs are not meant to be investment vehicles.

Answer: (d) They can be used as investment vehicles; Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

Option (c) is correct

• The inaugural Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC 2024) ended in Zimbabwe with the adoption of the Harare Declaration on Africa’s climate health.
• Objective: To combat the detrimental health effects of climate change (CC) and improve the well-being of African populations.
• Focus areas:
  • Prioritise climate change as a public emergency and promote inclusive community dialogue.
  • Invest in studies assessing the impacts of CC on health in Africa and identify effective interventions.
  • Improve early warning systems to track climate-related health risks, enabling effective, timely responses.
  • Build climate-resilient health systems by enhancing the capacity of health infrastructures to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Answer: (c) Strengthening health systems to address climate-related health risks in Africa; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct but statement 2 is incorrect

• Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) uses a standardised formula (Oral rehydration solution) to provide water, sodium, chloride, potassium, bicarbonate (or citrate), and glucose to dehydrated people, including children.
• This low-cost dehydration treatment can be given to dehydrated children at home without any help.
• It does not stop diarrhoea but addresses only the dehydration issue.
• The WHO recommends using ORS in combination with zinc to treat diarrhoea. Zinc can reduce the duration and severity of diarrhoea and reduce the risk of recurrence.

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