Daily Prelims Practise Questions (PPQs) – October 13 2023

Questions

• The questions below are based on PMF IAS Daily Current Affairs – October 2023.

Q1. {IR – Laws} Consider the following statements regarding ‘White Phosphorous’:

1. It is a highly combustible chemical that burns spontaneously when it comes in contact with oxygen.
2. It is a naturally occurring substance primarily found in the African continent.
3. White phosphorus weapons do not come under the UN Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

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

Q2. {Polity – IC – FRs } Consider the following statements regarding the Right to Information Act, 2005:

1. The act provides for The Central Information Commission, composed of a Chief Information Commissioner and up to twelve Information Commissioners.
2. The Right to Information Act has been amended only once, which was in 2019.
3. Applying for RTI is free for all Indian citizens.
4. The term ‘Public Authority’ is defined under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act.

How many of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. None of the above

Q3. {Health – Issues} ‘Global Hunger Index 2023’ was released by:

1. Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe
2. United Nations Development Programme
3. World Economic Forum
4. World Bank

Q4. {Envi – Biodiversity} Consider the following GI-tagged products and the states to which the product belongs:

Marcha Rice	Karnataka
Jaderi Namkattai	Jammu and Kashmir
Basholi Pashmina	Tamil Nadu

How many of the above pair(s) is/are correctly matched?

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

Q5. {IR – Groupings} In which one of the following groupings are all the countries members of G20? (PYQ)

1. Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey.
2. Australia, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand.
3. Brazil, Iran, Saudi and Vietnam
4. Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

Q6. {MoE – Schemes} Consider the following statements regarding the ‘Passport to Earning (P2E)’ program:

1. The Passport to Earning (P2E) program is a Public-Private-Youth Partnership (PPYP) that aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
2. It was launched in 2022 under the Ministry of Education (MoE).
3. It is designed to help young individuals acquire the necessary skills for the workforce, making the transition from education to employment smoother.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

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

Questions With Solution and Explanation

Q1. {IR – Laws} Consider the following statements regarding ‘White Phosphorous’:

1. It is a highly combustible chemical that burns spontaneously when it comes in contact with oxygen.
2. It is a naturally occurring substance primarily found in the African continent.
3. White phosphorus weapons do not come under the UN Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• White phosphorus is a highly combustible chemical that burns spontaneously when it comes in contact with oxygen.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• It does not occur naturally as it is manufactured using phosphate rocks.

Statement 3 is correct

• White phosphorus is considered incendiary (causing fire) weapons under Protocol III of the UN Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
• Israel, India and Pakistan are not signatories of the UN Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
• Israel recently used White Phosphorus against Gaza.

Answer: (c) Only two

Q2. {Polity – IC – FRs } Consider the following statements regarding the Right to Information Act, 2005:

1. The act provides for The Central Information Commission, composed of a Chief Information Commissioner and up to twelve Information Commissioners.
2. The Right to Information Act has been amended only once, which was in 2019.
3. Applying for RTI is free for all Indian citizens.
4. The term ‘Public Authority’ is defined under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act.

How many of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. None of the above

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The act provides for The Central Information Commission, composed of a Chief Information Commissioner and up to ten Information Commissioners.

Statement 2 is correct

• The Right to Information Act has been amended only once, which was in 2019.
• The amendment provided for the Term, Tenure and Salary of the Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioner to be determined by the central government.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Applying for RTI is not free. The minimum fee is 10 rupees and varies with terms and conditions.

Statement 4 is correct

• The term ‘Public Authority’ is defined under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act.

Answer: (b) Only two

Q3. {Health – Issues} ‘Global Hunger Index 2023’ was released by:

1. Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe
2. United Nations Development Programme
3. World Economic Forum
4. World Bank

Explanation

Statement (a) is correct; statements (b), (c) and (d) are incorrect

• Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe released the Global Hunger Index 2023.
• According to the report:
  1. The rank of India was dropped from 107 in 2022 to 113 in 2023.
  2. Neighbouring countries such as Pakistan (102^nd), Bangladesh (81^st), Nepal (69^th), and Sri Lanka (60^th) have better rankings than India.

Answer: (c) Concern Worldwide and Welthungerlife

Q4. {Envi – Biodiversity} Consider the following GI-tagged products and the states to which the product belongs:

Marcha Rice	Karnataka
Jaderi Namkattai	Jammu and Kashmir
Basholi Pashmina	Tamil Nadu

How many of the above pair(s) is/are correctly matched?

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

Explanation

Pair 1 is incorrect

• Marcha Rice, an indigenous variety known for its distinct aroma and taste, belongs to Bihar.

Pair 2 is incorrect

• Jaderi namakatti, from TN, are white, smooth-textured clay sticks, usually shaped like fingers.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Basohli Pashmina is a J&K’s traditional craft. Pashmina is a hand-spun material celebrated for its softness, fineness, lightness, and warmth. (Pashmina is mentioned in NCERT and is also a PYQ).
• Changpa people of Ladakh, who are nomadic and reside on the Changthang plateau in Tibet, are renowned for producing Pashmina wool.

Answer: (d) None

Q5. {IR – Groupings} In which one of the following groupings are all the countries members of G20? (PYQ)

1. Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey.
2. Australia, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand.
3. Brazil, Iran, Saudi and Vietnam
4. Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

Explanation

Statement (a) is correct; statements (b), (c) and (d) are incorrect

• G20 is an international forum for global economic cooperation.
• It has 20 members, and these countries are as follows: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and the European Union.

Answer: (a) Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey

Q6. {MoE – Schemes} Consider the following statements regarding the ‘Passport to Earning (P2E)’ program:

1. The Passport to Earning (P2E) program is a Public-Private-Youth Partnership (PPYP) that aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
2. It was launched in 2022 under the Ministry of Education (MoE).
3. It is designed to help young individuals acquire the necessary skills for the workforce, making the transition from education to employment smoother.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• The Passport to Earning (P2E) program is a Public-Private-Youth Partnership (PPYP) that aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Statement 2 is correct

• It was launched in 2022 under the Ministry of Education (MoE).

Statement 3 is correct

• It is designed to help young individuals acquire the necessary skills for the workforce, making the transition from education to employment smoother.
• It focuses on providing free access to certificate courses in:
  1. Digital Productivity
  2. Financial literacy
  3. Employability skills
  4. Other job-ready skills

Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 3 only