Daily Prelims Practise Questions (PPQs) – October 19 2023

Questions

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

Q1. {Governance – Money Laundering} Consider the following statements with respect to ‘The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002’:

1. The act does not define Money laundering.
2. There’s no provision to deal with a political party accused or convicted under the PMLA.
3. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) was created as per the provisions of this act.

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

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

Q2. {IR – Laws} Consider the following statements regarding the ‘Convention on Chemical Weapons (CWC)’:

1. The Convention on Chemical Weapons (CWC) is an international treaty prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling, transfer, and use of chemical weapons.
2. It requires the destruction of all existing chemical weapons and production facilities.
3. The provisions of this Convention are implemented by the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
4. The Convention has listed white phosphorus in one of the Schedules of Chemical Weapons.

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

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All of the above

Q3. {Solar System} What is the difference between Asteroids and Comets? (PYQ)

1. Asteroids are small rocky planetoids, while comets are formed of frozen gases held together by rocky and metallic material.
2. Asteroids are found mainly between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, while comets are found mostly between Venus and Mercury.
3. Comets show a perceptible glowing tail, while asteroids do not.

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

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

Q4. {MoHFW – Initiatives} Consider the following statements regarding Rare Diseases:

1. All Rare Diseases occur due to some kind of genetic defect.
2. Most of the Rare Diseases are curable through medications.
3. Currently, India has a National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021 (NPRD 2021), which categorises Rare Diseases into two broad categories, ‘Curable’ and ‘Incurable’.

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

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Only 3
4. None of the above

Q5. {Infra – Ports} Consider the following statements regarding the ‘Vizhinjam International Seaport Project’:

1. Vizhinjam Port is India’s first deepwater trans-shipment port.
2. It is being developed under a public-private partnership, with the local state government providing funding together with the private partner.
3. Currently, more than half of India’s trans-shipment cargo is managed through domestic ports.

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

Q6. {Envi – Species} Consider the following statements regarding Amur Falcon:

1. Amur falcon is the world’s longest-distance migrating raptor.
2. Arunachal Pradesh is known as the Falcon Capital of the world.
3. Amur Falcons stop throughout Central India every Autumn during their migration.
4. Their habitat is mainly restricted to tropical regions of the world.

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

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

Q7. {Polity – IC – Parliament} Consider the following statements about the Ethics Committee in Parliament:

1. Both houses of Parliament have their own Ethics Committee.
2. The Parliament elects the members of the Ethics Committee on a yearly basis.
3. The primary function of the Ethics Committee is to evaluate matters of procedure and business conduct in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and to make any necessary adjustments or additions to the Rules.

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 only

Questions With Solution and Explanation

Q1. {Governance – Money Laundering} Consider the following statements with respect to ‘The Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002’:

1. The act does not define Money laundering.
2. There’s no provision to deal with a political party accused or convicted under the PMLA.
3. The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) was created as per the provisions of this act.

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

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Section 3 of the PMLA Act defines money laundering as any process or activity linked to the proceeds of crime, presenting it as untainted property.

Statement 2 is correct

• There’s no provision to deal with a political party accused or convicted under the PMLA.
• However, ED is considering including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in its money laundering probe linked to the Delhi government’s excise policy case.
• ED can include AAP by invoking Section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
• Section 70 of the PMLA deals with offences by companies.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The origin of the Enforcement Directorate goes back to 1956, when an ‘Enforcement Unit’ was formed in the Department of Economic Affairs to handle Exchange Control law violations under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947 (FERA ’47).
• With the passage of time, FERA’ 47 was repealed and replaced by FERA, 1973.
• For a short period of four years (1973 – 1977), the Directorate remained under the administrative jurisdiction of the Department of Personnel & Administrative Reforms.
• Presently, the Directorate is under the administrative control of the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

Answer: (b) 2 only

Q2. {IR – Laws} Consider the following statements regarding the ‘Convention on Chemical Weapons (CWC)’:

1. The Convention on Chemical Weapons (CWC) is an international treaty prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling, transfer, and use of chemical weapons.
2. It requires the destruction of all existing chemical weapons and production facilities.
3. The provisions of this Convention are implemented by the Convention on the Prohibition of Use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
4. The Convention has listed white phosphorus in one of the Schedules of Chemical Weapons.

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

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All of the above

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Convention on Chemical Weapons (CWC) is an international treaty that prohibits the development, production, stockpiling, transfer, and use of chemical weapons.
• As of 2023, 193 states have ratified the Convention.

Statement 2 is correct

• It requires the destruction of all existing chemical weapons and production facilities.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (The Hague, Netherlands) implements the Convention.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• The Convention has not listed white phosphorus in any of the three Schedules of Chemical Weapons.
• Global human rights organisations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of using white phosphorus munitions in Gaza and Lebanon.

Answer: (b) Only two

Q3. {Solar System} What is the difference between Asteroids and Comets? (PYQ)

1. Asteroids are small rocky planetoids, while comets are formed of frozen gases held together by rocky and metallic material.
2. Asteroids are found mainly between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, while comets are found mostly between Venus and Mercury.
3. Comets show a perceptible glowing tail, while asteroids do not.

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

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Asteroids are small rocky planetoids.
• Comets are formed of frozen gases held together by rocky and metallic material.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Most asteroids can be found orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt.
• Comets primarily originate from two regions: the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud.
• Therefore, Comets are not restricted to Venus and Mercury.

Statement 3 is correct

• Comets are frozen leftovers from the solar system’s formation composed of dust, rock and ice.
• When it is closer to the sun, it heats up and spews dust and gases into a giant glowing head/tail larger than most planets, whereas asteroids do not show a perceptible glowing tail.

Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only

Q4. {MoHFW – Initiatives} Consider the following statements regarding Rare Diseases:

1. All Rare Diseases occur due to some kind of genetic defect.
2. Most of the Rare Diseases are curable through medications.
3. Currently, India has a National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021 (NPRD 2021), which categorises Rare Diseases into two broad categories, ‘Curable’ and ‘Incurable’.

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

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Only 3
4. None of the above

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• While nearly all genetic diseases are rare diseases, not all rare diseases are genetic diseases. There are also very rare infectious diseases, such as auto-immune diseases and rare cancers. To date, the cause remains unknown for many rare diseases.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• About 95% of all rare diseases do not yet have treatments, according to the National Organization of Rare Diseases.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021, categorises rare diseases into three categories. They are:
  1. Group 1: Disorders amenable to one-time curative treatment.
  2. Group-2: Diseases requiring long-term/lifelong treatment but relatively lower cost of treatment.
  3. Group 3: Diseases for which definitive treatment is available but have challenges like making optimal patient selection for benefit, very high cost and lifelong therapy.

Answer: (d) None of the above

Q5. {Infra – Ports} Consider the following statements regarding the ‘Vizhinjam International Seaport Project’:

1. Vizhinjam Port is India’s first deepwater trans-shipment port.
2. It is being developed under a public-private partnership, with the local state government providing funding together with the private partner.
3. Currently, more than half of India’s trans-shipment cargo is managed through domestic ports.

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Located near Thiruvananthapuram, Vizhinjam Port is India’s first deepwater trans-shipment port.

Statement 2 is correct

• Adani Ports and SEZ Private Ltd (India’s largest commercial ports operator) is building this multipurpose seaport on a public-private partnership with the Kerala Government.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• India has 13 major ports but lacks a mega-port for ultra-large container ships. Hence, 75% of India’s trans-shipment cargo is managed at foreign ports like Colombo, Singapore, and Klang.

Answer: (d) 1 and 2 only

Q6. {Envi – Species} Consider the following statements regarding Amur Falcon:

1. Amur falcon is the world’s longest-distance migrating raptor.
2. Arunachal Pradesh is known as the Falcon Capital of the world.
3. Amur Falcons stop throughout Central India every Autumn during their migration.
4. Their habitat is mainly restricted to tropical regions of the world.

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

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

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Amur falcon is the world’s longest-distance migrating raptor.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Nagaland is known as the “Falcon Capital of the World”.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• According to a study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WWI), almost the entire Amur falcon population stops only in Northeast India (in parts of Nagaland, Manipur, Assam and Meghalaya).

Statement 4 is incorrect

• They are seen in Tropical and Temperate Zones of East, South and Southeast Asia.

Answer: (a) Only one

Q7. {Polity – IC – Parliament} Consider the following statements about the Ethics Committee in Parliament:

1. Both houses of Parliament have their own Ethics Committee.
2. The Parliament elects the members of the Ethics Committee on a yearly basis.
3. The primary function of the Ethics Committee is to evaluate matters of procedure and business conduct in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and to make any necessary adjustments or additions to the Rules.

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 only

Explanation

Statement (1) is correct

• Both houses of Parliament have their own respective Ethics Committees.

Statement (2) is incorrect

• Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee was formed in 2000 and comprises up to fifteen members nominated by the Speaker.
• Rajya Sabha’s Ethics Committee was constituted earlier, in 1997. It comprises ten members whom the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha nominates and serves for a term not exceeding one year.

Statement (3) is incorrect

• Evaluating matters of procedure and business conduct in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and to make any necessary adjustments or additions to the Rules are the functions of the Rules Committee.
• The functions of the Ethics committee are to monitor and investigate cases (Any member can make complaints) of the member’s moral and ethical conduct.

Answer: (d) 1 only