UPSC 2017: Weekly GK and Current Affairs Quiz Jun 18 - 24

Countries trade with one another to buy goods not produced in domestic economy. With the advent of globalization, investment to and fro have also increased many fold. A country’s trade and other economic exchanges with the world are recorded on its external account in the form of balance of payment (BoP) transactions.

Section 139AA inserted in the Income Tax Act: Makes Aadhaar mandatory for getting a PAN. Possession of an Aadhaar card is necessary for the continuing validity of an existing PAN and for filing returns under the income tax law.

The Union Health Ministry has launched an Intensified Diarrhea Control Fortnight (IDCF) across the country to reduce child deaths due to diarrhoea. Through this initiative, the Ministry will mobilize health personnel, State Governments and other stakeholders in controlling the disease, which is one of the most common childhood illnesses. During the IDCF, the awareness campaign on hygiene and promotion of ORS and Zinc therapy will be conducted at state, district and village levels. Nearly 12 crore under five children will be covered during the programme. As per an estimate, 1.1 million children die every year in India out of which about one lakh death occur due to this disease. Diarrhoea can be prevented with safe drinking water, sanitation, breastfeeding and appropriate nutrition.

India has topped the global remittance-receiving list of 2016, as per the latest United Nations report ‘One Family at a Time’. As per the report, Indians working across the globe sent home $62.7 billion US dollars in 2016, followed by China ($61 billion), Philippines ($30 billion) and Pakistan ($20 billion). The ‘One Family at a Time’ study by the UN International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) stated that about 200 million migrants globally sent more than $445 billion dollars as remittances in 2016 to their families. Remittance flows have grown over the last decade from $296 billion in 2007 to $445 billion in 2016. It has risen at a rate averaging 4.2 per cent annually. The study is the first-ever of a 10-year trend in migration and remittance flows over the period 2007-2016. The report has made several recommendations for improving public policies and outlines proposals for partnerships with the private sector to reduce costs and create opportunities for migrants and their families to use their money more productively.

A tiger reserve has two zones – core and buffer. In the buffer zone, human activity is allowed.

PSLV is a four-stage vehicle, GSLV is three-stage vehicle.

Semi-cryogenic engine generally runs on kerosene and liquid oxygen. They are environmental friendly and provide a low-cost launch service.

NEERI falls under the Ministry of Science and Technology (India) of central government.

The G20 Digital Ministerial Meeting on Digital Economy was held in Dusseldorf, Germany. Ministers responsible for the digital economy from G20 countries had participated in it. It concluded with adaptation of declaration on ‘Shaping Digitalisation for an Interconnected World’.

Key Features of the declaration

• It talks about the need for greater availability of affordable broadband connectivity, broader adoption of digital technologies and services improved digital skills and literacy, greater digital entrepreneurship for the digital economy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
• It includes three annex papers on ‘Digital skills in vocational education and training’, ‘A Roadmap for Digitalisation: Policies for a Digital Future’ and ‘G20 Priorities on Digital Trade’.

It calls for collaboration between the countries and all stakeholders, including academia and private sector and sharing of best practices forms. It calls for greater support for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which might be constrained by their scale in adoption of digital technologies.

Konkan, also known as the Konkan Coast or Kokan, is a rugged section of the western coastline of India. It is a 720 km long coastline. It consists of the coastal districts of the western Indian states of Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.

Abhang or abhanga is a form of devotional poetry sung in praise of the Hindu god Vitthala, also known as Vithoba. The word “abhang” comes from a for “non-” and bhang for “ending” or “interrupting”, in other words, a flawless, continuous process, in this case referring to a poem.By contrast, the devotional songs known as Bhajans focus on the inward journey. Abhangs are more exuberant expressions of the communitarian experience.Abhanga is considered a form of the ovi. Abhangs are sung during pilgrimage to the temples of Pandharpur, by the devotees.

It is said that over 5000 Abhangas were written by Sant Tukaram.

What is AIP module?

• The AIP module is being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
• The module enables conventional submarines to stay remain underwater for a longer duration
• It greatly increases the submarines stealth characteristics

Zero defect zero effect scheme:

• It is a new initiative launched by the Narendra Modi led NDA government
• The scheme is for MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) Sector to increase the quality of products matching global standards
• The main objective of ZED scheme is to reduce the bad effect of products on environment
• Under the scheme, MSME sector is urged to make products improving the brand image of the country.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) is a quasi-judicial body in India that adjudicates issues relating to companies in India. The NCLT was established under the Companies Act 2013 and was constituted on 1 June 2016.

Election process: The President is indirectly elected by the people through elected members of both the houses of the Parliament of India, the Legislative Assemblies of all the states of India and the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Puducherry, as well as, the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi

Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush as an accessory to clean and … Some brands contain powdered white mica, which acts as a mild abrasive, and also adds a cosmetically pleasing glittery shimmer to the paste.

Vanuatu; officially the Republic of Vanuatu is a Pacific island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some 1,750 kilometres (1,090 mi) east of northern Australia, 540 kilometres (340 mi) northeast of New Caledonia, east of New Guinea, southeast of the Solomon Islands, and west of Fiji.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has recently approved the membership of Argentina, the Republic of Madagascar and the Kingdom of Tonga at its 2nd annual meeting of Board of Governors in Jeju, South Korea, June 16, 2017. The three prospective members will officially join the AIIB once they complete the required domestic processes and deposit the first installment of capital with the bank. The 2017 AIIB annual meeting was held under the theme of “Sustainable Infrastructure,” seeking strategic directions of the international infrastructure bank and making major decisions on the bank’s management.

Election process: The Court consists of 15 judges who are elected to nine-year terms by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. In order to be elected, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of the votes in both bodies.

Privileges: As a judge of the ICJ, Justice Bhandari will enjoy privileges and immunities equal to the head of a diplomatic mission. Each member of the Court receives an annual salary and supplementary allowance. After leaving the court, members receive annual pensions.

The Indian Skimmer is an endangered fresh water bird species. The Chambal River is the only breeding ground for the bird. The colourful bird, with a black cap and orange bill, was once widely found in major rivers and estuaries. But it is now mainly seen in and around the National Chambal (Gharial) Wildlife Sanctuary, spread across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

In astronomy and astrobiology, the circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ), or simply the habitable zone (Goldilocks Zone), is the region around a star within which planetary-mass objects with sufficient atmospheric pressure can support liquid water at their surfaces. Researchers are finding that life can thrive in some unexpected places.

The People’s Republic of China and Israel are not members, but they have aligned their export controls with Wassenaar lists, and are significant arms exporters. 

New amendment: In December 2013, the list of export restricted technologies was amended to include internet-based surveillance systems. New technologies placed under the export control regime include “intrusion software”—software designed to defeat a computer or network’s protective measures so as to extract data or information—as well as IP network surveillance systems.

Poland has the highest air pollution levels among all European Union (EU) countries. As per report several Polish cities did not meet EU air purity standards. In many towns, the concentration of harmful particles in the air exceeded the standards several times.

Joint sitting is summoned by the President to settle a deadlock between the two Houses on a bill. The bill is passed by a simple majority i.e. majority of the number of members present and voting.