UPSC 2023: Weekly GK and Current Affairs Quiz Dec 31 - Jan 06

• An invasive species is an organism that has been brought into a new ecosystem and has grown overpopulated, adversely altering its surroundings.
• Invasive species have a negative impact on the habitats and bioregions they invade, inflicting ecological, environmental, and/or economic harm.
• Hence Option A is correct. 

• In 1994, the Maharashtra government established a 27% quota for OBCs in local bodies. Hence Statement 1 is correct. 
• All urban (Municipal Corporations, Councils, and Nagar Panchayat) and rural (Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, and Gram Panchayat) entities in the state were eligible for the 27% reservation. Hence Statement 2 is correct. 
• The 73rd and 74th constitutional amendment acts do not make it compulsory to provide OBC reservation in local bodies of the state. Hence Statement 3 is incorrect. 

• Lord Linlithgow, India’s viceroy, issued the Armed Forces Special Powers (Ordinance) on August 15, 1942, in response to Mahatma Gandhi’s Quit India Movement. Hence Statement 1 is correct. 
• After independence, Jawaharlal Nehru’s government passed the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (1958) in the Indian parliament in the wake of the Naga insurgency in Assam. Hence Statement 2 is correct. 
• Section 4 in the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 stands for Special Powers of the armed forces. It empowers the Army to search and arrest anyone without a warrant, to use lethal force, to demolish weapons and ammunition depots, fortifications, shelters, and hideouts, and to stop, search, and seize any vehicle. Hence Statement 3 is correct. 

• To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, India and Bangladesh are celebrating ‘Maitri Diwas.’
• Bangladesh was formally recognised as a new country by India on December 6 1971.
• Every year, the two countries observe this day as ‘Maitri Diwas,’ or ‘Friendship Day.’
• Hence Option B is correct.

• Statement 1: Correct. Sand is a minor mineral, as defined under section 3(e) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act).
• Statement 2: Incorrect. Section 15 of the MMDR Act empowers state governments to make rules for regulating the grant of mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals and for purposes connected therewith. The regulation of grant of mineral concessions for minor minerals is, therefore, within the legislative and administrative domain of the state governments.
• Statement 3: Correct. As per Section 15 of the MMDR Act, 1957, State Governments have been empowered to frame rules in respect of minor minerals for regulating the grant of quarry leases, mining leases or other mineral concessions in respect of minor minerals and for purposes connected therewith. Both as a consequence of this, and the fact that the States have been granted powers to frame rules regarding illegal mining in terms of Section 23C of MDMR Act, 1957, this is a subject which is entirely under the legislative and administrative jurisdiction of the States.

• The Model Code of Conduct is a collection of rules developed with the agreement of political parties that have agreed to adhere to the ideas reflected in the code, as well as to respect and observe it in its text and spirit. Hence Statement 1 is correct.
• The Model Code of Conduct applies to political parties and candidates during elections and is in effect from the moment the elections are declared by the Commission until the elections are completed. Hence Statement 2 is incorrect.
• These guidelines are not legally enforceable. Hence Statement 3 is incorrect.

• International IDEA (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance) is an international organization whose mission is to promote and enhance democracy across the world. Hence Statement 1 is correct.
• International IDEA works worldwide and is based in Stockholm, Sweden. It also has The Office of the Permanent Observer for International IDEA to the United Nations in New York and The Office of International IDEA to the European Union in Brussels. Hence Statement 2 is correct.
• India Joined International IDEA in 1995. Thus, India is not seeking membership in this organization. Hence Statement 3 is incorrect.

• Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) was launched for developing and strengthening the capacities of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for rural local governance to become more responsive towards local development needs. Hence Statement 1 is correct.
• It also looks into preparing the participatory plans that leverage technology, efficient and optimum utilization of available resources. Hence Statement 2 is correct.
• The key principles of SDGs are addressed by RGSA along with realizing sustainable solutions to local problems at the panchayat level. Hence Statement 3 is correct.

NASA launched its new Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD). LCRD is NASA’s first-ever laser communications system which will demonstrate all of the advantages of using laser systems. Hence Option B is correct.

Calcutta Unitarian Committee: 

• The Calcutta Unitarian Committee was founded in 1823 by Rammohun Roy, Dwarkanath Tagore, and William Adam.
• The Calcutta Unitarian Committee aimed to gather together influential Brahmins as well as European citizens of Calcutta who were Unitarian Christians, to promote religious monotheism. Hence Statement 1 is incorrect.

Tabernacle of New Dispensation: 

• In 1868, Keshub Chandra Sen laid the foundation stone of his new church, the Tabernacle of New Dispensation.
• He introduced into the church the Pilgrimage to saints, the Homa ceremony, the Baptismal ceremony, the Lord’s supper, etc.

Indian Reform Association: 

• On October 29, 1870, the Indian Reform Association was founded, with Keshub Chunder Sen as its first president. It represented the secular side of the Brahmo Samaj and had many non-Brahmo Samaj members.

Hence statements 2 and 3 are correct.

• It is a project to transfer excess water from the River Ken to the Betwa basin through the use of a concrete canal. The project aims to provide irrigation to the Bundelkhand region, which is one of the worst drought-affected areas in India.
• Read more on Ken Betwa River Linking.

• The following products have been notified under mandatory labelling.
  • Frost Free (No-Frost) Refrigerator
  • Tubular Fluorescent Lamps
  • Room Air Conditioners
  • Distribution Transformers
  • Room Air Conditioners (Cassette, Floor Standing Tower, Ceiling, Corner AC)
  • Direct Cool Refrigerator
  • Electric Geysers
  • Colour TV
  • Room Air Conditioners (Inverter type)
  • LED lamps

• The Bill provides that every ART clinic and bank must be registered under the National Registry of Banks and Clinics of India.
  • The National Registry will be established under the Bill and will act as a central database with details of all ART clinics and banks in the country
• The registration will be valid for five years and can be renewed for a further five years.
  • Registration may be cancelled or suspended if the entity contravenes the provisions of the Bill.
• A bank can obtain semen from males between 21 and 55 years of age, and oocytes from females between 23 and 35 years of age. An oocyte donor should be an ever-married woman having at least one alive child of her own (minimum three years of age).  The woman can donate oocytes only once in her life and not more than seven oocytes can be retrieved from her.
  • A bank cannot supply the gamete of a single donor to more than one commissioning couple (couple seeking services).

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood.
• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) conducted a pilot launch with 21 member banks in 2016.

• The Fifth Schedule contains provisions in relation to the administration and control of scheduled areas and scheduled tribes.
• Know more about the Schedules of the Indian Constitution.

• Zero Hour is not mentioned in the Rules of Procedure. Thus, it is an informal device available to MPs to raise matters without any notice 10 days in advance.
• Zero Hour is the time when Members of Parliament (MPs) can raise Issues of Urgent Public Importance. For raising matters during the Zero Hour, MPs must give the notice before 10 am to the Speaker/Chairman on the day of the sitting. The notice must state the subject they wish to raise in the House. However, Speaker, Lok Sabha/Chairman, Rajya Sabha may allow or decline a member to raise a matter of importance.
• Zero Hour was not taken from Japan, but it remains an Indian innovation. It has been in existence since 1962.
• Read more on Zero Hour in the link.

• To become a member of a State Legislative Council (MLC), a person must be a citizen of India, at least 30 years old, mentally sound, not an insolvent, and must be enrolled on the voters’ list of the state for which he or she is contesting an election.
• The members of the State Legislative Council elect the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the State Legislative Council. It is not nominated by the Governor.
• As of 2021, 6 out of 28 states have a State Legislative Council. These are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The latest state to have a council is Telangana.

• Point source water pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway from a single, identifiable source, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category include discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, oil refinery, or a city storm drain.

• Payments bank is a new form of bank created under the purview of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Payments banks can accept a limited deposit of ₹100,000 per customer and may be increased further. These banks cannot lend loans and issue credit cards but they can offer services such as net banking, ATM cards, debit banks and Mobile Banking.
• A time deposit is an interest-bearing bank account that has a date of maturity, such as a certificate of deposit (CD). The payment banks cannot accept time deposits.

Economic Liberty is not explicitly provided for in the Preamble to the Constitution. The short text hereunder:

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;

• A Soil Health Card is used to assess the current state of soil health and, over time, to detect changes in soil health caused by land management. The card will provide an advisory based on a farmer’s holding’s soil nutrient level. Hence Statement 1 is correct.
• The scheme will monitor the soil of the farmers well and will give them a formatted report.
• The soil card will give the farmers a proper idea of which nutrients their soil is lacking.
• The main aim behind the scheme was to find out the type of particular soil. And then provide ways in which we can improve it.
• The Soil Health Card does not provide insurance coverage and it does not aim to expand the cultivable area under irrigation. Hence Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect.

• The North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) has launched the ‘Atmanirbhar Hastshilpkar’ initiative to help artisans in the Northeast.  Hence Statement 1 is incorrect.
• The scheme’s goal is to give financial support in the form of a term loan for revenue-generating activities.
• The scheme provides a credit facility that is collateral-free and has a subsidized interest rate of 6% p.a., with a repayment term of 24 months. Hence Statement 2 is correct.

• The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana is a national initiative jointly run by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Education. 
• Each body is accountable for different aspects of the scheme.
• Budgetary control and administration of the BBBP falls under the MoWCD’s purview. However, capacity building and quality control are responsibilities of the MoH&FW.
•  Hence Option C is correct.

• The Royal Gold Medal for Architecture is presented yearly on behalf of the British monarch by the Royal Institute of British Architects in appreciation of an individual’s or group’s significant contribution to world architecture.

• The Goods & Services Tax (GST) is a value-added tax applied on the majority of goods and services. GST is a destination-based tax which aims to create a single market in India. Hence Statement 1 is correct. 
• The GST Bill was initially proposed in India as the 122nd Constitutional Amendment Bill in 2014. Because of crude oil imports and the OPEC cartel that manipulates its pricing, GST is unlikely to ‘dramatically’ lower the current account deficit. As a result, statement 2 is erroneous. India will not be able to overcome China in the foreseeable future since it will need currency depreciation and labour exploitation. Hence Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect.

The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is the principal organization of the Government of India’s Ministry of Defense. The Defense Science Organization was founded in 1958 by the amalgamation of the Technical Development Establishment and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production of the Indian Ordnance Factories. The DRDO has teamed up with Israel and not France Military Industries to develop the Trajectory Correction System on Pinaka.

Hence Option A is correct.

• Buxa Tiger Reserve (B.T.R.) is located in the Alipurduar Sub-division of West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri District. Located in the Buxa Hills in Bhutan’s southern hilly region. Hence Statement 1 is incorrect.
• Its northern border is parallel to Bhutan’s international border. Hence Statement 2 is correct.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority has designated the Buxa Tiger Reserve for the tiger augmentation programme. Hence Statement 3 is correct.

• Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, also known as Thiruvaranga Tirupati, is one of the country’s most prominent Vaishnava temples, devoted to Ranganatha, a reclining form of the Hindu god, Bhagwan (God or Lord) Vishnu.
• Hence Option C is correct.

• Chakmas and Hajongs originated from the Chittagong Hill Tracts in former East Pakistan. They fled their homeland after the Kaptai dam project drowned it in the 1960s. The bulk of them were transferred to the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA), which is now Arunachal Pradesh.
• Hence Option D is correct.

Scientists sifting through the genomes of people scattered across the islands of south-east Asia have found echoes of ancient pairings with not just one, but three separate populations of the archaic hominins known as Denisovans. First discovered in 2010, the Denisovans are a relatively recent addition to the human family tree.