UPSC 2023: Weekly GK and Current Affairs Quiz Feb 11 - Feb 18

Causes of Inflation:

• A growing economy or increase in the supply of money – When consumers feel confident, they spend more and take on more debt. This leads to a steady increase in demand, which means higher prices.
• Asset inflation or Increase in Forex reserves– A sudden rise in exports forces a depreciation of the currencies involved.
• Government spending or Deficit financing by the government – When the government spends more freely, prices go up.
• Due to fiscal stimulus.
• Increased borrowing.
• Depreciation of rupee.
• Low unemployment rate.

Statement 1 is not correct – Higher interest rates discourage borrowings from the banks and in turn reduces the supply of money in the economy, thereby reducing inflation.

• Statement 1 is not correct – Consular, Passport and Visa Division (CPV Division), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India is the Central/Nodal Authority that administers the Extradition Act and it processes incoming and outgoing Extradition Requests.
• Statement 2 is not correct – Requests for extradition on behalf of the Republic of India can only be made by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, which formally submits the request for Extradition to the requested State through diplomatic channels. Extradition is not available at the request of members of the public.

• The question asks for incorrect statements.
• Statement 1 is incorrect – When a vote is cast, a slip is printed containing the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate and remains exposed through a transparent window for 7 seconds
• Statement 2 is correct.

• NALSA along with other Legal Services Institutions conducts Lok Adalats.
• Lok Adalat is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms; it is a forum where disputes/cases pending in the court of law or at the pre-litigation stage are settled/ compromised amicably.
• Lok Adalats have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. Under the said Act, the award (decision) made by the Lok Adalats is deemed to be a decree of a civil court and is final and binding on all parties and no appeal against such an award lies before any court of law.
• Lok Adalats can take up matters relating to ,
  • Mutation of land cases.
  • Compoundable criminal offences – Not all criminal cases
  • Family disputes – including matrimonial disputes
  • Consumer Grievance cases
  • Encroachment on forest lands.
  • Land acquisition disputes.
  • Motor accident claim
  • Cases which are not sub-judice.

• According to RBI, The objectives of setting up of Small Finance Banks (SFBs) will be to further financial inclusion by
  • Provision of savings vehicles
  • Supply of credit to small business units
  • Supply of credit to small and marginal farmers; micro and small industries; and other unorganized sector entities, through high technology-low cost operations.
• Statement 3 is incorrect – as there is no mention of “young entrepreneurs to set up business particularly in rural areas” in the guidelines.

• Statement 1 is correct. The proposal for the appointment of Administrator/Lt. Governor in the UTs is initiated by the Home Ministry and approval of the President of India is obtained through the Prime Minister of India.
• Statement 2 is not correct. As per Article 239, President appoints the administrator of a Union Territory. Hence, the concurrence of the Cabinet committee on appointments or the cabinet is not required.
• Statement 3 is not correct. People other than IAS officers can also be appointed as Administrators of Union Territories.

• India State of Forest Report (ISFR) is a biennial publication of the Forest Survey of India (FSI), an organization under the Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 is the 17th report in the series, and this report was first published in the year 1987.

• Statement 1 is not correct. The forest and the tree cover has increased by 2,261 square kilometres in India since its last assessment conducted in 2019.
• Statement 2 is correct. Area-wise Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in the country.
  • Top 5 states in terms of area:
    • Madhya Pradesh
    • Arunachal Pradesh
    • Chhattisgarh
    • Odisha
    • Maharashtra

• Statement 3 is correct. The total mangrove cover in the country has increased by 17 sq. km, to reach 4,992 sq. km. Top states showing mangrove cover increase are,
  • Odisha (8 sq km)
  • Maharashtra (4 sq km)
  • Karnataka (3 sq km)

• Asian Clearing Union (ACU) is a payment settlement forum whereby the participants settle payments for transactions that take place within the regions and this is facilitated through the participating central banks on a wider basis.
• Statement 1 is not correct. The Asian Clearing Union (ACU) was established at the initiative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
• Statement 2 is not correct. The foundation of the Asian Clearing Union (ACU), with headquarters in Tehran, Iran, was laid on December 9, 1974.

Read more about Asian Clearing Union.

Image source: https://www.spslandforces.com/

Mountain Passes: –

Hence Option A is correct.

• The Budget Session is the longest session of Parliament. Hence Statement 1 is correct.
• The Constitution empowers the President (NOT Speaker) to summon each House at such intervals that there should not be more than a six-month gap between the two sessions. Hence the Parliament must meet at least twice a year. Hence Statement 2 is not correct.
• The Constitution does not specify when or for how many days Parliament should meet. Article 85 only requires that there should not be a gap of more than six months between two sessions of Parliament. Hence Statement 3 is correct.

• The mahua is associated with the myths of the Gond tribe, and the liquor brewed from its flowers is considered sacred and forms a part of the offerings made to gods and goddesses. Hence Statement 1 is correct.
• Mahua is indigenous to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Myanmar (Fern, 2014). It is a frost-resistant species that can grow in marginal areas of dry tropical and subtropical forests.  Hence Statement 2 is not correct.

• The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a multidimensional statistical tool that measures the progress and failures in the fight against hunger on a global level and is used to describe the state of countries’ hunger situation.
• GHI is released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) based in Washington in association with Concern Worldwide of Ireland and Welthungerhilfe.

Hence Option D is correct.

• A Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode (FOLED) is a form of Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) that has an electroluminescent organic semiconductor placed on a flexible plastic substrate.
• The OLED is lightweight and has flexible plastic substrates.
• OLED displays can be made on flexible plastic substrates, which could lead to the development of flexible organic light-emitting diodes for novel applications like roll-up displays incorporated in fabrics or clothes.
• The displays could be made cheaply if a substrate like polyethylene terephthalate (PET) can be employed. Furthermore, plastic substrates are shatter-resistant.
• Hence all the Statements are correct.

• Sree Narayana Guru was a pioneer reformer who rejected the caste system and stressed the equality of man. He also gave the universal message, “One caste, one religion, one God.”
• Guru built many Hindu temples which were open to people from all castes and religions.
• In 1888, he built a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva at Aruvippuram which was against the caste-based restrictions of the time. When questioned by Brahmins on this deed, Guru replied that the Shiva he had consecrated was not a Brahmin.
• In one temple he consecrated at Kalavancode, he kept mirrors instead of idols. This symbolised his message that the divine was within each individual.
• He also founded an Advaita Ashram in Kalady.
• He was also a keen educator and stressed the importance of education for all. He taught Sanskrit and the Upanishads to students from all castes, including the ‘low caste’ students who were not permitted to study the scriptures.
• He also lent his support to the Vaikkom Satyagraha which was aimed at temple entry in Travancore for the lower castes. Mahatma Gandhi met Guru during this time.

• Matangini Hazra was an Indian revolutionary who participated in the Indian independence movement until she was shot dead by the British Indian police in front of the Tamluk Police Station on 29 September 1942.
• She was affectionately known as Gandhi buri, Bengali for old lady Gandhi.

• Kohima War Cemetery is a memorial dedicated to soldiers of the 2nd British Division of the Allied Forces who died in the Second World War at Kohima, the capital of Nagaland.

• As a tsunami leaves the deep water of the open ocean and travels into the shallower water near the coast, the tsunami’s speed diminishes and it may grow to be several meters or more in height near the coast

• The Global Gender Gap Report was first published in 2006 by the World Economic Forum. The Global Gender Gap Index is an index designed to measure gender equality.

• Foreign funding of persons in India is regulated under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Under the Act, registered NGOs can receive foreign contributions only for the purposes of/activity related to social, educational, religious, economic and cultural nature.
• The Act requires that the recipients of foreign contributions adhere to the stated purpose for which such contribution has been obtained. The money cannot be used for any other purpose.

• The Election Commission of India announces the dates for the state assembly elections.

• Kathak is one of the major forms of Indian classical dance.
• Kathak originated as a storytelling device for portraying the epic tales from Hindu scriptures, Mahabharata and Ramayana. Poetry was combined with rhythmic movement to aid in worshipful storytelling.
• Kathak is indigenous to northern India and developed under the influence of both Hindu and Muslim cultures. It was under the Mughal emperors and their nobles that Kathak was performed in the court, where it acquired its present features and developed into a form of dance with a distinctive style.
• Kathak is characterized by intricate footwork and precise rhythmic patterns that the dancer articulates by controlling ankle bells.

• India State of Forest report 2021 for the first time assessed forest cover in tiger reserves, tiger corridors and the Gir forest which houses the Asiatic lion.
• The first such forest survey was published in 1987 and the current 2021 edition is the 17^th edition of the survey.
• Under the survey, the forests are categorized into three types– very dense forests (canopy density over 70%), moderately dense forests (40-70%) and open forests (10-40%).

• The Swadeshi movement was launched in 1905 as a protest against the partition of Bengal. Swadeshi textile mills, soap, tobacco and match factories, tanneries, etc. were established under the swadeshi movement. Therefore the swadeshi movement contributed to the revival of the indigenous artisan crafts and industries.
• National Council of Education was established in Bengal in 1906 to promote technical education in India as part of the swadeshi movement.

• The Article 310 of the Indian Constitution deals with the tenure of office of persons serving the Union or a State.
• It states that except as expressly provided by this Constitution, every person who is a member of a defence service or of a civil service of the Union or of an all India service or holds any post connected with defence or any civil post under the Union, holds office during the pleasure of the President, and every person who is a member of a civil service of a State or holds any civil post under a State holds office during the pleasure of the Governor of the State.
• A civil servant cannot be dismissed or removed by an authority subordinate to that by which he was appointed.

• The eastern swamp deer is endemic to Kaziranga. Notably, though the overall population of the eastern swamp deer has decreased, the distribution of this species has increased beyond its traditional confines of the Kaziranga to even the Orang National Park and Laokhowa-Burachapori wildlife sanctuaries, both located in the state of Assam. The eastern swamp deer is extinct elsewhere in South Asia.
• The barasingha, also called swamp deer, is a deer species distributed in the Indian subcontinent. The IUCN status of Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii) is vulnerable.

• Sahyadria denisonii (Miss Kerala) is a native freshwater fish commonly found in Karnataka and Kerala. Also known as Denison barb/red-line torpedo barb, or roseline shark it is an endangered species of cyprinid fish.
• It is endemic to around 11 fast-flowing hill streams and rivers of the Western Ghat states of Kerala and Karnataka in India.

• The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis is currently a temporary non-statutory body that investigates the conditions of Safai Karamcharis and makes recommendations to the Government of India regarding their welfare.
• Recently the Cabinet approved the extension of tenure of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis for three years.
• National Commission for Safai Karamcharis can take suo-moto notice of all such matters that are in relation to the non-implementation of the provisions of Manual Scavengers Act 2013.