UPSC 2021: Weekly GK and Current Affairs Quiz Jul 03 - Jul 09

1 and 3 only are correct. President of India appoints Attorney General for a term which is decided by President. He can be removed by the president at any time. There is no procedure or ground mentioned in the Constitution for his removal. He shall hold office during the pleasure of the President, and shall receive such remuneration as the President may determine. He enjoys all the privileges and immunities that are available to a Member of Parliament. AG has the right to take part in a meeting of any committee of the Parliament of which he is named as a member, but without a right to vote.

Wari-Warkari is a Maharashtrian festival celebrated by the Warkari sect. It is a tradition within the Bhakti spiritual movement of Vaishnavaite Hinduism. It is geographically associated with the state of Maharashtra.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Hydrogen sulfide is a colourless chalcogen hydride gas with a characteristic foul odour. It is very poisonous, corrosive, and flammable. Hydrogen sulfide is used primarily to produce sulfuric acid and sulfur. It is also used to create a variety of inorganic sulfides used to create pesticides, leather, dyes, and pharmaceuticals. Hydrogen sulfide is used to produce heavy water for nuclear power plants

Both statements are correct.

Lepidopterists in Arunachal Pradesh have added two species to India’s expanding list of butterflies.

1. Striped Hairstreak: was first recorded by Japanese entomologists in the Hainan province of China. It was located in Vijaynagar bordering Myanmar.
2. Elusive Prince: has a Vietnamese connection and was thought to be the more familiar Black Prince found in the Eastern Himalayas. It was located on the periphery of the Namdapha National Park.

All the statements are correct.

SPG was formed in 1985 after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as an executive body on the recommendation of the Birbal Nath committee. The SPG Act was enacted by Parliament in 1988.

Both statements are correct. Namdapha National Park is located in the Changlang district of the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
It was declared a tiger reserve and national park in 1983. It is located between the Patkai range and the Dapha Bum range of Mishmi Hills.

All three are correct.

1. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS): Established by the UNCLOS, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent judicial body that adjudicates disputes arising out of the convention.
2. International Seabed Authority: It was formed in 1994 under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982) for regulating the exploration and exploitation of marine non-living resources of oceans in international waters.
3. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS): Established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, CLCS is responsible for facilitating the implementation of UNCLOS with respect to the establishment of the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.

Statement 2 is incorrect.

• The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (commonly known as the United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT)) is an international human rights treaty, under the review of the United Nations, that aims to prevent torture and other acts of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment around the world.
• India signed the convention in 1997 but it remains among a handful of countries including Pakistan and China which are yet to ratify the convention.

1, 2 and 4 only are correct. There are three tiger reserves in Uttar Pradesh. They are Amangarh in Bijnor, Pilibhit and Dudhwa in Lakhimpur-Kheri.

Statement 2 is only correct. Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) is an initiative by the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs started in 2004 with the assistance of the World Bank. It is a unit under the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

All the statements are correct. Nagarhole National Park is a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. In 1999, it was declared the 37th tiger reserve of India. River Kabini separates Bandipur National Park from Nagarhole National Park.

Statements 2 and 3 only are correct. Tiwas are recognized as a Scheduled tribe within the state of Assam. But they still do not have the ST status in the state of Meghalaya. They follow the “Slash and Burn” method of farming. Wanchuwa festival is one of the most important celebrations for the Tiwa tribe.

Dharma Guardian is a Joint Military Exercise between India and Japan being conducted in India since 2018.

Statements 2 and 3 only are correct. Infant mortality rate (IMR) is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births of children under one year of age. India’s average IMR has dropped by one point to 32. The country’s average stands at 36 deaths for rural and 23 for urban areas. The infant mortality rate (IMR) in Madhya Pradesh has increased to 48 in 2018, stymying an improving annual trend for at least six years. Madhya Pradesh has the country’s worst IMR. Kerala which has the lowest IMR among the bigger states has decreased its IMR by three points to 7.

• The Logistics Performance Index (LPI) is a benchmarking tool created by the World Bank to help countries identify the challenges and opportunities they face in their performance on trade logistics and what they can do to improve their performance.
• It is the weighted average of the country scores on six key dimensions: efficiency of the clearance process by border control agencies; quality of trade and transport related infrastructure; ease of arranging competitively priced shipments; competence and quality of logistics services (e.g., transport operators, customs brokers); ability to track and trace consignments; timeliness of shipments in reaching destination within the scheduled or expected delivery time.
• The Logistics Performance Index is reported by the World Bank every two years.
• The LPI is based on a worldwide survey of stakeholders on the ground providing feedback on the logistics “friendliness” of the countries in which they operate and those with which they trade.

• Kanger Ghati National Park (also called Kanger Valley National Park) is located in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
• The park derives its name from the Kanger River, which flows through it.
• The Kanger Valley National Park is noted for its highly heterogeneous land formations ranging from low flat and gentle areas to steep slopes, plateaus, valleys and stream courses.

Ophicordyceps are a type of fungi.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The ‘Nodal Ministry’ in the central government for the management of natural disasters is the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Disaster Management Act, 2005 calls for the establishment of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) with the Prime Minister as chairperson. Read more on the Disaster Management Act.

2 and 3 only are correct.

• Kalbeliya dance is a folk dance of Rajasthan.
• This dance performance is accredited by UNESCO as an Intangible Heritage.
• The Kalbelia is almost exclusively performed by females.
• The traditional occupation of the Kalbelia tribes is catching snakes and trading snake venom. Hence, the dance movements and the costumes of their community bear a resemblance to serpents.

All the mangoes mentioned above have been accorded the Geographical Indication tag.

            Mango             State

1. Jardalu mango – Bihar
2. Hapus mango – Maharashtra
3. Laxmanbhog mango – West Bengal
4. Banaganapalle mango – Andhra Pradesh
5. Appemidi mango – Karnataka

Both statements are correct. A current account deficit indicates that a country is importing more than it is exporting. Current account deficit may cause depreciation as there is greater demand for imports and foreign currency. When the current account deficit increases, it leads to an increased supply of a nation’s currency in the foreign exchange markets. Therefore, in the currency market, there will be an outward shift of supply. This might lead to the external value of the currency falling causing depreciation. Current account deficit is an indication of an uncompetitive economy. It may imply the economy is becoming uncompetitive and the exchange rate relatively overvalued.

The Bhakti saint who witnessed the fall of the Lodi dynasty was Guru Nanak (1469 – 1539).

Only 1 is correctly matched.

• Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary is located in Tamil Nadu.
• Pench Tiger Reserve is located in Madhya Pradesh.
• Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Assam.

All the statements are incorrect.

• The original Constitution did not contain provisions with respect to tribunals. The 42^nd Amendment Act of 1976 added a new Part which deals with tribunals.
• Parliament alone, by passing a law can establish tribunals under Article 323 A.
  • Article 323-A of the Constitution provides for the establishment of administrative tribunals by a parliament law for the adjudication or trial of disputes and complaints relating to the recruitment and conditions of service of government servants under the central government and the state government including the employee of any local or other authority within the territory of India or under the control of the government of India or of a corporation owned or controlled by the government.
• The chairman and members of the State Administrative Tribunals (SATs) are appointed by the President after consultation with the Governor of the state concerned.

All five are correct. The chairman and members of the National Human Rights Commission are appointed by the President on the recommendations of a committee consisting of:

• Prime Minister
• Speaker of the Lok Sabha
• Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
• Leaders of the Opposition in both the Houses of Parliament
• Central Home Minister

All three are correct. In India, shale gas resources are found in Cambay Basin, Cauvery Basin as well as Krishna-Godavari Basin.