UPSC 2024: Weekly GK and Current Affairs Quiz Mar 23 - Mar 29

• Pair 01 is correctly matched, Operation Barkhane was an anti-insurgent operation from 2014 to November 2022 led by the French military against Islamist groups in Africa’s Sahel region.
• Pair 02 is incorrectly matched, Operation Infinite Reach was the codename for American cruise missile strikes on Al-Qaeda bases in Sudan and Afghanistan on August 20, 1998.
• Pair 03 is correctly matched, Operation Turus is the code name of the British military operation to assist Nigeria during the Boko Haram insurgency. It was launched in April 2014 in response to the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping which saw over a hundred schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram, a jihadist terrorist organisation in Nigeria.
• Pair 04 is correctly matched, The United States invasion of Grenada in October 1983 was codenamed Operation Urgent Fury. The United States and a coalition of six Caribbean nations invaded the island nation of Grenada, 100 miles (160 km) north of Venezuela.

• Pair 01 is correctly matched, The Battle of Chausa took place between Humayun and Sher Shah Suri. It was fought on 26 June 1539 at Chausa, near Buxar, Bihar.
• Pair 02 is correctly matched, The Battle of Haldighati was a battle fought on 18 June 1576 between the Mewar forces led by Maharana Pratap, and the Mughal forces of Akbar led by Man Singh I of Amber.
• Pair 03 is correctly matched, The Battle of Karnal (24 February 1739) was fought between Nadir Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran, during his invasion of India and the army of Muhammad Shah near Karnal in Haryana.

Protests in Myanmar, known locally as the Spring Revolution began in early 2021 in opposition to the coup on 1 February, staged by the commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces.

• Statement 01 is correct, Probiotics are a combination of live beneficial bacteria and/or yeasts that naturally live in your body. Probiotic food contains live bacteria which are considered beneficial to humans.
• Statement 02 is correct, Probiotic food is made up of good bacteria that help keep the body healthy and working well. They help in maintaining gut flora.

• Statement 01 is correct, Electoral Bond would be a bearer instrument in the nature of a Promissory Note and an interest-free banking instrument. A citizen of India or a body incorporated in India will be eligible to purchase the bond.
• Statement 02 is correct, Electoral bonds are purchased anonymously by donors and are valid for 15 days from the date of issue. No limit exists on the number of electoral bonds that a person (including corporate entities) can purchase.
• Statement 03 is incorrect, The amount of bonds not encashed within the validity period of fifteen days shall be deposited by the authorised bank to the Prime Minister Relief Fund (PMRF).

• Statement 01 is incorrect,  Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act established the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of India and State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each state.
• Statement 02 is correct,  The payments made for compensatory afforestation, net present value and others related to the project will be deposited in the fund. As per the rules, 90% of the CAF money is to be given to the states while 10% is to be retained by the Centre.

• Statement 01 is correct, The POCSO Act does not provide for any period of limitation for reporting the child sexual offences.
• Statement 02 is correct, Mandatory reporting obligation imposed under Section 19 requires every person who suspects or has knowledge of a sexual offence being committed against a child to report it to the local police or the Special Juvenile Police Unit. The act not only punishes the perpetrator of sexual abuse, but also penalises those who have failed to report the offence with either imprisonment or a fine or both.
• Statement 03 is correct,  Section 23 of the POCSO Act prohibits disclosure of the victim’s identity in any form of media, except when permitted by the special courts established under the act.

• Statement 01 is incorrect, The election of Deputy Speaker shall be held on such date as the Speaker may fix and the Secretary shall send to every member notice of the date fixed.
• Statement 02 is incorrect, M. A. Ayyangar  served as the First Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

The HAL Dhruv is a utility helicopter designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in November 1984. Dhruv entered service in 2002. It is designed to meet the requirement of both military and civil operators, with military variants of the helicopter being developed for the Indian Armed Forces, while a variant for civilian/commercial use has also been developed. Military versions in production include transport, utility, reconnaissance and medical evacuation variants.

• Statement 1 is correct, India stands 4th globally in Renewable Energy Installed Capacity as per Renewables 2022 Global Status Report.
• Statement 2 is not correct, India during COP26 promised to cut its emissions to net zero by 2070.
• Statement 3 is correct, India had submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2015 which India revised and updated in August 2022.
• Statement 4 is correct, The concept of ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) was introduced by the Indian Prime Minister at COP26 in Glasgow.

• Structural transformation is defined as the transition of an economy from low productivity and labour-intensive economic activities to higher productivity and skill intensive activities.
• The driving force behind structural transformation is the change of productivity.

• Statement 1 is not correct, The term “Hindu rate of growth” was coined by Professor Rajkrishna.
• Statement 2 is correct, The Hindu rate of growth is a term referring to the low annual growth rate of the economy of India before the economic reforms of 1991, which stagnated around 3.5% from 1950s to 1980s, while per capita income growth averaged around 1.3%.

• Statement 1 is correct, Rigvedic Aryans used the coat of mail and helmet in warfare whereas the people of Indus Valley Civilization did not leave any evidence of using them.
  • However, there is evidence of people of Indus Valley Civilization using axes, chisels, arrows, spears, knives, etc.
• Statement 2 is not correct, Rigvedic Aryans were aware of gold, silver and copper
  • On the other hand, Indus Valley civilization people were not aware of iron but they knew about gold, copper, silver, and bronze.
• Statement 3 is correct, Generally, it has been accepted that the Indus Valley people were not aware of the horse. However, there have been studies recently which have indicated that they were aware of this animal.

• Statement 1 is not correct, Recently, India has proposed to launch a mega global alliance under its leadership to protect big cats and assured support over five years with guaranteed funding of $100 million (over Rs 800 crores).
• Statement 2 is correct, The proposed International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) will work towards the protection and conservation of the seven major big cats namely Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah.
  • The membership to the IBCA will be open to 97 “range” countries, which contain the natural habitat of these big cats and also to other interested nations and organisations.
• Statement 3 is correct, After the first five years, which will be supported by India’s “total grant assistance” of $100 million, the IBCA is expected to sustain itself through membership fees, and contributions from bilateral and multilateral institutions and the private sector.

• Statement 1 is correct, The Great Indian Bustard is one of the heaviest flying birds in the world and has disappeared from 90% of its habitat except in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
  • According to reports, less than 150 Great Indian Bustards survive currently in India.
• Statement 2 is correct, Great Indian Bustard is listed under the “critically endangered” category of the IUCN Red list.
• Statement 3 is correct, The Supreme Court in 2021 directed that all “low-voltage” power lines, in areas demarcated as “priority and potential habitats of the Great Indian Bustard” in the Thar and Kutch deserts, be pushed underground.

• The Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing (SWAMIH) Investment Fund is sponsored by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India,
• The SWAMIH is managed by SBICAP Ventures Ltd., which is a company of the State Bank Group.
• SWAMIH is a Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) registered Category-II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) which was announced by the Finance Minister in September 2019 and approved by the Cabinet in November 2019.
• The SWAMIH Investment Fund is a social impact fund specifically formed for completing stressed and stalled residential projects.
• As per the Finance Ministry, SWAMIH Fund has one of the largest domestic real estate private equity teams focused on funding and monitoring the completion of stressed housing projects.

• Statement 1 is not correct, The Armed Forces Tribunal is a military tribunal of India and a statutory body established in August 2009 under the Armed Forces Tribunal Act 2007.
• Statement 2 is correct, Each Bench comprises a Judicial Member and an Administrative Member.
  • The Judicial Members are retired High Court Judges.
  • The Administrative Members are retired members of the Armed Forces who have held the rank of Major General/equivalent or above for a period of three years or more.
  • Further, Judge Advocate General (JAG), who has held the appointment for at least one year is also entitled to be appointed as the Administrative Member.
• Statement 3 is correct, Paramilitary forces including the Assam Rifles and Coast Guard are outside the tribunal’s purview.

• Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is an anti-ballistic missile system of the US army.
• THAAD is a transportable system that intercepts ballistic missiles during their final, or terminal, phase of flight.
• THAAD incorporates an X-band radar, the AN/TPY-2, and a single-stage, hit-to-kill interceptor to defeat ballistic missiles inside or outside of the atmosphere.

• Pritzker Prize is awarded annually “to honour a living architect or architects whose work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture.”
• Founded in 1979 by Jay A. Pritzker and his wife Cindy, the award is funded by the Pritzker family and sponsored by the Hyatt Foundation.
• It is often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture.
• The prize is said to be awarded “irrespective of nationality, race, creed, or ideology.”

• Statement 1 is correct, India is committed to increasing its carbon sink by 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030, but it has not formally submitted to the UNFCCC the clarification that the baseline year for this would be 2005.
• Statement 2 is correct, India has committed to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.
• Statement 3 is correct, As per the Forest Survey of India (FSI), the country’s forests and tree cover had a carbon sink of 29.38 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2015.
  • Further, this was projected to increase in a business-as-usual scenario i.e. without the intervention of any fresh effort to 31.87 billion tonnes in 2030.

• Statement 1 is correct, The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) was established in 1994 as an autonomous institution of the University Grants Commission (UGC) which conducts assessment and accreditation of Higher Educational Institutions (HEI).
• Statement 2 is correct, The grades issued by NAAC range from A++ to C. If an institution is graded D, it means it is not accredited.
• Statement 3 is not correct, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), with a record of at least two batches of students who graduated, or have been in existence for six years, whichever is earlier, are eligible to apply for the process of Assessment and Accreditation (A&A) of NAAC.

• Statement 1 is correct, Chabahar Port is located in Sistan and Baluchestan province in the Southeastern part of Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.
• Statement 2 is correct, Chabahar Port is the only Iranian port with direct access to the ocean.
• Statement 3 is correct, Chabahar Port provides India with better connectivity to Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan using a sea-land route.

• Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical produced in large quantities for use primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics.
• Bisphenol A (BPA) is found in various products such as shatterproof windows, eyewear, water bottles, and water supply pipes.
• Exposure to BPA is a concern because of the possible health effects on the brain and prostate gland of foetuses, infants and children.
• The primary source of exposure to BPA for most people is through diet while air, dust, and water are other possible sources of exposure.

• Three of the legislative council members resigned in protest to the passage of the Rowlatt Act. They were Madan Mohan Malviya, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Mazhar ul Haq.

• Statement 1 is correct, NPDRR is a multi-stakeholder platform constituted by the Government of India to facilitate dialogue, sharing experiences, views, ideas, action-oriented research & explore opportunities in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction.
• Statement 2 is not correct, NPDRR is chaired by the Union Home Minister.
  • The Minister of State in charge of Disaster Management in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Vice-Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) are the Vice Chairpersons of NPDRR.
  • The other members of NPDRR include 15 Cabinet Ministers, Vice Chairman of  NITI Aayog, Disaster Management Ministers of each State Government/UT, representatives of Local Self-Governments and Parliament, Heads of institutions of national importance, persons representing industry, media representatives, civil society organizations and international representatives.

• Statement 1 is correct, The main vision of the Sagarmala Programme is to reduce logistics costs for EXIM and domestic trade with minimal infrastructure investment.
• Statement 2 is not correct, The Sagarmala programme is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to promote port-led development in the country by harnessing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes.
• Statement 3 is correct, To have effective mechanisms at the state level for coordinating and facilitating Sagarmala-related projects, the State Governments are suggested to set up a State Sagarmala Committee to be headed by the Chief Minister.

• Statement 1 is not correct, The Vice-President is elected by an electoral college consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament, in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote and the voting in such election is by secret ballot.
• Statement 2 is not correct, the oath of office to the Vice President is administered by the President of India or some person appointed on his behalf.
• Statement 3 is not correct, The election to fill a vacancy in the office of Vice President occurring by reason of his death, resignation or removal, or otherwise shall be held as soon as possible after the occurrence of the vacancy.
  • The person so elected is entitled to hold office for a full term of 5 years from the date he/she enters office.

• Statement 1 is not correct, There are a total of 48 countries that are members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
• Statement 2 is not correct, India is not a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as China has constantly opposed India’s NSG membership mainly on the grounds that India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

• Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) is a 14-digit – Alpha–numeric unique ID for each land parcel based on geo-coordinates of vertices of the parcel conceptualized in 2020-21.
  • The identification will be based on the longitude and latitude coordinates of the land parcel, and is dependent on detailed surveys and geo-referenced cadastral maps.
• This is of international standard and complies with Electronic Commerce Code Management Association (ECCMA) standard and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standard.