QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 30 June 2017

Solution: c.

The Diplomat: The Doklam Plateau lies immediately east of Indian defences in Sikkim. Chinese occupation of Doklam would turn the flank of Indian defences completely. This piece of dominating ground not only has a commanding view of the Chumbi Valley but also overlooks the Silguri Corridor further to the east.

TH: Rawat in Sikkim as China demands troop withdrawal;

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Solution: b.

• Originally, the  Constitution  (Article  105)  expressedly mentioned two privileges, that is, freedom of speech  in  Parliament  and  right  of  publication  of  its proceedings. With regard  to other privileges, it provided that they were to be the same as those of the British House of Commons, its committees and its members on the date of its commencement (ie, 26 January, 1950), until defined by Parliament.
• The 44th Amendment  Act  of  1978  provided  that  the  other  privileges  of  each  House  of  Parliament,  its committees and its members are to be those which they had on the date of its commencement (ie, 20 June, 1979), until defined by Parliament.
• This means that the position with regard to other privileges remains In other  words, the amendment has made only verbal changes by dropping a direct reference to the British House of Commons, without making any change in the implication of the provision.
• In 2008, the Committee of Privileges of Lok Sabha felt that there was no need for codification. It noted that the House had recommended punishment only five times since the first Lok Sabha, and that allegations of misuse of its powers were due to a lack of understanding of its procedures.

TH: Making the house rules;

Indian Polity by M Laxmikanth;

Solution: c.

The controversy over the Finance Bill, 2017, being passed as a money bill may have died down, but questions about the legality of the merger of several tribunals remain alive.

• The Bill included amendments to legislation on multiple subjects, in an attempt to rationalise the functioning of multiple tribunals.
• As a result, what used to be 26 tribunals are now down to 19. For instance, the Telecom Dispute Appellate Tribunal will also do the work of the Cyber Law Appellate Tribunal and the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority Appellate Tribunal.
• The bill (now act) also allows the central government to specify the appointments, tenure, removal, and reappointment of chairpersons and members of Tribunals through Rules (and not laws, as is the current method).

IE: How Finance Bill amendments affect tribunals;

TH: Cutting tribunals to size;

Solution: d.

At the centre of these ransomware outbreaks is a Microsoft Windows security vulnerability called EternalBlue. All other options given in the question refer to cyberattacks that have taken place in the past.

Wired: EternalBlue;

Improvisation: TH: Held to ransomware;

Solution: a.

In recognition of the notable contributions made by Late Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the fields of statistics, statistical system and economic planning, Government of India in 2007, designated 29^th June the birth anniversary of Prof. Mahalanobis as the “Statistics Day” in the category of Special Days to be celebrated every year at the National level. TCA Anant is the present Chief Statistician of India.

PIB: 11^th Statistics day celebrated;

Solution: c.

The legal metrology rules were framed to regulate pre-packaged commodities. Under these rules, manufacturers are required to comply with certain labelling requirements.

• With the recent amendments, the government has forbidden companies from selling the same product at different ‘maximum retail prices’ (unless allowed under any law), bringing relief to customers who have complained against a higher MRP being charged at airports, malls and cinemas (but not restaurants).
• The consumer affairs department has also ordered that medical devices such as stents, valves, orthopaedic implants, syringes and tools for operations will have to display MRP.
• So far, it was not mandatory for all medical devices declared as drugs to make mandatory declarations under the legal metrology rules. Even after capping of MRPs, many companies were not displaying (the MRP).
• The amendments will ensure that hospitals and chemists do not have a blank cheque to charge patients indiscriminately because the products did not carry an MRP on their label earlier.

ET: One product, one MRP;

PIB: Amendments in the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011;