QUIZ – 2017: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 24 JANUARY 2018

Solution: b.

The position and power of the Governor vis-à-vis the Council of Ministers has always been an area of dispute in determining the extent of the discretion of the Governor. This question has been dealt extensively in the landmark case of Shamsher Singh v. State of Punjab.

“In Shamsher Singh v. State of Punjab, the Supreme Court quoted the opinion of the first Attorney General of India, M.C. Setalvad, that the principle that the President (or the Governor) is guided by the aid and advice of the Cabinet covered every function ‘whether it relates to addressing the House or returning a Bill for reconsideration, or assenting or withholding assent’..”

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/at-whose-discretion/article22500190.ece;

—

Solution: b.

What does ‘Dove’ mean? (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dove.asp)

Dove refers to an economic policy advisor who promotes monetary policies that involve low interest rates, based on the belief that low interest rates increase employment… Doves prefer low interest rates as a means of encouraging economic growth because they tend to increase demand for consumer borrowing and spur consumer spending. As a result, doves believe the negative effects of low interest rates are relatively negligible.. On the other hand, a ‘hawk’ generally favours relatively high interest rates in order to keep inflation in check.

In the news (http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/a-risky-recovery/article22500298.ece): “It is no secret that since the 2008 financial crisis the global economy has been propped up mainly by the unprecedented easy money policies adopted by global central banks… Such a recovery comes with the inherent risk of being derailed whenever easy monetary conditions that fuelled it cease to exist.. the possible end to the era of abundant liquidity and debt-fuelled economic activity is likely to cause disruption by affecting asset prices.. it seems the day of reckoning may not be too far as consumer price inflation begins to push central banks to rethink their dovish stance..”

Regarding Statement 2 (http://www.livemint.com/Politics/9fx4v1xGMkvCk05WLP78GO/IMF-sees-India-GDP-growth-at-74-in-2018-Chinas-at-68.html): In 2017, China’s GDP growth rate of 6.8% was ahead of India’s at 6.7%, giving the former the tag of being the fastest growing emerging economy. The Indian economy, which grew at 7.1% in 2016, slowed in 2017 due to demonetisation in November 2016 and GST rollout on 1 July 2017.. In its latest World Economic Outlook update released on Monday ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the IMF projected India’s GDP growth rate at 7.4% in 2018 and 7.8% in 2019.

—

Solution: b.

Hosted by the Government of Brazil in 2015 in Brasilia, and co-sponsored by WHO, the 2nd Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety represented a historic opportunity to chart progress at the mid-point of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.

At the close of the Conference, the delegates adopted the “Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety” through which they agreed ways to halve road traffic deaths by the end of this decade – a key milestone within the new Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.6.

Additional Information about the Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety:

• It is a call to rethink transport policies in order to favour more sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling and using public transport.
• It highlights strategies to ensure the safety of all road users, particularly by improving laws and enforcement; making roads safer through infrastructural modifications; ensuring that vehicles are equipped with life-saving technologies; and enhancing emergency trauma care systems.
• It encourages WHO and partners to facilitate the development of targets to reduce road traffic crashes and fatalities, and support the definition and use of indicators linked to the SDG targets related to road safety.

http://who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_traffic/Brasilia_Declaration/en/

Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/making-our-roads-safe/article22500313.ece;

Solution: d.

Neither statements are correct.

• A constitution amendment bill can be introduced in either House of Parliament (and not in state legislatures).
• Such a bill (to facilitate simultaneous elections) would have to be cleared by both Houses of Parliament by special majority followed by ratification of half of the state legislatures.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ec-pulled-up-for-backing-simultaneous-polls/article22491823.ece

Solution: c.

The Act-East Policy emphasizes Connectivity, Commerce and Culture as the focus areas of action for a greater ASEAN-India integration.

http://www.mea.gov.in/Portal/ForeignRelation/ASEAN_India_August_2017.pdf;

Source/Improvisation: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/more-connectivity-needs-less-nationalism-and-populism-asean-coordinator/article22491820.ece; http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-asean-cultural-ties-a-living-link-sushma-swaraj/article22500069.ece

Solution: d.

ASEAN member states include Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Philippines.

Source/Improvisation: India-ASEAN developments frequently appearing in the news (25^th anniversary of dialogue relations)

—