INSIGHTS CURRENT AFFAIRS (22 January 2020) REVISION THROUGH MCQS

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Climate Finance Shadow Report – Oxfam International (Other Reports Of Oxfam, ‘Commitment To Reducing Inequality (CRI) Report’, ‘Time To Care’, ‘Prescription For Poverty Report’)
• Global Electric Vehicle Outlook – International Energy Agency (Also Releases, ‘World Energy Outlook’, ‘World Energy Statistics Report’, ‘World Energy Balances Report’, ‘Energy Technology Perspectives’)
• Global Investment Trends Monitor – UNCTAD
• The Global State Of Democracy Index – International Institute For Democracy And Electoral Assistance
• The Democracy Index – Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
• Fiscal Monitor Report – International Monetary Fund (IMF)

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/22/time-to-care-report/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Several efforts were made to make some law to curb defections. Starting from private members’ efforts, Bills were brought in by the government at different times.
• No Bill could be passed because of one reason or the other. However, the most important reason was that there was no consensus on the basic provisions of an anti-defection law.
• Finally, in 1985, the Rajiv Gandhi government brought a Bill to amend the Constitution and curb defection. The 10th Schedule of the Constitution, which contains the anti-defection law, was added to the Constitution through 52^nd
• According to it, a member of a House belonging to any political party becomes disqualified for being a member of the House, if:
  • He voluntarily gives up his membership of such political party; or
  • He votes or abstains from voting in such House contrary to any direction issued by his political party without obtaining prior permission of such party and such act has not been condoned by the party within 15 days.
  • An independent candidate joins a political party after the election.
  • A nominated member joins a party six months after he becomes a member of the legislature.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/22/powers-of-speaker-under-10th-schedule/

Ans: (b)

Explanation: The three capitals of AP:

• Kurnool– judicial capital.
• Visakhapatnam– executive capital.
• Amaravati (Guntur Dist)– legislative capital.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/22/three-capitals-for-andhra-pradesh/

Ans: (d)

Explanation: National Start-up Advisory Council:

• The Council will be chaired by Minster for Commerce & Industry.
• It will consist of the non-official members, to be nominated by Central Government, from various categories like founders of successful startups, veterans and persons capable of representing interests of incubators and accelerators etc.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/22/national-startup-advisory-council/

• Ans: (b)

  Explanation: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development:

  • UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964.
  • UNCTAD is part of the UN Secretariat. It reports to the UN General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, also part of the United Nations Development Group.
  • UNCTAD is supporting the development of BioTrade-friendly ABS systems in the Mekong region. Through this programme, UNCTAD will steer, manage and actively collaborate with partners and other stakeholders to implement programme activities that focus on three specific areas:
    • Increased coordination and knowledge sharing among stakeholders;
    • Enabled policy environment for BioTrade companies at the national and international levels; and
    • Facilitated market linkages for companies selling BioTrade-related products.
  • It also support implementation of Financing for Development, as mandated by the global community in the 2015 Addis Ababa Agenda, together with four other major institutional stakeholders: the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, and the United Nations Development Programme.

  Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/22/global-investment-trend-monitor-report/

• Ans: (d)

  Explanation: Here Directive word is Not Correct!!

  About Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT : The 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), Hanle is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore.

  It is remotely operated using a dedicated satellite communication link from the Centre for Research & Education in Science & Technology (CREST), Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Hosakote, about 35 km northeast of Bangalore.

  The Telescope is available to the astronomical community, though some time is reserved for observations of Target of Opportunity programmes and service observations.

  About GROWTH-India Telescope: The GROWTH-India telescope is part of a multi-country collaborative initiative – known as the Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH). It is India’s first robotic telescope and the first one designed to observe dynamic or transient events in the universe has started observing the skies.

  About The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT): It is an astronomical observatory with an extremely large telescope (ELT).

  It is an international project being funded by scientific organisations of Canada, China, India, Japan and USA.

  Planned location: Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii in the US state of Hawaii.

  Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/01/22/thirty-meter-telescope-tmt-2/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Better macroeconomic and societal indicators are needed to reflect the contribution of biodiversity and ecosystem services to human well-being.
• One approach that is gaining momentum across the globe is “green accounting” whereby national accounts are adjusted to include the value of nature´s goods and services
• Green accounting allows the computation of income for a nation by taking into account the economic damage and depletion in natural resource base of a country.

It is a measure of sustainable income level that can be secured without decreasing the stock of natural assets.

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• An ancient  circular  lake  created  by  a  meteorite  strike  in  Maharashtra  and  a  hexagonal mosaic of basaltic rocks in an island off Udupi are poised to become global geo parks, under a Geological Survey of India (GSI) plan.
• Lonar Lake in Maharashtra and Mary’s Island and Malpe beach in coastal Karnataka are the GSI’s candidates for UNESCO Global Geo Park Network status.

St. Mary’s Island, declared a national geo-heritage site in 1975, and is estimated to be an 88-million-year-old formation that goes back to a time when Greater India broke away from Madagascar

• Ans: (a)

  Explanation:

  • Rangdum Wetlands is not a Ramsar site. The other three are.