UPSC Weekly Current Affairs Quiz : August 05 to August 12, 2023

(a) Rising of Sea Level

(b) Wildfires

(c) Floods

(d) Typhoon

QUESTION 2

With reference to the parliamentary privileges, consider the following statements:

1. The Constitution specifies that MPs have freedom of speech and immunity from judicial proceedings against anything they say or votes they cast in Parliament.

2. Code of Civil Procedure protects them from arrest and detention under civil cases during a parliamentary session.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 3

Which of the following countries has launched a “sponge city” initiative aimed at reducing urban flood risks?

(a) China

(b) Bangladesh

(c) India

(d) United States

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Assam Rifles, consider the following statements:

1. It is one of the central armed police forces (CAPFs) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

2. It is tasked with maintaining law and order in the Northeast along with the Indian Army.

3. It is the only paramilitary force with a dual control structure.

4. The Assam Rifles guard the India-China border.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 5

With reference to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), consider the following statements:

1. It is the regional group that was established in 1975 through the Lagos Treaty.

2. It aims to have multiple currency systems.

3. The countries that are part of ECOWAS are governed in accordance with the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 6

Katchatheevu Island was in the news recently. It is an island between:

(a) Yemen and Djibouti

(b) Kerala and Lakshadweep

(c) Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka

(d) Andaman Islands and Nicobar Islands

QUESTION 7

Consider the following statements:

1. All proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court shall be in the English language.

2. The use of the Hindi language, or any other language used for any official purposes of the State, in proceedings in the High Court does not require any authorisation by the Governor.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 8

Consider the following:

1. Tripura

2. Mizoram

3. Assam

4. Nagaland

How many of the above states border Manipur?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (b)

FYI:

— Large-scale wildfires have been sweeping the US state of Hawaii with the death toll reaching 55.

— There has been widespread destruction witnessed in the form of downed power lines and more than 675 acres of land burned down. State Governor Josh Green said in a press conference that the town of Lahaina has suffered near-total damage.

— Hawaii is a Pacific Ocean archipelago recognised for its spectacular natural beauty and is a popular tourist destination.

— The ongoing fires have particularly affected Maui island (located 167 km from the capital city of Honolulu) with significant damage to the town of Lahaina, known as a site of historical and cultural importance.

— According to Associated Press, the extent of the fires likely had to do with the weather conditions prevailing in the state this summer. Dry weather and strong winds from a passing hurricane were major contributors to the blaze.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

2. (c)

FYI:

— On August 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government defeated the opposition’s no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha.

— After that, Prahlad Joshi, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, stated that Congress party MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury repeatedly interrupted the PM and other ministers and made baseless charges in his speeches.

— He then moved a motion that the House refer the “gross, deliberate and repeated misconduct” of Chowdhury to its Privileges Committee for further examination.

— Parliament and its Members (MPs) have certain rights and immunities that enable them to function effectively in their legislative roles. These are called parliamentary privileges.

— Parliamentary privileges are, therefore, a mix of provisions in the Constitution, statutes, House procedures and conventions. For example, the Constitution specifies that MPs have freedom of speech and immunity from judicial proceedings against anything they say or votes they cast in Parliament. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The Code of Civil Procedure protects them from arrest and detention under civil cases during a parliamentary session, and for a specified period before it begins and after it ends. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer

3. (a)

FYI:

— China has been hit by devastating floods in recent weeks, inundating cities and causing deaths and infrastructural damage, as well as raising questions about the effectiveness of its 2015 “sponge city” initiative aimed at reducing urban flood risks.

— The initiative was launched to boost flood resilience in major cities and make better use of rainwater through architectural, engineering and infrastructural tweaks.

— The “sponge city” initiative was designed to make greater use of lower-impact “nature-based solutions” to better distribute water and improve drainage and storage.

— The construction of new canals and ponds and also the restoration of wetlands, which would not only ease waterlogging, but also improve the urban environment.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

4. (c)

FYI:

— Recently, the Assam Rifles was embroiled in a row when its vehicles blocked state police personnel from the Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district from crossing over into a Kuki-Zomi-dominated territory.

— The Assam Rifles is one of the six central armed police forces (CAPFs) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The other five forces are the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

— The AR is tasked with maintaining law and order in the Northeast along with the Indian Army. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— It also guards the Indo-Myanmar border. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

— It is the only paramilitary force with a dual control structure. While the administrative control of the force is with the MHA, its operational control is with the Indian Army, which is under the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

5. (b)

FYI:

— In a coup, soldiers in the West African nation of Niger installed Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as head of state after ousting President Mohamed Bazoum.

— The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group that was established in 1975 through the Lagos Treaty – with a mandate of promoting economic integration among its members. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— It is known as CEDEAO in French.

— ECOWAS has 15 members: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo.

— ECOWAS’ larger aims are to have a single common currency and create a single, large trading bloc in areas of industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, financial issues, and social and cultural matters. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— ECOWAS is meant to be a region governed in accordance with the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

6. (c)

FYI:

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech in the Parliament during the No Confidence debate, mentioned the island of Katchatheevu.

— Katchatheevu is an island between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.

— Katchatheevu is a 285-acre uninhabited speck in the Palk Strait, between India and Sri Lanka. It is no more than 1.6 km in length and slightly over 300 m wide at its broadest point.

— It lies northeast of Rameswaram, about 33 km from the Indian coast. It is about 62 km southwest of Jaffna, at the northern tip of Sri Lanka, and 24 km away from the inhabited Delft Island, belonging to Sri Lanka.

— The only structure on the island is an early 20th-century Catholic shrine – St Anthony’s church. During an annual festival, Christian priests from both India and Sri Lanka conduct the service, with devotees from both India and Sri Lanka making the pilgrimage.

— Katchatheevu is not suited for permanent settlement as there is no source of drinking water on the island.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer

7. (a)

FYI:

— The Supreme Court observed that although there are at least 22 official languages in the country, Hindi is “the national language”.

— Clause 1 of Article 343 (“Official language of the Union”) says “The official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script”, and “The form of numerals to be used for the official purposes of the Union shall be the international form of Indian numerals.”

— Article 351 (“Directive for development of the Hindi language”) says “It shall be the duty of the Union to promote the spread of the Hindi language, to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India”.

— Clause 1 of Article 348 (“Language to be used in the Supreme Court and in the High Courts and for Acts, Bills, etc.”) says that “until Parliament by law otherwise provides”, “all proceedings in the Supreme Court and in every High Court”, and all Bills, Acts, ordinances, rules, and orders etc. at the Union and state levels, “shall be in the English language”. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Article 348 (2) permits “the use of the Hindi language, or any other language used for any official purposes of the State, in proceedings in the High Court having its principal seat in that State” after authorisation by the Governor and “with the previous consent of the President”. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

8. (c)

FYI:

— The Meitei and Kuki MLAs of Manipur have written separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and made conflicting demands over the presence of Assam Rifles in the ethnic strife-affected state.

— While 40 legislators, most of whom are Meiteis, sought removal of the country’s oldest para-military force from the northeastern state, 10 Kuki MLAs urged Modi not to do so asserting this could jeopardise the security of the tribals.

— The state of Manipur is bordered by Nagaland, Assam and Mizoram.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

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