Daily Current Affairs (MCQ's) | 20-05-2023

Q1. Consider the following statements

1. The value of defense production in FY 2022-23 has crossed the figure of ₹1 lakh crore for the first time ever

2. All of the domestic defense production is done by the public sector

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (a)

Explanation:

Defense production value crosses ₹1 lakh crore

The value of defense production in FY 2022-23 has crossed the figure of ₹1 lakh crore for the first time ever, according to the Defence Ministry. “The value currently stands at ₹1,06,800 crore and it will go further up once the data is received from the remaining private defense industries,” a Defence Ministry statement said. “The current value of defense production in FY 2022-23 is a rise of more than 12% over FY 2021-22, when the figure was

₹95,000 crore.” Under the ‘Make in India’ push, there has been a lot of focus on increasing domestic defense manufacturing, encouraging private sector involvement as well as boosting exports.

Q2. With regard to the arsenic contamination in India, consider the following statements

1. High levels of arsenic in contaminated groundwater affects cognitive ability

2. A common strategy employed is to encourage piped water access rather than groundwater extraction and install arsenic removal plants.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (c)

Explanation:

Even limited arsenic exposure can mar cognitive ability: study

• Though it is well known that ingesting high levels of arsenic from contaminated groundwater in India has been linked to a range of ailments, a recent peer-reviewed study suggests that even low levels of arsenic consumption may impact cognitive function in children, adolescents, and young adults.

• The research study, which is part of a bigger investigation into how a range of environmental and biological factors affect neurological and cognitive development in young people, also found that those exposed to arsenic had reduced grey matter (brain tissue that is vital to cognitive functions) and weaker connections within key regions of the brain that enable concentration, switching between tasks, and temporary storage of information.

• “Chronic exposure to arsenic could be creating a ‘silent pandemic’ affecting large portions of the global population,” say the authors in the study published in the latest issue of the peer-reviewed journal, JAMA Network Open.

Mapping brains

“We didn’t set out to investigate the link between arsenic exposure and brain function... it emerged from the C-Veda data. Going ahead, we’d like to more thoroughly investigate the degree to which arsenic affects the brain. We are also looking at the role of a host of other environmental factors, in separate studies, such as air pollution,” Nilakshi Vaidya, clinical psychologist and lead author of the study, told The Hindu in a phone conversation.

Since the 1990s, both the Central and State governments in Bihar and West Bengal have sought to address arsenic contamination. A common strategy employed is to encourage piped water access rather than groundwater extraction and install arsenic removal plants.

Q3. Who among the following administered oath to judges of the Supreme court?

a. President of India

b. Vice President of India

c. Any judge of the Supreme court

d. Chief Justice of India

Answer (d)

Explanation:

SC back to its full strength of 34 as CJI administers oath to two

new judges

• Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud administered the oath of office to Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and K.V. Viswanathan, bringing back the court to its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges.

• Justices Mishra and Viswanathan were sworn in as judges in the presence of the full court in an auditorium filled with members of the Bar. The government had cleared their appointments in record speed. The Collegium had recommended them for appointment to

the Supreme Court on May 16. The government’s notifications were published on May 18 and coincided with the first day in office of the new Law Minister, Arjun Ram Meghwal.

• Justice Viswanathan would be in line to be the 58th Chief Justice of India in August 2030, succeeding Justice J.B. Pardiwala as top judge. He is also only the ninth lawyer to be elevated directly to the Supreme Court Bench.

• Justice Mishra, who hails from Chhattisgarh, was the Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court before his appointment to the Supreme Court.

Q4. Consider the following statements the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021

1. Rules prohibit specific single-use plastic items which have “low utility and high littering potential” by 2030

2. The rules prohibit the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of carrying bags and plastic sheets less than 50 microns in thickness in the country

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (b)

Explanation:

Come July next year, the manufacture of a range of plastic products will be

banned. These include earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic flags, ice-cream sticks, thermocol for decoration, plates, cups, cutlery such as forks, spoons and knives, straws, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, and cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 microns, and stirrers.

The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021

1. The Environment Ministry on Friday notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, which prohibit specific single- use plastic items which have “low utility and high littering potential” by 2022.

2. Plastic packaging waste is not yet covered under the phase-out of single-use plastic items. The Ministry informed the Rajya Sabha in July of its proposal to phase out some categories of single-use plastic by 2022.

3. A draft outlining the way forward was issued in March and involved amending the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.

4. Currently, the rules prohibit the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of carrying bags and plastic sheets less than 50 microns in thickness in the country.

5. There is a ban on sachets using plastic material used for storing, packing or selling gutkha, tobacco and pan masala.

6. At the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly in 2019, India piloted a resolution on addressing pollution caused by single-use plastic products.

Q5. Which of the following countries are members of the G7, G8 and G20?

1. UK

2. Japan

3. Italy

Select the correct answer from the codes given below.

a. 1 and 2 only

b. 2 and 3 only

c. 1 and 3 only

d. 1, 2 and 3

Answer (d)

Explanation: