Current Affairs MCQs Quiz for UPSC, IAS, UPPSC/UPPCS, MPPSC. BPSC, RPSC & All State PSC Exams
Date: 23 November 2023
1. Consider the following statements:
1. The Jawahar Tunnel is a roadway tunnel built beneath the Rohtang Pass in the Himalayas' eastern Pir Panjal range.
2. The Atal Tunnel provides year-round road connectivity between Srinagar and Jammu.
3. The Silkyara-Barkot tunnel is part of the Central Government's planned Char Dham all-weather road project.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (A)
Explanation: Atal Tunnel (also known as Rohtang Tunnel) is a highway tunnel built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway in Himachal Pradesh, India. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
Jawahar Tunnel is also called the Banihal Tunnel. The length of the tunnel is 2.85 km. The tunnel facilitates round-the-year road connectivity between Srinagar and Jammu. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
Recently, an under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel along the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, collapsed, trapping a significant number of workers inside. The Silkyara-Barkot tunnel is part of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project of the Central Government. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
2. Consider the following statements:
1. The UNCCD is the only legally binding framework in place to address desertification and the effects of drought. 2. According to the UNCCD, natural sources account for 25% of worldwide dust emissions, while human activities account for the remaining 75%.
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:The UNCCD is the only legally binding framework set up to address desertification and the effects of drought. There are currently 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union. Hence, statement 1 is correct. According to the UNCCD, sand and dust storms are caused by both natural and human factors. About 75% of global dust emissions originate from natural sources in the world’s drylands, such as hyper-arid regions, topographic depressions, and dry ancient lake beds. The remaining 25% are attributed to human activities, mainly agriculture. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
3. Consider the following statements regarding Transit Anticipatory Bail:
1. It is requested when a case against a person is expected to be filed in a state other than the one where the individual is arrested.
2. It is defined in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Which of the above statements is/are not correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (B)
Explanation: The Supreme Court has ruled that the Sessions Court or High Court has the authority to award interim/transit anticipatory bail when the FIR is registered in a separate state rather than within the jurisdiction of the same state. Bail is a judicial release from custody of an accused person on the condition that the accused person appear in court at a later date. Anticipatory Bail is the bail granted to a person in anticipation and apprehending arrest. Anticipatory Bail is bail before the arrest, and the police can't arrest an individual if the Court has granted anticipatory Bail. It is meant to be a safeguard for a person who has false accusations or charges made against him/her, most commonly due to professional or personal enmity, as it ensures the release of the falsely accused person even before he/she is arrested. A transit anticipatory bail is sought when a case against a person has been or is likely to be filed in a state different from the one in which the person is likely to be arrested. The purpose of transit bail is to allow the person bail, so they can approach the appropriate court in the state in which the case has been filed for anticipatory bail. In the absence of transit anticipatory bail, the result would be that another state’s police could arrest a person from their home state without them having the opportunity to apply for anticipatory bail at all. The procedure to be followed in transit anticipatory bail is exactly the same as of any other anticipatory bail application. The concept of transit anticipatory bail is not codified in Indian law but has found its identity through judicial practice and legal precedents. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
4. Consider the following statements, with reference to Emissions Gap Report, 2023:
1. It is an annual report launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
2. The Global greenhouse gas emissions have reduced in 2021 when compared to 2020.
3. India has contributed only 5% to the global warming during 1850-2021.
How many of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (B)
Explanation: According to the recent Emissions gap report, 2023, countries’ current emissions pledges to limit climate change would still put the world on track to warm by nearly 3 degrees Celsius this century.
Emissions Gap Report is an annual report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The report assesses countries’ promises to tackle climate change compared with what is needed.
The report assessed countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which they are required to update every 5 years. Key findings of the report:
- The world faces between 2.5 C and 2.9 C of warming above preindustrial levels if governments do not boost climate action.
- The planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions must fall by 42% by 2030 to hold warming at 1.5 C.
- The chance of now limiting warming to 1.5 C is just 14%, adding to a growing body of scientific evidence suggesting the goal is dead.
- Global greenhouse gas emissions rose by 1.2% from 2021 to 2022, reaching a record 57.4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
- The anticipated level of warming is slightly higher than 2022 projections, which then pointed toward a rise of between 2.4 C and 2.6 C by 2100.
- GHG emissions across the G20 also increased by 1.2 % in 2022.
- India accounts for 18% of the world population, but to date only contributed 5% of warming.
Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
5. With reference to the Technology Development Board, consider the following statements:
1. It is a statutory body which aims to promote the development and commercialization of indigenous technology.
2. It provides equity capital or loans to industrial concerns and financial assistance to research and development institutions.
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: The Technology Development Board (TDB) and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) have formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector in India. The Technology Development Board Act of 1995 established it as a statutory body. Its goal is to encourage the development and commercialization of indigenous technology, as well as the modification of imported technology for broader application. It supports industrial firms with equity capital or loans, as well as financial help to research and development institutions. The Fund has received funds from the Government of India derived from cess collections from industrial enterprises in accordance with the requirements of the Research and Development Cess Act, 1986, as modified in 1995. Hence, both statements are correct.
