Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC & State PSC Exams (02 December 2022)

Current Affairs MCQs Quiz for UPSC, IAS, UPPSC/UPPCS, MPPSC. BPSC, RPSC & All State PSC Exams

Date: 02 December 2022

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding Tobin Tax.

1. It was suggested by Nobel laureate James Tobin in 1972.
2. Tobin tax was originally defined as a tax on all spot conversions of one currency into another.
3. Government of India has imposed Tobin Tax to fund the vaccination during covid stress.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 2 only
d) 1 and 2 only

Answer: (D)

Explanation:

  • It was suggested by James Tobin, an economist who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Thus statement 1 is correct.
  • Tobin tax was originally defined as a tax on all spot conversions of one currency into another. Hence statement 2 is also correct.
  • The Tobin tax was recommended for addressing global poverty and dealing with Covid-19 but there was no action taken by the Indian government. Thus statement 3 is not correct.

Q2. Which of the following expenditure is/are part of the ‘charged expenditures on the Consolidated Fund of India’?

1. Salaries and allowances of the President
2. Salaries and allowances of Supreme Court judges
3. Expenses of the Election Commission of India

Choose the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (A)

Explanation:

  • The expenses charged on the Consolidated Fund are non-votable charges. The expenses under this head include salaries and allowances of:
  • President
  • Speaker
  • Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha
  • Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
  • Salaries and allowances of Supreme Court judges
  • Pensions of Supreme Court and High Court judges
  • The salaries and allowances of judges, as well as the salaries, allowances, and pensions of staff, as well as the administrative expenses of a high court, are charged to the state's consolidated fund.
  • The expenses of EC are not charged on the Consolidated Fund of India. It is part of the voted expenditure. So, option (a) is correct.

Q3. Consider the following statements:

1. Public goods are non-excludable and non-rival in consumption like national defense, food control systems, railways, highway and information on Covid etc.
2. Private goods are provided through the market, but not necessarily in sufficient quantities to maximize social welfare like education, health care, welfare services, housing, fire-protection, refuse collection and public parks.
3. Merit goods are produced by a privately owned business and purchased to increase the utility, or satisfaction, of the buyer.

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

a) 1 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) All of the above

Answer: (A)

Explanation:

  • Public Goods: These are non-excludable and non-rival in consumption like national defense, food control systems, railways, highway and information on Covid etc. Such services are difficult to be owned by the individuals even if they are willing to pay for these and are necessarily to be provided by the governments. Hence, the statement 1 is correct.
  • Merit Goods: In contrast to pure public goods, merit goods are, provided through the market, but not necessarily in sufficient quantities to maximize social welfare like education, health care, welfare services, housing, fire-protection, refuse collection and public parks.
  • These can be acquired by the individuals at a personal level and can provide certain benefits to the larger society. Hence, the statement 2 is incorrect.
  • Private Goods: A product or service produced by a privately owned business and purchased to increase the utility, or satisfaction, of the buyer. These can be acquired at the individual level and also provide most benefits to the individual and do not lead to a tangible social benefit. Hence, the statement 3 is incorrect.

Q4. Consider the following statements.

1. India shares 3488 Km of border with China that runs along the Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
2. The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh shares the longest border with china.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 2 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 1 only
d) None

Answer: (C)

Explanation:

  • India shares 3488 Km of border with China that runs along the Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Thus statement 1 is correct.
  • The Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh shares the longest border with China, which is called McMahon Line. Hence statement 2 is NOT correct.

Q5. Consider the following statements-

1. Recently, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released the State of Global Water Resources 2021 report.
2. Over 85% of groundwater extracted is used for agricultural purposes in India.
3. Over 70% of all-natural disasters in the last two decades are attributed to floods and cyclones.
4. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

Choose the CORRECT answer using the code given below:

a) 1 and 2 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 2, 3 and 4 only
d) 1, 2 and 4 only

Answer: (D)

Explanation:

  • Recently, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released its first State of Global Water Resources 2021.(Hence, statement-1 is correct)
  • According to a 2018 NITI Aayog report 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress and about 2 lakh people die due to inadequate access to safe water.
  • 89% and 92 % of freshwater withdrawals from surface and groundwater go to agriculture respectively.(hence statement-2 is correct)
  • According to State of Global Water Resources 2021 report-
  • 74% of all-natural disasters between 2001 and 2018 were water-related.(Hence,statement-3 is incorrect )
  • As of now 3.6 billion people have insufficient access to water for at least one month per year.
  • This number is expected to exceed 5 billion by 2050.
  • The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental organization.
  • It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
  • It is a specialized agency of the United Nations for meteorology (weather and climate), operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences. (Hence, statement-4 is correct.)