Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC & State PSC Exams (15 September 2023)


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

Date: 15 September 2023


1. Consider the following statements, with reference to Skill India Digital (SID) Platform:

1. It is the Digital Public Infrastructure for skilling, education, employment and entrepreneurship ecosystem in India.
2. It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry and the Ministry of Education.
3. The Platform aims to provide formal school education to both adults and school children free of cost.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Answer: (A)

Explanation:

  • Recently the Skill India Digital platform was launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Skill India Digital (SID) is the Digital Public Infrastructure for skilling, education, employment and entrepreneurship ecosystem of India. It is a state-of-the-art platform to bring all skilling initiatives together. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • It is an Application Programming Interface (API)-based trusted skill credentials, payment and discovery layers for jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. The improved version of the platform has Udyam, e-Shram, NCS and ASEEM portals interlinked for G2C, B2C and B2B services. It will act as a bridge between the employees and employers and allow educational institutes to create/modify curricula as per industry demands. The platform was developed by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. It is also a comprehensive information gateway for all government skilling and entrepreneurship initiatives – a go-to hub for citizens in pursuit of career advancement and lifelong learning. Skill India Digital is designed to provide various services such as discovery, recommendation, skilling, lifelong learning opportunity, apprenticeship, assessment, LMS, etc. Hence, statement 2 and 3 are incorrect.

2. Consider the following statements, with reference to Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA):

1. It was established by group of Indian intellectuals before Indian Independence.
2. It is declared as the institution of national importance by the Indian Council of World Affairs Act, 2001.
3. The vice-president of India is the ex-officio President of ICWA.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Answer: (C)

Explanation: Recently the renovated library of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) was inaugurated by Vice-President of India. The Indian Council of World Affairs was established in 1943 by a group of Indian intellectuals as a think tank. It was registered as a non-official, non-political and non-profit organisation under the Registration of Societies Act 1860. By the Indian Council of World Affairs Act, 2001, it has been declared an institution of national importance. The council is devoted exclusively for the study of international relations and foreign affairs. The Vice President of India is the ex-officio President of ICWA. Minister of External Affairs is the Vice-President of the Council. It is located at the Sapru House, New Delhi. It is named after the eminent Indian Jurist and intellectual, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, the founder President of the Council. Hence, all statements are correct.

3. Consider the following statements, with reference to Ayushman Bhav campaign:

1. The campaign aims to deliver healthcare services to the last mile of India by adopting multi-ministerial approach.
2. It is an umbrella campaign comprising Ayushman Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Mela and Ayushman Sabha.

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 campaign was virtually launched by the president of India to ensure delivery of the healthcare services to the last mile of India. Ayushman Bhava is a 15 days campaign that starts from September 17 and ends on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti. Ayushman Bhava is an umbrella campaign comprising 3 major components such as:

  1. Ayushman Apke Dwar 3.0
  2. Ayushman Mela
  3. Ayushman Sabha

The 3 initiatives will be undertaken by the Union Health Ministry across the country. The entire campaign is based on 'Jan Bhagidari' or public participation. Ayushman Mela will be organised in over 117,000 Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) across the country where all the poor and middle-class people will be diagnosed and treated. Hence, both statements are correct.

4. MQ-9B which was recently seen in the new is related to which of the following:

(a) Fighter Jet
(b) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
(c) Aircraft Carrier
(d) Surface-to-air missile

Answer: (B)

Explanation: Both India and the United States discussed the recent agreement between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) to manufacture GE F-414 jet engines in India, as well as the purchase of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft, as both countries sought to expand and diversify their defense partnership and cooperation. The MQ-9B is an unmanned aerial vehicle that can fly either remotely or autonomously. Hence, statement (b) is correct.

5. Consider the following statements regarding the Vidya Samiksha Kendra:

1. It serves as a data repository for all initiatives run by the Union Ministry of Education.
2. It will aid in calculating the Gross Access Ratio by mapping the school location layer with the population layer.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (C)

Explanation: The Ministry of Education is encouraging states to establish Vidya Samiksha Kendras (VSKs) under the National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR). Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSKs) is a data repository that will house data from all Ministry of Education (MoE) initiatives. The goal of creating VSKs is to map the school location layer with the population layer to calculate the Gross Access Ratio. It can assist in the planning of new schools or industry clusters to understand the skilling requirements of the area, as well as in the planning of higher educational institutions based on demand and future scenarios. Hence, both statements are correct.