Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC & State PSC Exams (21 July 2023)

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

Date: 21 July 2023

1. With reference to Sovereign Green Bond (SGB), consider the following statements:

1. Green bonds are bonds issued by any sovereign entity, inter-governmental groups or alliances and corporates with the aim that the proceeds of the bonds are utilised for projects classified as environmentally sustainable.
2. Investors in these bonds do not bear project related risks.
3. USA was the first country to issue green bonds in 2016.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?

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

Answer: (B)

Explanation:

  • Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) will allow pension funds to invest in SGrBs. SGB were announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 and framework for SGrBs was issued by Ministry of Finance in 2022. Green bonds are bonds issued by any sovereign entity, inter-governmental groups or alliances and corporates with the aim that the proceeds of the bonds are utilised for projects classified as environmentally sustainable. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • Investors in these bonds do not bear project related risks. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • Apple was the first tech company to issue Green Bonds and Poland was the first country to issue it, both in 2016. Presently, European Investment Bank is the leading issuer of Green Bonds in the World. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

2. Which of the following statement is incorrect regarding Henley Passport Index 2023?

(a) It is the ranking of world’s passport according to the number of destinations their holders can visit without a prior visa.
(b) Ranking is based on data provided by International Air Transport Association.
(c) The index includes 227 passports and 199 travel destinations.
(d) India climbed seven places to the 80th rank from 87th last year.

Answer: (C)

Explanation: Henley Passport Index (HPI) was started in 2006 as Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (HVRI) and was modified and renamed in January 2018. The index ranks the passports of countries according to the number of destinations their holders can visit without a prior visa. This index is published by Henley & Partners, a global citizenship advisory firm, in collaboration with IATA. The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations. India has climbed seven places on the Henley Passport Index, 2023, from the 87th rank last year to the 80th rank. Singapore holds the top rank with visa-free access to 192 destinations. Germany, Italy, and Spain share the second rank with access to 190 destinations. Japan, Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden are tied at the third rank. Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan have the weakest passports, ranked 101st, 102nd, and 103rd, respectively. Pakistan is placed at the 100th spot in the passport rankings. Hence, statement (c) is incorrect.

3. Consider the following statements regarding Tankai method:

1. This method is an ancient shipbuilding technique.
2. Recently, India Navy has signed a new agreement with Cochin Shipyard Ltd to revive this ancient technique in shipbuilding.

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: A new agreement has been signed by Indian Navy with Ministry of culture to revive/rejuvenate 2,000-Year-Old Shipbuilding Technique and construction of the stitched ship. This technique is also known as Tankai' method or the "stitched shipbuilding method. In this method, ship is constructed by stitching wooden planks together rather than using nails. This method offered flexibility and durability, making them less susceptible to damage from shoals and sandbars. Hence, statement 1 is correct while statement 2 is incorrect.

4. Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill, 2023, recently seen in news, is introduced by which of the following state?

(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) Gujarat
(c) Kerala
(d) Rajasthan

Answer: (D)

Explanation: Rajasthan introduced Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill, 2023, which effectively seeks to cover the entire adult population of the state with guaranteed wages/pension. This bill has three broad categories: right to minimum guaranteed income, right to guaranteed employment, and right to guaranteed social security pension. Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) is a guarantee: an income floor beneath which no one should fall. MIG constitutes as a policy response to the new social risks of poverty and social exclusion by securing subsistence while maintaining incentives to work. Hence, option (d) is correct.

5. Consider the following statements regarding Gharial:

1. It is a saltwater crocodile.
2. These were found in the Indus Valley civilization also.
3. It is categorized as endangered species under IUCN Red List.

How many of the above statements is/are correct?

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

Answer: (A)

Explanation:

  • It currently inhabits rivers in the plains of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. It is the most thoroughly aquatic crocodilian and leaves the water only for basking and building nests on moist sandbanks. They are sweet water crocodiles. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
  • The oldest known depictions of the gharial are about 4,000 years old and were found in the Indus Valley. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
  • It has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2007. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.