Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC & State PSC Exams (21 September 2022)

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

Date: 21 September 2022

Q1. Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) is an initiative of:

a) World Economic Forum
b) World Bank
c) ILO
d) G20

Answer: (C)

Explanation:

  • EPIC - is an initiative led by the ILO, UN Women and OECD, to reduce the gender pay gap and make equal pay for work of equal value a reality across all countries and sectors,
  • EPIC contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target 8.5 focusing on equal pay between women and men for work of equal value.

Q2. Consider the following statements regarding the Basic Structure:

1. The Constitution of India defines its 'basic structure' in terms of federalism, secularism, fundamental rights and democracy.
2. The Constitution of India expressly provides for judicial review 'to safeguard the citizens' liberties and to preserve the ideals on which the Constitution is based.

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

a) Only 1
b) Only 2
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (D)

Explanation:

  • The Supreme Court has defined the Basic structures and not the Constitution.
  • The concept of ‘basic structure’ came into existence in the landmark judgment in the Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala case in 1973.
  • The Concept of Judicial Review is the basic principle of the Constitution in India.
  • Although there is no explicit provision in the Indian Constitution for judicial review, it is an integral part of our Constitution.

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding India’s logistics sector.

1. Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is 1483 km long industrial corridor which will pass through 6 states and one union territory when put in full operation.
2. ULIP (Unified Logistics Interface Platform) is an integrated system developed by Indian railways to overcome logistics challenges in implementation of its Dedicated Freight Corridor projects.
3. New Warehousing policy which aims to reduce logistic cost and ease transportation by developing exclusive warehousing zones in a public-private partnership (PPP) model is framed and implemented by the Central Warehousing Corporation.

Which of the statement/s given above is/are NOT correct?

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

Answer: (D)

Explanation:

  • Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is 1483 km long industrial corridor which will pass through 6 states and one union territory when put in full operation.
  • It will cover Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi
  • PM Gati Shakti plan aims to develop a nationwide network integrating digital systems of various ministries dealing with logistics under one platform known as ULIP (Unified Logistics Interface Platform)
  • The ULIP will provide quality data from various data sets of different ministries and departments such as Vahan Saarthi of Highway ministry, ICEGATE of Customs Department, FASTag of NPCI etc.
  • The New Warehousing Policy aims to reduce logistic cost and ease transportation by developing exclusive warehousing zones in a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
  • It is framed and implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Q4. Consider the following pairs of geographical regions, political and economic groupings, headquarters and member countries.

Region/Group Member Country/Headquarters
1. Scandinavian country Sweden
2. Nordic country Germany
3. Baltic country Latvia
4. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Brussels

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

a) One pair Only
b) Two pairs Only
c) Three pairs Only
d) All four pairs

Answer: (B)

Explanation:

  • Scandinavian Region.
  • Generally it consists of 3 countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
  • But many scholars exclude Denmark and include Finland as the part of Scandinavian peninsula.
  • Nordic Region
  • It consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden; the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
  • Baltic States consists of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia the three countries in the neighborhood of Baltic Sea
  • The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is headquartered in Paris, France.

Q5. Ranganath Mishra Commission is related to which of the following?

a) To improve the performance of the Logistics sector to improve India’s GDP.
b) To enhance the groundwater table using rain water storage.
c) To study status of Scheduled Castes converts to Christianity and Islam.
d) To curb the illicit messages circulating on social media sites.

Answer: (C)

Explanation:

  • The Centre is constituting a national commission to study the social, economic and educational status of members of Scheduled Castes, or Dalits, who converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
  • The government’s move relating to the conspicuously religious footing of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950 has hit the headlines.
  • Reference has been made in a related report to the Ranganath Misra Commission’s 2007 recommendation on the issue.