10 PM Daily Current Affairs Quiz | April 19 2021

Article 324 providing for powers of the Election Commission of India states:

–The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to Parliament and to the Legislature of every State and of elections to the offices of President and Vice-President held under this Constitution shall be vested in a Commission.

–The President, or the Governor of a State, shall, when so requested by the Election Commission, make available to the Election Commission or to a Regional Commissioner such staff as may be necessary for the discharge of the functions conferred on the Election Commission.

Statement 1 is incorrect. National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an autonomous institution established by the University Grants Commission (UGC), under Section 12-ccc of the UGC Act of 1956, for assessing and accrediting higher education institutions (HEIs) of the country. It is registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act of 1960, Karnataka Societies Registration Rules of 1961 and is headquartered at Bangalore.

Statement 2 is correct. The University Grants Commission (UGC) through a gazette notification dated 19th January 2013, has made it mandatory for Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to undergo accreditation.

Statement 1 is correct. The concept of evergreening seeks to extend the term of protection without requiring an inventive step.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Section 3(d) of the Indian Patent Act restricts grant of patent for “incremental innovations” in many drugs unless it provides significant therapeutic advantages to existing molecules.

Section 3(d) says that the mere discovery of a new form of a known substance which does not result in the enhancement of the known efficacy of that substance or the mere discovery of any new property or new use for a known substance or of the mere use of a known process, machine or apparatus unless such known process results in a new product or employs at least one new reactant, is not patentable.

Base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) refers to tax planning strategies used by multinational enterprises that exploit gaps and mismatches in tax rules to avoid paying tax. Developing countries’ higher reliance on corporate income tax means they suffer from BEPS disproportionately.

BEPS practices cost countries USD 100-240 billion in lost revenue annually. Working together within OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS, over 135 countries and jurisdictions are collaborating on the implementation of 15 measures to tackle tax avoidance, improve the coherence of international tax rules and ensure a more transparent tax environment.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has released the Global Food Policy Report, 2021 with theme of “Transforming Food Systems After COVID-19”.

–The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the pandemic restrictions resulted in half of India’s poor people deprived of nutritious food.

–The midday meal program of India that covers 80% of primary-school-age children in the country, was affected due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

–About 50% of households in India reported that women spent more time fetching firewood and water in comparison with the previous year.

–The efforts of India to incorporate migrant workers into social protection programs were a huge success.

Statement 1 is correct. India is a signatory to the 1972 World Heritage Convention and ratified it on 14 November 1977.

Statement 2 is correct. In 1982, UNESCO’s General Conference established 18 April as the International Day for Monuments and Sites, in many countries also celebrated as World Heritage Day. The day is promoted by ICOMOS globally, and the theme for 2021 is “Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures”.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a ‘normal’ monsoon for this year. In the agency’s parlance, normal implies that the country will get 96% to 104% of the 88 cm that it gets from June-September.

This quantity, called the Long Period Average (LPA), is a mean of monsoon rainfall from 1961-2010.

Both of these are close to the Chang Chenmo river in the Galwan sub-sector of the LAC in eastern Ladakh. While Hot Springs is just north of the Chang Chenmo river, Gogra Post is east of the point where the river takes a hairpin bend coming southeast from Galwan Valley and turning southwest.

The area lies close to Kongka Pass, one of the main passes, which, according to China marks the boundary between India and China. India’s claim of the international boundary lies significantly east, as it includes the entire Aksai Chin area as well.

The 5,600MW Barakah nuclear power plant (NPP) in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is the first nuclear power project in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is located in the Al Dhafra of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi on the Arabian Gulf.

The Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station is an out of commission nuclear plant located in the towns of Futaba and Ohkuma, 250km north of Tokyo city in Japan. Units 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the nuclear complexes were damaged in a series of events after the 11 March 2011 earthquake (Tohoku-Chihou-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake) and tsunami that struck the nation.

Statement 1 is correct. Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. Platelets (a type of blood cell) and proteins in blood plasma work together to stop the bleeding by forming a clot over the injury.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a type of clot that forms in a major vein of the leg or, less commonly, in the arms, pelvis, or other large veins in the body.