GK Quiz | 13 October 2020

Q1.  With reference to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2015, Consider the following statements

1. It replaced the former Freedom of Information Act, 2002.
2. At present, all political parties are under the RTI Act.
3. Section 8 (1) of the act mentions exemptions against furnishing information under RTI Act.

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

1. 2 and 3 only
2. 1 only
3. 1,2 and 3
4. 1 and 3 only

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statement 1,2 and 3: About Right to Information Act, 2005:

• It replaced the former Freedom of Information Act, 2002.
• It was enacted in order to consolidate the fundamental right in the Indian constitution ‘freedom of speech’
• RTI is an implied fundamental right as it is implicit in the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution.
• Section 8 (1) of the act mentions exemptions against furnishing information under RTI Act and Section 8 (2) provides for disclosure of information exempted under Official Secrets Act, 1923 if larger public interest is served.
• At present, no parties are under the RTI Act.
• It provides for appointment of Information Commissioners at Central and State level.

So, statement 1 and 3 are correct and statement 2 is incorrect. Hence, option D is correct.

 

 Q2: Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about Central Information Commission?

1. It is a constitutional body.
2. The members of the commission are eligible for reappointment.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2: About the Central Information Commission:

• It is not a constitutional body.
• It was established in 2005 under the provisions of the Right to Information Act (2005).
• The members of the commission consist of a Chief Information Commissioner and not more than ten Information Commissioners. They shall hold office for such term as prescribed by the Central Government or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier and are not eligible for reappointment.
• The President appoints its members on the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister as Chairperson, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister.
• While inquiring, it has the powers of a civil court in respect of requiring documents, summoning etc.

So, both statements are incorrect and hence, option D is correct.

 

 Q3. Which of the following report(s) is/are published by World Bank?

1. Ease of Doing Business
2. Global Gender Gap Report
3. World Economic Outlook

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1,2 and 3
4. None

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Following reports are published by World Bank:

• Ease of Doing Business
• Global Economic Prospects
• World Development Report

While World Economic Outlook is published by International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Global Gender Gap Report is published by World Economic Forum (WEF)

Hence, option A is correct.

  

Q4. Consider the following statements

1. World Economic Forum (WEF) has recently released its biennial South Asia Economic Focus Report.
2. ‘Learning Adjusted Year of Schooling” (LAYS) concept was introduced by World Bank.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2: South Asia Economic Focus Report, which has been recently released, is a biennial report of World Bank.

Following are some key findings of the report:

• South Asia is set to plunge into its worst-ever recession in 2020 as the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on the region’s economies linger
• South Asia region stands to lose USD 622 billion from the school closures in the present scenario or up to USD 880 billion in a more pessimistic scenario.
• Around 5.5 million students could drop out of schools across South Asia.
• The projected learning loss for the region is 0.5 years of learning-adjusted years of schooling (LAYS).
• The average child in South Asia may lose USD 4,400 in lifetime earnings once having entered the labour market, based on country data on household labor incomes
• In all South Asian countries, 391 million students have been kept out of school in primary and secondary education due to temporary school closures
• The prolonged closure of schools in India may cause a loss of over USD 400 billion in its future earnings, besides substantial learning losses.

About Learning Adjusted Year of Schooling (LAYS) concept:

• It is introduced by the World Bank.
• It seeks to combine access and learning outcomes into a single measure.
• It combines quantity (years of schooling) and quality (how much kids know at a given grade level) into a single summary measure of human capital in a society.

So, statement 1 is incorrect and statement 2 is correct. Hence, option A is correct.

  

Q5. Consider the following pairs:

                 Ports                                Countries

1. Chabahar                            Iraq
2. Hambantota                       Indonesia
3. Gwadar                               Pakistan

Which of the pair(s) given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 only
3. 3 only
4. 2 and 3 only

Solution: C)

Explanation: Chabahar Port is the only oceanic port of Iran. It is located on the Gulf of Oman, 72 kilometers west of Gwadar port of Pakistan.

Hambantota port is in Sri Lanka.

Gwadar port is situated on the Arabian Sea at Gwadar in Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is the deepest sea port in the world.

Hence, option C is correct.

 

Q6. With reference to the Skal International Asia Area (SIAA), consider the following statements

1. It is the only professional organization promoting global Tourism and friendship.
2. It is an affiliated member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
3. National Capital Territory of Delhi will host the 50^th annual Skal International Asia Area (SIAA) congress in 2021.

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

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1,2 and 3
4. None

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Statement 1,2 and 3: About Skal International Asia Area (SIAA):

• It is the only professional organization promoting global Tourism and friendship, founded in 1934.
• It is the world’s largest global network of Tourism Professionals promoting Tourism, Business and Friendship worldwide.
• It is an affiliated member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
• The 50^th annual Skal International Asia Area (SIAA) congress will be hosted by UT of Jammu & Kashmir in 2021.

So, statement 1 and 2 are correct and statement 3 is incorrect. Hence, option A is correct.

  

Q7. With reference to National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), consider the following statements

1. It was launched in January 2017.
2. It is notified under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
3. Its target is to achieve a national-level target of 20-30% reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by between 2017 and 2024.

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

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1 and 2 only

Solution: B)

Explanation:

Statement 1,2 and 3: About National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):

• It was launched in January 2019.
• Its target is to achieve a national-level target of 20-30% reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by between 2017 and 2024.
• It will be implemented by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in consonance with the section 162 (b) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.
• It is the first ever effort in the country to frame a national framework for air quality management with a time-bound reduction target.
• It is not notified under the Environment Protection Act or any other Act.

So, statement 1 and 2 are incorrect and statement 3 is correct. Hence, option B is correct.

  

Q8. Consider the following statements 

1. Hurricane Delta has recently made landfall in China.
2. The Saffir-Simpson wind scale is used to classify hurricanes based on their sustained wind speed.

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

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: B)

Explanation:

Statement 1 and 2: About Hurricane Delta:

• It has made landfall in the USA state of Louisianaa. It is the 10^th named storm to make USA landfall so far this year.
• Delta is also the first Greek alphabet named hurricane on record to make landfall in continental USA.

Hurricanes are the biggest and most violent storms on the planet.

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane's sustained wind speed and estimates potential property damage.

So, statement 1 is incorrect and statement 2 is correct. Hence, option B is correct.