[Mission 2022] QUIZ – 2021: Insights Current Affairs Quiz ,09 December 2021 – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: c)

What are starred, unstarred and other categories of questions?

• STARRED QUESTION: The member desires an oral answer from the minister. Such a question is distinguished by the MP with an asterisk. The answer can also be followed by supplementary questions from members.
• UNSTARRED QUESTION: The MP seeks a written answer, which is deemed to be laid on the table of the House by the concerned minister.
• SHORT NOTICE QUESTION: These are on an urgent matter of public importance, and an oral answer is sought. A notice of less than 10 days is prescribed as the minimum period for asking such a question.
• QUESTION TO PRIVATE MEMBER: A question can be addressed to a private member under Rule 40 of Lok Sabha’s Rules of Procedure, or under Rule 48 of Rajya Sabha’s Rules, provided that the question deals with a subject relating to some Bill, resolution or other matter for which that member is responsible.

In both Houses, the first hour of every sitting is usually devoted to asking and answering of questions, and this is referred to as the ‘Question Hour’.

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Solution: b)

AFSPA can be implemented in an area after it has been declared as “disturbed”.

The power to declare a territory “disturbed” initially lay with the states, but passed to the Centre in 1972. Section 3 of AFSPA (in J&K) says that an area can be declared disturbed if it is the “opinion of the Governor or the central government” which “makes the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power necessary”.

The law has been repealed where insurgencies have subsided, and when governments have gained confidence of managing the region using the police force. Thus, AFSPA was repealed in Tripura in 2015, and in 2018 the Centre also removed Meghalaya from the list, while also restricting its use in Arunachal Pradesh.

The law is based on the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Ordinance of 1942, which was issued during the Quit India movement.

Enacted by Parliament on September 11, 1958, AFSPA was first implemented in the Northeast, and then in Punjab.

The Jeevan Reddy Committee formed in 2004 had recommended a complete repeal of the law.

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Solution: d)

InvITs are pooled investment vehicles which enable direct investment of capital from investors in primarily operational infrastructure projects. 

Earlier this year, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) allowed domestic insurers to invest in debt securities and subscribe to units of listed InvITs.

The Reserve Bank of India in November 2021 amended foreign exchange regulations allowing foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) to invest in InvIT debt securities. Further EPFO, which manages the biggest pension corpus in the country, recently approved investing up to 5 per cent of the annual deposits in alternative investment funds (AIFs) including InvITs. This is in addition to the already established rules by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) which allow private sector (tier 1) NPS subscribers to invest in units issued by InvITs.

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Solution: d)

The unions want the government to enact legislation conferring mandatory status to MSP, rather than just being an indicative or desired price.

How can that entitlement be implemented?

There are basically three ways.

• The first is by forcing private traders or processors to pay MSP. This is already applicable in sugarcane.
• The second is by the government undertaking procurement at MSPthrough its agencies such as the Food Corporation of India (FCI), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) and Cotton Corporation of India (CCI).
• The third route for guaranteeing MSP is via price deficiency payments.
  • Under it, the government neither directly purchases nor forces the private industry to pay MSP.
  • Instead, it allows all sales by farmers to take place at the prevailing market prices.
  • Farmers are simply paid the difference between the government’s MSP and the average market price for the particular crop during the harvesting season.

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Solution: c)

Some of the pathogens to look out for are Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Streptococcus pneumoniae and many more. These pathogens are commonly implicated as causative agents of healthcare associated infections because of their ability to develop resistance to antibiotics.