[Mission 2022] Insta– QUED ( Questions from Editorials ) 28 December 2021 – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: a)

The question remains: Why do policymakers prefer targeting retail inflation instead of wholesale inflation rate?

This is especially so since the RBI, as the monetary authority, has little ability to control food and fuel prices, which together account for well over 50% of the CPI. For instance, raising the repo rate — that is the interest rate at which RBI lends money to the banks — is unlikely to contain the price of vegetables (say onions and/or tomatoes) if unseasonal rains or supply disruptions have led to a sudden spike.

Source

Solution: d)

In January 2014, an expert committee of the RBI submitted its report on the ways to revise and strengthen the monetary policy framework in India, it chose to target retail inflation.

Here’s why.

• Firstly, the committee pointed out that wholesale inflation “does not capture price movements in non-commodity producing sectors like services, which constitute close to two-thirds of economic activity in India”. This corresponds to the point made earlier about how WPI and CPI are different.
• Secondly, it pointed out that wholesale inflation “does not generally reflect price movements in all wholesale markets”. This happens because price quotations for some important commodities such as milk, LPG etc. are taken from retail markets.
• Thirdly, movements in WPI often reflect large external shocks and as such, the wholesale inflation rate is often subject to large revisions.

Source

Solution: a)

Fundamental Rights and Fundamental duties are correlative and inseparable. Also, the original constitution contained only the fundamental rights and not the fundamental duties.

The fundamental duties of citizens were added in the Constitution later in 1976 on the recommendation of Swaran Singh Committee. In 2002, one more Fundamental Duty was added.

Although both, Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties, are inseparable, there are certain differences between them.

Solution: d)

World Press Freedom Index, compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders

Solution: a)

Phrase ‘anti-national’ has not been defined in statutes.

Constitution (Forty–Second Amendment) Act, 1976 inserted in the Constitution Article 31D (during Emergency) which defined “anti-national activity” and this Article 31D was, subsequently, omitted by the Constitution (Forty-third Amendment) Act, 1977.

‘Public Order’ and ‘Police’ were State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution and the “data about number of people arrested for indulging in anti-national activities is not maintained centrally.

The responsibility of maintaining law and order, including investigation, registration and prosecution of crimes, protection of life and property, rested primarily with the respective State government.

Source