Current Affairs MCQ for UPSC Exams - 24 June 2020

Q1. India has announced contributing 10 million US dollar to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) over the coming two years. Which of the following statement regarding UNRWA stands true ?

1) The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is an UN agency created in December 1949 to support the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees.
2) UNRWA also provides assistance and refugee status to those who fled or were expelled during and following the 1967 Six Day War.
3) UNRWA is the largest agency of the United Nations, employing over 30,000 staff, 99% of which are locally recruited Palestinians.

Options :
a) 1 & 2 only
b) 2 & 3 only
c) 1 & 3 only
d) all the above

Q2. Under the priority sector lending guidelines, priority sector loans to which of the following borrowers are considered under Weaker Sections category ?

1) Loans to distressed farmers indebted to non-institutional lenders
2) Families of former freedom fighters
3) Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
4) Account holders under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
5) Families of those affected by man-made disasters.

Options :
a) 1,2 & 3 only
b) 1,3 & 4 only
c) 2,4 & 5 only
d) all the above

Q3. The central government is in the process of including Compressed Bio-Gas, CBG under Priority Sector Lending. Which of the following statements regarding the same stands true ?

1) Bio-gas is produced naturally through process of anaerobic decomposition from waste and bio-mass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, municipal solid waste, sugarcane press mud, sewage treatment plant (STP) waste, etc. It is called CBG after biogas is purified and compressed, which has pure methane content of over 95%.
2) It is exactly similar to commercially available natural gas in its composition and energy potential and has potential to replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial uses in the coming years, given the abundance of biomass in the country.
3) The 'SATAT' (Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation) scheme on CBG was launched on 1st October 2018 which envisages targeting production of 15 MMT of CBG from 5000 plants by 2023.

Options :
a) 1 & 2 only
b) 2 & 3 only
c) 1 & 3 only
d) all the above

Q4. Heightened uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in currency in circulation as people hoard cash or park money in accessible deposits to safeguard themselves against salary cuts or job losses. Which of the following statements regarding the same stands true ?

1) According to RBI data, M3 money supply rose 6.7% in the first five months compared with the same period last year, the highest growth in seven years. Currency in circulation, which measures money with the public and in banks, has also surged.
2) Risk-averse individuals are putting money in bank deposits, given the high and rising uncertainty, while on the other hand risk-averse lenders are not lending to those who need it.
3) However, growth in currency notes held by public was much lower than the deposits made in banks.

Options :
a) 1 & 2 only
b) 2 & 3 only
c) 1 & 3 only
d) all the above

Q5. ‘Kamakhya’ is one of 51 Shaktipeeths or holy sites for the followers of the Shakti cult, each representing a body part of the Sati, Lord Shiva’s companion. The Kamakhya festival (recently in news ) is annually celebrated in which of the following Indian states ?

a) Karnataka
b) Assam
c) Arunachal Pradesh
d) Haryana

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