Current Affairs MCQ for UPSC Exams - 30 August 2020

Q1 The government is discussing the possibility of having a common electoral roll for LokSabha, assembly and local body elections. Which of the following statements regarding the same stands true ?

1) The state election commissions, which are altogether separate bodies as per constitutional provisions, hold elections for local bodies such as municipalities and panchayats in their respective states based on their own voter lists.
2) There are provisions in the Constitution that empower states to formulate their own laws to hold panchayat and municipal polls while they do not have powers to either have their own voter lists or to adopt the one prepared by the EC for assembly polls.
3) The Election Commission had said that separate rolls prepared by the EC and State ECs not only create confusion among the electors because their names may be present in one roll but absent in the other, or vice versa, but also result in duplication of effort and expenditure.

Options :

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

Q2 Consider the following pairs of nuclear reactors with their locationstates :

1) Bhimpur : Haryana
2) Kaiga : Karnataka
3) Chutka : Madhya Pradesh

Which of the above pairs are correctly matched ?

Options :

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

Q3 The UAE has launched Agriota, a new technology-driven agri-commodity trading and sourcing e-market platform that will bridge the gap between millions of rural farmers in India and the Gulf nation's food industry.Which of the following statements regarding the same stands true ?

1) The online marketplace  provides end-to-end traceability and transparency through last-mile verification and extension infrastructure in a blockchain environment.
2) Additionally, the introduction of a proprietary banking system with a multi-tier escrow structure, will guarantee secure transactions of funds when using the platform.
3) In 2019, India exported more than USD 38 billion of agricultural and processed food products, with one of their largest markets being the Middle East.

Options :

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

Q4 The Centre has asked all its departments to review service records of employees who have completed 30 years in job to identify inefficient or corrupt staff and retire them prematurely in public interest, according to a Personnel Ministry order. Which of the following statements regarding the same stands true ?

1) The employees' performance review is conducted under the Fundamental Rule of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, that gives "absolute right" to the appropriate authority to retire a government servant, "if it is necessary to do so in public interest".
2) It is clarified that premature retirement of government servants under these rules is a penalty equivalent to 'compulsory retirement', which is one of prescribed penalties under Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965.
3) No government servant should ordinarily be retired on ground of ineffectiveness, if, in any event, he would be retiring on superannuation within a period of one year from the date of consideration of his case, reads the criteria mentioned in the order.

Options :

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

Q5 The 'Etikoppaka' dolls recently seen in news are the handwoven toys  of which of the following Indian states ?

a) Odisha
b) Maharashtra
c) Andhra Pradesh
d) Assam
 

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