Current Affairs MCQ for UPSC Exams - 04 February 2020

Q1. Consider the following statements :

1) The PradhanMantriMatruVandanaYojana is a maternity benefit programme implemented in all the districts of the country since 2017.
2) Under this scheme, the cash incentive of 5000 rupees is being provided directly to the bank and post office account of pregnant women and lactating mothers for the first living child of the family.
3) The efficiency in the implementation of the PradhanMantriMatruVandanaYojana, PMMVY has now touched the 100 per cent mark in comparison to 38 per cent in 2018.

Which of the above statements are true ?

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

Q2. Which of the following countries includes the so called “vanilla islands”?

1) Comoros islands
2) Maldives
3) Papua new Guinea
4) Mauritius
5) Madagascar

a) 1,2 & 3 only
b) 1,4 & 5 only
c) 2,3 & 5 only
d) 2,4 & 5 only

Q3. Researchers have recently developed an Artificial Intelligence technology to convert brain signals of speech impaired humans into language. Which of the following statements regarding the discovery and its possible implications stands true ?

1) Electrical signals, brain signal or any signal, in general, are waveforms which are decoded to meaningful information using physical law or mathematical transforms such as Fourier Transform or Laplace transform which are science-based languages.
2) With the use of AI technology researchers can potentially interpret nature’s signals such as plant photosynthesis process or their response to external forces.
3) The interpretation of nature signals will help in predicting monsoons, earthquake, floods, Tsunami and other natural disasters as well.

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

Q4. Which of the following statements regarding the food policy of the government as prescribed in the recently presented economic survey (2019-2020) stands true ?

1) The CEA (chief economic advisor) wants a complete review of the policy on food grains, which he argues has made the government the largest hoarder thereby distorting these markets.
2) The economic survey moots scrapping of all kinds of food subsidies available at present.
3) It recommends scrapping of the Essential Commodities Act 1955 as it causes unnecessary government intervention to market forces, causing disruption of demand and supply.

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

Q5. The Ninth edition of the Joint Military Exercise “SAMPRITI-IX” commenced at Umroi, Meghalaya recently.The main focus of this edition of the joint exercise is on Counter Terrorism Operations in mountainous and jungle terrain.

The ‘SAMPRITI’ series of bilateral exercise is one of the major bilateral defence cooperation initiatives between India and which of the following countries ?

a) Maldives
b) Nepal
c) Bangladesh
d) Srilanka