Current Affairs MCQs for UPSC & State PSC Exams (11 October 2023)

Current Affairs MCQs Quiz for UPSC, IAS, UPPSC/UPPCS, MPPSC. BPSC, RPSC & All State PSC Exams

Date: 11 October 2023

1. Consider the following statements with reference to Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA):

1. It aims to provide seats for the meritorious Scheduled Castes (SCs) boys and girls in the best private residential schools in the country.
2. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
3. The scheme is applicable only for the admission in Class 9 and Class 11.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Answer: (C)

Explanation: The objective of SHRESHTA is to enhance the reach of development intervention of the Government and to fill the gap in service deficient SCs dominant areas, in the sector of education. The scheme provides grant-in-aid to institutions (run by NGOs) and residential high schools and to provide environment for socio economic upliftment and overall development of the Scheduled Castes (SCs). The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. It provides easy access to the meritorious SC students in the best schools in the Country for their Educational and Holistic Development, thereby securing their future opportunities. For SHRESHTA schools, meritorious SC students will be selected through the National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS) to be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The passed candidates are admitted in the best private residential schools affiliated by CBSE/State Board in classes 9th and 11th for completion of education till 12th standard. Best performing CBSE based private residential schools, having more than 75% pass percentage for class 10 and 12 for last 3 years are selected by a Committee for admission of selected students. The scheme is applicable only for the admission in Class 9 and Class 11. Hence, all statements correct.

2. Consider the following pairs:

Exercises Countries
1. SIMBEX India and Singapore
2. SAMPRITI India and Bangladesh
3. CHAKRAVAT India and Egypt

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Answer: (B)

Explanation:

  • SIMBEX : It is a bilateral naval exercise between India and Singapore. The 30th Edition of the Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX), 2023 was held in the southern parts of the South China Sea.
  • SAMPRITI : It is a joint army exercise between India and Bangladesh. 11th edition (SAMPRITI-XI) of annual joint military exercise was held at Meghalaya, India.
  • CHAKRAVAT is Annual Joint HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) Exercise. The exercise involves multi agency participation. The 2023 edition would further synergise efforts at the national level among all stakeholders, as well as witness participation from 8 countries of the Indian Ocean Region. The exercise has been conducted by Indian Army, Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Air Force (IAF) in rotation since 2016. The 2023 edition of the exercise is being hosted by the Indian Navy at Goa in the month of October.

Hence, pair 3 is incorrectly matched.

3. Consider the following statements, with reference to the Nobel Prize for Economics 2023:

1. Narges Mohammadi was bestowed with the economics Nobel for 2023 for her work on gender gap in the labour market.
2. The recipient of the Nobel Prize, 2023 is the 3rd women to receive Nobel Prize in Economics.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (B)

Explanation: Claudia Goldin, a professor at Harvard recently received Nobel Prize for Economics 2023 for her work on gender gap in the labour market. Claudia Goldin is the 3rd women to receive Nobel Prize in the field of economics after Elinor Ostrom in 2009 and Esther Duflo in 2019. Claudia Goldin receive the award for research that has advanced the understanding of the gender gap in the labour market. Goldin’s research does not offer solutions, but it allows policymakers to tackle the entrenched problem. Her research reveals the causes of change, as well as the main sources of the remaining gender gap. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

4. What is the primary purpose of card-on-file tokenization in the context of digital payments?

(a) To store cardholder data securely for easy access in future transactions.
(b) To convert sensitive card information into a unique token for enhanced security.
(c) To facilitate international money transfers between banks.
(d) To provide discounts and rewards to cardholders.

Answer: (B)

Explanation: Card-on-file tokenization is a security technique used in digital payments to replace sensitive cardholder data (such as card numbers) with unique tokens. This process enhances security by reducing the risk of data breaches and fraud when storing and transmitting payment information. The primary purpose of tokenization is to improve the security of digital transactions. Hence, option (b) is correct.

5. Consider the following statements regarding the women’s reservation bill or Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam:

1. It reserves one-third (33%) of the seats in Lok Sabha, State legislative assemblies and the Delhi assembly for women.
2. This will also apply to the seats reserved for SCs (Scheduled Castes) and STs (Scheduled Tribes) in Lok Sabha and State Legislatures.
3. This reservation will be implemented from the upcoming 2024 General Elections.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (A)

Explanation: The women’s reservation bill or Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam reserves one-third (33%) of the seats in Lok Sabha, State legislative assemblies and the Delhi assembly for women. This will also apply to the seats reserved for SCs (Scheduled Castes) and STs (Scheduled Tribes) in Lok Sabha and State Legislatures.

However, the reservation will not be effective immediately, but only after the next census. Based on the census, delimitation will be undertaken to reserve seats for women. The reservation will be provided for a period of 15 years. However, it shall continue till such date as determined by Parliamentary enactment. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.