Day-689 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS

Answer: A
The Context: Union govt. makes it clear that an Aadhaar card is not proof of citizenship, birth date. New Aadhaar cards now come with a more prominent disclaimer that Aadhaar is a proof of identity, not citizenship or date of birth.
Explanation:
New Aadhaar cards and PDF versions of the identity document have started including a more explicit disclaimer that they are “a proof of identity, not of citizenship or date of birth”, signaling to government departments and other organisations not to use it for those purposes.
Aadhaar card has never been proof of citizenship as foreign nationals are also eligible to obtain one if they have been living in India for 180 days.
However, different government departments accept it for purposes reserved for citizens or adults. For instance, the Election Commission of India explicitly accepts Aadhaar as a proof of date of birth for enrolling people to vote. These new clarifications, prominently printed on the document, may challenge such allowances.

Answer: C
Context: The Reserve Bank of India has rejected three applications, including that of West End Housing Finance, for setting up small finance banks. These applications were found not suitable for granting of in-principle approval to set up small finance banks.
Explanation:
Small Finance Banks are licensed under Section 22 (1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
They are to be governed by the RBI Act, 1934; Banking Regulation Act,1949; Payments and Settlements Act, 2007; Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005; Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961; and any other relevant guidelines and prudential norms issued by the RBI or any other regulators from time to time.
Criteria of setting of Small Finance Banks (SFBs) in India:
● They must have a minimum paid-up equity capital of Rs.100 crore.
● They need to have at least 25% of their branches in unbanked rural areas.
● They must be registered as a public limited company under Companies Act, 2013.
● They must be in existence for at least five years.

Answer: A
Context- The World Resource Institute (WRI) has recently used a new global forest carbon model, the CHARM to study the effects of deforestation on the concentration of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere.
As per their study, the global wood harvests are likely to add 3.5-4 billion tonnes of CO2 annually over the coming decades. This is attributed to substituting steel and concrete for wood in the new African buildings and other regions.
The researchers have expressed serious concerns regarding such a huge amount of CO2 emissions due to the loss of the forests. These emissions have been ignored in the scientific papers.
Explanation- The Carbon Harvest Model or CHARM calculates the wood harvesting costs by placing a value on the additional emissions. It applies a discount rate to the changes in emissions and carbon removals to and from the air.
It also recognises the fact that not all harvested wood is lost immediately. E.g. Tree roots take several years to decompose in the forest.
Additional information:
World Resources Institute: Based in Washington D.C., USA, the WRI is a global research-oriented non-profit organisation which was established in the year 1982. It works with leaders in government, business and civil society to research, design and carry out practical solutions that simultaneously improve the people’s lives and ensure nature can thrive. It focuses on 7 urgent challenges concerning food, forests, water, ocean, cities, energy and climate.

Answer: B
Explanation:
Context: U.S. set to destroy its last chemical weapons, closing a deadly chapter dating to World War I
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), officially the “Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction”, is an arms control treaty administered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an intergovernmental organization based in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Statement 2 is correct: India is a signatory and party to the CWC. India signed the treaty in January 1993.
Statement 3 is correct: All States Parties have agreed to chemically disarm by destroying any stockpiles of chemical weapons they may hold and any facilities which produced them, as well as any chemical weapons they abandoned on the territory of other States Parties in the past.
States Parties have also agreed to create a verification regime for certain toxic chemicals and their precursors in order to ensure that such chemicals are only used for purposes not prohibited under the Convention.
A unique feature of the Convention is its incorporation of the ‘challenge inspection’, whereby any State Party in doubt about another State Party’s compliance can request a surprise inspection.
Under the Convention’s ‘challenge inspection’ procedure, States Parties have committed themselves to the principle of ‘any time, anywhere’ inspections with no right of refusal.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A Chemical Weapon is a chemical used to cause intentional death or harm through its toxic properties.
Munitions, devices and other equipment specifically designed to weaponize toxic chemicals also fall under the definition of chemical weapons.
Chemical Weapons Convention:
● It is a multilateral treaty banning chemical weapons and requiring their destruction within the stipulated time.
● Negotiations for the CWC began in 1980 at the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.
● The convention was drafted in September 1992 and opened for signature in January 1993. It became effective in April 1997.
● It makes it mandatory to destroy old and abandoned chemical weapons.

Answer: B
The Context: Prime Minister greeted people on the occasion of Ker Puja. In a tweet, he expressed hope that this festival, which is marked with great enthusiasm in Tripura, will fill everyone’s lives with joy and prosperity.
Explanation:
Ker Puja is a festival celebrated in the state of Tripura and was initiated by the Tripura raja at royal Ujjayanta palace of Tripura. During this festival, a particular area is demarcated and bounded by a large piece of green bamboo, which is a symbolic representation of Ker. Sacrifices are made to please gods for the welfare of the villages so that they can save them from calamities, epidemics and external aggression.
Kharchi Puja: It is called the ‘Festival of 14 Gods’, Kharchi Puja is observed on the eighth day of the new moon in July or August every year. The festival is centred around the worship of Chaturdasa Devata, the ancestral deity of the Tripuri people. It holds immense religious and cultural importance and showcases the rich history and traditions of the community.
Losar Festival, Arunachal Pradesh: One of the most significant festivals of the Buddhist Community in Tawang, Losar commemorates the advent of the new year. The word Losar is derived from two Tibetan words, ‘lo’ which means ‘year’ and ‘sar’ which means ‘new.
Sammakka Saralamma Jatra: It is held by forest dwelling Koya tribe of Telangana and surrounding States, is the biggest Tribal festival in Asia which is attended by one crore people on an average. The event is held bi-annually to honor the twin goddesses Sammakka and her daughter Saralamma.