UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 30th August 2021

Solution (a)

Chagos Islands is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 islands in the Indian Ocean about 500 kilometres south of the Maldives archipelago. 

This chain of islands is the southernmost archipelago of the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge, a long submarine mountain range in the Indian Ocean.

In the 19th century, Chagos were governed from Mauritius, which was a British Colony.

Mauritius became independent in 1968, but the Chagos archipelago remained under British control. The U.K. government refers to it as British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

The UK retained possession of the Chagos archipelago, which includes the strategic US airbase of Diego Garcia, after Mauritius gained its independence by paying Mauritius more than 4 million pounds for the islands.

Since 1975, Mauritius has made a concerted legal effort to secure the archipelago’s return to its fold.

Article Link: UN bans British stamps in Chagos island

Solution (d)

As per the privileges of Parliament, in civil cases, Members of Parliament have freedom from arrest during the continuance of the House and 40 days before its commencement and 40 days after its conclusion, as per section 135 of the Code of Civil Procedure. 

The privilege of freedom from arrest does not extend to criminal offences or cases of detention under preventive detention.

No arrest, whether of a member or of a stranger, can be made within the precincts of the House without the prior permission of the Chairman/Speaker and that too in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Home Ministry in this regard. 

Similarly no legal process, civil or criminal, can be served within the precincts of the House without obtaining the prior permission of the Chairman/Speaker whether the House is in Session or not.

Article Link: The procedure to arrest a Cabinet minister in India

Solution (a)

The NDC Transport Initiative for Asia (NDC-TIA) aims to promote a coherent strategy of effective policies for decarbonising transport co-ordinated among various sector ministries, civil society, and the private sector.

The project engages in China, India and Vietnam over the period 2020-24.

The goal is to enable the countries’ transport sectors to contribute to achieving their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and increase ambition in transport sections of long-term strategies and 2025 NDCs.

The India component is implemented by six consortium organisations. On behalf of the Government of India, NITI Aayog, is the implementing partner.

The objectives of NDC–TIA India Component are:

• Strengthening GreenHouse Gas (GHG) and transport modelling capacities.
• Providing technical support on GHG emission reduction measures.
• Financing climate actions in transport.
• Offering policy recommendations on electric vehicle (EV) demand and supply policies etc

Article Link: NITI Aayog and World Resources Institute India Jointly Launch ‘Forum for Decarbonizing Transport’ in India

Solution (c)

Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas within 10 kms around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

In case of places with sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, even area beyond 10 km width can also be included in the eco-sensitive zone.

ESZs are notified by MoEFCC, Government of India under Environment Protection Act 1986.

The basic aim is to regulate certain activities around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries so as to minimise the negative impacts of such activities on the fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected areas.

The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas. They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.

Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified the eco-sensitive zone of Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a permanent freshwater lake, in a former channel of the Brahmaputra River, to the south of the main river. It is a wetland under the Ramsar Convention which has been listed since November 2002.

Article Link: Deepor Beel breathes easy after eco-sensitive zone notification

Solution (d)

Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) have been identified as the most Critically Endangered crocodilian species in the world. The geographical range of gharial distribution has dwindled throughout Pakistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Presently, the wild populations of gharials can only be found in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

Increased river pollution, dam construction, massive-scale fishing operations and floods, illegal sand mining and poaching are the main threats to the Gharial habitat.

Article Link: Illegal sand mining, constructions endanger Son gharials