UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2nd December 2021

Solution (c)

12 Opposition MPs have been suspended for the rest of the Winter Session for disruptions in Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session. What are the rules for dealing with disruptions?

MPs are required to adhere to certain rules of parliamentary etiquette. For example the Lok Sabha rulebook specifies that MPs are not to interrupt the speech of others, maintain silence and not obstruct proceedings by hissing or making running commentaries during debates. 

Newer forms of protest led to these rules being updated in 1989. Now, members should not shout slogans, display placards, tear up documents in protest, and play a cassette or a tape recorder in the House. 

Rajya Sabha has similar rules. To conduct the proceedings smoothly, the rulebook also gives certain, similar powers to the presiding officers of both Houses.

The presiding officer of each House can direct an MP to withdraw from the legislative chamber for grossly disorderly conduct. 

The MP then has to remain absent from the proceedings of the House for the remainder of the day. 

The presiding officers can also “name” an MP for “persistently and willfully obstructing the business” of the House. 

In such a case, usually, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister moves a motion for suspending the offending MP from the service of the House. The suspension can last until the end of the session.

In 2001, the Lok Sabha rule was amended to give the Speaker one additional power. A new rule, 374A, empowers the Speaker to automatically suspend an MP for a maximum of five days for disrupting the business of the House. In 2015, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan used this rule for suspending 25 Congress MPs.

Article Link:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/winter-session-of-parliament-mps-suspended-farm-laws-7648189/

Solution (d)

The Government of India created a new organisation known as IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) which is a “single window nodal agency” established to boost the commercialization of Indian space activities. A supplement to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the agency promotes the entry of the Non-Government Private Entities (NGPEs) in the Indian space sector. The agency will also felicitate a swift on-boarding of private players in the sector through encouraging policies in a friendly regulatory environment and by creating synergies through already existing necessary facilities

Article Link:

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-launch-window-for-india-as-a-space-start-up-hub/article37760312.ece

Solution (b)

Australia’s Christmas Island is known for an annual occurrence – the migration of millions of crabs. Red crabs, unique to this region, travel towards the shore via highways and major roadways in the island. These roads are often closed to protect the crabs from traffic. Local officials have also built overhead bridges for the red crustaceans to use.

Red crabs leave their burrows to mate at sea according to the lunar position, leave behind eggs and return to the forests. Once hatched, baby crabs slowly make their way home.

Article Link:

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/australias-christmas-island-witnesses-annual-crab-migration/article37698692.ece

Solution (c)

The National Health Accounts estimates for India for 2017-18 was released on Monday by Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

Out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) as a share of total health expenditure and foreign aid for health has both come down as per the findings of the National Health Accounts (NHA) estimates for India for 2017-18 released on Monday by Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

As a share of total health expenditure, OOPE has come down to 48.8% in 2017-18 from 64.2% in 2013-14. Even in case of per capita OOPE, there has been decline from ₹2,336 to ₹2,097 between 2013-14 to 2017-18.

One of the factors attributing to this decline is the increase in utilisation and reduction in cost of services in Government health facilities. If we compare NHA 2014-15 and 2017-18 there has been a decline in OOPE for Government hospitals to the tune of 50%,

This report is the fifth consecutive NHA report produced by National Health Systems Resource Centre, designated as National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat in 2014 by the Health Ministry. 

The NHA estimates are prepared by using an accounting framework based on internationally accepted System of Health Accounts 2011, provided by the World Health Organization.

The share of social security expenditure on health, which includes the social health insurance programme, Government financed health insurance schemes, and medical reimbursements made to Government employees, has increased.

Article Link:

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/per-capita-out-of-pocket-health-expenditure-declines-from-2336-to-2097-says-report/article37747876.ece

Solution (a)

The Centre’s NIPUN Bharat mission, aimed at equipping every child till class 3 with basic comprehension and mathematical skills, received a push recently with the Ministry of Education setting up a national steering committee to oversee its progress and provide policy-level guidance.

The steering committee, as envisaged in the NIPUN (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy) Bharat guidelines, will be chaired by Education Minister 

The members include education secretaries of UP, Gujarat, Karnataka and Sikkim, and the Union school education secretary and NCERT director.

National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat), for ensuring that every child in the country necessarily attains foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) by the end of Grade 3, by 2026-27.

The mission will focus on children of age group of 3 to 9 years including pre-school to Grade 3. The children who are in Class 4 and 5 and have not attained the foundational skills will be provided individual teacher guidance and support, peer support and age appropriate and supplementary graded learning materials to acquire the necessary competencies. 

The National Mission which has been launched under the aegis of the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha, will focus on providing access and retaining children in foundational years of schooling;

Article Link:

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/govt-panel-to-oversee-nipun-bharat-progress-7590702/