Current Affairs Quiz 23 October 2024

Solution: d)
Justification: Statement 1: In India, the minerals are classified as minor minerals and major minerals. Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette declares minerals to be a minor or major mineral. The majorminor classification has nothing to do with the quantum /availability of these minerals, though it is correlated with the relative value of these minerals. Further, this classification is based more on their end use, rather than level of production, level of mechanization, export and import etc. (e.g. Sand can be a major mineral or a minor mineral depending on where it is used; same is the case for limestone.) Major minerals are those specified in the first schedule appended in the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act 1957) and the common major minerals are Lignite, Coal, Uranium, iron ore, gold etc. It may be noted that there is no official definition for “major minerals” in the MMDR Act. Hence, whatever is not declared as a “minor mineral” may be treated as the major mineral. Major minerals are exploited by the Centre, and minor by the State.

Correct Answer: C) Vitiligo treatment options include topical treatments and phototherapy, which are aimed at completely curing the disorder.

Explanation: Vitiligo is characterized by the appearance of white patches on the skin, caused by the destruction or malfunction of melanocytes, which are responsible for producing skin pigment. While genetic, autoimmune, and environmental factors contribute to the onset of the condition, the exact cause remains not fully understood. The statement in option C is incorrect as current treatments like topical applications and phototherapy manage symptoms and may restore some skin pigmentation but do not cure the disorder entirely.

Correct Answer: B) EPBs interfere with satellite communications and GPS by scattering high-frequency radio waves.

Explanation: Equatorial Plasma Bubbles (EPBs) are regions in the equatorial ionosphere where plasma is depleted due to instabilities. These bubbles can extend significantly north and south of the equator, affecting the global ionosphere. The primary impact of EPBs on communication is the scattering of radio waves, which leads to signal degradation. This scattering is particularly disruptive to systems reliant on high-frequency radio waves, such as satellite communications and GPS, making option B the correct answer.

Ans;- b) Only 2

• The 1st statement is incorrect.

About Guru Gobind Singh Ji

• He is tenth Sikh Gurus, his birth anniversary is commemorated based on the Nanakshahi calendar.
• He became the Sikh guru at the age of nine, following the demise of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru.
• He fought against the Mughals in the battle of Muktsar in 1705.
• He also founded the principles of Khalsa or the Five ‘K’s.
The Five K’s 
Kesh (uncut hair),
Kanga (wooden comb),
Kara (iron or steel bracelet),
Kirpan (dagger)
Kachera (short breeches).
• These were the five articles of faith that a Khalsa must always adorn.

Answer : c
• India has recently welcomed the US support for relaxation in the norms of the agreement on TRIPS to ensure quick and affordable access to COVID vaccines and medicines for developing countries.
• In October last year, in view of COVID-19 pandemic, India and South Africa had proposed in WTO for temporary waiver from certain provisions of the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement.
• As a result of proactive outreach by India and other like-minded countries, the proposal has received the support of more than 120 countries.

TRIPS Agreement
• The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is an international legal agreement between all the member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
• It sets down minimum standards for the regulation by national governments of many forms of intellectual property (IP) as applied to nationals of other WTO member nations.
• TRIPS was negotiated at the end of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) between 1989 and 1990 and is administered by the WTO.
• The TRIPS agreement introduced intellectual property law into the multilateral trading system for the first time and remains the most comprehensive multilateral agreement on intellectual property to date.

TRIPS requires WTO members to
• Provide copyright rights, covering authors and other copyright holders, as well as holders of related rights, namely performers, sound recording producers and broadcasting organizations; geographical indications;
• Industrial designs;
• Integrated circuit layout-designs;
• Patents;
• New plant varieties;
• Trademarks;
• Trade names and undisclosed or confidential information.
• TRIPS also specifies enforcement procedures, remedies, and dispute resolution procedures.
• All the WTO agreements (except for a couple of “plurilateral” agreements) apply to all WTO members.
• The members each accepted all the agreements as a single package with a single signature — making it, in the jargon, a “single undertaking”.
• The TRIPS Agreement is part of that package. Therefore it applies to all WTO members.
• Article 31 allows compulsory licensing and government use of a patent without the authorization of its owner.
• But this can only be done under a number of conditions aimed at protecting the legitimate interests of the right holder.