MLC Daily Current Affairs – 13 Mar 2024

Today in History (Mar 13^th, 2018)

In 2018, former US President Donald Trump fired US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson via a tweet.

Lets revise

A) Recently Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology has been tested by which missile?

1. Brahmos
2. Agni 5
3. Panaka
4. T20 Arjun

Ans. (b)

B) Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology is the part of which mission?

1. Mission Divyastra
2. Mission Shakti
3. Mission Indradhanush
4. Mission Smiling Buddha

Ans. (a)

C) DRDO has successfully tested the Agni-5 ballistic missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology from which place?

1. Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Island
2. Bengaluru
3. Thiruvanantpuram
4. Kolkata

Ans. (a)

D) The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is in news it was passed by the Parliament in____

1. 2023
2. 2020
3. 2019
4. 2018

Ans. (c)

E) Find the correct statement regarding recent citizenship amendment act.

1. It is to take the citizenship of Indian Muslims
2. It is to give citizenship to the certain refugees from three countries in India
3. It is to give citizenship to all applicants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh
4. It is to give citizenship to the people from Sri Lankan refugees in India

Ans. (b)

F) Which of the following communities were persecuted in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh which led them to migrate to India?

1. Sunni Muslims, Parsis, Hindus, Sikhs, Jain
2. Hindu, Jain, Sikhs, Parsis, Christians, Buddhists
3. Shia, Sunni, Barelvi, and Pathan Muslims
4. None of the above is correct option

Ans. (b)

G) Which movie has received recent Oscar award for best picture?

1. “Oppenheimer”
2. Barbie
3. Everyone is a hero
4. None of the above

Ans. (a)

H) Recently ‘G4 model’ model was in news it is associated with which one of the following?

1. A technology for DNA editing
2. A defence system developed by India
3. A model for UNSC reforms
4. A model for World Bank reforms

Ans. (c)

I) The G4 comprises_______

1. Countries with highest GDP
2. Countries with highest HDI
3. Countries aspiring to be permanent member of UNSC
4. Countries with highest population

Ans. (c)

J) Which of the option represents the group of the countries of G4?

1. India, Brazil, Germany, Japan
2. India, Brazil, Japan, South Africa
3. India, Japan, Germany, Pakistan
4. India, Japan, China, Australia

Ans. (a)

K) Which one of the following country has proposed the G4 model for UNSC reforms?

1. Japan
2. Germany
3. India
4. Brazil

Ans. (c)

Summary of Today’s News

New Member of NATO

• Sweden has officially joined NATO as its 32nd member after completing the accession process in Washington.
• NATO, also known as the North Atlantic Alliance,
• It is an intergovernmental military alliance
• It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
• Background: Established in 1949 by 12 countries from Europe and North America with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.,
• NATO aims to provide collective security against Soviet Union aggression following World War II.
• NATO operates on the principle of collective defense outlined in Article 5, where an attack on any member state is considered an attack on all members.
• Article 5 was invoked once in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001.
• Members: NATO comprises 32 member states,
• Two North American countries (USA and Canada),
• 29 European countries, and
• One Eurasian country (Turkey).
• Finland became the 31st member in 2023.
• Criteria for Membership: Membership in NATO is governed by specific criteria under NATO’s “open door policy“
• Currently open only to European nations.

National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)

• Kishor Makwana has assumed the role of Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).

About NCSC:

• NCSC is a constitutional body established
• It aims are to safeguard the Scheduled Castes and Anglo-Indian communities against the exploitation and to promote and protect their social, educational, economic, and cultural interests.
• Article 338 of the Indian constitution outlines the establishment of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
• Composition of NCSC:
  • The commission comprises a Chairperson,
  • a Vice-Chairperson, and
  • three other members appointed by the President via warrant under his hand and seal.
• Their conditions of service and tenure of office are determined by the President.
• Powers of the NCSC:
  • During investigations or inquiries into complaints, the NCSC possesses all the powers of a Civil Court.
  • Both the Central Government and State Governments are required to consult the Commission on major policy matters affecting Scheduled Castes.

Report of the NCSC:

• The Commission presents reports annually or at other suitable times to the President.
• The President submits all such reports to Parliament, accompanied by a memorandum explaining the actions taken on the Commission’s recommendations.

Exercise Cutlass Express

• Indian navy participated in U.S. Naval Forces led multinational maritime Exercise Cutlass Expres in Seychelles.
• It is a cornerstone of maritime security and cooperation in the strategic waters of the East African coast and the Western Indian Ocean.

Vajra sentinel system

• It’s an anti drone system.
• Defence Ministry signs 200 crore contract for Vajra sentinel system under Indian Defence Exhibition (iDEX) initiative.
• It is a modern solution designed to detect, track, and neutralize drones at extraordinary ranges.
• It provides soft kills by jamming and hard kills by interceptor drones.
• Operational range of 10 km and a hard-kill reach of 5-6 km.

Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT)

• The Mumbai bench of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) recently stated that the assessee had the right to claim credit for Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) under the Vivad se Vishwas (VSV) Scheme for the relevant year.

About Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT)

• MAT is a provision in the Income Tax Act of India primarily targeting companies to ensure they pay a minimum level of taxation, especially those reporting substantial book profits but paying little to no income tax due to exemptions and deductions.
• Its primary objective is to combat tax avoidance by companies manipulating financial statements to artificially reduce taxable income.