Daily Current Affairs UPSC: News Based MCQs Quiz | 19th August 2025

Answer: (A) Only one

Detailed Explanation

Answer: (A) 1 only

Detailed Explanation

• The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana portal, facilitating registrations under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 12th Independence Day address, has gone live.
• The Union Cabinet on 1st July 2025 approved the Employment Linked Incentive Scheme, named as Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana. With an outlay of ₹99,446 Crore, the scheme aims to incentivize creation of more than 3. 5 Crore jobs in the country, over a period of two years.
• Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana aims to support employment generation, enhance employability and social security, across all sectors, with special focus on the manufacturing sector. The benefits of the scheme would be applicable to jobs created between 1st August 2025 and 31st July, 2027.
• The scheme will provide incentive of up to ₹15,000 in two instalments to newly employed youth and upto 3000 per month per new employee to employers for creation of new job opportunities.
• All payments to the First Time Employees under Part A of the Scheme will be made through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode using Aadhaar Bridge Payment System (ABPS). Payments to the Employers under Part B will be made directly into their PAN-linked Accounts.
• All first timers have to generate Universal Account Number (UAN), through Face Authentication Technology (FAT) available on UMANG App.
• Benefits of the Scheme:
• Employee:
  • Formalization of job through expansion of social security coverage
  • On job training making First-timers employable
  • Improved employability through sustained employment
  • Financial literacy skills
• Employers:
  • Offset cost of additional job creation
  • Enhancing workforce stability and productivity
  • Incentivize coverage of social security
  • The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana will be implemented by the Ministry of Labour & Employment through Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), a statutory body under the Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act of 1952.

Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2

Detailed Explanation

• In India, ports are classified as either major or non-major ports. Major ports are under the Union list, and are administered exclusively by the central government. The Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 sets up a Board of Major Port Authority for the administration of each major port. Non-major ports are under the Concurrent List, which implies that both the centre and states can make laws on them. However, they are primarily administered by state governments. All coastal states except Goa have established State Maritime Boards for administering non-major ports. The Indian Ports Act, 1908 also provides for safety and conservation of ports, and levy of port charges.
• As of 2023-24, India had 12 major and 217 non-major ports. Among these 217 non-major ports, 66 handle cargo while the rest are mainly for fishing.
• These are located across nine states and three union territories which have a coastline.6 In 2023-24, major ports handled 53% of the maritime cargo traffic in the country. Two of the non-major ports, Mundra and Sikka (both privately owned) handled 19%, while the remaining 64 non-major cargo ports accounted for 28% of the traffic.6

Answer: (D) None of the above

Detailed Explanation

Scheme Details

• Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is National Mission for Financial Inclusion to ensure access to financial services, namely, basic savings & deposit accounts, remittance, credit, insurance, pension in an affordable manner. Under the scheme, a basic savings bank deposit (BSBD) account can be opened in any bank branch or Business Correspondent (Bank Mitra) outlet, by persons not having any other account.
  • Benefits under PMJDY
  • One basic savings bank account is opened for unbanked person.
  • There is no requirement to maintain any minimum balance in PMJDY accounts.
  • Interest is earned on the deposit in PMJDY accounts.
  • Rupay Debit card is provided to PMJDY account holder.
  • Accident Insurance Cover of Rs.1 lakh (enhanced to Rs. 2 lakh to new PMJDY accounts opened after 28. 8. 2018) is available with RuPay card issued to the PMJDY account holders.
  • An overdraft (OD) facility up to Rs. 10,000 to eligible account holders is available.
  • PMJDY accounts are eligible for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), Micro Units Development & Refinance Agency Bank (MUDRA) scheme.

Answer: (D) None of the above

Detailed Explanation

• The procedure for nomination of members to the Puducherry Assembly came up before the Madras High Court in the K. Lakshminarayanan versus Union of India (2018) case. The court upheld the power of the Union government to nominate three members to the Assembly and that it need not be based on the advice of the UT’s Council of Ministers.
• Nevertheless, considering the importance of the matter as well as larger principles involved, the court provided certain recommendations for consideration of Parliament. It suggested statutory amendments to lay down a clear and unambiguous procedure for nomination of MLAs. It should provide clarity about where such nomination should emanate from and who/which office will exercise the powers of nomination. However, the Supreme Court on appeal had set aside the recommendations in this judgment of the Madras High Court.
• Government of NCT of Delhi versus Union of India (2023) case, the Supreme Court had delved into the concept of ‘triple chain of command’ that ensures democratic accountability.
• In this ‘triple chain of command’ opined by the court, civil servants are accountable to ministers; ministers are accountable to the legislature; and the legislature is accountable to the electorate.
• It therefore held that the LG is bound by the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers in all matters except where the Delhi Assembly does not have legislative powers.
• While this case was related to the appointment of officers to services in the Delhi government, the rationale in this judgment may hold good for nomination of members to the Assembly as well.

Answer: (A) 1 only

Detailed Explanation

• Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), which operates under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). This survey is the primary source of data on labor force, employment, and unemployment in India.
• The unemployment rate declined from 5. 6% in June 2025 to 5. 2% in July 2025.

Answer: (B) 2 only

Detailed Explanation

• There is no time limit specified for the Governor and the President of India to assent to bills.

Answer: (A) 1 only

Detailed Explanation

• The UNHCR, or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, is a UN agency that protects refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people. Its main goal is to safeguard their rights and well-being, assisting with voluntary repatriation, local integration, or resettlement to a third country. UNHCR was established in 1950, originally to help Europeans displaced by World War II.
• Funding:
  • UNHCR relies on voluntary contributions from governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, and individuals.
• India Context:
  • In India, UNHCR works with refugees and asylum-seekers, primarily from Myanmar and Afghanistan, providing support and protection in urban areas. They also work with the Indian government and other stakeholders to address the needs of refugees and promote self-reliance.