Daily Quiz

Solution (d)
Explanation:
• The Code on Wages, 2019 consolidates laws related to the payment of wages, minimum wages, and equal remuneration. It does not explicitly address gig or platform workers, focusing instead on wage-related issues for formal workers.
• Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 code primarily deals with ensuring the health, safety, and working conditions of workers in various sectors.
• The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 focuses on improving employer-worker relations and handling disputes in industries.
• The Code on Social Security, 2020 is the only code that explicitly mentions gig and platform workers. This code allows for the formulation of social security schemes for gig and platform workers, treating them as a subset of informal workers. It aims to extend social protection measures to workers in the gig economy, such as those working for digital platforms (e.g., ride-sharing and food delivery services). (Option (d) is correct)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/ensuring-a-proper-social-safety-net-for-the-gig-worker/article68753585.ece

Solution (c)

Explanation:

• The POCSO Act is gender-neutral, applying to all children (defined as individuals under the age of 18), whether male, female, or transgender, who are victims of sexual offences. (Option (a) is correct)
• The POCSO Act was amended in 2019 to specifically include provisions on child pornography, making its storage, distribution, and use a punishable offence under the law. (Option (b) is correct)
• Under the POCSO Act, the consent of a child is irrelevant, as a child (anyone under 18) is not legally capable of giving consent. Any sexual activity with a minor is considered an offence, irrespective of consent. (Option (c) is incorrect)
• The POCSO Act mandates the establishment of special courts to ensure that cases involving child sexual abuse are dealt with speedily and with sensitivity. (Option (d) is correct)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-blueprint-for-safeguarding-children/article68752960.ece#:~:text=By%20streamlining%20cooperation%20between%20law,critical%20step%20in%20this%20direction.

Solution (a)

Explanation:

• In the B.R. Singh vs Union of India (1989) case the Supreme Court recognized that the right to form associations or unions is a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(c) of the Constitution. The judgment reaffirmed the freedom of workers and employees to form unions for collective bargaining and their protection. (Option (a) is correct)
• The T.M.A. Pai case dealt with the rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions under Article 30(1) of the Constitution. (Option (b) is incorrect)
• The Minerva Mills case dealt with the basic structure doctrine and the extent of Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution under Article 368. It was primarily focused on the interplay between fundamental rights and Directive Principles of State Policy, not Article 19(1)(c). (Option (c) is incorrect)
• The Maneka Gandhi case expanded the interpretation of Article 21 (Right to Life and Personal Liberty), ensuring that the procedure established by law must be just, fair, and reasonable. (Option (d) is incorrect)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/podcast/decoding-the-workers-strike-at-samsung-india-in-chennai-in-focus-podcast/article68768847.ece

Solution (c)

Explanation:

• The Haber-Bosch method revolutionized agriculture by enabling large-scale production of synthetic ammonia, which is a key component in fertilizers. This made fertilizers cheaper and widely available, significantly boosting global food production. (Statement 1 is correct)
• The Haber-Bosch process is an industrial process used to synthesize ammonia (NH₃) by combining atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) with hydrogen (H₂) under high temperatures and pressures, using a metal catalyst. This process effectively “fixes” nitrogen from the air into a usable form for plants. (Statement 2 is correct)
• The Haber-Bosch process operates under very high pressures (150-250 atmospheres) and high temperatures (400-500°C) to overcome the strong triple bond in the nitrogen molecule (N₂), making it highly energy-intensive. (Statement 3 is correct)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/how-did-the-haber-bosch-process-change-the-world/article68752579.ece#:~:text=The%20Haber%2DBosch%20method%20allowed,t%20be%20taken%20for%20granted.

Solution (c)

Explanation:

• The Northern Sea Route (NSR) is a shipping lane that runs along the Russian Arctic coast from the Kara Sea (in the Atlantic Ocean) to the Bering Strait (leading to the Pacific Ocean). It is shorter than the conventional routes through the Suez or Panama Canals, offering quicker access between Europe and East Asia during the ice-free months. (Statement 1 is correct)
• The NSR does not pass through the North Sea. The North Sea is located between Great Britain, Norway, and Denmark, far from the Arctic. The NSR instead runs along the Russian Arctic coastline and primarily passes through seas like the Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, East Siberian Sea, and the Chukchi Sea. (Statement 2 is incorrect)
• The Bering Strait, located between Russia and Alaska, forms the eastern terminus of the Northern Sea Route and is a key passage connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic seas, making it an important node for the route. (Statement 3 is correct)

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-russia-discuss-training-of-indian-sailors-for-polar-navigation/article68752741.ece