This is the current affairs of 6 & 7 August 2023. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. Under the provisions of which article of the Constitution, did the Lok Sabha Secretariat revoke the disqualification order of Rahul Gandhi as a Member of Parliament?
a. Article 58
b. Article 102
c. Article 106
d. Article 147
Answer: b. Article 102
– This paragraph falls under Article 5 of the Constitution.
– The Speaker of the Lok Sabha invoked Article 102 (1) (e) of the Constitution in the case of Rahul Gandhi.
– Under this article of the Constitution, pursuant to Section 8 (3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, Rahul Gandhi was declared ineligible on March 24, 2023, and eligible on August 7, 2023.
– After the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Rahul Gandhi, the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a notification to revise his eligibility date from the earlier ineligible date.
– Subsequently, he once again became a Member of Parliament.
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2. Under which law was ‘Rahul Gandhi’ initially deemed ineligible and then subsequently qualified for the Lok Sabha?
a. Family Courts Act, 1984
b. Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1961
c. National Security Act, 1980
d. Representation of the People Act, 1951
Answer: d. Representation of the People Act, 1951
– Rahul Gandhi is a Member of Parliament from the Wayanad (Kerala) Lok Sabha constituency.
– On March 24, 2023, the Lok Sabha Secretariat had declared Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ineligible from the Lok Sabha.
– The decision of his disqualification was made a day after being found guilty of contempt by the Surat court.
– Rahul Gandhi became disqualified from the House starting from the day of his sentence, which was March 23.
– The decision of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification was based on the provisions of Article 102 (1) (e) of the Constitution and Section 8 (3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
– According to this, he couldn’t contest elections for a period of 6 years to fulfill his sentence.
– However, in August 2023, the Supreme Court stayed the Surat court’s decision.
– Subsequently, under the same provisions of the Constitution and the law, the order of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification was revoked on 7th of August 2023.
Article 102 of the Constitution:
– This article pertains to the disqualification of Members of Parliament from either house of the Parliament. Part 1 of this article deals with the reasons for declaring a Member disqualified –
# Part 1 (a): If they hold any office of profit under the Government of India or any state government.
# Part 1 (b): If they are declared mentally unsound by a court.
# Part 1 (c): If they are an undischarged insolvent.
# Part 1 (d): If they are not a citizen of India, or have voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign state, or have taken an oath or affirmation of allegiance to a foreign state.
# Part 1 (e): If they are disqualified by or under any law made by Parliament.
What is the Representation of the People Act, 1951?
– The Representation of the People Act, 1951 is a law that governs the conduct of elections to the houses of Parliament, as well as to the legislative assemblies of each state.
– The law deals with the qualifications and disqualifications for membership of the houses, corrupt practices and other offenses in connection with elections or related to them, and the determination of doubts and disputes arising out of such elections.
Under which section of the Representation of the People Act is the action taken?
– Under this law, action has been taken under Section 8 (3) to declare Rahul Gandhi ineligible.
– It states: “A person found guilty of any offense and sentenced to imprisonment for an imprisonment of less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release.”
How can disqualification be cancelled?
– Disqualification can be reversed if a higher court stays the sentence or decides on appeal in favor of the convicted legislator.
– Stay of sentence cannot only be suspension of sentence under Section 389 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) but deals with stay of conviction.
Supreme Court’s Order on Disqualification Laws:
– However, before the year 2013, the Representation of the People Act, 1951, was not as stringent.
– Up until that time, Section 8 (4) of this law stated that disqualification from the date of conviction would be effective only ‘after the expiration of three months.’ Within that period, a Member of Parliament or a legislator could file an appeal against the sentence to the High Court.
– However, in the year 2013, the Supreme Court in the case of ‘Lily Thomas vs. Union of India’ declared Section 8 (4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, unconstitutional.
– This decision also authorized the Lok Sabha Secretariat to immediately declare Rahul Gandhi disqualified.
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3. When is National Handloom Day celebrated?
a. 6 August
b. 7 August
c. 8 August
d. 9 August
Answer: b. 7 August
– In fact, the Swadeshi Movement that began on August 7, 1905, encouraged indigenous industries and particularly boosted handloom weavers.
– In remembrance of this and to promote the handloom industry, August 7 is celebrated as National Handloom Day.
– It was first observed on August 7, 2015.
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4. What amount of funds was given by the Government of India for Sri Lanka’s ‘SLUDI’ (Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity Project) in August 2023?
a. ₹15 Crore
b. ₹25 Crore
c. ₹35 Crore
d. ₹45 Crore
Answer: d. ₹45 Crore
– Sri Lanka is also working on ‘SLUDI’ (Sri Lanka Unique Digital Identity Project) similar to India’s UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India).
– For this, India is providing financial and technical assistance to Sri Lanka.
– India handed over ₹450 (45 crore) million to Sri Lanka in August 2023 to finance this digital identity project.
– Indian High Commissioner handed over a significant contribution of INR 450 million to Minister Kanak Herath (Minister of State for Technology).
– which was 15 per cent of the total funds required for its successful implementation.
– This is one of the most important steps in the digitization program of the island nation being implemented through Indian grant assistance.
What is the objective of this project?
– The objective of the project is to gather biometric information including facial, iris, and fingerprint data, and store it in a centralized system to issue identity documents according to the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
– The implementation of the project will result in more efficient and effective delivery of government services, poverty reduction, and welfare programs.
– Financial inclusion through better access to banking and other products/services.
When was the agreement for this project made?
– The initiative for this project began with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Sri Lanka and India in March 2022.
– The Joint Project Monitoring Committee (JPMSC) for the Specific Digital Identification Project of Sri Lanka (SL-UIDAI) was established as a collaborative project between India and Sri Lanka.
– The Indian government is overseeing the software development for SL-UIDAI.
Sri Lanka:
– President: Ranil Wickremesinghe
– Prime Minister: Dinesh Gunawardena
– Capital: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
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5. When is Quit India Movement Day celebrated?
a. 6 August
b. 7 August
c. 8 August
d. 9 August
Answer: c. 8 August
– Mahatma Gandhi initiated the Quit India Movement against the British during the session of the All-India Congress Committee in Mumbai on August 8, 1942.
– The slogan “Do or Die” was given in his Quit India speech.
– This day is also known as the August Movement or August Revolution.
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6. Successful entry of Chandrayaan-3 into Moon’s orbit
– After a journey of twenty-three days, Chandrayaan-3 has successfully entered the lunar orbit.
– ISRO Chief S. Somnath stated that if everything goes according to plan, on August 23rd at 5:47 PM, it will touch down on the southern pole of the Moon.
What’s in Chandrayaan-3?
– Chandrayaan-3 consists of a lander, a rover, and a propulsion module.
– The lander and rover will touch down at the southern pole of the Moon and operate there for 14 days.
– The propulsion module will remain in lunar orbit to study radiation coming from Earth.
– Through this mission, ISRO will study how moonquakes occur on the lunar surface and also analyze the composition of the lunar soil.
India will become the fourth country to successfully land a lander on the Moon:
– So far, only three countries, the United States, Russia, and China, have achieved successful soft landings on the Moon.
– If Chandrayaan-3’s lander successfully lands on the Moon, India will become the fourth country to accomplish this feat.
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7. Which state has launched the ‘Shubhyatra’ scheme?
a. Bihar
b. Punjab
c. Kerala
d. Haryana
Answer: c. Kerala
– The ‘Shubhayatra’ scheme will benefit those individuals who are seeking foreign employment.
– Through this, financial barriers will be eliminated.
– This scheme will provide an easy loan called ‘Foreign Employment Skill Support’ that covers initial expenses for migration.
– The aim of the scheme is to collaborate with authorized recruitment agencies and prevent fraudulent practices.
Kerala:
CM – Pinarayi Vijayan
Governor – Arif Mohammad Khan
Capital – Thiruvananthapuram
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8. Which state has decided to set up a ‘Rhino Task Force’ for the conservation of rhinos in Valmiki Tiger Reserve?
a. Bihar
b. Punjab
c. Kerala
d. Haryana
Answer: a. Bihar
– During separate times, there is only one rhinoceros in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) in West Champaran district, and 14 rhinoceroses in the Patna Zoo.
– Valmiki Tiger Reserve has been chosen as one of the potential sites under the National Rhino Conservation Strategy.
– The Bihar government has formulated a plan to increase the rhinoceros habitat areas in VTR by up to five percent in the next two years.
– Nearly 75 percent of the world’s single-horned rhinoceros population is found in India. More than 93 percent of these rhinoceroses are found in Assam’s protected area, Kaziranga National Park, alone.
Bihar:
CM – Nitish Kumar
Governor – Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
Capital – Patna
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9. In which Indian city did the 132nd Durand Cup tournament begin on 3rd August?
a. Chennai
b. Patna
c. Mumbai
d. Kolkata
Answer: d. Kolkata
– This time, 24 foreign teams are also participating after 27 years.
– The Durand Cup is the oldest football tournament in Asia and the third oldest in the world.
– The Durand Cup was established in 1888.
– It is organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
– The tournament is named after its founder, Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who was the Foreign Secretary of India from 1884 to 1894.
– It was first started in 1888 in Shimla as a football tournament for various departments and regiments of the armed forces of India and princely states.
– Since independence, the presence of the military has been augmented by the participation of various regiments’ clubs as guest invitees.
