Index of references to Greenpeace in Global Information Space with daily updates
New headings with Greenpeace from Top 1,000,000 websites extracted on 2020-04-05
| # | Headings H1-H6 | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Working for Greenpeace | 1 | |
| GREENPEACE: Dead Whale | 1 | |
| Greenpeace: Μόνο 1 στους 10 Έλληνες γνωρίζει τη σημασία του σήματος της ανακύκλωσης συσκευασιών | 1 | |
| International financial institution IFI is a financial institution that has been established by more than one country and hence are subjects of international law Its owners or shareholders are generally national governments although other international institutions and other organizations occasionally figure as shareholders The most prominent IFIs are creations of multiple nations although some bilateral financial institutions created by two countries exist and are technically IFIs The best known IFIs were established after World War II to assist in the reconstruction of Europe and provide mechanisms for international cooperation in managing the global financial system Today the world’s largest IFI is the European Investment Bank A multilateral development bank MDB is an institution created by a group of countries that provides financing and professional advising for the purpose of development MDBs have large memberships including both developed donor countries and developing borrower countries MDBs finance projects in the form of long-term loans at market rates very-long-term loans below market rates and through grants There are also several sub-regional multilateral development banks Their membership typically includes only borrowing nations The banks lend to their members borrowing from the international capital markets -These banks include: • Caribbean Development Bank CDB • Central American Bank for Economic Integration CABEI • East African Development Bank EADB • West African Development Bank BOAD • Black Sea Trade and Development Bank BSTDB • Economic Cooperation Organization Trade and Development Bank ETDB • Eurasian Development Bank EDB • New Development Bank NDB formerly BRICS Development Bank Regional Development Banks : The regional development banks consist of several regional institutions that have functions similar to the World Bank group’s activities but with particular focus on a specific region Shareholders usually consist of the regional countries plus the major donor countries The best-known of these regional banks cover regions that roughly correspond to United Nations regional groupings including : – the Inter-American Development Bank -the Asian Development Bank -the African Development Bank -the Central American Bank for Economic Integration -the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development The Islamic Development Bank is among the leading multilateral development banks IsDB is the only multilateral development bank after the World Bank that is global in terms of its membership 56 member countries of IsDB are spread over Asia Africa Europe and Latin America FRAMED FROM NCERT CLASS 12th HISTORYQ30 With reference to the ancient period who were Chandalas A Brahmanical communityB UntouchablesC WeaversD Farmers cultivating the fieldsAns BFRAMED FROM NCERT CLASS 12th HISTORYQ29 With reference to the ancient period which among the following are correctly matched 1 jins-i kamil – perfect crops2 muqaddam – Village headman3 Majur – Labourers4 Halalkhoran – Scavangers5 Milkiyat – – PropertyWhich among the above is/are correct A 1 amp 3B 235C 1234D All are correctAns AFRAMED FROM WIKEPEDIAQ28 Consider the following statements :1 Goldilocks Zone refers to a habitable zone in the planetary system with temporal variablity in rainfall2 Exoplanet is a planet that orbits the Sun amp also termed as extrostar planetWhich among the above is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DExoplanet: It is a planet that does not orbit the Sun and instead orbits a different star stellar remnant or brown dwarf It is also termed as extrasolar planet Goldilocks zone: It refers to a habitable zone in the planetary system where the temperature is neither too high nor too low Such conditions could allow for the presence on the planet’s surface of liquid water – a key ingredient for lifeFRAMED FROM PEARSON CSAT MANUALQ27 Which of the following are the mammals 1 Sea lion2 Red Panda3 Roe DeerCodes:A 1 amp 3B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans DThe red panda Ailurus fulgens also called lesser panda and red cat-bear is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southwestern China that has been classified as vulnerable by IUCN as its wild population is estimated at less than 10000 mature individuals The population continues to decline and is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation poaching and inbreeding depression although red pandas are protected by national laws in their range countries The red panda is slightly larger than a domestic cat It has reddish-brown fur a long shaggy tail and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs It feeds mainly on bamboo but is omnivorous and also eats eggs birds insects and small mammals It is a solitary animal mainly active from dusk to dawn and is largely sedentary during the dayFRAMED FROM PEARSON CSAT MANUALQ26 Under the classification of IUCN Red Panda are classified as :A ExtinctB ThreatenedC VulnerableD EndangeredAns CFRAMED FROM WIKEPEDIAQ25 Who among the following are the members of Shanghai Cooperation 1 China2 Russia3 Kazakhstan4 Kyrgyzstan5 Tajikistan6 India 7PakistanSelect the correct answer from the given codes :A 1345B 234567C 124567D All are correctAns DObservers: Afghanistan Iran Mongolia and BelarusFRAMED FROM WIKEPEDIAQ24 Who among the following are the founding members of the Ashgabat agreement 1 Uzbekistan2 Iran3 Turkmenistan4 Oman5 Kazakhstan Select the correct answer from the given codes :A 1345B 2345C Only 13 amp 5D All are correctAns DIt is a transit agreement established in year 2011It establishes international transport and transit corridor between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf countriesFRAMED FROM NCERT HISTORY CLASS 12thQ23 With reference to the Sufism tradition which among the following is/are correctly matched 1 Malfuzat – Conversation of Sufi saints2 Maktubat – Collection of letters 3 Tazkiras – Biographical account of saintsWhich among the above is/are correct A 1 amp 3B 2 amp 3C 123D Only 2Ans CFRAMED FROM NCERT HISTORY CLASS 12thQ22 With reference to the ancient period which among the following is/are correctly matched 1 Auqaf – Charitable trusts2 Inam – Tax free land3 Sama – immediate requirements such as food clothes living quarters and ritual necessitiesWhich among the above is/are correct A 1 amp 3B 2 amp 3C 123D Only 2Ans CFRAMED FROM NCERT HISTORY CLASS 12thQ21 With reference to the ancient history which among the following was/were the characteristics of ancient temples 1 The early temple was a small square room called the garbhagriha with a single doorway for the worshipper to enter and offer worship to the image2 Tall structure ie shikhara was built over the central shrine3 Assembly halls huge walls and gateways and arrangements for supplying water Which among the above is/are correct A Only 3B 1 amp 3C 2 amp 3D 123Ans DFRAMED FROM NCERT HISTORY CLASS 12thQ20 With reference to the ancient rural society which among the following is/are correctly matched 1 Vellalar – Large landowners2 Uzhavar – Ploughmen 3 Adimai – SlavesWhich among the above is/are correct A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans DImportant point :Gahapati was the owner master or head of a household who exercised control over the women children slaves and workers who shared a common residence He was also the owner of the resources – land animals and other things – that belonged to the household Sometimes the term was used as a marker of status for men belonging to the urban elite including wealthy merchantsFRAMED FROM NCERT HISTORY CLASS 12thQ19 With reference to the ancient History what were Saddle querns A Grinding equipment for foodB Equipment used for IrrigationC Used for manufacturing of bricks in an ancient IndiaD Used for spinning of clothes Ans AProcessing of food required grinding equipment as well as vessels for mixing blending and cooking These were made of stone metal and terracotta This is an excerpt from one of the earliest reports on excavations at Mohenjodaro the best-known Harappan siteThey were made of hard gritty Igneous rocks or sandstoneFROM CDS PREVIOUS YEAR QUSTION amp WIKEPEDIAQ18 In context with the Dugong consider the following statements:1 It is close to the extinction2 It is found in gulf of katch off the saurashtra coast as well as Gulf of mannar3 It mostly depends upon the sea grassCodes:A 1 amp 3B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans DThe Gulf of Kutch is the only region on India’s west coast where the dugong – also known as a sea cow due to its vegetarian diet and feeding off of sea grass – is found with populations found on the coasts of Tamil Nadu and higher north on the east coastThe Gujarat Ecological Education and Research Foundation a government body estimates about 15 dugongs to be alive in the region The species is listed as a schedule 1 animal under India’s wildlife protection laws and globally considered vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN a scientific bodyFRAMED FROM THE HINDU NEWSPAPERQ17 In context with the Green Energy corridor which among the following statement is correct A It will facilitate the flow of renewable energy into the grid electricityB It will help in reducing of environmental pollutionC It will facilitate the use amp recycle of natural resourcesD None of the aboveAns AIndia said the green energy corridor will facilitate the flow of renewable energy into its grid electricity The corridor will be built across seven states over the next five to six years“The project will be implemented with the assistance of Germany which has promised to provide developmental and technical assistance of €1 billion as soft creditThe grid will also receive support from the World Bank and India’s National Electricity Fund It aims to connect the southern grid to the national grid by 2014 to create the single largest transmission grid in the worldIndia’s wind and solar capacity has more than doubled in the last five years As of February India had 19564 MW of wind Solar the second largest source of renewable energy had 1208 MW of installed capacityLast month a joint study from Greenpeace and market analysts Bridge to India said Delhi could break the 2 GW solar power barrier by 2020 due to plummeting costs extensive roof space and the rising demand for electricityFRAMED FROM NCERT CLASS 12thQ16 Statements:1 Lomash rishi amp Sudama caves in the barabar hills modeled on wooden architectural prototypes are example of the earliest cave architecture in India2 Barabar hills caves were dedicated by Chandragupta Maurya to Ajivika monksCodes:A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns AThe Barabar Caves are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India mostly dating from the Mauryan period 322–185 BCE and some with Ashokan inscriptions located in the Bela Ganj Block of Gaya District of Bihar India 24 km north of GayaThese caves are situated in the twin hills of Barabar four caves and Nagarjuni three caves – caves of the 16 km distant Nagarjuni Hill sometimes are singled out as Nagarjuni Caves These rock-cut chambers date back to the 3rd century BC Maurya period of Ashoka r 273 BC to 232 BC and his son Dasaratha Though Buddhists themselves they allowed various Jainsects to flourish under a policy of religious tolerance These caves were used by ascetics from the Ajivika sect founded byMakkhali Gosala a contemporary of Siddhartha Gautama the founder of Buddhism and of Mahavira the last and 24thTirthankara of Jainism Also found at the site several rock-cut Buddhist and Hindu sculptures Most caves at Barabar consist of two chambers carved entirely out of granite with a highly polished internal surface and exciting echo effect The first chamber was meant for worshippers to congregate in a large rectangular hall and the second a small circular domed chamber for worship this inner chamber probably had a small stupa like structure at some point though they are now emptyFRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITEQ15 In context with the Bharatnatyam which among the following statements are correct 1 This form of dance has no words but is composed of pure dance sequences characterized by variety of moods2 Bharatnatyam leans heavily on the abhinaya followed by movement amp mime3 Jatiswaram Shabdam Varnam amp Tillana are the forms of BharatnatyamCodes:A 1 amp 3B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans DBharatnatyam originates in Tamil Nadu which is also referred to as artistic yoga and Natya yoga The name Bharatnatyam is derived from the word Bharata and thus associated with the Natyashastra Though the style of Bharatnatyam is over two thousand years old the freshness and richness of its essence has been retained even today The technique of human movement which Bharatnatyam follows can be traced back to the fifth Century AD from sculptural evidence This classical dance has a mesmerizing effect as it uplifts the dancer and the beholder to a higher level of spiritual consciousness It is a dancing style that comprises of Bhava Raga Tala and Natya which reflect the real meaning of the BharatnatyamBharatanatyam is arguably the oldest and most traditional classical dance style which seemas a synthesis of philosophy sculpture music and literature This dance got its name from Sage Bharata who wrote the Natya ShastraBharatanatyam is an energetic dance from wherein the postures and balanced position ie the weight of the body is placed squarely down the centre of the body There is emphasis on the striking of the floor with the feet There are jumps in the air as also pirouettes called bhramaris There are movements done with the knees contacting the floor These are called mandi adavusBharatanatyam can be performed solo or in a group The pure dance is called nritta and the expressive is nritya The solo dancer uses various methods of story-telling to interpret the verses and stories she performs The person who conducts the recital is called the natatuvanar who is generally the guru of the dancer He or the plays the cymbals called nattuvangam The other musicians are the vocalist the mridangist or percussion player of flutist a violinist and a veena playerOne of the greatest performers of Bharatanatyam has been Balasaraswati who was influential in popularising the dance as much as Rukmini Devi Arundale Balasaraswati was famous for her soulful renderings of abhinaya or mimetic piece in which she not only danced but sang as well The Steps amp PerformanceBharatanatyam is always performed with the knees of the dancers bent The dance form emphasizes on the hand movements to convey different kinds of emotions to the spectator While performing Bharatanatyam the artist visualizes his/her body as made up of triangles The steps of the dance are based upon a balanced distribution of body weight and firm positions of the lower limbs allowing the hands to cut into a line to flow around the body or to take positions that enhance the basic form In order to perform Bharatnatyam the artist should have the knowledge of the numerous subtle features of the dance styleFour Techniques:Karanas Described in Natya Shastra Karanas are defined as the 108 key transitional movements of Bharatanatyam that also feature in other classical da nce forms of India Karana is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘doing’ Classical dancer Padma Subramanyam is well known for her interpretation of Karanas which predominantly includes the leg hip body and arm movements complemented by hasta mudras as described in the Natya Shastra HastasThe use of expressive hand gestures is a highlighting feature of Bharatanatyam As the name suggests hastas are the wide variety of hand symbols used by the performer Some of the most well known hand gestures of the dance form include Anjali which is used as a symbol of salutation when a person greets his/her fellow dancer Hastas are broadly divided into two types – Asamyukta and SamyuktaAdavusAdavus is defined as a series of steps in Bharatanatyam The execution of the steps is different from style to style The 108 principals of adavus are recognized by most schools of Bharatanatyam As many as 60 adavus are used by many professional dancers Jathis is the combination of adavus and forms the Nritta passages in a Bharatanatyam performanceBhedas Eye amp Neck MovementsBharatanatyam is considered incomplete without bhedas and the expressive eye movements of the performer Neck and eye movements are used extensively in the dance form The shiro bheda head movements comprises of Sama Udhvahita Adhomukha AlolitaDhutam Kampitam Paravruttam Utkshiptam and ParivahitamTheme of Bharatnatyam Bharatnatyam is a solo feminine type of a dance which is tender and erotic The basic theme is love where the female dancers usually perform as a devotion to the Supreme Being or love of a mother for child It epitomizes the adoration of lovers separated and reunited This dance is considered to be a fire dance where there is a mysterious display of the abstract element of fire in the human body Technique of Bharatnatyam Among the various styles of Bharatnatyam the Pandanallur and the Vazhuvoor are more significant Pandanallur style is characterized by its deep sitting positions its slow Lasya padams and difficult standing positions Vazhuvoor is characterized by a static posture to break the monotony with rhythmical varietyThe technique of Bharatnatyam consists of Natya Nritta and Nritya Natya is the dramatic art which is the language of gestures poses and mimes Nritta includes the rhythmic and repetitive elements The Nritya is a combination of Nritta and Natya Abhinaya also is another technique It is subtle with more spontaneous expressionsThe theme of Bharatnatyam comes alive through the zealous performances of the dancers It is the combination of technique styles and Abhinaya It starts with an invocation to Lord Gnana Sabesar of Vazhuvoor The themes are personalized depending on the dancer The dancers need to posses ten essential attributes which include Agility Steadiness graceful lines balance in pirouettes glance hard work intelligence devotion good speech and singing abilityDressing styleThe commonly used style in bharatanatyam are the skirt saree style or the pyjama style Dancers were costumes made of silk sarees with gold zari embroidery designs The pleats in this costumes opens beautifully When the dancer forms a particular posture especially ariamandihalf sitting and muzhu mandifull sittingRole of Music in Bharatnatyam Music plays an important role in Bharatnatyam The musical accompaniment of the Carnatic School predominates over the raga in the Nritta passages The chief musical instruments used in Bharatnatyam are the Mridangam and a pair of Cymbals The cymbals provide the timing and the Mridangam provides fractional measures of the broad beats The dancer follows both A tambura is also used to provide the scale for the refrain The musical instruments used are Mridangam Manjira Vina Violin Kanjira Surpeti Venu and Tanpura The costume consists of a richly embroidered dhoti of silk for both male and female dancers There is a pleated or frilled cloth hanging from the waist to the knees which is laced over the DhotiFRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITEQ14 Which among the following statements related to Kathakali are correct 1 Square and rectangular basic positions are commonly seen in Kathakali2 Weight of the body is on the outer edges of the feet which are slightly bent and curved3 It is characterized by facial expressions movement of eye balls amp lower eye lidsCodes:A 1 amp 3B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans DIntroductionKathakali is the most well known dance drama from the south Indian state of Kerala The word Kathakali literally means Story-Play It is known for its large elaborate makeup and costumes The elaborate costumes of Kathakali have become the most recognised icon for KeralaThe themes of the Kathakali are religious in nature They typically deal with the Mahabarat the Ramayana and the ancient scriptures known as thePuranas This is performed in a text which is generally Sanskritised MalayalamA Kathakali performance is a major social event They generally start at dusk and go through out the night Kathakali is usually performed only by men Female characters are portrayed by men dressed in women’s costume However in recent years women have started to become Kathakali dancersKathakali has a long tradition It dates back to the 17th century It was given its present form by Mahakavi Vallathol Narayan Menon who was the founder of the Kerala Kala MandalamThe actors rely very heavily on hand gesture to convey the story These hand gestures known as mudra are common through out much of classical Indian danceCostumeThe costume is the most distinctive characteristic of Kathakali The makeup is very elaborate and the costumes are very large and heavyThere are several kinds of costume There are: Sathwika the hero Kathi the villain Minukku females and Thatti These basic divisions are further subdivided in a way which is very well known to Malayali Keralite audiences Each character is instantly recognisable by their characteristic makeup and costumeThe makeup is very elaborate It is so elaborate that it is more like a mask than makeup in the usual sense The materials that comprise the makeup is all locally available The white is made from rice flour the red is made from Vermilion a red earth such as cinnabar The black is made from soot The colours are not merely decoration but are also a means of portraying characters For instance red on the feet is used to symbolise evil character and evil intentMusicThe music of Kathakali has some similarity to the larger body of South Indian classical music Carnatic sangeet however the instrumentation is decidedly different Its local colour is strongly achieved by the use of instruments such as chenda idakka and shuddha madalamFRAMED FROM THE HINDU NEWSPAPERQ13 ‘Come and make in India’ is an invitation forA Overseas Indian to return back to India and thus stop brain drainB Foreign companies to invest in India and sell anywhere in the worldC Foreign nationals to seek employment in indiaD Both a and cAns BFRAMED FROM WIKEPEDIAQ12 Central Government has proposed to establish a Telecom Finance Corporation TFC in the 12th Five Year Plan period 2012-17 Telecom Finance Corporation is categorized as :1 Non-banking Financial Company2 Non-Deposit Infrastructure Finance Company3 Public sector UnitWhich of the above statements is/are correct A Only 1B 1 amp 3C 2 amp 3D 123AnsDFRAMED FROM WIKEPEDIAQ11 Recently which among the following products have accorded Geographical Indication Status 1 Vazhakkulam pineapple2 Central Travancore jiggery3 Pokkali rice4 Jeerakasala5 GandhakasalaWhich among the above statements is/are correct A 1235B Only 4C 2 34D 12345Ans DChengalikodan banana variety from Thrissur district of Kerala has been accorded Geographical Indication GI status by the Chennai based Central GI registryDarjeeling tea was the first agricultural product in India to be accorded with GI tagFRAMED FROM WIKEPEDIAQ10 Which among the following are included in the alternative investments 1 Infrastructure equity funds2 Real estate funds3 Social venture funds4 Private Investment in Public Equity funds5 Private equity fundCodes:A 1345B 2345C 1234D 12345Ans DFRAMED FROM NCERT CLASS 12thQ9 Which among the following are correct1 The Sufis were critical of the dogmatic definitions amp scholastic methods of interpreting the Quran amp Sunna tradition of prophet adopted by the theologians2The Sufis sought an interpretation of the Quran on the basis of their personal experienceCodes:A Only 1B Only 2 C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CFRAMED FROM PEARSON CSAT MANUALQ8 Statements:1 Height of the tidal wave is regulated by the position of the earth moon amp sun2 Spinning of earth amp revolution of the moon determines the timing of the tideCodes:A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CFRAMED FROM PEARSON CSAT MANUALQ7 Statements :1 Advocate general of state can be removed in same manner as a Judge of High Court2 Attorney general of India can be removed in same manner as of Judge of Supreme CourtCodes:A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DAdvocate general amp Attorney general holds office during the pleasure of PresidentFRAMED FROM HISTORY MANSI PUBLICATIONS OF BAQ6 Consider the following statements :1 MandapamsChawadis amp Gopurams are the part of the Chola architecture2 Dravidian architecture consists of temples with pyramid shaped towers and are constructed of sandstone soapstone or graniteCodes:A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CDravidian architecture was an architectural idiom that emerged in the Southern part of the Indian subcontinent or South IndiaIt consists primarily of temples with pyramid shaped towers and are constructed of sandstone soapstone or granite Mentioned as one of three styles of temple building in the ancient book Vastu shastra the majority of the existing structures are located in the Southern Indian states of Tamilnadu Karnataka Kerala and Andhra pradesh Various kingdoms and empires such as the Cholas the Chera the Pandyas the Pallavas the Gangas the Rashtrakutas the Chalukyas the Hoysalas and Vijayanagara Empire among others have made substantial contribution to the evolution of Dravidian architecture This styled architecture can also be found in parts of North India Northeastern and central Sri Lanka Maldives and various parts of Southeast Asia Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Prambanan in Indonesia were built based on Dravida architectureChola style temples consist almost invariably of the three following parts arranged in differing manners but differing in themselves only according to the age in which they were executed: The porches or Mandapams which always cover and precede the door leading to the cellGate-pyramids Gopurams which are the principal features in the quadrangular enclosures that surround the more notable templesGopurams are very common in dravidian templesPillard halls Chaultris or Chawadis are used for many purposes and are the invariable accompaniments of these templesBesides these a temple always contains tanks or wells for water – to be used for sacred purposes or the convenience of the priests – dwellings for all the grades of the priesthood are attached to it and other buildings for state or convenienceFRAMED FROM CDS PREVIOUS QUESTION amp WIKEPEDIAQ5 Statements:1 Sculptures of the Gandhara school stylistically are typically linked to the Greeco-Roman amp Parthian art of Iran2 Earliest stone Buddha images in the Swat valley pre-dated the Kushana period which suggests that certain iconographic conventions were already well established in the pre-kushana periodCodes:A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CGandhara is noted for the distinctive Gandhāra style of Buddhist art a consequence of merger of Greek Syrian Persian and Indian art traditions The development of this form of art started in Parthian Period50BC – 75AD Gandhāran style flourished and achieved its peak during the Kushan period from 1st Century to 5th Century It declined and suffered destruction after invasion of the White Huns in the 5th century Style of Buddhist visual art that developed in what is now northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan between the 1st century BC and the 7th century AD The style of Greco-Roman origin seems to have flourished largely during the Kushan dynasty and was contemporaneous with an important but dissimilar school of Kushan art at Mathura Uttar Pradesh IndiaThe Gandhara region had long been a crossroads of cultural influences During the reign of the Indian emperor Ashoka around 3rd century BC the region became the scene of intensive Buddhist missionary activity and in the 1st century AD rulers of the Kushan empire which included Gandhara maintained contacts with Rome In its interpretation of Buddhist legends the Gandhara school incorporated many motifs and techniques from classical Roman art including vine scrolls cherubs bearing garlands tritons and centaurs The basic iconography however remained IndianThe materials used for Gandhara sculpture were green phyllite and gray-blue mica schist which in general belong to an earlier phase and stucco which was used increasingly after the 3rd century AD The sculptures were originally painted and gilded Gandhara’s role in the evolution of the Buddha image has been a point of considerable disagreement among scholars It now seems clear that the schools of Gandhara and Mathura each independently evolved its own characteristic depiction of the Buddha about the 1st century AD The Gandhara school drew upon the anthropomorphic traditions of Roman religion and represented the Buddha with a youthful Apollo-like face dressed in garments resembling those seen on Roman imperial statues The Gandhara depiction of the seated Buddha was less successful The schools of Gandhara and Mathura influenced each other and the general trend was away from a naturalistic conception and toward a more idealized abstract image The Gandharan craftsmen made a lasting contribution to Buddhist art in their composition of the events of the Buddha’s life into set scenes The Hellenistic influence was nowhere more dramatic than in Gandhara a term now used to describe the school of semi-classical sculptures of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the early centuries of our era Gandhara is the name of an ancient province and kingdom which in classical times was limited to a small region in ancient India The province Gandhara included roughly northwestern India between the Khyber Pass and the Indus River and the region of the Kabul Valley in Afghanistan However art and architecture from the Gandharean School had been found as far north as the Oxus River found in the Punjab In the sixth to fourth centuries BCE Gandhara was dominated under the Achaemenid Dynasty of Iran The successors of Alexander the Great maintained themselves in Bactria and Gandhara from 322 BCE to about 50 BCE however as early as the second century BCE these Greek Dynasties were already overrun by peoples of both nomadic and Parthian-Iranian origin Rejoined to India under the Maurya Dynasty the Gandhara province became the object of intense missionary activity by the Buddhist emperor Asoka reigned c 273-232 BCE He made Buddhism the state religion enforced the Buddhist doctrine of nonviolence ahimsa and prohibited animal sacrifices In the first century AD the Kushans a tribe of Scythian stock from north China made themselves masters of Gandhara Their rule however was interrupted by the invasion of the Persian King Shapur I in AD 242 and the Buddhist civilization of Gandhara was finally completely destroyed by the White Huns the Hephthalites in the sixth centuryThe disastrous invasion of the White Huns put an end to all further productive activity in the once flourishing Gandhara province Little is known about this time period except from Chinese pilgrims who as early as the fifth century AD undertook the long and arduous journey to the Holy Land of Buddhism Fa Hsien who traveled through the Peshawar Valley shortly after AD 400 described that the Gandhara province flourished and that Emperor Kanishka’s successors were well cared for When his successor Sung Yen visited the region in 520 he reported that the country had been overrun by the Huns A few years later he reported that the Huns had virtually expiated Buddhism had destroyed monasteries and had slashed most of the population in Gandhara A century later when the famous Chinese pilgrim Hsuan-Tsang traveled through north-west India he found Gandhara in a ruined depopulated state He describes in his Records of the Western Countries that ruined monasteries greeted him everywhere in the Peshawar Valley and reports of the terrible desolation of the once flourishing Buddhist centers However the final chapters of the Gandharan school has its setting in Kashmir and in remote centers such as Fondukistan and Afghanistan where artistic activity continued as late as the seventh century Excavations have produced many statues other artifacts and some monasteries Unfortunately there are no architectural monuments left intact in Gandhara only some structural remains and sculptured fragments However there is ample proof of active trade and cultural exchanges between the Mediterranean and the Kushan territories into China Gandhara art is often referred to as the Graeco-or-Roman-Buddhist school The founder of the School has been credited to the Kushan Emperor Kanishka c AD 129-160 because of his patronage to Buddhism and his great artistic development The character of Gandharan art is determined by the commercial relations between the Kushan and the Roman empires The many archaeological discoveries of Alexandrian and Syrian workmanship at Taxila in the Punjab and Begram in the Kabul valley testify to the cultural and diplomatic connections with the Graeco-Roman West Many artifacts in particular sculptures have survived and are now dispersed in major museums throughout the world Evidence of Hellenistic art in the form of architecture had been noted on a number of temples from the city of Sirkap at Taxila and on the tumbled columns of Ay Khanum’s administrative center Although the presence of this material provides a Hellenistic back ground for Gandhara art it was the introduction of foreign workers from the eastern centers of the Roman Empire that led to the creation of the first Buddhist sculptures It is not surprising that the Kushans a nomadic people without a tradition of monumental art requested the service of skilled artisans to meet the architectural and sculptural requirements for the many Buddhist establishments It can be assumed that the practice of importing foreign artisans continued from the days of Kanishka’s reign until the end of Buddhism in northwest India and the Punjab in the sixth to early seventh centuries The majority of Gandharan art was however created by native craftsmen following the successive waves of foreign influences The subject matter of Gandharan art was unquestionably Buddhist while most motifs were of western Asiatic or Hellenistic origin Mesopotamian motifs can be found on Persepolitan capitals or forms such as the Atlantis garland-bearing Eros and the semi-human creatures as the centaur and triton are part of the repertory of Hellenistic art and introduced by Roman Eurasian artists in the service of the Kushan court The fantastic monsters however the sphinxes and griffins had already been assimilated by the ancient Indian schools Sculptures played a very decisive role in the Buddhist monasteries where they had been found in large quantities Tall single statues were placed in chapels to be venerated by the monks and the faithful Other large figures in high relief were placed with their back to the wall and bass relief filled all manners of places and positions The Gandhara schools is probably credited with the first representation of the Buddha in human form the portrayal of Sakyamuni in his human shape rather than shown as a symbol Perhaps the school intended to create a human Bodhisattva a representation of Prince Siddhartha the Buddha Sakyamuni while still as a Bodhisattva All early Bodhisattvas are shown in wearing turbans jewelry and muslin skirts a costume that was an adaptation of the actual dress of Kushan and Indian nobles The jewelry of these royal statues were a duplication of Hellenistic and Samatian gold created by Western artisans A definite borrowing from Roman art was the method of representing the story of the Buddhas legend in a series of separate episodes and panels This was accomplished in much the same way than the pictorial iconography of the Christian legends based on the Roman methods On portraying the careers of the Caesar’s several distinct climactic events where shown on separate panels Another example are the earliest Gandhara Buddha’s where Sakyamuni is portrayed with the head of a Greek Apollo and arrayed in a Roman toga It is the same early representation of Christ which shows Him with the head of the Greek Sun-God but dressed in the garb of the teachers of the ancient Greek world The most frequently used material by Gandharan artists was a soft indigenous schist that varied in color from light to dark gray and often contained sparkling mica particles Many of these statues were covered with gold leaf to give them a luster in dark interiors The most popular media however became an easy-to-work material terracotta and stucco Because of the fragility of the material most statues were supported by attaching them to walls giving them the appearance of a three-dimensional relief Stucco sculptures were given a final coat of gesso which was then painted The most frequent subjects were representations of Buddha Bodhisattwas and attending monks or donors The Buddha images display a variety of ethnic types and expressions The human head usually has appears with a perfect oval face regular features with almond-shaped and slightly protruding eyes with gentle arching eyebrows a straight nose and beautifully cut lips with a subtle smile The Buddha’s influence is evident in the half-closed eyes suggesting meditation The face if often unbearded but sometimes a mustache strikes a foreign note most likely Kushan The usnisa or cranial bump a redestination the Buddha was born with is usually seen in the form of the chignon a knot or a roll of hear wrapped in silk on the dome of Buddha’s head The elongated ears indicate the heavy rich jewelry the Buddha woreThe Kushans were able to establish a strong empire for a period of about three hundred years and produced works of art reflecting both indigenous traditions and external influences The detection of Greek and Roman elements in the Gandharan School testifies to the active exchange of ideals among all the civilizations of the Classical and Central Asian worldsThe Gandhara School reached its peak toward the end of the second century with the production of the most significant large Buddha statues Their style continued to flourish into the third century until after the Sasanian invasion and continued until the seventh century in Afghanistan FRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITE Q4 Which among the following is involved in Tribhangi dance 1 Independent movement of head2 Stamping of the foot3 Independent movement of chest and pelvisCodes:A 1 amp 3B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans DFRAMED FROM WIKEPEDIA Q3 With reference to Chilgoza consider the following statements:1 They contain high antioxidants that protect the cells from damage2 It is the major source of carbohydrates amp fatsOptions:A only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns AIt is the major source of Carbohydrates amp ProteinsFRAMED FROM WIKEPEDIAQ2 Consider the following statements :1 Mangroves are losing capacity to absorb carbon dioxide co2 due to the increased salinity of water 2 Absorption of co2 plays a role in reduction of warming of the earth Which of the above statements is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correct D Both are incorrect AnsCThe locked carbon in the plants is known as “Blue Carbons”FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q1 Twelve nations signed the historic Trans-Pacific Partnership TPP Agreement in Auckland recently TPP is a free trade area and accounts for around 40 of global trade Which one of the following is NOT a party to itA SingaporeB ChinaC JapanD MexicoAns BSignatories 12 • Australia • Brunei• Canada• Chile• Japan• Malaysia• Mexico• New Zealand• Peru• Singapore• United States• VietnamImportant Notes :Mahajanpadas :It was one of the sixteen kingdoms or oligarchic republics that existed in ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE The 6th-5th century BCE is often regarded as a major turning point in early Indian history it saw the emergence of India’s first large cities after the demise of the Indus Valley Civilization as well as the rise of sramana movements including Buddhism and Jainism which challenged the religious orthodoxy of the Vedic Period Archaeologically this period corresponds in part to the Northern Black Polished Ware cultureThe Buddhist Anguttara Nikaya at several places gives a list of sixteen great nations:Another Buddhist text the Digha Nikaya mentions only the first twelve Mahajanapadas and omits the following:1 Panchala2 Surasena3 Vriji4 Vatsa or VamsaChulla-Niddesa another ancient text of the Buddhist canonadds Kalinga to the list and substitutes Yona for Gandhara thus listing the Kamboja and the Yona as the only Mahajanapadas from UttarapathaImportant Notes:Gautama Buddha c 563 BCE/480 BCE – c 483 BCE/400 BCE also known as Siddhārtha Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha or simply the Buddha after the title of Buddha was an ascetic śramaṇa and sage on whose teachings Buddhism was foundedHe is believed to have lived and taught mostly in the eastern part of ancient India sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BCEBorn c 563 BCE or c 480 BCEDied c 483 BCE or c 400 BCE aged 80Apart from the Vedic Brahmins the Buddha’s lifetime coincided with the flourishing of influential Śramaṇa schools of thought like Ājīvika Cārvāka Jainism and AjñanaBrahmajala Suttarecords sixty-two such schools of thought There is also philological evidence to suggest that the two masters Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta were indeed historical figures and they most probably taught Buddha two different forms of meditative techniques Thus Buddha was just one of the many śramaṇa philosophers of that timeAccording to the Buddhist tradition Gautama was born in Lumbini now in modern-day Nepal and raised in the Shakya capital of Kapilvastu which may have been either in what is present day Tilaurakot Nepal or Piprahwa Indianote 1 He obtained his enlightenment in Bodh Gaya gave his first sermon in Sarnath and died in KushinagarThe oldest surviving Buddhist manuscripts are the Gandhāran Buddhist texts reported to have been found in or around Haḍḍa near Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan and now preserved in the British Library They are written in the Gāndhārī language using the Kharosthi script on twenty-seven birch bark manuscripts and date from the first century BCE to the third century CEThe sources for the life of Siddhārtha Gautama are a variety of different and sometimes conflicting traditional biographies These include the Buddhacarita Lalitavistara Sūtra Mahāvastu and the NidānakathāThe Lalitavistara Sūtra is the next oldest biography a Mahāyāna/Sarvāstivāda biography dating to the 3rd century CEThe Nidānakathā is from the Theravada tradition in Sri Lanka and was composed in the 5th century by BuddhaghoṣaThe earliest biographical material from the Pali Nikayas focuses on the Buddha’s life as a śramaṇa his search for enlightenment under various teachers such as Alara Kalama and his forty-five-year career as a teacherAccording to the early Buddhist texts after realizing that meditative dhyana was the right path to awakening but that extreme asceticismdidn’t work Gautama discovered what Buddhists know as being the Middle Way103—a path of moderation away from the extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification or the Noble Eightfold Path as described in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta which is regarded as the first discourse of the Buddha Of the Buddha’s disciples Sariputta Maudgalyayana Mahakasyapa Ananda and Anuruddha are believed to have been the five closest to him His ten foremost disciples were reputedly completed by the quintet of Upali Subhoti Rahula Mahakaccana and to the Mahaparinibbana Sutta of the Pali canon at the age of 80 the Buddha announced that he would soon reach Parinirvana or the final deathless state and abandon his earthly body The precise contents of the Buddha’s final meal are not clear due to variant scriptural traditions and ambiguity over thetranslation of certain significant terms the Theravada tradition generally believes that the Buddha was offered some kind of pork while the Mahayana tradition believes that the Buddha consumed some sort of truffle or other mushroomPhysical Chaaracteristics:An extensive and colorful physical description of the Buddha has been laid down in scriptures A kshatriya by birth he had military training in his upbringing and by Shakyan tradition was required to pass tests to demonstrate his worthinessas a warrior in order to marryAn extensive and colorful physical description of the Buddha has been laid down in scriptures A kshatriya by birth he had military training in his upbringing and by Shakyan tradition was required to pass tests to demonstrate his worthiness as a warrior in order to marryImportant Notes:Stridhana:Prior to the passing of the Hindu Succession Act in 1956 property owned by a woman could be classified into two categories viz 1 property of which she was an absolute owner stridhana and 2 property of which she was only a limited owner woman’s estateProperty which was owned by a woman as stridhana passed on her death to her heirs She could also dispose of such property at her pleasure if not in all cases during marriage at least in all cases during widowhoodBroadly speaking whether a particular kind of property could be called stridhana would depend on the following three factors viz :a The source from which the property was acquiredb The status of the woman at the time of acquisition ie whether she was unmarried married or a widow andc The school of Hindu law to which she belongedi Adhyagni — ie gifts made before the nuptial fireii Adhyavahanika — ie gifts made at the bridal processioniii Pritidatta — ie gifts made by the father-in-law and mother- in-law out of affection i Adhivedanika ie gifts made on supersessionii Anwadheyaka ie gifts by the husband’s relatives after marriageiii Sulka ie gratuity or marriage feeiv Gifts from sons and relativesImportant Notes :Basavanna was a 12th-century Hindu philosopher statesman Kannada poet in the Shiva-focussed Bhakti movement and a social reformer during the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka IndiaBasava literary works include the Vachana Sahitya in Kannada Language He is also known as Bhaktibhandari literally the treasurer of devotion10 Basavanna elder brother Basava or Basaveswara Lord BasavaImportant Notes :Kaṇḍāriyā Mahādeva Mandir meaning the Great God of the Cave is the largest and most ornate Hindu temple in the medieval temple group found at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh IndiaIt is considered one of the best examples of temples preserved from the medieval period in IndiaKhajuraho was once the capital of the Chandela dynasty The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple one of the best examples of templespreserved from the medieval period in India is the largest of the western group of temples in the Khajuraho complex whichwas built by the Chandela rulers Shiva is the chief deity in the temple deified in the sanctum sanctoriumThe Kandariya Mahadeva temple was built during the reign of Vidyadhara r c 1003-1035 CEAll the extant temples including the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple were inscribed in 1986 under the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sitesunder Criterion III for its artistic creation and under Criterion V for the culture of the Chandelas that was popular till the country was invaded by Muslims in 1202Important Notes :- The name originates from the fact that the agraharams have lines of houses on either side of the road and the temple to the village god at the centre thus resembling a garland around the temple According to the traditional Hindu practice ofarchitecture and town-planning an agraharam is held to be two rows of houses running north-south on either side of a road at one end of which would be a temple to Shiva and at the other end a temple to VishnuAn example is Vadiveeswaram in Tamil NaduWith Brahmins taking up professions in urban areas and some migrating abroad agraharams are vanishing fast Many of the traditional houses are giving way to concrete structures and commercial buildingsThe earliest existing description of an agraharam has been found in a 3rd-century AD Sangam Age work called PerumpāṇāṟṟuppaṭaiThe houses had in front of them a shed with short legs to which were tied fat calves the houses were washed with cowdung and had idols inside themDomestic fowl and dogs did not approach them It was the village of the guardians of the Veda who teach its sounds to the parrots with the bent mouth If you bard reach the place fair faced bangled ladies who are as chaste as Arundhathi the little star which shines in the north of the bright broad sky will after sunset feed you on the well-cooked rice named after the bird explained by the commentator as the rice called irasanam along with slices of citron boiled in butter taken from the buttermilk derived from red cows and scented with the leaves of the karuvembu and mixed with pepper-powder and the sweet-smelling tender fruit plucked from the tall mango tree and pickledImportant Notes :Mayamata and Manasara Shilpa texts estimated to be in circulation by 5th to 7th century AD is a guidebook on Dravidian style of Vastu Shastradesign construction sculpture and joinery paddhati is another text from the 9th centurydescribing the art of building in India in south and central IndiaIn north India Brihat-samhita by Varāhamihira is the widely cited ancient Sanskrit manual from 6th centurydescribing the design and construction of Nagara style of Hindu templesImportant Notes :Traditional Dravidian architecture and symbolism are also based on Agamas The Agamas are non-vedic in origin and have been dated either as post-vedic texts or as pre-vedic compositionsThe Agamas are a collection of Tamil and Sanskrit scriptures chiefly constituting the methods of temple construction and creation of murti worship means of deities philosophical doctrines meditative practices attainment of sixfold desires and four kinds of yogaImportant Notes :In Dandekar theory Vaishnavism emerged at the end of the Vedic period closely before the second urbanisation of northernIndia in the 7th to 4th century BCE Early writings in Dravidian culture such as Manimekalai and the Cilappatikaram present Krishna his brother and favouritefemale companions in the similar termsVaishnavism flourished in predominantly Shaivite South India during the seventh to tenth centuries CE with the twelve Alvars saints who spread the sect to the common people with their devotional hymns The Bhakti movement of late medieval Hinduism started in the 7th-century but rapidly expanded after the 12th-centuryThis period saw the growth of Vashnavism Sampradayas denominations or communities under the influence of scholars such as Ramanujacharya Madhvacharya Nimbarkacharyaand VallabhacharyaRamanuja in the 11th century and Madhva in the 13th building their theology on the devotional tradition of the Alvars Shri VaishnavasIn North and Eastern India Krishnaism gave rise to various late Medieval movements: Nimbarka and Ramananda – 14th century Kabir and Sankaradeva – 15th and Vallabha and Caitanya – 16th centuryAll of the Vaishnava Upanishads either directly reference and quote from the ancient Principal Upanishads or incorporate some ideas found in them most cited texts include the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Chandogya Upanishad Katha Upanishad Isha Upanishad Mundaka Upanishad Taittiriya Upanishad and othersThe Pancaratra texts present the Vyuhas theory of avatars to explain how the absolute reality Brahman manifests into material form of ever changing reality Vishnu avatarVasudeva state the Pancaratra texts goes through a series of emanations where new avatars of him appear This theory ofavatar formation syncretically integrates the theories of evolution of matter and life developed by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophyIn the Varkari movement the following scriptures are considered sacred in addition to general body of the common writing:citation needed• Dyaneshawri• Tukaram-Gatha• Sopandevi• Namdev-Gatha• Eknathi-BhagwatThe Bhakti movement originated among Vaishnavas of South India during the 7th-century CE spread northwards from Tamil Nadu through Karnataka and Maharashtra towards the end of 13th-century and gained wide acceptance by the fifteenth-century throughout India during an era of political uncertainty and Hindu-Islam conflictsImportant sites of pilgrimage for Vaishnavs include Guruvayur Temple Sri Rangam Vrindavan Mathura Ayodhya Tirupati Pandharpur Vitthal Puri Jaggannath Nira Narsingpur Narasimha Mayapur Nathdwara and DwarkaThe Vaishnavism traditions may be grouped within four sampradayas each exemplified by a specific Vedic personality They have been associated with a specific founder providing the following scheme: Brahma Sampradaya Madhvacharya Sri Sampradaya Ramanuja Rudra Sampradaya Vishnuswami VallabhacharyaKumaras sampradaya NimbarkaThe Alvars those immersed in god were ten or twelve Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused bhakti devotion to the Hindugod Vishnu or his avatar Krishna in their songs of longing ecstasy and serviceThe Alvars appeared between the 5th century to the 10th century CE though the Vaishnava tradition regards the Alvars to have lived between 4200 BCE – 2700 BCEImoprtant Notes :The Varkari-tradition is a non-Brahamanical tradition which worships Vithoba also known as Vitthal who is regarded as a form of Vishnu or Krishna Vithoba is often depicted as a dark young boy standing arms akimbo on a brick sometimes accompanied by his main consort Rakhumai The Varkari-tradition is geographically associated with the Indian states of Maharashtra and northern KarnatakaThe Varkari movement includes a duty-based approach towards life emphasising moral behavior and strict avoidance of alcohol and tobacco The adoption of a strict lacto-vegetariandiet and fasting on Ekadashi day twice a month self-restraint brahmacharya during student life equality and humanity for all rejecting discrimination based on the caste system or wealth the reading of Hindu texts the recitation of the Haripath every day and the regular practice of bhajan and kirtan Important Facts :Sri Vaishnavism:12th-14th centuryBrahma sampradaya-16th centuryNimbarka sampradaya-13th centuryImportant Notes :Samkhya school:It is most related to the Yoga school of Hinduism and it was influential on other schools of Indian philosophySāmkhya is an enumerationist philosophy whose epistemology accepts three of six pramanas proofs as the only reliable means of gaining knowledgeThe existence of God or supreme being is not directly asserted nor considered relevant by the Samkhya philosophers Sāṃkhya denies the final cause of Ishvara GodWhile the Samkhya school considers the Vedas as a reliable source of knowledge it is an atheistic philosophy according to Paul Deussen and other scholarsA key difference between Samkhya and Yoga schools state scholarsis that Yoga school accepts a personal yet essentially inactive deity or personal godSome 19th and 20th century scholars suggested that Samkhya may have non-Vedic origins Dandekar similarly wrote in 1968 The origin of the Sankhya is to be traced to the pre-Vedic non-Aryan thought complexHere – in Kaushitaki Upanishad and Chandogya Upanishad – the germ are to be found of two of the main ideas of classical SamkhyaSage Kapila is traditionally credited as a founder of the Samkhya schoolThe earliest mention of dualism is in the Rigveda a text that was compiled in the second millennium BCEImportant Notes :Vaiśeṣika darshana was founded by Kaṇāda Kashyapa around the 2nd century BCThe epistemology of Vaiśeṣika school of Hinduism like Buddhism accepted only two reliable means to knowledge: perceptionand inferenceThe Vaiśeṣika system became similar in its philosophical procedures ethical conclusions and soteriology to the Nyāya school of Hinduism but retained its difference in epistemology and metaphysicsAlthough the Vaisheshika system developed independently from the Nyaya school of Hinduism the two became similar and are often studied together In its classical form however the Vaishesika school differed from the Nyaya in one crucial respect: where Nyaya accepted four sources of valid knowledge the Vaishesika accepted only twoImportant Notes :Mimamsa:According to this philosophy liberation is possible by means of karmaMimamsa is a Sanskrit word that means reflection or critical investigationIt is one of six orthodox astika schools of Hinduism The school is known for its philosophical theories on the nature of dharma based on hermeneutics of the VedasThe Mīmāṃsā school was foundational and influential for the vedānticschools which were also known as Uttara-Mīmāṃsā The differences were that the Mīmāṃsā school developed and emphasized karma-kāṇḍa or the study of ritual actions using the four early Vedas while the Vedānta schools developed and emphasized jñana-kāṇḍa the study of knowledge and spirituality using the later parts of Vedas like the UpaniṣadsThe school of Mīmāṃsā consists of both atheistic and theistic doctrines but the school showed little interest in systematic examination of the existence of God Rather it held that the soul is an eternal omnipresent inherently active spiritual essence and focused on the epistemology and metaphysics of dharmaThe Mīmāṃsā school of Hinduism is a form of realismA key text of the Mīmāṃsā school is the Mīmāṃsā Sūtra of JaiminiBetween the Samhitas and Brahmanas the Mimamsa school places greater emphasis to the Brahmanas – the part of Vedas that is a commentary on Vedic ritualsPurva-Mimamsa was just known as the Mimamsa school and the Uttara-Mimamsa as the VedantaschoolThe scholars of Mimamsa school are referred to as the MimamsakasThe core tenets of Pūrva Mīmāṃsā are ritualism orthopraxy anti-asceticism and anti-mysticismThe central aim of the school is elucidation of the nature of dharma understood as a set ritual obligations and prerogatives to be performed properlyImportant Notes :Global Innovation Index :The Global Innovation Index GII is an annual ranking of countries by their capacity for and success in innovation It is published by Cornell University INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization in partnership with other organisations and institutions and is based on both subjective and objective data derived from several sources including the International Telecommunication Union the World Bank and the World Economic ForumImportant Notes :Lingayat communityLingayatism is a distinct Shaivite religious tradition in India Its worship is centered on Hindu god Shiva as the universal god in the iconographic form of Ishtalinga The adherents of this faith are known as Lingayats Lingayatism was founded by the 12th-century philosopher and statesman Basava and spread by his followers called SharanasLingayatism emphasizes qualified monism and bhakti loving devotion to Shiva with philosophical foundations similar to those of the 11th–12th-century South Indian philosopher RamanujaThe terms Lingayatism and Veerashaivism have been used synonymously and Lingayats also referred to as VeerashaivasLingayatism is considered a Hindu sect25 but some Lingayats have sought legal recognition as a religion distinct from HinduismLingayatism shares beliefs with Indian religions such as about reincarnation samsara and karmaContemporary Lingayatism is influential in South India especially in the state of KarnatakaToday Lingayats along with Shaiva Siddhanta followers Tirunelveli Saiva Pillai Nadar Naths Pashupaths of Nepal Kapalikas and others constitute the Shaiva populationThe Lingayat iṣṭaliṅga is an oval-shaped emblem symbolising Parashiva the absolute reality and is worn on the body by a cord hung around the neckBasava is credited with founding Lingayatism and its secular practicesHe was a 12th-century Hindu philosopher statesman Kannada poet in the Shiva-focussed Bhakti movement and a social reformer during the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka IndiaBasavanna spread social awareness through his poetry popularly known as Vachanaas Basavanna rejected gender or social discrimination as well as some extant practices such as the wearing of sacred thread and replaced this with the ritual of wearing Ishtalinga necklace with an image of the Shiva LiṅgaLingayat scholars thrived in northern Karnataka during the centuries of rule by Vijayanagara EmpireThe Lingayats likely were a part of the reason why Vijayanagara succeeded in territorial expansion and in withstanding the Deccan Sultanate wars The Lingayat text Sunya sampadane grew out of the scholarly discussions in a Anubhava Mantap and according to Bill Aitken these were compiled at the Vijayanagara court during the reign of Praudha Deva RayaSimilarly the scripture of Lingayatism Basava Purana was completed in 1369 during the reign of Vijayanagara ruler Bukka Raya I Lingayat Veerashaiva thinkers rejected the custodial hold of Brahmins over the Vedas and the shastras but they did not outright reject the Vedic knowledgeThe 13th-century Telugu Virashaiva poet Palkuriki Somanatha author of Basava Purana – a scripture of Veerashaivas for example asserted Virashaivism fully conformed to the Vedas and the shastrasLingayatism teaches a path to an individual’s spiritual progress is viewed and describes it as a six-stage Satsthalasiddhanta This concept progressively evolves the individual starting with the phase of a devoteeShunya in a series of Kannada language texts is equated with the Virashaiva concept of the Supreme In particular the Shunya Sampadane texts present the ideas of Allama Prabhuin a form of dialogue where shunya is that void and distinctionswhich a spiritual journey seeks to fill and eliminate It is the described as state of union of one’s soul with the infinite Shiva the state of blissful mokshaThis Lingayat concept is similar to shunya Brahma concept found in certain texts of Vaishnavism particularly in Odiya such as the poetic Panchasakhas It explains the Nirguna Brahman idea of Vedanta that is the eternal unchanging metaphysical reality as personified void However both in Lingayatism and various flavors of Vaishnavism such as Mahima Dharma the idea of Shunya is closer to the Hindu concept of metaphysical Brahman rather than to the Śūnyatā concept of Buddhism35 However there is some overlap such as in the works of Bhima BhoiThe Lingayats always wear the Ishtalinga held with a necklaceThe Istalinga is made up of light gray slate stone coated with fine durable thick black paste of cow dung ashes mixed with some suitable oil to withstand wear and tearSometime it is made up of ashes mixed with clarified butter The coating is called Kanti coveringThe Lingayats bury their dead The dead are buried in the Dhyana mudra meditating position with their Ishta linga in their left handImportant Notes:Payment banks: Payments banks is a new model of banks conceptualised by the Reserve Bank of India RBI These banks can accept a restricted deposit which is currently limited to ₹1 lakh per customer and may be increased further These banks cannot issue loans and credit cardsBoth current account and savings accounts can be operated by such banksPayments banks can issue services like ATM cards debit cards net-banking and mobile-bankingAirtel has launched India’s first live payments bank Paytm is the second such service to be launched in the country India Post Payments Bank is the third entity to receive payments bank permit after Bharti Airtel and Paytm Aditya Birla group earned payments bank permit on 3 March 2017The minimum capital requirement is ₹100 crore For the first five years the stake of the promoter should remain at least 40 Foreign share holding will be allowed in these banks as per the rules for FDI in private banks in India The voting rights will be regulated by the Banking Regulation Act 1949 The majority of the bank’s board of directors should consist of independent directors appointed according to RBI guidelinesThe bank should be fully networked from the beginning The bank can accept utility bills It cannot form subsidiaries to undertake non-banking activities The banks will be licensed as payments banks under Section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act 1949 and will be registered as public limited company under the Companies Act 2013The in-principle license is valid for 18 months within which the entities must fulfil the requirements They are not allowed to engage in banking activities within the period | 1 | |
| Entreprenören från Borås om jobbet på Greenpeace | 1 | |
| Greenpeace Türkiye “prensipte” güven vermiyor! | 1 | |
| MOCK Q519- WILL BE UPLOADED ON 28TH MARCH 2020 MOCK Q518 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to the Teaser Loans consider the following statements :1 It is an adjustable interest rate mortgage loan in which borrower pays a very low initial interest rate which increases after a few years 2 In India Teaser loans are mostly given to the inexperienced entrepreneurs to set up manufacturing or exports unitSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correct D Both are incorrectAns ATeaser Loans It is an adjustable interest rate mortgage loan in which borrower pays a very low initial interest rate which increases after a few years MOCK Q517 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to the Monetary Transmission consider the following statements :1 It refers to the process by which a central bank’s monetary policy decisions are passed on to the financial markets2 Rising Non performing Assets amp higher returns on small saving schemes may hinder effective monetary transmission3 Lowering of CRR amp SLR requirements may help ensure effective monetary transmission Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans DMonetary Transmission :- It refers to the process by which a central bank’s monetary policy decisions are passed on to the financial markets-Rising Non performing Assets amp higher returns on small saving schemes may hinder effective monetary transmission-Lowering of CRR amp SLR requirements may help ensure effective monetary transmission MOCK Q516 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Debt Recovery Tribunals were established under the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks amp Financial Institutions Act1993 With reference to the Debt Recovery Tribunals DRT consider the following statements :1 DRT is presided over by presiding officer who is generally a judge of the rank of district amp session judge 2 DRT is fully empowered to pass comprehensive orders like civil courts 3 Tribunal can hear cross suits counterclaims amp allow set offsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 2B 1 amp 3C 2 amp 3D 123Ans DDebt Recovery Tribunals were established under the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks amp Financial Institutions Act1993-DRT is presided over by presiding officer who is generally a judge of the rank of district amp session judge -DRT is fully empowered to pass comprehensive orders like civil courts -Tribunal can hear cross suits counterclaims amp allow set offs MOCK Q515 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which among the following is not the function of the Asset Rehabilitation Agency that has been recommended by the Economic Survey 2017 A The agency will sell assets of loss making PSUs amp will collect the payments due towards electricity boardsB The agency take over the NPAs from the banks for a fixed cost which is less than NPA amountC The agency will issue security receipts for fixed interest rate amp will raise the money D NPA is transferred to the ARC along with any security pledged while taking loanAns A Asset reconstruction companies or Public Asset Rehabilitation Agencies acquire bad loans from any bank or financial institution for the purpose of realization of such loans HOW ARC WORKS The agency take over the NPAs from the banks for a fixed cost which is less than NPA amountThe agency will issue security receipts for fixed interest rate amp will raise the money NPA is transferred to the ARC along with any security pledged while taking loan MOCK Q514 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to the Insolvency amp Bankruptcy code 2016 which among the following statement is not correct A The code will apply companies partnerships limited liability partnerships Individuals amp other body specified by the governmentB Insolvency resolution process could be initiated either by the debtor or creditorC As per the code debtor could be jailed for upto 3 years for concealing property or defrauding creditors D Resolution process will have to be completed within 180 days with an extension of upto 90 days if 75 of creditors agreeAns C Insolvency amp Bankruptcy code 2016 :-The code will apply companies partnerships limited liability partnerships Individuals amp other body specified by the government-Insolvency resolution process could be initiated either by the debtor or creditor-As per the code debtor could be jailed for upto 5 years for concealing property or defrauding creditors -Resolution process will have to be completed within 180 days with an extension of upto 90 days if 75 of creditors agree MOCK Q513 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to the Basel norms consider the following statements :1 These are the broad supervisory substandards to ensure that the financial institutions have enough capital to meet unexpected losses2 At present banks are adhering to Basel III norms 3 Basel III introduced tighter capital requirements in comparison to Basel I amp II Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 1C 2 amp 3D 123Ans ARBI has mandated that Indian banks are required to adopt Basel III norms upto 31 March 2019Earlier this date was 31 March 2018Basel III introduced tighter capital requirements These are the broad supervisory substandards to ensure that the financial institutions have enough capital to meet unexpected losses MOCK Q512 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which of the following statements best describes Anchor BanksA These are the public sector banks that will drive the consolidation process among the state owned banks B It is a body of eminent professionals that have been set up to insulate public sector banks from interference by the government C These are the separate institutes formed by the bank or group of banks or by the government itselfD These are the public sector banks that have been classified as Domestically Systemically Important banks Ans AAnchor Banks : These are the public sector banks that will drive the consolidation process among the state owned banks Bank Board Bureau : It is a body of eminent professionals amp consists of only one government officialCAG has been appointed as head of the BBBIt has been set up to insulate public sector banks from interference by the government MOCK Q511 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which one of the following best describes the term BOOT sometimes seen in news A It is a PPP model in which a private entity is required to design procure material amp construct the projectB It is a form of PPP in which a private entity builds a complete project amp leases it to the government C It is a form of PPP in which a private entity builds the project operates the project to recover its costs amp thereafter handovers the project to the government D It is a form of PPP in which ownership of the project remains with the private companyAns CEPC ENGINEERING –PROCUREMENT CONSTRUCTION :It is a PPP model in which a private entity is required to design procure material amp construct the projectBLT BUILD LEASE TRANSFER : It is a form of PPP in which a private entity builds a complete project amp leases it to the government BOOT BUILD OWN OPERATE TRANFER : It is a form of PPP in which a private entity builds the project operates the project to recover its costs amp thereafter handovers the project to the government BOO BUILD OWN OPERATE : It is a form of PPP in which ownership of the project remains with the private company MOCK Q510 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Consider the following statements :1 Anthracite has high carbon content amp low ash content thus causes less pollution 2 India has sufficient reserves of Lignite amp Anthracite coalSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns AIndia imports Anthracite coal mainly from Australia to meet its requirementsIndian coal reserves are mostly Lignite amp BituminousLignite has high moisture content so it breaks easily Bituminous coal has high calorific value amp used as a coking coal MOCK Q509 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Of the following what is the difference between Greenfield amp Brownfield project A In Greenfield a new facility offers maximum design flexibility amp efficiency to meet the project needs while in Brownfield building is already constructedB A Greenfield project is usually started at a less cost than a brownfield project C A Greenfield project requires fewer approvals than a brownfield projectD In Greenfield building is already constructed while in Brownfield a new facility offers maximum design flexibility amp efficiency to meet the project needsAns AIn Greenfield a new facility offers maximum design flexibility amp efficiency to meet the project needsNew facilities are typically less costly In Brownfield building is already constructed Time devoted to construction can be avoided as well MOCK Q508 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Global Liveability Index report is published by :A Global Infrastructure HubB Economist Intelligence Unit EIUC Joint Research Centre of European Commission D Cornell UniversityAns BEIU releases Global Liveability Index MOCK Q507 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to the International Nitrogen Initiative consider the following statements :1 It was set up in 2005 under sponsorship of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment SCOPE and from the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program IGBP2 INI holds a conference once in every three years inviting members of the international nitrogen community to meet up and discuss ideas and exchange knowledge on nitrogen issues Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns BThe International Nitrogen Initiative INI is an international program set up in 2003 under sponsorship of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment SCOPE and from the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program IGBPRole of new Chairs of INI• The other INI projects under their purview include the “N-print” activity on nitrogen foot-printing and cooperation with the Global Carbon Project on establishment of a global nitrous oxide budget• The INI holds a conference once in every three years inviting members of the international nitrogen community to meet up and discuss ideas and exchange knowledge on nitrogen issues MOCK Q506 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ NITI Aayog released Thematic Reports on Sustainable Development in Indian Himalayan Region Which among the following thematic area is not covered in the Thematic reports A Transformative Approach to Shifting CultivationB Purchasing Power Parity of PopulationC Sustainable Tourism in Indian Himalayan RegionD Data/Information for Informed Decision MakingAns BThe NITI Aayog on August 23 2018 released the five Thematic Reports on Sustainable Development in e Indian Himalayan Region IHR listing the challenges in all the defined 5 thematic areasThe reports discuss the significance the challenges the ongoing actions and a future roadmapEarlier in June 2017 the NITI Aayog had set up 5 Working Groups to prepare a roadmap for actions in 5 thematic areas that are quite significant for the Himalayas These areas were:• Inventory and Revival of Springs in Himalayas for Water Security• Sustainable Tourism in Indian Himalayan Region• Transformative Approach to Shifting Cultivation• Strengthening Skill amp Entrepreneurship Landscape in Himalayas• Data/Information for Informed Decision Making MOCK Q505 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ European Space Agency launches world’s first wind-sensing satellite Aeolus With reference to the satellite consider the following statements :1 It is part of the Copernicus project a joint initiative of European Union EU and European SpaceAgency ESA to track environmental damage and aid disaster relief operations2 It will be placed at altitude of 320km above the EarthSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CEuropean Space Agency launches world’s first wind-sensing satellite Aeolus• European Space Agency ESA successfully launched wind-sensing satellite named ‘Aeolus’ into orbit on board of Vega rocket from French Guyana • It is world’s first wind-sensing satellite dedicated to map Earth’s wind on global scale • It will be placed at altitude of 320km above the Earth • It is part of the Copernicus project a joint initiative of European Union EU and European Space Agency ESA to track environmental damage and aid disaster relief operations MOCK Q504 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Union Cabinet approves Earth Sciences Ministry’s umbrella scheme ‘O-SMART’ What benefits will be provided by implementation of this scheme A It will help address issues related to Sustainable Development Goal-14 which emphasises on the conservation of the oceans and marine resourcesB It will provide scientific information on the status of species at a global levelCIt will help address issues related to Sustainable Development Goal-11 which emphasises on the conservation of the oceans and marine resourcesD It is a central sponsored scheme focuses on improving the management of water amp land resources enhancing food security amp reducing povertyAns AThe Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved implementation of an umbrella scheme ‘Ocean Services Technology Observations Resources Modelling and Science O-SMART’ The scheme will cover a total of 16 sub-projects which will address ocean development activities such as services technology resources observations and scienceSignificanceThe services provided under the O-SMART scheme will provide a number of economic benefits to the user communities in the coastal areas Benefits• The implementation of the scheme will help address issues related to Sustainable Development Goal-14 which emphasises on the conservation of the oceans and marine resources-India has also signed the Antarctic Treaty System and joined the Commission of Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources CCAMLR for harnessing the resources MOCK Q503 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which among the following products are offered by the Indian Post Payment Banks 1 Direct Benefit Transfers2 Saving amp Current Accounts 3 Utility paymentsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 2B 1 amp 3C 2 amp 3D 123Ans D• The payments bank where the Indian government holds 100 per cent equity • The IPPBs will offer a range of products such as savings and current accounts money transfer direct benefit transfers bill and utility payments and enterprise and merchant paymentsOn August 29 2018 the Union Cabinet had approved 80 per cent increase in spending for IPPB from Rs 800 crore to Rs 1435 crore MOCK Q502 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to the news “CLASS” is associated with which of the followingA An instrument on Chandrayaan-2 is designed to detect direct signatures of elements present in the lunar soilB It is a payload imaging sensor built by Santa Barbara Remote Sensing that was launched into Earth orbit by NASA in 1999 on board the Terra satellite and in 2002 on board the Aqua satelliteC It is CIXS instrument also referred to as Chandrayaan-1 X-ray Spectrometer to carry out high quality X-ray spectroscopic mapping of the moonD None of the aboveAns AThe CLASS instrument on Chandrayaan-2 is designed to detect direct signatures of elements present in the lunar soilISRO said in a statement released on its official website that CLASS is able to detect direct signatures of elements present in the lunar soil It was also found by the CLASS that best observation occurred when the Sun provides a rich source of x-rays to illuminate the lunar surface The payload can also detect secondary x-ray emissions resulted from the lunar surface to find out elements like Na Ca Al Si Ti and FeAbout X-ray MonitorX-ray Monitor or XSM detects the X-rays emitted by the Sun and its corona It calculates the strength of solar radiation in these rays and assists CLASS Major objective of XSM is to provide solar X-ray spectrum in the energy range of 1-15 KV This payload will give high-energy resolution and high-cadencemeasurements of solar X-ray spectra as input for analysis of data from CLASS MOCK Q501 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With which among the following part of India Aarey Forest Controversy is associated A Aarey colony of Maharashtra B Western Ghats of KeralaC Aarey forests of Andhra PradeshD Temperate forests found between an altitude of 1000 and 2000 mAns AAarey protest: The Supreme Court hit out at the Maharashtra state government saying that no more treesshould be cut in Aarey colony MOCK Q500 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which of the following statements best describes ICON Mission launched by NASA A It is to study heat and energy move through the sun’s corona and explore what accelerates the solar winds that affect Earth and other planetsB An innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunitiesC Mission is to explore Mars and to provide a continuous flow of scientific information and discovery through a carefully selected series of robotic orbiters landers and mobile laboratories interconnectedby a high-bandwidth Mars/Earth communications networkD It was launched from an aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean near the Florida coast to study the Earth’s Ionosphere which will be able to understand the link between space and the earth’sweather with this studyAns DNASA’s ICON satellite was launched from an aircraft over the Atlantic Ocean near the Florida coastAbout ICON Mission• The ICON satellite will study the Earth’s Ionosphere It includes various layers of the uppermost atmosphere where free electrons flow freely It affects Earth’s magnetic field and radio communications• The scientists will be able to understand the link between space and the earth’s weather with this study• The ICON mission is the 39th successful launch and satellite deployment by Pegasus rocket• This mission is operated by the University of California It was originally planned to launch in late 2017 but delayed due to the problems with the Pegasus XL rocket• Ionosphere Connection Explorer ICON is equipped with 780-watt solar arrays to power the instruments• ICON has designed as a two year’s mission but if all goes well according to the plan it will last for more than a decade MOCK Q499 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to the Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan OR SUMAN Scheme consider the following statements :1 It aims to provide institutional delivery at every private amp public health care facilities 2 Under the scheme all pregnant women newborns and mothers up to 6 months of delivery will be able to avail several free health care services such as four antenatal check-ups and six home-based newborn care visits3 The pregnant women will be able to avail a zero expense delivery and C-section facility in case of complications at public health facilitiesSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans CSurakshit Matritva Aashwasan• The Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan initiative or SUMAN scheme aims to provide dignified and quality health care at no cost to every woman and newborn visiting a public health facility• Under the scheme all pregnant women newborns and mothers up to 6 months of delivery will be able to avail several free health care services such as four antenatal check-ups and six home-based newborn care visits• The scheme will enable zero expense access to the identification and management of complications during and after the pregnancy The government will also provide free transport to pregnant women from home to the health facility and drop back after discharge minimum 48 hrs• The pregnant women will be able to avail a zero expense delivery and C-section facility in case of complications at public health facilities• The scheme will ensure that there is zero-tolerance for denial of services to such patients MOCK Q498 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ ‘Ex-Eastern Bridge-V’ joint exercise begins between which among the following nations A India amp USAB USA amp VietnamC India amp OmanD USA amp OmanAns CIAF and Royal Air Force of Oman begins Joint Exercise ‘Ex-Eastern Bridge-V’Indian Air Force and Royal Air Force of Oman will also promote the exchange of experience during Ex-Eastern Bridge-V MOCK Q497 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to the India Energy Forum consider the following statements :1 It was established in 2011 with an objective to understand India’s Nuclear Energy Program2 All the public and private nuclear organizations oil and gas organizations Renewable energy organizations are members of India Energy ForumSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DWhat is India Energy ForumIt was established in 2001 with an objective to understand India’s Nuclear Energy Program Now it has a special status of the spokesman of India’s total energy sector Several public and private nuclear organizations oil and gas organizations Renewable energy organizations are members of India Energy Forum Some of them are – NHPC NTPC Power Grid Corporation ONGC Power Finance Corporation among others MOCK Q496 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Chile cancels hosting COP-25 and APEC due to nationwide unrest With reference to the following What is Chile Unrest A It is a nationwide protest against the increase in carbon dioxide emission from the industrial amp thermal plants affecting the climate B It is a nationwide protest against authorities in maintaining public safety and orderC It is a nationwide protest against 30 per cent increase in Metro faresD It is a nationwide protest caused by a 50–200 increase in fuel prices calling for the overthrow of the government in ChileAns CChile cancels hosting COP-25 and APEC due to nationwide unrestChile announced a 30 per cent increase in Metro fares in October 2019 which triggered the anger of people and they started protesting against the governmentWhat is Chile unrestThe government of Chile announced a 30 per cent increase in Metro fares in October 2019 The county was already going through issues of inflation which triggered the anger of people and they started protesting against the government on October 17 2019What is COP 25 issueUnited Nations Climate Change Conference 2019 COP25 was planned to be held in Santiago Chile It was planned that Chile will host the global Summit between 2 to 13 December 2019 but it was cancelled on 30 October due to Chilean unrestCOP 25 was originally planned to be held in Brazil but newly elected President Jair Bolsonaro announcedthat due to economic reasons Brazil is not able to host the summit and withdrawal of an offer to host the program MOCK Q495 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which among the following statement is/are correct in context with the APEC 1 The group was established in 1989 to boost Asia-Pacific economies and get trade benefits from other parts of the world2 It was the first time decided in 2006 Summit held in Hanoi that Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific FTAAP should be establishedSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CWhat is APECAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is also known as APEC It is an inter-governmental platform for 21 Pacific Rim member economies to promote free-trade in the Asia-Pacific region The group was established in 1989 to boost Asia-Pacific economies and get trade benefits from other parts of the world It was the first time decided in 2006 Summit held in Hanoi that Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific FTAAP should be established MOCK Q494 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ In context with the CIRDAP a regional Inter – Governmental and autonomous institution which among the following statements are correct 1 Originally the institution had six members but now the number has gone up to 252 It was jointly established on 6 July 1979 by the countries of the Asia-Pacific region and UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation FAO in coordination with several other UN bodies and donors 3 India is one of the key founding members of this OrganisationSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans C About CIRDAP• It is a regional Inter – Governmental and autonomous institution• It was jointly established on 6 July 1979 by the countries of the Asia-Pacific region and UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation FAO in coordination with several other UN bodies and donors • India is one of the key founding members of this Organisation• The headquarters of the institution is located at Dhaka in Bangladesh• The main objective of the body is to promote regional cooperation and act as a serving institution for its member countries for promotion of integrated rural development through research action training and information dissemination• There are 46 countries in Asia Pacific Region therefore CIRDAP has great potential for expansion for which they would be assisted by CIRDAP Centres• Originally the institution had six members but now the number has gone up to 15 The member countries include India Pakistan Sri Lanka Nepal Malaysia Afghanistan Bangladesh Fiji Indonesia Iran Lao PDR Myanmar Philippines Thailand and Vietnam MOCK Q493 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Who among the following serves as the Secretariat for the SASEC member countries A Asian Development BankB World BankC ASEAN Regional ForumD World Bank GroupAns AAbout South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation• The SASEC brings together seven countries in a project-based partnership to promote regional prosperity by improving cross-border connectivity boosting trade among member countries and strengthening regional economic cooperation• The SASEC countries are Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Myanmar Nepal and Sri Lanka• The Program was set up in 2001• The Asian Development Bank ADB serves as the Secretariat for the SASEC member countries MOCK Q492 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Recently our scientists have discovered Tree-living crab species that includes the structure of its hard upper shell its male abdominal structure and reproductive parts and diagnostic elongated walking legs which no other genus has In which part of India has it been discoveredA Anaimalai ForestsB Western Ghats of Kerala C Andaman IslandsD Tropical Rain Forests of North eastAns BTree-living crab species Kani maranjandu found in KeralaThe key traits of the crab include the structure of its hard upper shell its male abdominal structure and reproductive parts and diagnostic elongated walking legs which no other genus hasA group of scientists discovered a new species of long legged tree-dwelling crabs in Western Ghats of KeralaThe species are named after the Kani tribe in Kerala• The survey of the freshwater crab fauna had started in the year 2014 in the Westerns Ghats in KeralaAbout Kani tribe• Kani is a tribe living in the Western Ghats area of Kerala MOCK Q491 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ “Death Penalty Report” is released by which organization A Amnesty InternationalB GreenpeaceC World Social ForumD Doctors Without BordersAns AAmnesty International released Death Penalty Report 2016As per the report at least 60 people who had been sentenced to death were exonerated in 9 countries in 2016 MOCK Q490 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ “Globalization Backlash” is released by which organization A World Bank B World Tourism Organisation C World Bank GroupD International Fund for Agricultural Development Ans AWorld Bank released report Globalization BacklashSouth Asia’s performance will maintain momentum with the gap between its growth rate and that of East Asia slightly widening over timeHighlights of Globalization Backlash• With a strong performance in the eastern part of the South Asia Region – in particular in Bhutan Bangladesh and India – the region defied disappointing world growth in 2016• Inflation slowed down in the second half of 2016 mainly due to lower food prices but appears to be turning up again• Despite recent real exchange rate appreciation current account balances are mostly in order throughout the region MOCK Q489 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ In context with the Agni-III which among the following statements is/are correct 1 This Surface-to-Surface nuclear capable intermediate-range ballistic missile can hit targets in the range of around 2500 km2 It can carry a warhead of 15 tonne which is protected by carbon all composite heat shield3 The missile was inducted into the armed forces in June 2016Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A 2 amp 3B 1 amp 3C Only 2D 123Ans CHighlights of the Agni-III ballistic missile• This Surface-to-Surface nuclear capable intermediate-range ballistic missile can hit targets in the range of around 3000 km• The two-stage solid-propelled missile has a length of 17 metres 2 metres diameter and its launch weight is around 50 tonnes• It can carry a warhead of 15 tonne which is protected by carbon all composite heat shield• The missile was inducted into the armed forces in June 2011 MOCK Q488 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which one of the following best describes the term Microlensing sometimes seen in news A It is a technique that aids the discovery of distant objects by using background stars as flashlightsB It is a technique to correct refractive errors of the eye by permanently changing the shape of the corneaC It is a technique of reducing the person’s dependence on glasses by preparing the contact lenses D None of the aboveAns AWhat is Microlensing• It is a technique that aids the discovery of distant objects by using background stars as flashlights• When a star crosses from the front of a bright star the gravity of the star in the front focuses the light of the background star making it appear brighter• So a planet orbiting the foreground star may cause a glitch in its brightness MOCK Q487 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Recently India has become the member of which of the following UN subsidiary bodies for the period of three years 1 Committee for Programme and Coordination CPC2 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe OSCE3 International Narcotics Control BoardSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans AIndia along with 12 other members was elected for the period of three years to the Committee for Programme and Coordination CPC a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council ECOSOCThese two organisations are Committee for Programme and Coordination CPC and International Narcotics Control BoardIndia’s Election to Committee for Programme and Coordination CPC• India along with 12 other members was elected for the period of three years to the Committee for Programme and Coordination CPC a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council ECOSOC• It garnered the most number of votes in the Asian group with 49 out of 50 members of ECOSOC voting in its favour• The other 12 members elected for three-year terms include Burkina Faso Iran Japan Pakistan Belarus Bulgaria Moldova Brazil Chile Cuba the United Kingdom and United States• The CPC is the main subsidiary organ of the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly for planning programming and coordination MOCK Q486 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA to transfer Sterile Insect Technique to numerous countries to combat which among the following virus disease A ZikaB Small poxC EbollaD Common cold and different types of fluAns AIAEA International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA to transfer Sterile Insect Technique under 23 Million Euro Project to Combat ZikaSince 1997 SIT has been transferred to numerous countries to combat pests that affect food and crops and insects that transmit diseases including mosquitoesAbout Sterile Insect Technique SITSterile Insect Technique SIT is a form of pest control that uses ionizing radiation to sterilize male insects mass-produced in special rearing facilitiesSince 1997 SIT has been transferred to numerous countries by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture MOCK Q485 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which among the following statements is/are correct with respect to the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund 1 It was established as a Category II Alternate Investment Funds AIF as per the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Board of India SEBI2 It has an initial corpus of 20000 crore rupees which can be leveraged by infrastructure companies including Indian Rail Finance Corporation IRFC and National Housing Bank NHBSelect the correct answer using the codes given below A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CAbout National Investment and Infrastructure Fund• The fund was approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2015 to fund new and rejuvenate stressed projects so that stalled investment cycle is revived in the country• It was established as a Category II Alternate Investment Funds AIF as per the regulations of the Securities and Exchange Board of India SEBI• It has an initial corpus of 20000 crore rupees which can be leveraged by infrastructure companies including Indian Rail Finance Corporation IRFC and National Housing Bank NHB• On the basis of the above early warning signals the branch maintaining the account should consider forwarding the stressed accounts with aggregate loan limits above 10 lakh rupees to the Committee for Stressed MSMEs within five working days for a suitable corrective action plan CAP• As regards accounts with aggregate loan limits up to 10 lakh rupees identified as SMA-2 the account should be mandatorily examined for CAP by the branch itself under the authority of the branch manager /designated official as decided by the bank• The option under CAP may include Rectification Restructuring and Recovery among others MOCK Q484 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Apart from the rotavirus vaccine which among the following new vaccine has been introduced as part of UIP Universal Immunization Programme A Inactivated Polio Vaccine IPVB Hepatitis A VaccineC Chicken Pox VaccineD Hepatitis B VaccineAns ASNIPPET FROM THE NEWS :Health Minister JP Nadda launched Rotavirus vaccine as part of Universal Immunization ProgrammeThe vaccine is being introduced initially in four states which are Andhra Pradesh Haryana Himachal Pradesh and Odisha and will be expanded to the entire country in a phased mannerApart from the rotavirus vaccine three new vaccines are also being introduced as part of UIP including Inactivated Polio Vaccine IPV Measles Rubella MR vaccine and Adult Japanese Encephalitis JE vaccineAbout Universal Immunization Programme• Universal Immunization Programme is a vaccination program launched by the Government of India in 1985• It became a part of Child Survival and Safe Motherhood Programme in 1992 and is currently one of the key areas under National Rural Health Mission NRHM since 2005 MOCK Q483 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which among the following Protected Area Network is associated with the Madrid Action Plan A Biosphere ReservesB Conservation ReservesC Biodiversity HotspotsD Community reservesAns AMadrid Action Plan for Biosphere Reserves MOCK Q482 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Worldwide Cost of Living survey is released by which of the following organization A Organisation for Economic Cooperation amp Development B World Economic ForumC Economist Intelligence UnitD UN Human Rights CouncilAns CEconomist Intelligence Unit released Worldwide Cost of Living Report 2016EIU ranked Singapore as the priciest city while were Lusaka the capital of Zambia was named as the cheapest city of the worldEconomist Intelligence Unit EIU released Worldwide Cost of Living Report 2016 on 10 March 2016 According to the report Mumbai and Bangalore are among the cheapest cities in the worldEIU ranked Singapore as the priciest city ahead of Zurich Hong Kong Geneva and ParisThe Economist Intelligence Unit helps business leaders prepare for opportunity empowering them to act with confidence when making strategic decisionsThe Worldwide Cost of Living survey is released twice a year by the EIU It compares more than 400 individual prices across 160 products and services in 131 cities including food drink clothing household supplies and personal care items home rents transport utility bills private schools domestic help and recreational costs MOCK Q481 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which among the following destinations spread across the states under the Krishna Circuit 1 Nathdwar2 Puri3 Bhadrachalam4 SikarSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1 amp 3B 124C 234D 1234Ans BDestinations under Krishna CircuitUnder Krishna circuit 12 destinations spread across 5 states are proposed These are:• Dwarka Gujarat• Nathdwara Jaipur amp Sikar Rajasthan• Kurukshetra Haryana• Mathura Vrindavan Gokul Barsana Nandgaon amp Govardhan Uttar Pradesh• Puri OdishaBesides projects worth more than 300 crores rupees were approved in-principle in Uttar Pradesh under both the circuitsUnder Ramayana Circuit 11 destinations spread across 6 states are proposed These are:• Ayodhya Nandigram Shringhverpur amp Chitrakoot Uttar Pradesh• Sitamarhi Buxar amp Darbhanga Bihar• Jagdalpur Chattisgarh• Bhadrachalam Telangana• Hampi Karnataka• Rameshwaram Tamil NaduExpert committee also suggested including Chitrakoot Madhya Pradesh Nashik amp Nagpur Maharashtra and Mahendragiri Odisha in the proposed circuit MOCK Q480 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which among the following is/are the long term FPIs Foreign Portfolio Investors A Sovereign Wealth Funds OnlyB Pension Funds OnlyC Sovereign Wealth Funds Endowment Funds Insurance Funds Pension FundsD Sovereign Wealth Funds Insurance Funds Pension FundsAns CMarkets regulator the Securities and Exchange Board of India SEBI on 29 March 2016 decided to increase the Foreign Portfolio Investors FPI investment limit in Central Government securities This will boost inflows of foreign funds into Indian capital marketsThe limit for long term FPIs Sovereign Wealth Funds Multilateral Agencies Endowment Funds Insurance Funds Pension Funds and Foreign Central Banks in the Central Government securities will be enhanced to 50000 crore rupees from 4 April 2016 and 56000 crore rupees on 5 July 2016 Currently the existing limit is 44100 crore rupees for long term FPIs MOCK Q479 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which one of the following best describes the term Fertile Crescent sometimes seen in news A It is the Rajasthan’s state fertile soil that provides food amp firewood to support rural economyB It is the confluence of different biogeographical zones that is very rich in species diversityC It is a tree species found in a part of south India that can serve as a safety hedge against coastal calamitiesD It is an ancient area of fertile soil amp vital rivers in the middle eastAns DFertile Crescent : It is an ancient area of fertile soil amp vital rivers in the middle east-Initiative of UN’s Food amp Agriculture Organisation amp University of Birmingham’s school of Biosciences MOCK Q478 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which among the following statements is/are correct with respect to the Angel Fund 1 It has been launched very recently under which the first generation entrepreneurs can get a maximum loan of 5 lakh rupees at 5 interest pa2 The loan will have a moratorium period of maximum 9 months during which no interest rates will be charged Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DIt has been launched in 2013 by Assam Chief Minister under which the first generation entrepreneurs can get a maximum loan of 5 lakh rupees at 5 interest paThe loan will have a moratorium period of maximum 10 months during which no interest rates will be charged MOCK Q477 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to the Equity Index consider the following statements :1 It was launched in collaboration with the world bank which will help raise funds for products seeking to mitigate climate change2 It is the first equity Index linked with the Green BondSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CEquity Index :BNP PAIBAS on 18 sep 2014launched this indexIt was launched in collaboration with the world bank which will help raise funds for products seeking to mitigate climate changeIt is the first equity Index linked with the Green Bond MOCK Q476 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Maharaja Bonds to develop the infrastructure for the domestic capital markets has been issued by which of the following organization A World BankB Asian Development BankC World Bank GroupD Asian Infrastructure Investment BankAns AMaharaja Bonds to develop the infrastructure for the domestic capital markets has been issued by World Bank MOCK Q475 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to the Minsk agreement consider the following statements :1 This agreement was based on 11 point peace plan that included the release of hostages 2 The agreement was brokered by the WTO World Trade OrganisationSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DThis agreement was based on 12 point peace plan that included the release of hostages The agreement was brokered by the Organisation for security amp cooperation in Europe OSCEUkraine amp pro-Russian rebels agreed on ceasefire agreement called Minsk agreement MOCK Q474 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ A report titled scientific assessment of Ozone depletion revealed that the ozone layer is well on track to recovery in the next few decades The report has been prepared by which of the following organizations A UNEP amp WMOB Green Climate FundC UNDP amp UNEPD Global environment FacilityAns AA report titled scientific assessment of Ozone depletion revealed that the ozone layer is well on track to recovery in the next few decades The report has been prepared by UNEP United Nation Environment Programme amp WMO World Meteorological Organisation MOCK Q473 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which of the following given Inclusive Development Index ranking to the countries of the world A World Economic ForumB World Health OrganisationC UN Human Rights CouncilD UNDPAns AThe Inclusive Development Index IDI is an annual economic index introduced by the World Economic Forum System Initiative on Shaping the Future of Economic Progress in 2017 The IDI ranks countries’ economic performance in three pillars: growth and development inclusion and intergenerational equity and sustainability The IDI is a project of the World Economic Forum’s System Initiative on the Future of Economic Progress which aims to inform and enable sustained and inclusive economic progress through deepened public-private cooperation through thought leadership and analysis strategic dialogue and concrete cooperation including by accelerating social impact through corporate action MOCK Q472 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ In order to join Euro currency a country must fulfill which of the following conditions 1 Government debt no higher than 70pc of GDP2 Budget deficit below 3pc of GDP3 Low Inflation amp Interest rates Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B 2 amp 3C Only 3D 123Ans BGovernment debt no higher than 60pc of GDPBudget deficit below 3pc of GDPLow Inflation amp Interest rates MOCK Q471 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Who among the following has released a report titled “ Environmental Crime Crisis A Bombay Natural History Society B World Wildlife FundC Birdlife InternationalD UNEP United nation Environment ProgrammeAns D MOCK Q470 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Who among the following has published a report titled “Mysterious Mekong” mentioning the discoveriesof new exotic species in Greater Mekong Region A Bombay Natural History Society B World Wildlife FundC Birdlife InternationalD UNEP United nation Environment ProgrammeAns BWorld Wildlife Fund has published a report titled “Mysterious Mekong” mentioning the discoveriesof new exotic species in Greater Mekong Region MOCK Q469 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to ATOMEXPO an International Forum for nuclear power industry consider the following statements :1 It is an initiative of Russia’s state Nuclear Energy Corporation 2 First ATOMEXPO was held in 2009 to define the place amp role of nuclear generation in 21st century Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrect Ans CAtomexpo is a major communication company providing the whole spectrum of services in field of congress-exhibition management event-industry and business presentations worldwideAtomexpo LLC is in the market of communication services since 2009 The company is arranging the business events conducted by State Corporation Rosatom and the companies of the nuclear sector of the Russian industry as well as by the bodies of the RF executive authorities and international companies The company portfolio contains over 500 successfully led projects both in Russia and abroad MOCK Q468 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ With reference to the GSAT 7 consider the following statements :1 Payload of the GSAT 7 is designed to provide communication capabilities to users in distant coastal regions2 Its solar arrays generate 2100 W of electric powerSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DGSAT 7:-Payload of the GSAT 7 is designed to provide communication capabilities to users in distant oceanic regions- Its solar arrays generate 2900 W of electric power MOCK Q467 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which among the following factors is/are considered for cataloging the specimens in the bio Banks 1 Blood type2 Cornea of the eyes3 Hair cells of the human beingsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 3C 2 amp 3D Only 1Ans DA biobank is a type of biorepository that stores biological samples usually human for use in research Since the late 1990s biobanks have become an important resource in medical research supporting many types of contemporary research like genomics and personalized medicineBiobanks give researchers access to data representing a large number of people Samples in biobanks and the data derived from those samples can often be used by multiple researchers for cross purpose research studies For example many diseases are associated with single-nucleotide polymorphisms and performing genome-wide association studies using large collections of samples which represent tens or hundreds of thousands of individuals can help to identify disease biomarkers Many researchers struggled to acquire sufficient samples prior to the advent of biobanksBiobanks have provoked questions on privacy research ethics and medical ethics While viewpoints on what constitutes appropriate biobank ethics diverge consensus has been reached that operating biobanks without establishing carefully considered governing principles and policies could be detrimental to communities that participate in biobank programsVirtual biobanks integrate epidemiological cohorts into a common poolVirtual biobanks allow for sample collection to meet national regulationsTissue banks harvest and store human tissues for transplantation and research As biobanks become more established it is expected that tissue banks will merge with biobanksPopulation banks store biomaterial as well as associated characteristics such as lifestyle clinical and environmental data MOCK Q466 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQWhich among the following is/are the applications of the Deep UV Laser device 1 Deep UV light can be used to sterilize bacteria amp Viruses decontaminate drinking water amp in fluorescence sensors to detect chemicals 2 Significant improvement in the ability to inspect microchips with solid state metrology3 Improved detection of airborne chemical amp biological agents Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans DAll of the above are the applications of the Deep UV Laser device MOCK Q465 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which one of the following best describes the term Peace Arc sometimes seen in news A It is an international treaty to change the functioning of the European Union which must be ratified by atleast 3/4th member states of the European Union B It is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase the maritime cooperation amongst navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean regionC It is the Chinese navy hospital ship to provide free medical services to people of BangladeshD It is a multilateral energy security cooperation treaty amongst the members of the East Asia SummitAns CThe ship was launched in 2007 with the stated intention of giving China a platform to provide a better means to providing quicker humanitarian response to disasters around the world but others contend it also allows China to extend the navy’s blue water capabilitiesOn 1 September 2010 the hospital ship embarked on a three-month Harmonious Mission 2010 to the Gulf of Aden with a total of 428 officers including 100 medical workers En route she visited and provided medical treatment to the local people of Djibouti Tanzania Kenya the Seychelles and BangladeshDuring Harmonious Mission 2011 Peace Ark visited Cuba Costa Rica Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago the first Chinese voyage to the Caribbean MOCK Q464 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which one of the following best describes the term SEEDS PROJECT sometimes seen in news A It is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Environment amp Forests to conserve nature through action based research education amp public awarenessB It is a Tree Campaign launched by UNEP of planting 1 billion trees in 2007C It is a non-profit research research organization that focuses on management of water amp land resources enhancing food security amp reducing povertyD It is a project which directly captures the images of extra solar planets amp protoplanetary disks around thousands of nearby stars Ans DThe SEEDS Project• This discovery is the part of Strategic Explorations of Exoplanets and Disks with Subaru SEEDS project It is a project which directly captures the images of extrasolar planets and protoplanetary disks around thousands of nearby stars by making use of Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea Hawaii• SEEDS is a 5-year project which started off in the year 2009• SEEDS is led by Motohide Tamura at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan NAOJ• Imaging done under this project provides an insight into the orbit atmosphere temperature and luminosity of the planet However the planets are very faint and extremely close to their host stars which is why it is extremely difficult to capture them• The SEEDS project captures the images at near-infrared wavelengths by making use of the novel adaptive optics system of telescope and two instruments: the High Contrast Instrument for the Subaru Next Generation Adaptive Optics and the InfraRed Camera and Spectrograph The combination of these enables the team to capture the direct images towards fainter planets MOCK Q463 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ H7N9 virus is sometimes mentioned in news with reference to which of the following disease A Bird fluB DengueC Swine FluD AIDSAns AH7N9 virus is referred with Bird flu MOCK Q462 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Which among the following areas have been focused under the Greenpeace campaigns 1 Oceans2 Forests3 Nuclear reactors4 Genetically modified foods5 VegetarianismSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1245B Only 12 amp 4C 1234D All are correctAns CVegetarianism has not been focused under the Greenpeace campaignsThe following areas have been focused under the Greenpeace campaigns 1 Oceans2 Forests3 Nuclear reactors4 Genetically modified foods MOCK Q461 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Consider the following statements :1 Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights2 Amnesty International operates in India with headquarters in Bangalore Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CAmnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rightsAmnesty International operates in India with headquarters in Bangalore MOCK Q460 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Consider the following statements about International Committee of Red Cross :1 ICRC was established in 19th century in GenevaSwitzerland2 International Committee of the red cross was awarded the nobel prize in 1917 1944 1963 – on the third occasion jointly with the League of Red Cross societies3 Red cross society was found to protect the human life amp health from the war hostilitiesSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 2B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 3D 123Ans DAll are correct Just memorize it MOCK Q459 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Consider the following statements:1 Human Development Index for any nation is calculated as geometric mean of life expectancy Index Education Index amp Income Index2 Life expectancy index in HDI is calculated using a minimum value of 20 years amp a minimum value of 85 yearsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CHuman Development Index for any nation is calculated as geometric mean of life expectancy Index Education Index amp Income IndexLife expectancy index in HDI is calculated using a minimum value of 20 years amp a minimum value of 85 years MOCK Q458 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDUQ Who among the following releases World Press Freedom Index A Institute for Economics and PeaceB Oxfam InternationalC Reporters Without BordersD World Economic ForumAns CThe 2019 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders RSF shows how hatred of journalists has degenerated into violence contributing to an increase in fear The number of countries regarded as safe where journalists can work in complete security continues to decline while authoritarian regimes continue to tighten their grip on the media MOCK Q457QWhich one of the following plants is popularly grown along the road for absorbing vehicular pollutantsA NeriumB NeemC BourgainvilleaD CallotropisAns CThe vine species grow anywhere from 1 to 12 m 3 to 40 ft tall scrambling over other plants with their spiky thorns They are evergreen where rainfall occurs all year or deciduous if there is a dry season Bougainvillea are popular ornamental plants in most areas with warm climates such as Florida and South Carolina and across The Mediterranean Basin MOCK Q456Q Which of the following statements correctly denotes Bio-fortification A Enrichment of the nutrient quality of the soil using biological agentsB Breeding crops to increase their nutritional valuesC Inrcrease of organo-metallic compounds in the organism through energy flow in an ecosystemD Adoption of genetic variable plants for breeding of high yielding plants Ans BBiofortification is the idea of breeding crops to increase their nutritional value This can be done either through conventional selective breeding or through genetic engineering Biofortification differs from ordinary fortification because it focuses on making plant foods more nutritious as the plants are growing rather than having nutrients added to the foods when they are being processedThis is an important improvement on ordinary fortification when it comes to providing nutrients for the rural poor who rarely have access to commercially fortified foods2 As such biofortification is seen as an upcoming strategy for dealing with deficiencies of micronutrients in low and middle-income countries In the case of iron WHO estimated that biofortification could help curing the 2 billion people suffering from iron deficiency-induced anemia MOCK Q455 Q4 What is a major use of Allethrin A In household insecticidesB In glass manufactureC In steel manufactureD In paints amp varnishesAnsA MOCK Q454 Q Custom duty on non-edible oils has been reduced to encourage soaps amp oleochemicals What are Oleochemicals 1 These are the chemicals derived from the Plant products2 They are analogous to petrochemicals derived from petroleumWhich among the above are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns BThese are the chemicals derived from the Plant products amp animal fats MOCK Q453 Q Who among the following are not the members of the Arab League 1 Chad 2 Israel3 South Sudan4 Libya5 OmanWhich among the above is/are correct A 345B Only 1 amp 2C 125D All are the members Ans BThe Arab League was founded in Cairo in 1945 by Egypt Iraq Lebanon Saudi Arabia Syria Transjordan Jordan from 1946 and Yemen North Yemen later combined Yemen There was a continual increase in membership during the second half of the 20th century with additional 15 Arab states and 4 observers being admitted MOCK Q452 Q4 Which of the following is superimposed international boundary A USA –Mexico boundaryB India-Pakistan boundary along Jammu amp KashmirC 38th North parallel boundary between North amp south KoreaD Chile-Argentina boundary along AndesAns BA superimposed boundary is a boundary that has been imposed on an area by an outside or conquering power This boundary ignores the cultural organizations on this landscape MOCK Q451 Q Land reclamation is the subject dealt by :A Ministry of rural developmentB Ministry of agricultureC Ministry of panchayati rajD Ministry of earth sciencesAns BLand reclamation usually known as reclamation and also known as land fill not to be confused with a landfill is the process of creating new land from oceans seas riverbeds or lake beds The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or land fill MOCK Q450 QWho among the following founded Theosophical society A Madam Blavatsky amp Annie BesantB AO Hume amp Annie BesantC HS Alcott amp Annie BesantD Madam Blavatsky amp HS AlcottAns AThe Theosophical Society was an organization formed in the United States in 1875 by Helena Blavatsky to advance Theosophy The original organization after splits and realignments currently has several successors Following the death of Blavatsky competition within the Society between factions emerged particularly among founding members and the organisation split between the Theosophical Society Adyar Olcott-Besant and the Theosophical Society Pasadena Judge The former group headquartered in Indiais the most widespread international group holding the name Theosophical Society today MOCK Q449 Q The ‘Kurram’ of Chola period were : A Musicians B Union of villages C Royal officers D Temple artisansAns BChola political system was the only one which still maintained contact with the cultivator on a wild scale and retained characteristics of a centrally organized administration The political status Rajaraja I was certainly different from that of Amoghavarsha the Rashtrakuta ruler or Vishnuvardhana the Hoysala ruler The titles used by the Chola kings were Chakrvartigal or Chakravarti The royal household was run on an elaborate scale and royal patronage was lavish The political role of Purohita priest as known to northern Indian politics underwent a modification in the Chola system The Rajguru priest of the royal family of the Cholas became a confidant and confessor in addition to being the advisor in all matters temporal and sacred For further advice there was an assembly of officer whom the king would consultChola kingdom was divided into provinces mandalam their being generally eight or nine of these Each mandalam was divided into valanadus or districts These in turn were subdivided into groups of villages variously called kurram nadu or kottam Occasionally a very large village would be administered as a single unit and this was called Taniyur The administrative unit was the village and to that extent there was a little significant difference between Chola administration and that of the Guptas However the nature of the village administration was certainly of a very different order The degree of autonomy at village level was something quiet remarkable for the times Chola officials participated in village affairs more as advisors and observers than as administratorsThe basic assumption in the type of village autonomy emerging at this period was that each village should be administered by the villagers themselves For the purpose a village assembly was formed and authority was vested in this assemblyThe general assemblies included most of the local residents and were of three categories: the ur consisted of the tax paying residents of an ordinary village the sabha was restricted to the Brahmans of the village or else was found exclusively in villages gifted to Brahmans and finally the nagaram was found more commonly in trade centers In some villages the ur and the sabha were found together Very large villages had two urs if this was more convenient for their functioning The working of these assemblies differed according to local conditions The ur was open to all male adults of the village but in affect the older members took a more prominent part some of them forming a small executive body for routine matters The sabha had the same system and in addition had the power to constitute smaller committees of any size from among its membersMOCK Q448- FRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITE Q Consider the following passage :“The length of the saree in this folk dance is about 3 inches above the heelMusic in this dance is played using Tirio A bamboo flute with seven holesWomen dancers usually wear white or yellow sarees with red borders amp adorn their hair with wild flowersWhich among the following folk dance has been discussed in the above passage A Santhal danceB Karma danceC Bidesiya danceD Jhijhiya danceAns ASanthal dance – Jharkhand Karma dance – JharkhandBidesiya dance – BiharJhijhiya dance-BiharMOCK Q447- FRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITE Q With reference to the Kolkali dance consider the following statements :1 It is basically a tribal dance form undertaken annually on the Karma festival although it is performed on different social occasions as well2Only male dancers can participate in this dance3 It is a highly rhythmic dance with the dancers wielding short sticksSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans CKarma dance: It is basically a tribal dance form undertaken annually on the Karma festival although it is performed on different social occasions as wellMOCK Q446- FRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITE Q Consider the following pairs :Community Place1Ahir Haryana2Manganiyars South India3Kambala Nayaka Tamil NaduSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 3D 123Ans CCommunity of people Manganiyars is well known for their musical tradition in North East IndiaAhir community of Gurgaon Haryana is known for th Dhamal danceMOCK Q445- FRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITE Q Consider the following statements :1 Lavani Gatka amp Thang-Ta folk dances are associated with the display of military skills by traditional community2 Chhau folk dance blends both dance amp martial arts employing mock combat techniques Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns BGatka Thang-Ta amp Choliya folk dances are associated the display of military skills by traditional community but not Lavani danceChhau folk dance of West Bengal blends both dance amp martial arts employing mock combat techniques This dance is performed during night in an open space called Akhara or AsarMOCK Q444- FRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITE Q Consider the following statements :1 Caves at Nagarjuni hills was dedicated by Ashoka amp his grandson Dashratha Maurya to the Ajivika Monks2Bharhut stupa constructed under Mauryas shows influence of Greeks on Indian artSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns ABharhut stupa constructed under Shungas shows influence of Greeks on Indian artCaves at Nagarjuni hills was dedicated by Ashoka amp his grandson Dashratha Maurya to the Ajivika MonksMOCK Q443- FRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITE Q Consider the following statements :1Singhi Chham folk dance pays homage to the Kanchenjunga peaks which when bathed in sunlight look like a snow lion2 Wancho dance belongs to the state of Arunachal PradeshSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CSinghi Chham folk dance pays homage to the Kanchenjunga peaks which when bathed in sunlight look like a snow lionWancho dance belongs to the state of Arunachal PradeshMOCK Q442- FRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITE Q With reference to the Kangra Paintings consider the following statements :1Paintings were made on the walls of palaces inner chambers of forts amp havellis2 Theme of painting is mainly elements of nature3 Surface of the painting is often divided into the several compartments of different colors in order to separate one scene from another Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 3C 2 amp 3D Only 2Ans DRajasthani Paintings : -Paintings were made on the walls of palaces inner chambers of forts amp havellis- Surface of the painting is often divided into the several compartments of different colors in order to separate one scene from another Kangra Paintings :Kangra painting is the pictorial art of Kangra named after Kangra Himachal Pradesh a former princely state which patronized the art It became prevalent with the fading of Basohli school of painting in mid-18th centuryand soon produced such a magnitude in paintings both in content as well as volume that the Pahari painting school came to be known as Kangra paintingsThe distinguishing features of the Kangra painting were: Soft colours including cool blues and greens Lyrical treatment of themesTheme of painting is mainly elements of natureMOCK Q441- FRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITE Q Which among the following is/are correct with respect to the Madhubani Paintings 1 These are the short lived water color paintings produced in the 19th century by the artists of the Bihar2 No space is left empty in these paintings as the gaps are filled with the paintings of flower animals birds amp even geometric designs3 Three dimensional images are used in these types of paintingsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 2 amp 3B Only 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans AMadhubani PaintingMadhubani painting is one of the many famous Indian art forms As it is practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar and Nepal it is called Mithila or Madhubani art Often characterized by complex geometrical patterns these paintings are known for representing ritual content for particular occasions including festivals religious rituals etc The colors used in Madhubani paintings are usually derived from plants and other natural sources These colors are often bright and pigments like lampblack and ochre are used to create black and brown respectively Instead of contemporary brushes objects like twigs matchsticks and even fingers are used to create the paintings Kalighat Paintings : These are the short lived water color paintings produced in the 19th century by the artists in CalcuttaMOCK Q440- FRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTURE WEBSITE Q Which among the following is/are correct with respect to the Basholi style of painting 1 This style of painting was inspired by the naturalistic style of the mughal painting2Human figures were shown with tight lips eyes half open small chin amp thin wristSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DGuler style : This style of painting was inspired by the naturalistic style of the mughal paintingBikaner School : Human figures were shown with tight lips eyes half open small chin amp thin wristBasholi style of painting : Basohli Paintings is a fusion of Hindu mythology Mughal miniature techniques and folk art of the local hills evolved in the 17th and 18th centuries as a distinctive style of painting This style of painting derives its name from the place of its origin – hill town of Basohli about 80 Km from the centre of district Kathua in the state of Jammu amp KashmirThe most popular themes of Basohli Paintings come from Shringara literature like Rasamanjari or Bouquet of Delight a long love poem written in 15th century by Bhanudatta of Tirhut Bihar Gita Govinda and Ragamala These paintings are marked by striking blazing colors red borders bold lines and rich symbols The faces of the figures painted are characterized by the receding foreheads and large expressive eyes shaped like lotus petals The painting themselves are mostly painted in the primary colors of Red Blue and YellowThis style of painting was first introduced to the world in the annual report 1918-19 of the Archaeological Survey of India published in 1921 At that time this style was yet to be properly categorized and studied Ananda K Coomaraswamy was the first to publish them in Rajput Paintings in 1916MOCK Q439- FRAMED FROM SPECTRUM-MODERN INDIA Q What was the reason for the congress to accept dominion status A It would offer a chance to keep India in the commonwealth B It would allow for some much needed continuity in the bureaucracy amp the army C It would provide the economic strength defence potential amp greater value of trade amp Investment in IndiaD All of the aboveAns BThe Congress was willing to accept Dominion Status for a while despite its being against the spirit of Lahore Congress 1929 declaration of “Purna Swaraj” because:-• Congress wanted a quick transfer of power in a peaceful manner• It was important for congress to assume authority and power to check the explosive situation due to communal tension• Dominion Status gave breathing time to the new administration as British officers and civil service officials could stay on till Indians get settled in their new positionsFor Britain Dominion Status offered a chance of keeping India in the Commonwealth even if temporarily Though Jinnah offered to bring Pakistan into the Commonwealth a greater store was laid by India’s membership of the Commonwealth as India’s economic strength and defence potential were deemed sounder and Britain had a greater value of trade and Investment thereMOCK Q438- FRAMED FROM SPECTRUM-MODERN INDIA Q Which among the following is/are correct with reference to the Plan Balkan 1 It was completed and presented on 15-16 April 1947 by Mountbatten to assembly of provincial governors in Delhi2 This plan was welcomed by the Nehru amp other leaders Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns D Plan Balkan was completed and presented on 15-16 April 1947 by Hastings Ismay to assembly of provincial governors in Delhi Due to this this plan was also called “Ismay Plan”• Balkan plan was an alternative plan to Cabinet mission Between March and May of 1947 Mountbatten decided that the Cabinet Mission Plan had become untenable and formulated an alternative plan This plan envisaged the transfer of power to separate provinces or to a confederation if formed before the transfer with Punjab and Bengal given the option to vote for partition of their provinces• The various units thus formed along with the princely states rendered independent by lapse of paramountcy would have the option of joining India or Pakistan or remaining separate The plan was quickly abandoned after Nehru reacted violently to itMOCK Q437- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU-CURRENT AFFAIRS Q With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Karam Yogi Maandhan Scheme consider the following statements :1 Under this scheme shopkeepers amp retail traders will receive a guaranteed monthly pension of Rs 3000 after they reach the age of 60 years2 To get benefit of this scheme It is mandatory to get register between the age of 45 years to 59 years3 Pension benefits to retail traders amp small shopkeepers with annual turnover less than Rs 15 crores Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 3C 2 amp 3D 123Ans APradhan Mantri Karam Yogi Maandhan Scheme :Pension benefits to retail traders amp small shopkeepers with annual turnover less than Rs 15 crores Under this scheme shopkeepers amp retail traders will receive a guaranteed monthly pension of Rs 3000 after they reach the age of 60 yearsMOCK Q436- FRAMED FROM Krishna Reddy-Indian History Q With reference to the Tutinama “Tales of Parrot” consider the following statements :1 It is an illustrated version containing 200 miniature paintings that was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the later part of the 16th century2 It is the 14th century Persian series of 52 stories Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns BTutinama “Tales of Parrot”is an illustrated version containing 250 miniature paintings that was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the later part of the 16th centuryIt is the 14th century Persian series of 52 stories -Adventure stories naraated by the parrot were : Ninght after Night For 52 successive nights are moralistic stories to persuade his owner Khojasta not to commit any adulterous act with any lover in the absence of her husbandMOCK Q435- FRAMED FROM Krishna Reddy-Indian History Q Who among the following Mughal Emperor put emphasis upon aristocracy amp secularism through the Mughal school of paintingA JahangirB AkbarC AurangzebD ShahjahanAns BMughal school of paintings originated in AD during the reign of AkbarThese paintings are based on the close observation of nature amp fine amp delicate drawing These paintings are themed upon aristocracy amp secularismMOCK Q434- FRAMED FROM LAXMIKANT-INDIAN POLITY Q Consider the following statements :1 Under the Vote of Credit Lok Sabha authorizes the council of ministers to continue to incur expenditure out of the consolidated fund of India till next appropriation bill is adopted2In Budget 2017 Lok Sabha adopted Vote of CreditSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DVote of Credit – It is granted for meeting an unexpected demand upon the resources of India when on account of the magnitude or the indefinite character of the service the demand cannot be stated with the details ordinarily given in a budget Hence it is like a blank cheque given to the Executive by the Lok SabhaSo far it has not been adopted in IndiaUnder the Vote of Account Lok Sabha authorizes the council of ministers to continue to incur expenditure out of the consolidated fund of India till next appropriation bill is adoptedMOCK Q433- FRAMED FROM LAXMIKANT-INDIAN POLITY Q Which among the following motions can be moved in Lok Sabha only 1 Call Attention Motion 2 Adjournment Motion3 Cut Motions4 Censure MotionSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 2 amp 4B 134C 234D 1234Ans CAdjournment Motion Cut Motions Censure Motion- can be moved in Lok Sabha onlyCall attention motion in the Rajya Sabha is called Motion For Papersi Adjournment Motion:At the end of the question-hour in the Parliament motion moved by a member when it is desired to draw the attention of the Executive for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importanceii Privilege Motion:A motion moved by a member if he feels that a Minister has committed a breach of privilege of the House or of any one or more of its members by withholding the facts of a case or by giving a distorted version of facts etciii Censure Motion:A motion which seeks to censure the government for its “lapse” If the motion is passed in the Popular House the Cabinet resignsiv ‘No-Confidence’ Motion:A motion moved by a member to express lack of confidence in the government for any reason The motion if allowed be debated upon At the conclusion of such debate a vote of confidence is sought by the government and if it fails to get the required majority of votes it has to resignv Calling Attention Motion:A member may with prior permission of the Speaker call the attention of a Minister to any matter of urgent public importance and the Minister may make a brief Statement regarding the matter or ask for time to make a Statementvi Cut Motion:A motion that seeks reduction in the amount of a demand presented by the government is known as a cut motion Such motions are admitted at the Speaker’s discretion It is a device through which members candraw the attention of the government to a specific grievance or problem There are three types of Cut Motion:a Disapproval of Policy Cut:It means to express disapproval of the policy underlyingb Economy Cut:Asks for a reduction of the amount of the demand by a specific amountc Token Cut:Is a device to ventilate specific grievances within the sphere of the government’s responsibility The grievances have to be specified Usually the motion envisages a small reduc¬tion in the demandMOCK Q432- FRAMED FROM SHANKAR IAS Q Which among the following statements is/are correct with reference to the Climate Investment Funds 1 The operation of the Financial Mechanism is partly entrusted to the Global Environment Facility GEF2 These funds were approved by MIGA Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency in 2008 to address climate changeSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DThe Climate Investment Funds CIFs were designed by developed and developing countries and are implemented with the multilateral development banks MDBs to bridge the financing and learning gap between now and the next international climate change agreement CIFs are two distinct funds: the Clean Technology Fund and the Strategic Climate FundThe CIFs are additional to existing Official Development Assistance ODA and aim to enable countries to continue on their development path and achieve the Millennium Development Goals These funds will be operated in close coordination with existing bilateral and multilateral effortsThe funds were approved by the World Bank Board of Directors in July 2008 and on September 26 2008 received pledges of US65 billionThe Climate Investment Funds include the:• Clean Technology Fund• Strategic Climate Fund• Forest Investment Program• Pilot Program for Climate Resilience• Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program and• Private SectorMOCK Q431- FRAMED FROM LAXMIKANT-INDIAN POLITY Q Which among the following statements is/are correct with reference to the Charged Expenditure 1It is that part of the appropriation bill which does not require approval of the Parliament2 If the appropriation bill is defeated in the Lok Sabha it has no impact on the charged expenditureSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CCharged Expenditure :It is that part of the appropriation bill which does not require approval of the ParliamentIf the appropriation bill is defeated in the Lok Sabha it has no impact on the charged expenditureMOCK Q430- FRAMED FROM LAXMIKANT-INDIAN POLITY Q With reference to the Parliamentary form of Government consider the following statements :1Members of executive amp legislature may be different hence coordination between them may be weak2Executive has a definite majority in Lok Sabha thus a check of legislature over executive is weakSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1 B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns BPresidential Government : Members of executive amp legislature are different hence coordination between them may be weakParliamentary form of Government : Members of executive are appointed from the legislature the ability of executive to influence legislature is highExecutive has a definite majority in Lok Sabha thus a check of legislature over executive is weakMOCK Q429- FRAMED FROM LAXMIKANT-INDIAN POLITY Q With reference to the Deputy Prime Minister consider the following statements :1 It is the second highest rank in the council of Ministers who are given full powers in the absence of Prime Minister2 It is not a constitutional position3 Deputy Prime Minister also enjoys the rank of a Cabinet MinsterSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 2B 1 amp 3C Only 3D 2 amp 3Ans DIst statement is a fabricated statementMinisters of State : They are the second highest ranking ministers who are not given independent charge of ministry or department Deputy Prime Minister is not a constitutional positionSupreme Court has held that Deputy Prime Minister also enjoys the rank of a Cabinet MinsterMOCK Q428- FRAMED FROM LAXMIKANT-INDIAN POLITY Q Who among the following is considered as the custodian of the Constitution of India A Chief Justice of IndiaB Supreme Court of IndiaC President of IndiaD Attorney General of IndiaAns CPresident of India is considered as the custodian of the Constitution of India Supreme Court is considered as the Guardian of the Constitution of India MOCK Q427- FRAMED FROM LAXMIKANT-INDIAN POLITY Q Consider the following statements :1 Discretionary powers of the President of India are exercised without the aid amp advice of council of ministers242nd amendment act restored the discretion of President to refer the advice back to the council of Ministers Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns A44th amendment act restored the discretion of President to refer the advice back to the council of Ministers Discretionary powers of the President of India are exercised without the aid amp advice of council of ministersMOCK Q426- FRAMED FROM RAMESH SINGH-INDIAN ECONOMY Q With reference to the Trade Facilitation Agreement TFA consider the following statements :1 TFA was the first multilateral trade deal in 21 years signed in Bali in 2013 for easing cross border custom rules for faster movement of goods2TFA requires developed countries should reduce the domestic support given to agriculture in the form of Green box subsidies3 It contains provisions for technical amp financial assistance in trade facilitation Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 2B 2 amp 3C Only 1D 1 amp 3Ans CTrade Facilitation Agreement TFA : TFA was the first multilateral trade deal in 21 years signed in Bali in 2013 for easing cross border custom rules for faster movement of goodsTFA contains provisions for technical assistance amp capacity building in trade facilitationProvision of Fourth Ministerial Meeting in Doha Qatar 2001 : TFA requires developed countries should reduce the domestic support given to agriculture in the form of Green box subsidiesMOCK Q425- FRAMED FROM RAMESH SINGH-INDIAN ECONOMY Q Which one of the following does not comes under the category of Back Office Outsourcing A Call centre servicesB Banking C Media amp Entertainment D Travel amp HospitalityAns ACall centre services : Front Office OutsourcingBack Office Business Process Outsourcing BPO ServicesAn organization’s back office management can significantly impact its success Large volumes of data accrue on a daily basis from various transactional processes such as order fulfilment applications processing transaction processing billing and collections that require effective back office solutions Invensis is a reputed leader in empowering numerous global businesses and organizations through high quality back office BPO services that promote enhanced business efficiency and improved bottom-lineback office outsourcing services extend across industries such as:• Finance• Banking• Insurance• Healthcare• Manufacturing amp Chemical• Travel amp Hospitality• Media amp Entertainment• Utilities• Logistics and Customs Brokerage• Automotive• Education• Mortgage• GovernmentMOCK Q424- FRAMED FROM Shankar IAS Q Which of the following best describes the Blue Carbon Initiative A It is an international initiative to prevent climate change through conservation restoration of marine ecosystems by focusing on Mangroves Salt marshes amp SeagrassesB It refers to the technique of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere amp keeping it stored over a long period timeC It is an initiative to understand quantify amp manage greenhouse gas emissions so that rise in temperature by the end of century does not exceed 20 c or even 150c above pre-industrial levelsD It is an international initiative by providing technical amp financial support to targeted developing countries to integrate climate change into their development policies amp budgetsAns AIt is an international initiative to prevent climate change through conservation restoration of marine ecosystems by focusing on Mangroves Salt marshes amp SeagrassesThe Initiative is coordinated by Conservation International CI the International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization IOC-UNESCO The Initiative works through two working groups: the International Blue Carbon Scientific Working Group and the International Blue Carbon Policy Working GroupMOCK Q423- FRAMED FROM Shankar IAS Q Consider the following :Protected Area Network Fauna1 Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve : Saltwater crocodile2 Seshachalam hills : Sloth bear3 Cold Desert : Snow LeopardWhich of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched A 1 amp 3B Only 1C 2 amp 3D 123Ans ASeshachalam hills : Slender LorisPanna : Tiger Chittal Chinkara Sambhar amp Sloth BearMOCK Q422- FRAMED FROM Shankar IAS Q With reference to the Hope Spots consider the following statements :1 Andaman amp Nicobar Islands amp Lakshadweep Islands have very recently been named as the new Hope Spots2 These are declared under the Wildlife protection Act 1972Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns D-Andaman amp Nicobar Islands amp Lakshadweep Islands have recently Not very recently been named as the new Hope Spots-List of Hope spots is prepared by the IUCN amp Mission Blue-Hope Spots are areas of an ocean that need special protection because of their wildlife amp significant underwater habitatsMOCK Q421- FRAMED FROM Shankar IAS Q In which of the following region in India are you most likely to come across the ‘Golden Langur’ in its natural habitat A Grasslands of Western GhatsB Malabar region of KeralaC Western AssamD Sand deserts of north-west IndiaAns CGolden langur is an Old World monkey found in a small region of western Assam India and in the neighboring foothills of the Black Mountains of Bhutan It is one of the most endangered primate speciesof India The regions of its distribution are very small the main region is limited to an area approximately 60 miles square bounded on the south by the Brahmaputra River on the east by the Manas River on the west by the Sankosh River all in Assam India and on the north by the Black Mountains of BhutanMOCK Q420- FRAMED FROM Indian Express Q On account of which of the following reasons Chabahar port is relevant for India 1 Chabahar port will increase dependence of Afghanistan which is a landlocked country on Pakistan2 In October 2017 India began shipment of Rice Wheat amp Pulses to Afghanistan through the Iranian portof Chabahar3 Indian presence at Chabahar port will help in countering Chinese presence at Gwadar port of PakistanSelect the correct answer using the code given below :A Only 3B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans A-Chabahar port will reduce dependence of Afghanistan which is a landlocked country on Pakistan- In October 2017 India began shipment of Wheat to Afghanistan through the Iranian port of Chabahar- Indian presence at Chabahar port will help in countering Chinese presence at Gwadar port of PakistanMOCK Q419- FRAMED FROM Indian Express Q With reference to the Official Development Assistance consider the following statements :1 ODA was coined by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Co-operation amp Development OECD for the first time in 19592Japan is the only developed nation that signed a free trade agreement FTA with IndiaSelect the correct answer using the code given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns BODA was coined by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Co-operation amp Development OECD for the first time is 1969India is the largest recipient of Japanese Official Development Assistance ODA MOCK Q418- FRAMED FROM Google Books Q With reference to the Dongria Kondh consider the following statements :1 These are the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal groups worshiping Niyam Raja of sacred Niyamgiri mountain 2 Racially these belong to the Mongoloid group amp linguistically they belong to the Tibeto-Burman groupSelect the correct answer using the code given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns AKarbi tribe : Racially these belong to the Mongoloid group amp linguistically they belong to the Tibeto-Burman groupDongria Kondh : Of Odisha These are the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal groups who worship Niyam Raja of sacred Niyamgiri mountain They also won legal battle against Vedanta group over Bauxite mining in the region MOCK Q417- FRAMED FROM Google Books Q Every year a community celebrates a festival Hari Jyoti for planting fruit bearing trees at the beginning of the rains amp the new sowing season Which of the following is such community/ tribe A GondsB Dongria KondhC BondaD KarbiAns AGonds : Of Madhya PradeshKorku tribe : Of Madhya PradeshKarbi tribe : Of AssamLimbo tribe : Of SikkimBonda : Of OdishaDongria Kondh : Of OdishaKorku tribe : Of Madhya PradeshMOCK Q416- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q To fulfill the Government of India’s mission amp to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship in the country Academia Alliance Programme has been formed With whose initiative Academia Alliance Programme has been formed A Niti AyogB Confederation of Indian IndustriesC Startup IndiaD Ministry of New amp Renewable EnergyAns CTo fulfill the Governmentof India’s mission to promote the spirit of entrepreneurship in the country Startup India launched the Startup Academia Alliance programme a unique mentorship opportunity between academic scholars and startups working in similar domains The Startup Academia Alliance aims to reduce the gap between scientific research and its industrial applications in order to increase the efficacy of these technologies and to widen their impact By creating a bridge between academia and industry the Alliance strives to create lasting connections between the stakeholders of the startup ecosystem and implement the third pillar on which the Startup India Action Plan is based – Industry Academia Partnerships and Incubation The first phase of Startup Academia Alliance was kickstarted through partnering with Regional Centre for Biotechnology The Energy and Resources Institute TERI Council on Energy Environment and Water and TERI School of Advanced Studies Renowned scholars from these institutes in fields such as renewableenergy biotechnology healthcare and life sciences were taken on board to provide mentorship and guidance to startups working in relevant arenasMOCK Q415- FRAMED FROM SPECTRUM HISTORY Q Consider the following statements :1 In 1916 session Congress accepted theMuslim League demand of separate electorates 2 Communal award accepted all the muslim communal demands contained in the 14 pointsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CIn 1916 session Congress accepted the Muslim League demand of separate electorates amp the Congress amp The League presented joint demands to the governmentCommunal award accepted all the muslim communal demands contained in the 14 pointsMOCK Q414- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q With respect to the South Asia Sub Regional Economic Cooperation SASEC consider the following statements :1 SASEC program set up in 2001 to promote regional prosperity by improving cross border connectivity 2 World Trade Organisation serves as the secretariat for the SAESC member CountriesSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns ASASEC program set up in 2001 to promote regional prosperity by improving cross border connectivityIt brings together Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Myanmar Nepal Srilanka Manila Phillipines based Asian development Bank ADB serves as the secretariat for the SAESC member CountriesMOCK Q413- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q With respect to the Permanent Court of Arbitration PCA consider the following statements :1 PCA was established by treaty at the first Hague Peace Conference at Netherlands2 The order is not binding on the countries as it can be appealed in the UN tribunal3 121 member states are the part of the PCA including IndiaSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans APermanent Court of Arbitration PCA:PCA was established by treaty at the first Hague Peace Conference at Netherlands in 1899The order is binding on the countries as there is no appeal process in the UN tribunal121 member states 119 members of the United Nations as well as Kosovo amp Palestine are the part of the PCA India is a part to the PCA according to the Hague Convention on 1899 MOCK Q412- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q With respect to the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing amp Urban Development APMCHUD consider the following statements :1 Sixth edition of the conference held in New Delhi in 2016 with the theme “ A Vision for sustainable Urbanisation in The Asia Pacific by 2020”2 It was established under the aegis amp support of UN HabitatSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are in correctAns BSixth edition of the conference held in New Delhi in 2016 with the theme “ Emerging Urban Forms –Policy Reforms amp Governance Structures in the Context of New Urban Agenda”2006 THEME : “ A Vision for sustainable Urbanisation in The Asia Pacific by 2020MOCK Q411- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q With respect to the International Trade Centre consider the following statements :1 ITC is the joint technical corporation agency of the UN conference on trade amp Development UNCTAD amp World Trade Organisation WTO2 They are subordinate to the United Nations amp derive most of their financial resources other than the Union Nation BudgetsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are in correctAns AITC is the joint technical corporation agency of the UN conference on trade amp Development UNCTAD amp World Trade Organisation WTOITC’s regular programme is financed in equal parts by WTO amp UNMOCK Q410- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q Which among the following crops have been classified under the category of Minor Forest products 1 Tendu Patta2 Bamboo3 Pulpwood 4 SoapnutSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 124B Only 1 amp 3C 134D Only 1 amp 4Ans AThe Major Forest Products comprise Pulpwood Sandalwood Social Forestry that incudes Fuel and Timber The Minor Forest Products include the items such as tamarind curry leaf Tendu Patta gallnut Cane Soapnut tree moss and now Bamboo alsoMOCK Q409- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q With reference to the news what is “INSTEX” A It is a 2000 ft long device to start clean up in the North Pacific OceanB It is a transaction channel that will allow companies to continue trading with Iran despite US sanctionsC It is a natural gas pipeline being developed with the participation of the Asian Development BankD It is the rule book that sets out how countries will provide information about their Nationally Determined Contributions Ans B• The transaction channel will allow European businesses to trade with Iran despite strict US sanctions• Though the payment channel is a project of Britain France and Germany it will receive the formal endorsement of all 28 EU members• It will support legitimate European trade with Iran focusing initially on the sectors most essential to the Iranian population such as pharmaceutical medical devices and agri-food goods• In the longer term INSTEX aims to be open to third countries wanting to trade with Iran• However INSTEX is not yet operational as it needs Iran to set up a parallel structure of its own which may take some time to complete• While it is aimed at small and medium-sized companies it is expected to send an important message to Iran about Europe’s commitment to keep the nuclear deal aliveObjective The launch of the special payment channel is a clear and practical demonstration of Europe’s commitment to continuing the nuclear dealIt however does not in any way preclude the European Union from addressing Iran’s hostile and destabilising activitiesEurope has toughened its tone on Iran’s ballistic missile programme human rights record and interference in Middle East conflictsMOCK Q408- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan Yojana consider the following statements :1 Spouse will not be entitled to receive pension in case of death2 Workers covered under the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation will not be entitled to pension3 It is 100 funded by the Union government Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B 2 amp 3C Only 2D 1 amp 2Ans C• The unorganised sector workers with income of less than Rs 15000 per month and who belong to the entry age group of 18-40 years will be eligible for the scheme • Those workers should not be covered under New Pension Scheme NPS Employees’ State Insurance Corporation ESIC scheme or Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation EPFO• He or she should not be an income tax payerThe workers of unorganised sector can be home based workers street vendors mid-day meal workers head loaders brick kiln workers cobblers rag pickers domestic workers washer men rickshaw pullers landless labourers own account workers agricultural workers construction workers beedi workers handloom workers leather workers audio- visual workers and similar other occupationsBenefits under Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan YojanaMinimum Assured Pension: Each subscriber under the scheme will receive minimum assured pension of Rs 3000 per month after attaining the age of 60 yearsIn case of death during receipt of pension: If the subscriber dies during the receipt of pension his or her spouse will be entitled to receive 50 percent of the pension as family pension This family pension is applicable only to spouseIn case of death before the age of 60 years: If a beneficiary has given regular contribution and dies before attaining the age of 60 years his or her spouse will be entitled to continue the scheme subsequently by payment of regular contribution or may even exit the schemeEqual contribution by the Central Government: Under the PM-SYM the prescribed age-specific contribution by the beneficiary and the matching contribution by the Central Government will be made on a ‘50:50 basis’MOCK Q407- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q Which of the following best describes SHREYAS scheme A It is the scheme launched by HRD Ministry to promote entrepreneurship by mentoring nurturing and facilitating startupsB It is the scheme implemented by Sector Skill Council for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and SkillsC It is the scheme launched by HRD ministry for translational and advanced research in Science to fund science projectsD It is the scheme implemented by Institution’s Innovation Council for self-actualisation providing opportunities for a life-long learningAns CSHREYAS: Scheme for Higher Education Youth in Apprenticeship and SkillsFunctioning of the Scheme:The scheme will be operated in conjunction with National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme NAPS which provides for placing of apprentices or trainees up to 10 percent of the total work force in every industry The scheme will be implemented by the Sector Skill Councils SSCs initially in the Banking Finance Insurance Services BFSI Retail Health care Telecom Logistics Media Management services ITeS and Apparel More sectors would be added over time with emerging apprenticeship demandMOCK Q406- FRAMED FROM IUCN WEBSITE Q With reference to the Sandbag Climate Campaign consider the following statements :1 It was launched as a campaign on the European Union’s Emission Trading Scheme2 It addresses the negative effects of global warming as a result of heightened socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilitiesSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns A–Sandbag or Sandbag Climate Campaign is a Community Interest Company campaigning for changes to European climate change policy especially emissions trading The organisation was launched in 2008 by Bryony Worthington and was the first and founding member of The Guardian’s Environment NetworkSandbag was launched as a campaign on the European Union’s Emission Trading Scheme allowing its members to campaign to reduce the number of permits in circulation and to purchase permits and cancel themClimate Vulnerable Forum CVF: The forum addresses the negative effects of global warming as a result of heightened socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilitiesMOCK Q405- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana consider the following statements :1 It will provide assured income to all Institutional Land holders of Rs 6000 per year2 It is based on providing guaranteed amount of Rs 1000/- or Rs2000 per hectare in case of drought or loss of crop by the animalsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns D• The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi will provide assured income to small and marginal farmers• All Small and Marginal Farmers SMF with 2 hectares of cultivable land will be provided income support of Rs 6000 per year• The amount will be transferred directly into their account in 3 equal installments• The complete expenditure of Rs 75000 crore for the scheme will borne by the Union Government in 2019-20• Over 12 crore farmer families will be benefitted under the schemeThe scheme is being implemented with effect from December 2018The following categories of beneficiaries of higher economic status shall not be eligible for benefit under the scheme A All Institutional Land holders B Farmer families in which one or more of its members belong to following categories: 1 Former and present holders of constitutional posts2 Former and present Ministers/ State Ministers and former/present Members of LokSabha/ RajyaSabha/ State Legislative Assemblies/ State Legislative Councilsformer and present Mayors of Municipal Corporations former and present Chairpersons of District Panchayats3 All serving or retired officers and employees of Central/ State Government Ministries /Offices/Departments and its field units Central or State PSEs and Attached offices /Autonomous Institutions under Government as well as regular employees of the Local Bodies Excluding Multi Tasking Staff /Class IV/Group D employees4 All superannuated/retired pensioners whose monthly pension is ₹10000/-or more Excluding Multi Tasking Staff / Class IV/Group D employees of above category5 All Persons who paid Income Tax in last assessment year6 Professionals like Doctors Engineers Lawyers Chartered Accountants and Architects registered with Professional bodies and carrying out profession by undertaking practicesMOCK Q404- FRAMED FROM Spectrum- Modern India Q Swadeshi Sangam was formed to ispire the local masses through magic lantern lectures Swadeshi songsWho was/were the members of the Swadeshi Sangam 1 VO Chidambaram Pillai2 Abanindranath Tagore3 Subramania SivaSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 1C 2 amp 3D 123Ans AIn Tirunelveli Tamil Nadu VO Chidambaram Pillai Subramania Siva amp Some lawyers formed the Swadeshi Sangam which inspired the local massesMOCK Q403- FRAMED FROM Spectrum- Modern India Q With reference to the Indian National Movement What was Official Secrets Act A Under this act Natu brothers were deported without trial amp Tilak imprisoned on charges of seditionB Repressive laws under IPC section 124 A were amplified with new provisions under IPC 156 AC It was the administrative measure to curb the freedom of pressD Under this act It ensured greater government control over the universitiesAns COfficial Secrets Act : 1904 It was the administrative measure to curb the freedom of press1897 : Natu brothers were deported without trial amp Tilak imprisoned on charges of sedition1898 : Repressive laws under IPC section 124 A were amplified with new provisions under IPC 156 AIndian Universities Act 1904 : greater government control over the universitiesMOCK Q402- FRAMED FROM The Hindu Q With reference to the Halogen Light Bulbs consider the following statements :1 White coating also known as Phosphor coating on the glass absorbs UV light amp protect from the UV rays2 They have the same tungsten filament as the typical incandescent light bulbs 3 Fluorescent coating is often used in these bulbs to add brightnessSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 2 amp 3B 123C Only 2D 1 amp 2Ans CFluorescent bulbs : White coating also known as Phosphor coating on the glass absorbs UV light amp protect from the UV raysVapour lamps : Fluorescent coating is often used in these bulbs to add brightnessA halogen lamp also known as a tungsten halogen quartz-halogen or quartz iodine lamp is an incandescent lamp consisting of a tungsten filament sealed into a compact transparent envelope that is filled with a mixture of an inert gas and a small amount of a halogensuch as iodine or bromine The combination of the halogen gas and the tungsten filament produces a halogen cycle chemical reaction which redeposits evaporated tungsten to the filament increasing its life and maintaining the clarity of the envelope For this to happen a halogen lamp must be operated at a higher envelope temperature 250° C 482° F1 than a standard vacuum incandescent lamp of similar power and operating life this also produces light with higher luminous efficacy and color temperature The small size of halogen lamps permits their use in compact optical systems for projectors and illumination The small glass envelope may be enclosed in a much larger outer glass bulb for a bigger package the outer jacket will be at a much lower and safer temperature and it also protects the hot bulb from harmful contamination and makes the bulb mechanically more similar to a conventional lamp that it might replaceStandard and halogen incandescent bulbs are much less efficient than LED and compact fluorescent lamps and have been banned in many jurisdictions because of thisMOCK Q401- FRAMED FROM The Hindu Q Consider the following statements :1 Origin of Bitcoin is virtually anonymous amp is not monitored by any Central bank or Government2 Anyone with a bitcoin address can send amp receive bitcoins from anyone else with a bitcoin address Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CBitcoin is a cryptocurrency a form of electronic cash It is a decentralized digital currency without a central bank or single administrator that can be sent from user to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network without the need for are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called a blockchain Bitcoin was invented by an unknown person or group of people using the name Satoshi Nakamoto and released as open-source software in 2009 Bitcoins are created as a reward for a process known as mining They can be exchanged for other currencies products and services Research produced by the University of Cambridge estimates that in 2017 there were 29 to 58 million unique users using a cryptocurrency wallet most of them using bitcoin Bitcoin has been criticized for its use in illegal transactions its high electricity consumption price volatility thefts from exchanges and the possibility that bitcoin is an economic bubble Bitcoin has also been used as an investment although several regulatory agencies have issued investor alerts about bitcoinMOCK Q400- FRAMED FROM M LAXMIKANTH Q Consider the following statements :1In India Only the powers of the Federal Government are enumerated in the constitution amp the residuary powers are left to the states 2 Government of India Act 1935 provided for three fold enumeration ie Federal Provincial amp CurrentSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1 B Only 2C Both are correct D Both are incorrectAns B-In US Only the powers of the Federal Government are enumerated in the constitution amp the residuary powers are left to the states -Power to make laws with respect to the residuary subjects which are not enumerated in any of the three list is vested in the ParliamentMOCK Q399- FRAMED FROM M LAXMIKANTH Q Which among the following statement best describes “Discretionary Grants” A It empowers the Parliament to make grants to the states which are in need of financial assistance B These are the grants in lieu of export duties on Jute amp Jute products to the states of Assam BiharOrissa amp West BengalC Theses are the grants for promoting welfare of the scheduled tribes in a stateD These are the grants that empower both the centre amp states to make any grants for any public purpose even if it is not within their respective legislative competenceAns DStatutory Grants : Article 75 empowers the Parliament to make grants to the states which are in need of financial assistanceOther Grants : These are the grants in lieu of export duties on Jute amp Jute products to the states of Assam Bihar Orissa amp West BengalDiscretionary Grants :These are the grants that empower both the centre amp states to make any grants for any public purpose even if it is not within their respective legislative competenceMOCK Q398- FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q With reference to the news what is Talanoa dialogue A It is a process designed to help countries enhance and implement their Nationally Determined Contributions by 2020B It is a process to help countries by forming the rule book to implement the Paris Climate AgreementC It gives countries a common framework for reporting and reviewing progress towards their climate targetsD It provides a global platform for the conservation of Migratory animals amp their habitatsAns A–The 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference COP23 was an international meeting of political leaders non-state actors and activists to discuss environmental issues It was held at UN Campus in Bonn Germany from 6–17 November 2017Although COP23 focused primarily on technical details of the Paris Agreement COP23 concluded with what was called the ‘Fiji Momentum for Implementation’ which outlined the steps that need to be taken in 2018 to make the Paris Agreement operational and launched the –Talanoa Dialogue – a process designed to help countries enhance and implement their Nationally Determined Contributions by 2020MOCK Q397 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q Consider the following statements :1 Mangroves for the Future MFF has participation of Asian amp African nations only2 IUCN amp United Nation Development Programme UNDP developed MFF in 20063 MFF not only conserves Mangrove forests but includes all types of coastal ecosystems like coral reefsestuaries wetlands etcSelect the correct answer using the correct codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans DMangroves for the Future MFFLocation: Member countries: Bangladesh Cambodia India Indonesia Maldives Myanmar Pakistan Seychelles Sri Lanka Thailand and Viet Nam Outreach countries: Malaysia Dialogue countries: Kenya and TanzaniaDuration: Established in 2006 MFF is currently in its third phase 2015 – 2018 Project Background: The devastation caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 laid bare the vital link between coastal ecosystems and human livelihoods It was United States President Bill Clinton’s vision that rebuilding in tsunami-hit areas should improve natural infrastructure and strengthen resilience against future natural disasters In response to this vision IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature and the United Nations Development Programme UNDP developed Mangroves for the Future in 2006 Since then MFF has grown to include eight institutional partners plus a growing number of countries At the launch of the Tsunami Legacy report at the United Nations in New York in April 2009 Bill Clinton acclaimed MFF as one of the most positive and forward-looking developments of the post-tsunami periodMangroves for the Future MFF is a unique partner-led initiative to promote investment in coastal ecosystem conservation for sustainable development Co-chaired by IUCN and UNDP MFF provides a platform for collaboration among the many different agencies sectors and countries which are addressingchallenges to coastal ecosystem and livelihood issues The goal is to promote an integrated ocean-wide approach to coastal management and to building the resilience of ecosystem-dependent coastal communities Mangroves are the flagship of the initiative but MFF is inclusive of all types of coastal ecosystem such as coral reefs estuaries lagoons sandy beaches seagrass and wetlandsMOCK Q396 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q Which one of the following best describes the term Malacca Dilemma sometimes seen in news A It refers to the demarcation line used initially by the government of republic of China B ONGC Videsh Limited signed a contract with the petro Vietnam to jointly explore petroleum resourcesC It is the Nine Dash line area that covers most of the South China sea amp overlaps exclusive economic zoneD It signifies China’s dependency for the energy needs on West AsiaAns DThe “Malacca Dilemma” is a term coined by their President Hu Jintao2003 on the over-reliance on the Malacca Straitssea-route where 80 of their energy needsoil imports pass en-route from the Middle East Angola etcshipping lanes through the Malacca Straitsbetween Malaysia and Indonesia This area is also prone to piracy sometimesConflict in the region and their effect on China’s geopolitical and energy strategies and other issues that can crop up from time to time together constitute the “Malacca Dilemma”MOCK Q395 – FRAMED FROM GCCA WEBSITE Q Global Climate Change Alliance Initiative for country’s vulnerability to climate change is managed by the :A The European CommissionB The Global Environment FacilityC UNDPD World BankAns AThe Global Climate Change Alliance Plus GCCA is a European Union flagship initiative which is helpingthe world’s most vulnerable countries to address climate change Having started with just four pilot projects in 2008 it has become a major climate initiative that has funded over 70 projects of nationalregional and worldwide scope in Africa Asia the Caribbean and the Pacific This EU initiative helps mainly Small Islands Developing States SIDS and Least Developed Countries LDCs increase their resilience to climate change The GCCA also supports these group of countries in implementing their commitments resulting from the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change COP21 in line with the2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the new European Consensus on DevelopmentThe GCCA initiative is making a significant contribution towards achieving the overall target of at least 20 of the EU budget spent for climate action All GCCA projects must primarily aim at facilitating the transition to a climate-resilient low-carbon future in line with the 2°C targetGCCA funding increased from EUR 3175 million in the first phase 2007-2014 to EUR 420 million in the second phase 2014-2020 Read more on financial resourcesMOCK Q394 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q Which among the following topics are exempted from the courses covered under the LEAP amp ARPIT PROGRAMME for higher education faculty 1 Establishment of the National Anti-profiteering Authority2 Internet of Things3 Tools techniques and experiments in reducing Greenhouse gases emission4 Methodology of Teaching SanskritSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 2 amp 4B Only 1C 1 amp 3D 124Ans CHRD Ministry launches LEAP and ARPIT programmes for higher education facultyThe courses cover a diverse range of topics such as:Indian culture and Heritage Studies Tribal and Regional languages Urdu French StudiesPedagogical Innovations amp Research Methodology Tools techniques and experiments in Earth ScienceLatest Trends in Pedagogy and Assessment Mathematics Statistics Zoology Chemistry Physics Biotechnology Development and Counselling Marine Science Calculus Real Time Power Analysis and Smart GridNeural Networks and Deep Learning amp Knowledge discovery Civil Infrastructure for Smart City DevelopmentICT in Science and Maths teaching Engineering Mechanics Design Spectrum DIY Manufacturing TechnologyInnovation and Best Practices in Educational Skills Advanced Concepts in Fluid Mechanics Energy Systems EngineeringLeadership and Governance in Higher Education Engineering Mechanics Physics of Semiconductors and Devices Electrical EngineeringPublic Policy and Administration Bio-Medical engineering Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Sciences Chemical EngineeringEnglish Language Teaching Internet of ThingsHindi Literature amp Linguistics Astronomy and AstrophysicsMethodology of Teaching Sanskrit Aerospace Engineering Tourism and Hospitality ManagementEffective Creations and Innovative Researches in Medieval Gujarati Literature Political Science Economics Psychology Development Perspectives in AgricultureLibrary amp Information Science Ethics Human Rights and Environment Anthropology Gender/Women’s studies Law Social and Rural DevelopmentDisaster Management Climate change MOCK Q393 – FRAMED FROM NITIN SIGHANIA Q Which among the following is/are correctly matched :Community Place1 Dangasia Gujarat2 Gond Madhya Pradesh3 Mirgan OdishaSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans DDangasia GujaratGond Madhya PradeshMirgan Odisha MOCK Q392 – FRAMED FROM SPECTRUM HISTORY Q BR Ambedkar is associated With Which of the following 1 Bahishkrita Hitkarini Sabha2 Hindu Mahasabha3 Hindu Code billSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 1C 2 amp 3D 123Ans ALala Lajpat Rai involvement with Hindu Mahasabha leaders gathered criticism from the Naujawan Bharat Sabha as the Mahasabhas were non-secular which did not conform with the system laid out by the Indian National CongressHindu MahasabhaMOCK Q391 – FRAMED FROM IUCN WEBSITE Q With reference to the Least Developed Countries Fund consider the following statements:1 This fund has been initiated in 2002 by the The Global Environment Facility GEF2 Adaptation amp Mitigation are one of the area of focus of this fundSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns AThis fund has been initiated in 2002 by the The Global Environment Facility GEFAdaptation is one of the area of focus of this fundMOCK Q390 – FRAMED FROM INDIAN CULTUREGOV Q Consider the following :Sites Place1 Aalampur Temple : Telanagana2 European Tomb : Gujarat3 Khajurao Monuments : Madhya PradeshSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 3C 2 amp 3D 123Ans D Other Important Sites :Maharaja Chhatrasal Museum Complex : Madhya PradeshMahabalipuram : Tamil NaduUparkot : GujaratKumarakom : KeralaMOCK Q389 – FRAMED FROM IUCN WEBSITE Q389 The Climate Chain Coalition CCC to support collaboration among members and stakeholders to advance blockchain and related digital solutions emerged at :A 2017 United Nations Climate Change ConferenceB One Planet SummitC COP-24 Katowice D Paris Climate SummitAn BThe Climate Chain Coalition CCC was born during the One Planet Summit in December in Paris France The Coalition engages a multi-stakeholder group working on distributed ledger technology DLT to collaborate on mobilizing climate financePlz Note : The 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference was an international meeting of political leaders non-state actors and activists to discuss environmental issues It was held at UN Campus in Bonn from 6–17 November 2017 Also known as: COP23 UNFCCC CMP13 Kyoto Protocol CMA2 Paris AgreementMOCK Q388 – FRAMED FROM IUCN WEBSITE Q “Partnership for Market Readiness” is an initiative which is managed by the :A Global Environment FacilityB World BankC United Nation Environment ProgrammeD UNDPAns BPartnership for Market Readiness ADMINISTERED BY: The World BankAREA OF FOCUS Mitigation DATE OPERATIONAL: 2011MOCK Q387 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q387 With reference to the religious practices in India Sarvastivadin belongs to which ancient school A TheravadaB MahayanismC RajagirikarsD HetuvadinsAns ASarvāstivāda were an early school of Buddhism established around the reign of Asoka third century BCEIt was particularly known as an Abhidharma tradition with a unique set of seven Abhidharma worksMOCK Q386 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q386 With reference to the Initial Coin Offerings ICO consider the following statements :1 It is like Initial Public Offer that refers to the issue of cryptocurrency in consideration of funds received from investors2 17 billion has been raised globally through ICOs between 2014 amp 2017Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns A27 billion has been raised globally through ICOs between 2014 amp 2017- An initial coin offering ICO or initial currency offering is a type of funding using cryptocurrenciesMostly the process is done by crowdfunding but private ICO’s are becoming more common In an ICO a quantity of cryptocurrency is sold in the form of tokens coins to speculators or investors in exchange for legal tender or other cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum The tokens sold are promoted as future functional units of currency if or when the ICO’s funding goal is met and the project launches In some cases like Ethereum the tokens are required to use the system for its purposesAn ICO can be a source of capital for startup companiesMOCK Q385 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q385 Nanotechnology can significantly increase manufacturing at far reduced costs What are the advantages of the Nanotechnology 1 Anti scratch components of the automobiles are possible using the Nanotechnology2 Bullet proof amp stain resistant clothing can be made using the Nanotechnology3 Nanotechnology offer cleaner technologies amp cleaner environmentSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 2B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans ANano sized particles can acculumate in various body parts such as nasal cavities lungs amp brainDue to their minute size nano particles are able to accumulate in the environmentMOCK Q384 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q With reference to the “India International Exchange” consider the following statements :1 It was opened very recently at the International Financial Services Centre IFSC in Gujarat2 With this it will be the third largest International Exchange in the world in terms of order responseSelect the correct answer using the using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns D-It was opened IN 2017 at the International Financial Services Centre IFSC in GujaratBUT NOT VERY RECENTLY – With this it will be the fastest International Exchange in the world in terms of order response with the trade speed of four microseconds-This is better than BSE’s domestic exchange in Mumbai which has an order response time of six microseconds- Singapore is the second fastest International exchange has the order response of 60 microsecondsMOCK Q383 – FRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q383 In Context with the “Bio-energy with carbon capture and storage BECCS” consider the following statements :1 It is a greenhouse gas mitigation technology which produces negative carbon dioxide emissions2 BECSS works by involving the process of pyrogenic carbon capture and storage PyCCS or biocharSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns A-Bio-energy with carbon capture and storage BECCS is a potential greenhouse gas mitigation technology which produces negative carbon dioxide emissions by combining bioenergy energy from biomass use with geologic carbon capture and storage1 The concept of BECCS is drawn from the integration of trees and crops which extract carbon dioxide CO2 from the atmosphere as they grow the use of this biomass in processing industries or power plants and the application of carbon capture and storage via CO2injection into geological formations2 There are other non-BECCS forms of carbon dioxide removal and storage that include technologies such as biochar carbon dioxide air captureand biomass burial3 and enhanced weatheringAccording to a recent Biorecro report there is 550 000 tonnes CO2/year in total BECCS capacity currently operating divided between three different facilities as of January 2012In the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC BECCS was indicated as a key technology for reaching low carbon dioxide atmospheric concentration targets8 The negative emissions that can be produced by BECCS has been estimated by the Royal Society to be equivalent to a 50 to 150 ppmdecrease in global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations9 and according to the International Energy Agency the BLUE map climate change mitigation scenario calls for more than 2 gigatonnes of negative CO2 emissions per year with BECCS in 205010 According to Stanford University 10 gigatonnes is achievable by this dateAccording to the OECD Achieving lower concentration targets 450 ppm depends significantly on the use of BECCS13An alternative to BECSS is pyrogenic carbon capture and storage PyCCS or biochar14 Which are superior in order to fix carbon in a more stable way: solid C for longer times Carbon dioxide injected into geologic formations eventually leaks back into the atmosphere due to seismic activity and natural faults and problems with the seal of the ancient injection pitsFRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q382 Consider the following :Tribes Place1 Bhoksa Uttarakhand2 Misting Sikkim3 Gonds Madhya PradeshSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 1 amp 2D 123Ans AMisting tribe is in AssamFRAMED FROM THE HINDU Q381 Which of the following best describes Forward linkages with respect to the economic activity 1 These refer to the transactions with the consumers2 For food processing industry these linkages are associated with the primary processing centresSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2 C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns AForward linkages :-These refer to the transactions with the consumers- These linkages are associated with the retail storesBackward linkages :-These refer to the transactions with the suppliers-For food processing industry these linkages are associated with the primary processing centresFRAMED FROM LUCENT PUBLICATIONS Q380 Consider the following :Hill Ranges Place1 Rajpipla : Gujarat2 Mahadeo : Madhya Pradesh3 Maikala range : Andhra PradeshSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 1 amp 2D 123Ans CMaikala range : Madhya Pradesh amp ChhatisgarhFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q379 Consider the following statements :1 Loktak lake the biggest fresh water lake is home to the endangered Sangai deer2 Keibul Lamjao is an integral part of the Loktak LakeSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1 B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CLok tak lake is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India and is famous for the phumdis heterogeneous mass of vegetation soil and organic matter at various stages of decomposition floating over it The lake is located near Moirang in Manipurstate IndiaThe etymology of Loktak is Lok stream and tak the endThe largest of all the phumdis covers an area of 40 km215 sq mi and is situated on the southeastern shore of the lake Located on this phumdi Keibul Lamjao National Park is the only floating national park in the world The park is the last natural refuge of the endangered Sangai state animal Rucervus eldii eldii or Manipur brown-antlered deer Cervus eldi eldi one of three subspecies of Eld’s deerThe Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park in the Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur in India It is 40 km2 154 sq mi in area the only floating park in the world located in North East India and an integral part of Loktak LakeThe national park is characterized by many floating decomposed plant materials locally called phumdis To preserve the natural refuge of the endangered Manipur Eld’s deer or brow-antlered deer Cervus eldi eldi or sangai also called the dancing deer listed as an endangered species by IUCN the park which was initially declared to be a sanctuary in 1966 was subsequently declared to be a national park in 1977 through a gazette notification The act has generated local support and public awarenessFRAMED FROM SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTUNORG Q378 “Championing Green Growth and Climate Resilience” to promote green growth emerged at :A Global Green Growth InstituteB GreenpeaceC European Environment Agency D World Sustainable Development Summit 2011Ans AThe Global Green Growth Institute GGGI is a treaty-based international organization headquartered in Seoul South Korea The organization aims to promote green growth a growth paradigm that is characterized by a balance of economic growth and environmental sustainability GGGI provides research and stakeholder engagement for green growth plans especially in developing countries aiming to replace the more typical paradigm based on industrial developmentFounded to support green economic growth that simultaneously addresses poverty reduction job creation social inclusion and environmental sustainability GGGI works across four priority areas that are considered to be essential to transforming national economies including energy water land use and green citiesMotto Championing Green Growth and Climate ResilienceFormation 16 June 2010Headquarters Seoul Republic of KoreaMembership 30 Member countriesCouncil chair Ban Ki MoonDirector-General Frank RijsbermanBudget USD 55 million 2018Q377 The term “Climate Neutrality” sometimes mentioned in the news are related to :A World Wild life FundB UNFCCC SecretariatC Biocarbon FundD World wildlife TrustAns BThe UNFCCC secretariat launched its Climate Neutral Now initiative in 2015 The following year the secretariatlaunched a new pillar under its Momentum for Change initiative focused on Climate Neutral Nowas part of larger efforts to showcase successful climate action around the worldThe UNFCCC secretariat UN Climate Change was established in 1992 when countries adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCCWith the subsequent adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Agreement in 2015 Parties to these three agreements have progressively reaffirmed the secretariat’s role as the United Nations entity tasked with supporting the global response to the threat of climate changeSince 1995 the secretariat is located in Bonn GermanyThe secretariat provides technical expertise and assists in the analysis and review of climate change information reported by Parties and in the implementation of the Kyoto mechanisms It also maintains the registry for Nationally Determined Contributions NDC established under the Paris Agreement a key aspect of implementation of the Paris AgreementThe secretariat organizes and supports between two and four negotiating sessions each year The largest and most important is the Conference of the Parties held annually and hosted in different locations around the globe It is the largest annual United Nations conference attended on average by around 25000 participants In addition to these major conferences the secretariat organizes annual sessions of the so-called subsidiary bodies as well as a large number of meetings and workshops throughout the yearIn recent years the secretariat also supports the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action agreed by governments to signal that successful climate action requires strong support from a wide range of actors including regions cities business investors and all parts of civil society At UN Climate Change Conferences a large number of events demonstrate how non-Party stakeholders are working with governments and the UN system to implement the Paris AgreementFRAMED FROM NDC PARTNERSHIPORG Q376 With reference to the Special Climate Change Fund consider the following statements :1 It was established in 1991 under UNFCCC to finance projects which enable the adaptation to climate change2 It is operated by United Nation Environment Programme UNEP amp World Meteorological Organisation WMOSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DIt was established in 2001 under UNFCCC to finance projects which enable the adaptation to climate changeIt is operated by Global Environment Facility GEFEXPLANATION :In 2001 Parties to the UNFCCC established the Special Climate Change Fund SCCF to support climate change activities that are complementary to the GEF’s climate change projects with a special focus on the most vulnerable countries The objective of the Special Climate Change Fund SCCF is to support adaptation and technology transfer projects and programs that: are countryFRAMED FROM IUCNORG Q375 Which among the following country is not the member of the “Mangroves for The Future” A Cambodia B MyanmarC LaosD MaldivesAns CMangroves for the Future MFFLocation: Member countries: Bangladesh Cambodia India Indonesia Maldives Myanmar Pakistan Seychelles Sri Lanka Thailand and Vietnam Outreach countries: Malaysia Dialogue countries: Kenya and TanzaniaDuration: Established in 2006 MFF is currently in its third phase 2015 – 2018 Project Background: The devastation caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 laid bare the vital link between coastal ecosystems and human livelihoods It was United States President Bill Clinton’s vision that rebuilding in tsunami-hit areas should improve natural infrastructure and strengthen resilience against future natural disasters In response to this vision IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature and the United Nations Development Programme UNDP developed Mangrovesfor the Future in 2006 Since then MFF has grown to include eight institutional partners plus a growing number of countries At the launch of the Tsunami Legacy report at the United Nations in New York in April 2009 Bill Clinton acclaimed MFF as one of the most positive and forward-looking developments of the post-tsunami periodMangroves for the Future MFF is a unique partner-led initiative to promote investment in coastal ecosystem conservation for sustainable development Co-chaired by IUCN and UNDP MFF provides a platform for collaboration among the many different agencies sectors and countries which are addressing challenges to coastal ecosystem and livelihood issues The goal is to promote an integrated ocean-wide approach to coastal management and to building the resilience of ecosystem-dependent coastal communities Mangroves are the flagship of the initiative but MFF is inclusive of all types of coastal ecosystem such as coral reefs estuaries lagoons sandy beaches seagrass and wetlandsFRAMED FROM The Hindu Q374 Which among the following is/are classified under the Third Generation Vaccines 1 DTP vaccine2 DNA Vaccine3 Polio VaccineSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 3B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 2D Only 2Ans DDTP vaccine – Second generation VaccineDNA Vaccine- Third generation VaccinePolio Vaccine- First generation VaccineDNA vaccination is a technique for protecting against disease by injection with genetically engineered DNA so cells directly produce an antigen producing a protective immunological response DNA vaccines have potential advantages over conventional vaccines including the ability to induce a wider range of immune response typesSeveral DNA vaccines are available for veterinary use Currently no DNA vaccines have been approved for human use Research is investigating the approach for viral bacterial and parasitic diseases in humans as well as for several cancersApplicationsNo DNA vaccines have been approved for human use in the United States Few experimental trials have evoked a response strong enough to protect against disease and the technique’s usefulness remains to be proven in humans A veterinary DNA vaccine to protect horses from West Nile virus has been approvedFirst-Generation Vaccines Attenuated and inactivated vaccines are identified in the first generation which use a primary method in their production Attenuated pathogens full organisms or inactivated bacterial toxin which are effectively immunogenic are used in making these vaccines2nd Generation Vaccines:-The second generation vaccines were created in order to minimize the risks of having the pathogen revert to a dangerous formThe way these vaccines work is that they do not contain the whole organism but rather subunits Subunits may consist of the toxins that the pathogen create if they are bacterial Another example of subunit vaccines are those that only contain protein sections of the pathogen such as an acellular formA great example of a 2nd generation vaccine is DTaP The vaccine contains diptheria toxoid tetanus toxoid pertussis toxoid as well as the acellular version of pertussisAs with the issues with the 1st generation of vaccines the 2nd generation vaccines can generate antibody response and T-helper response but AGAIN no T-Killer responseFRAMED FROM INDIAN EXPRESS Q373 Which among the following is/are the examples of The Near Field Communication 1 Public transport card readers2 Smart phones3 Touch payment terminalsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans DNear-field communication NFC is a set of communication protocols that enable two electronic devices one of which is usually a portable device such as a smartphone to establish communication by bringing them within 4 cm 16 in of each other1NFC devices are used in contactless payment systems similar to those used in credit cards and electronic ticket smartcards and allow mobile payment to replace or supplement these systems This is sometimes referred to as NFC/CTLS Contactless or CTLS NFC NFC is used for social networking for sharing contacts photos videos or files2 NFC-enabled devices can act as electronic identity documents and keycards3 NFC offers a low-speed connection with simple setup that can be used to bootstrap more capable wireless connectionsFRAMED FROM SHANKAR ENVIRONMENT Q372 With respect to the Global Tiger Forum GTF consider the following statements :1 It is an international symposium to save Tigers in the world with support of South Asian Countries2 Headquarter of the GTF is located in India because India has the largest tiger population in the world Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns BGTF is an intergovernmental body to undertake worldwide campaign amp a common programme to save tigers in the worldInternational Symposium on Tiger held at New Delhi during February 1993 adopted a Delhi declaration on Tiger conservation Headquarter of the GTF is located in India because India has the largest tiger population in the world FRAMED FROM MAJID HUSSAIN’S INDIAN GEOGRAPHY Q371 Consider the following :1 Jai Samand Lake : Largest Artificial lake2 Pulicat lake : Has a largest number of islands within3 Vembanad lake : Largest KayalsWhich among the above is/are correctly matched A Only 2B 1 amp 3C 2 amp 3D 123Ans BExplanation :1Kolleru lake has the largest number of islands within Kolleru lake is formed between deltas of Godavari amp Krishna riversKolleru Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India located in state of Andhra Pradesh and formsthe largest shallow freshwater3 lake in Asia 15 kilometers away from the city of Eluru Kolleru is located between Krishna and Godavari deltas4 Kolleru spans into two districts – Krishna and West Godavari The lake is fed directly by water from the seasonal Budameru and Tammilerustreams and is connected to the Krishna and Godavari irrigation systems by over 67 major and minor irrigation canals This lake is a major tourist attraction Many birds migrate here in winter such as Siberian crane ibisand painted storks The lake was an important habitat for an estimated 20 million resident and migratorybirds including the grey or spot-billed pelican Pelecanus philippensis The lake was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in November 1999 under India’s Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and designated a wetland of international importance in November 2002 under the international Ramsar Convention The wildlife sanctuary covers an area of 308 km2Egrets grey herons painted storks and black-headed ibises gathering in thousands at Kolleru Lake Andhra Pradesh IndiaKolleru Lake under Ramsar Convention allowing local communities Here: Vaddi Community to continue their occupation of culture fish and caught fish covers 90100 hectares 222600 acres and Kolleru Lake underWildlife Sanctuary covers 166000 acres 67200 ha2Pulicat lake : Pulicat Lagoon is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India after Chilika Lake Pulicat Lagoon is considered to be the second largest brackish water body in India measuring 759 km2 The Lagoon is one the three important wetlands to attract North-East Monsoon rain clouds during October to December season to Tamil Nadu The lagoon comprises the following regions which adds up 759 km2 according to Andhra Pradesh Forest Department: 1 Pulicat Lake Tamil Nadu-TN amp Andhra Pradesh-AP 2 Marshy/WetlandLand Region AP 3 Venadu Reserve Forest AP 4 Pernadu Reserve Forest AP The lagoon was cut across in the middle the Sriharikota Link Road which divided the water body into lake and marshy land The lake encompasses the Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary The barrier island of Sriharikota separates the lake from the Bay of Bengal and is home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre1 Major part of the lake comes under Nellore district of Andhra pradesh3 Vembanad lake:Vembanad Vembanad Kayal or Vembanad Kol is the longest lake in India1 and the largest lake in the state of Kerala Spanning several districts in the state of Kerala it is known as Vembanadu Lake in Kottayam Punnamada Lake in Kuttanad and Kochi Lake in Kochi Several groups of small islands including Vypin Mulavukad Vallarpadam Willingdon Island are located in the Kochi Lake portion Kochi Port is built around the Willingdon Island and the Vallarpadam islandThe Nehru Trophy Boat Race is conducted in a portion of the lake High levels of pollution have been noticed at certain hotspots of the Vembanad backwaters Government of India has identified the Vembanad wetland under National Wetlands Conservation Programme4 Jai Samand Lake:Dhebar Lake also known as Jaisamand Lake is India’s second-largest artificial lake after Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar1 It is located in the Udaipur District of Rajasthan State in western India It has an area of 87 km2 34 sq mi when full and was created in the 17th century when Rana Jai Singh of Udaipur built a marble dam across the Gomati River It is about 450 km 280 mi from the district headquarters of Udaipur When first built it was the largest artificial lake in the world The surrounding Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary around Dhebar Lake can be reached by the state highway to Banswara from Udaipur It is about 270 km 168 mi from Parsad A village on National Highway No 8 Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary protects about 1620 square kilometres 16200 ha mostly teakforest on the shores of Dhebar Lake The lake has three islands measuring from 10 to 40 acres 40000 to 162000 m2 each The Dhebar Lake Marble Dam is 3000 m 9843 ft long and is a part of the Heritage Monuments of India The dam also has the Hawa Mahal Palace winter Capital of the erstwhile Maharanas of MewarFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -MAY 2018 Q370 With reference to the CLOUD ACT consider the following statements :1 It has been passed by the US Congress very recently to make artificial rain by spraying clouds with substances like Silver Iodide 2 US has enacted in 2018 by passing the Consolidated Appropriations ActSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns BCloud act – The Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data CLOUD Act passed by the US Congress earlier this year seeks to de-monopolise control over data from US authorities The law will for the first time allow tech companies to share data directly with certain foreign governments This however requires an executive agreement between the US and the foreign country certifying that the state has robust privacy protections and respect for due process and the rule of law Before this Cloud Act an Indian officer investigating would have to raise a request for data to the US government where it is storedHow CLOUD act impacts law enforcement in India :- Timely access to electronic data for police is required to prevent mitigate or prosecute even a routine crime With the enactment of the CLOUD Act an Indian officer for the purposes of an investigation will no longer have to make a request to the US government but can approach the company directlyFRAMED FROM INDIAN EXPRESS -AUGUST 2018 Q369 Which among the following is/are the expected benefits to a country by signing the pact of Duqm port in Oman 1 Port is located near the Persian Gulf through which half of the world’s oil tanker pass2 It has a special economic zone where 25 billion investments are expected to be made by the Indian companiesWhich of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns AIt has a special economic zone where 18 billion investments are expected to be made by the Indian companiesPort is located near the Persian Gulf through which half of the world’s oil tanker passIt is also near the Chabahar port of IranFRAMED FROM INDIAN EXPRESS -AUGUST 2018 Q368 What is/are the consequence/ consequences of a country becoming the member of the ‘European Bank for Reconstruction amp Development’ 1 Membership would provide access to the technical amp financial assistance of the bank related to the development of the private sector2 Co-financing opportunities access to the international markets will be enhanced through the membershipWhich of the statements given above is/are correctA 1 onlyB 2 onlyC Both 1 amp 2D Neither 1 nor 2 Ans BMembership would provide access to the technical assistance amp sectoral knowledge of the bank related to the development of the private sectorCo-financing opportunities access to the international markets will be enhanced through the membershipExplanation:The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development EBRD is an international financial institution founded in 1991 As a multilateral developmental investment bank the EBRD uses investment as a tool to build market economies Initially focused on the countries of the former Eastern Bloc it expanded to support development in more than 30 countries from central Europe to central Asia Similar to other multilateral development banks the EBRD has members from all over the world North America Africa Asia and Australia see below with the biggest shareholder being the United States but only lends regionally in its countries of operations Headquartered in London the EBRD is owned by 69 countries and two EU institutions 69th being Indiarecently in July 2018 Despite its public sector shareholders it invests in private enterprises together with commercial partnersThe EBRD is not to be confused with the European Investment Bank EIB which is owned by EU member states and is used to support EU policy EBRD is also distinct from the Council of Europe Development Bank CEBFRAMED FROM INDIAN EXPRESS -AUGUST 2018 Q367 STARLINK refers to :A It is a research amp development project developed by Google X to provide internet access to rural amp remote areasB It is the solar powered drone launched by facebook to provide internet access to four billion people around the world C Any type of drone that can be controlled by the Microwave signals of high wavelengthD It is the planned constellation of satellites that would provide high speed global internet connectionAns DStarlink is a satellite constellation development project underway by SpaceX1 to develop a low-cost high-performance satellite bus and requisite customer ground transceivers to implement a new space-basedInternet communication system23 By 2017 SpaceX submitted regulatory filings to launch nearly 12000 satellites to orbit by the mid-2020s4SpaceX also plans to sell satellites that use a satellitebus that may be used for military5 scientific or exploratory purposes6 In November 2018 SpaceX received FCC approval to deploy 7518 broadband satellites in addition to the 4425 satellites that were approved in March 2018 Development began in 2015 and prototype test-flight satellites were launched on 22 February 2018Initial operation of the constellation could begin in 2020 with satellite deployment beginning mid 2019The SpaceX satellite development facility in Redmond Washington houses the research and development operations for the satellite Internet projectFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -AUGUST 2018 Q366 Which among the following sites have been identified for the development of Water Aerodromes 1 Wular lake2 Sabarmati river front3 Chilika lakeSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 3C 2 amp 3D 123Ans CChilika lake IN Orissa Gujarat’s Sardar Sarovar Dam Sabarmati river front have been identified for the development of Water AerodromesFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -AUGUST 2018 Q365 Which among the following products have been classified into Minor Forest Products 1 Tamarind 2 Sandalwood3 Bamboo4 Cane5 Fuel amp TimberSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1345B 245C Only 2 amp 5D 134Ans DMajor Forest Produce and Minor Forest Products The Major Forest Products comprise Pulpwood SandalwoodSocial Forestry that incudes Fuel and Timber The Minor Forest Products include the items such as tamarind curry leaf Tendu Patta gallnut Cane Soapnut tree moss and now Bamboo alsoFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -AUGUST 2018 Q364 Consider the following :1 Magnetic Rheological Fluid Damper2 Macro encapsulation device for treatment of Diabetes3 Smartphone based Camera SensorWhich among the above projects have been developed under the Imprint-2 Initiative A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D Only 1Ans BMagnetic Rheological Fluid Damper Smartphone based Camera Sensor- are the projects of IMPRINT INITIATIVEFor details of the projects open the link : FROM THE HINDU -AUGUST 2018 Q363 Which among the following have been accorded Geographical Indication status 1 Blue pottery of Jaipur2 Tirupati ladoos3 Mahabaleshwar Strawberry4 Nagpur OrangeSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 124B 2 amp 4C 234D 1234Ans DFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q362 With reference to the news what is Blockchain Bond A It is the new debt instrument issued by World Bank by using ledger technology B It is a type of bond purchased by buyers interested in earning a revenue stream from the British pound or sterlingC Republic of Seychelles has launched the Bond a novel financing initiative which taps into capital markets to fund ocean-related environmental projectsD It is the bond issued outside India but denominated in Indian Rupees rather than the local currencyAns AThe World Bank is turning to blockchain to help it raise moneyThe international lender is planning to issue what it says is the world’s first global blockchainbond a notable mainstream endorsement of the emerging technologyBlockchain is best known as the technology underpinning bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies It serves as a digital record of financial transactionsThe World Bank has hired Commonwealth Bank of Australia CBAUF to manage the bond which is expected to raise as much as 100 million Australian dollars 73 millionFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q361 Which of the following best describes the term “Mobilise Your City” sometimes seen in news A It is an initiative to support three Indian cities to reduce Green House Gas emissionsB It is a part of Swacch Bharat Mission to make Indian cities clean C It is the Heat Action Plan adopted in Climate Change Conference to keep global average temperature below 20 CD It is an initiative to support Indian cities to reduce atmospheric pollution as a part of health initiativeAns AIndia and France sign an implementation agreement on “MOBILISE YOUR CITY” MYC European Union agrees to Euro 35 million for investments and technical assistance within the Mobilise Your City MYC programme in India MYC aims at supporting three pilot cities viz Nagpur Kochi and Ahmedabad for reduction of Green House Gas GHG emissions related to urban transportFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q360 With reference to the PISA Programme For International Student Assessment consider the following statements :1 PISA test introduced in the year 2000 by UNICEF United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund 2 The test is carried out once in every two yearsWhich of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DPISA test introduced in the year 2000 by OECDThe test is carried out once in every three yearsThe Programme for International Student Assessment PISA is a worldwide study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD in member and non-member nations intended to evaluate educational systems by measuring 15-year-old school pupils’ scholastic performance on mathematics science and reading It was first performed in 2000 and then repeated every three years Its aim is to provide comparable data with a view to enabling countries to improve their education policies and outcomes It measures problem solving and cognition The 2015 version of the test was published on 6 December 2016FRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q359 With reference to O-Smart scheme consider the following statements :1 It is the Earth Ministry’s scheme to address Ocean development activities 2 The scheme covers 16 sub projects with an overall cost of Rs 1700 croresWhich of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns AThe scheme covers 16 sub projects with an overall cost of Rs 1623 croresFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q358 Which among the following is/are modified Operational Guidelines for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana 1 Only Perennial horticulture crops are included on pilot basis under the ambit of PMFBY 2 Farmers will be paid 11 interest by insurance companies Which of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns D-Farmers will be paid 12 interest by insurance companies-State Governments will have to pay 12 interest for delay in release of state share of subsidy-It includes Perennial horticulture crops on pilot basis under the ambit of PMFBY -It provides add on coverage for crop loss -Release of upfront premium subsidy FRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q357 With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan jyoti Bima Yojana consider the following statements :1 It is a life insurance scheme which includes age between 18 to 50 years2 The annual premium of Rs12 will be paid by the Union government 3 The benefit includes Rs 2 lakhs in case of death due to any causeWhich of the statements given above is/are correct A 1 amp 3B Only 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans BPradhan Mantri Jeevan jyoti Bima Yojana is a accident insurance scheme which includes age between 18 to 50 yearsPradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana is a life insurance which includes age between 18 to 70 yearsPradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana : The annual premium of Rs12 will be paid by the Union government Pradhan Mantri Jeevan jyoti Bima Yojana : The annual premium of Rs330 will be paid by the Union government FRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q356 Which among the following are mandatory to mention on the label of the food items as per regulations of Food Safety amp Standards Regulations Act2018 1Trans fats2 Sugar 3 Salt4 Genetically Engineered Goods / ingredients derived from GMO5 Folic acidWhich of the statements given above is/are correct A 145B 1234C 123D 12345Ans BThe Food Safety and Standards Authority of India FSSAI on August 17 2018 constituted a group of experts from health and nutrition sector to look into the issue of food labellingThe expert panel will be headed by B Sesikeran former director of National Institute of Nutrition NIN and comprises Hemalatha and Dr Nikhil Tandon The panel will study in detail the concerns of the industry and make recommendations The announcement regarding the constitution of the Committee was made by FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal while addressing a national consultation on the draft regulation on food labelling organised by the CUTS InternationalAgarwal also made it clear that Food Safety and Standards Authority of India FSSAI will go ahead with the labelling norms even if there is no full consensus on the matter after the panel’s suggestionsIn April 2018 the FSSAI had come out with the draft of ‘Food Safety and Standards Labelling and Display Regulations 2018’ that propose mandatory red-label marking on packaged food products containing high levels of fat sugar and saltHowever for now the government has put on hold these draft regulations following the concerns raised by stakeholdersDraft provisions of Food Safety and Standards Labelling and Display Regulations 2018• The draft regulations suggest for mandatory declaration by packaged food manufacturers about nutritional information such as calories total fat trans fat sugar and salt per serve on the front of the pack• The draft pitches for a colour code proposes that the high fats such as sugar and salt trans-fat and sodium content should be coloured as ‘red’ if the value of energy from total sugar or fat is more than 10 percent of the total energy in the 100 grams or 100 ml of the product • The colour coding will make it easier for consumers to know about the nutritional value of food products and will help them make choices as per their requirements • It also makes mandatory to label food stuffs as ‘Contains GMO/Ingredients derived from GMO’ if the items contain 5 percent or more Genetically Engineered GE ingredients • The nutritional information should also be provided in the form of bar codeFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q355 Consider the following statements with reference to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that sometimes seen in news :1 It is a gyre of marine debris particles in the central North Pacific Ocean2 It is located from 135°E to 155°WWhich of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns AThe Great Pacific garbage patch also described as the Pacific trash vortex is a gyre of marine debris particles in the central North Pacific Ocean It is located roughly from 135°W to 155°W and 35°N to 42°NThe collection of plastic floating trash halfway between Hawaii and California extends over an indeterminate area of widely varying range depending on the degree of plastic concentration used to define itThe patch is characterized by exceptionally high relative pelagic concentrations of plastic chemical sludge and other debris that have been trapped by the currents of the North Pacific Gyre3 Despite the common public image of islands offloating rubbish its low density 4 particles per cubic meter prevents detection by satellite imagery or even by casual boaters or divers in the area It consists primarily of an increase in suspended often microscopic particles in the upper water columnThe patch is not easily seen from the sky because the plastic is dispersed over a large area Researchers from The Ocean Cleanup project claimed that the patch covers 16 million square kilometers The plastic concentration is estimated to be up to 100 kilograms per square kilometer in the center going down to 10 kilograms per square kilometer in the outer parts of the patch An estimated 80000 metric tons of plastic inhabit the patch totaling 18 trillion pieces 92 of the mass in the patch comes from objects larger than 05 centimetersResearch indicates that the patch is rapidly accumulatingA similar patch of floating plastic debris is found in the Atlantic Ocean called the North Atlantic garbage patchFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q354 Consider the following statements with reference to the Heritage Irrigation Structures that sometimes seen in news :1 These structures have been created to ease irrigation by creating partition between the acidic amp alkaline soil2 This scheme has excluded old operational irrigation structures Which of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DAt the 63rd meeting of International Executive Council IEC held at Adelaide Australia on 28 June 2012 President Gao Zhanyi suggested that a process for recognition of the historical irrigation structures on the lines of World Heritage Sites as recognized by UNESCO shall be initiated Accordingly a Task Team comprising of the following members was set up to work out objectives guidelines and procedures to select the historical irrigation structures The Scheme was discussed during the meeting of WG-HIST at 65th IEC meeting The members suggested changes in the scope of the Scheme The present Scheme has been revised and updated to include both the old operational irrigation structures as well as structures that have primarily archival value It is proposed that a historical irrigation and/or drainage structure fulfilling the criterion laid down in this document shall be recognized as “Heritage Irrigation Structure” HIS The nomination forms received by 30 June every year will be processed together and presented to the following Executive Council meeting after due processing Nominations are invited from ICID National Committees for selection of “World Heritage Irrigation Structures” WHIS thatincludes both old operational irrigation structures as well as those having an archival value A Task Team is set up every year to select historical drainage/drainage structures as received from various National Committees NCs to give recognition to the historical irrigation structures on the lines of World Heritage Sites as recognized by UNESCO National Committee can nominate more than one structure using separate nomination form for each Associated Members and non-member countries can nominate their structures through the neighboring active national committees or by submitting directly to the ICID Central OfficeFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q353 Which of the following best describes “MOVE” sometimes seen in news A It is the Global Mobility Summit organized by Niti Ayog to make Indian cities pollution freeB It is an Intergovernmental agreement on the National Redress Scheme for Institutional Child Sexual Abuse C It is the Global Mobility Summit organized by UNFCCC between the Commonwealth and the States on environment issuesD It is an inter governmental agreement for the promotion of political amp economic relations with the ASEANAns ATo showcase innovation and build a platform to shape the future of mobility NITI Aayog is proud to host the first Move Summit 2018 In New Delhi on 7th and 8th September 2018 stakeholders from across the sectors of mobility and transportation will gather to co-create a public interest framework to revolutionize transport Together government industry academia civil society and media will set the base for a transport system which is safe clean shared and connected and affordable accessible and inclusiveThe Move Summit will address these challenges through two major channels:THE CORE SUMMIT AND PARALLEL EVENTS It will help leverage a number of unique features of India’s mobility ecosystem:a Tremendous potential for a fundamental shiftb Low lock-in-effectc Scale and size d Frugal innovation ande Globally-recognized technological prowessThe Move Summit will seek to integrate India’s efforts around sustainable development urbanization clean energy and more through the unique lens of mobilityFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q352 With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana consider the following statements :1 Institutional treatment is the part of this Scheme2 It will cover over 10 crore people for secondary amp tertiary care hospitalization 3 Members of the family should not be more than 5 to be eligible for the scheme Which of the statements given above is/are correct A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans B1st statement : Institution treatment means a hospital nursing facility or other It is a fabricated statement3rd statement : It is also wrong It is not the feature of this schemePrime Minister Narendra Modi launched ambitious Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana PMJAY under Ayushman Bharat umbrella at Ranchi Jharkhand The scheme aims to provide annual health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh to 1074 crore beneficiary families ie over 50 crore beneficiaries across India It is touted as world’s largest healthcare scheme that will serve beneficiary population that equals 27-28 European countries and almost equal to population of Canada Mexico and US put together The scheme will become operational from September 25 2018 ie on birth anniversary of Deendayal Upadhyay FRAMED FROM THE HINDU -JUNE 2018 Q351 Which of the following best describes “RIMPAC” sometimes seen in news A It is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shippingB It is the world’s largest military exercise between United States amp South Korea C It is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfareD It is the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise administered by the United States Navy’s pacific fleetAns DRIMPAC the Rim of the Pacific Exercise is the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise RIMPAC is held bienniallyduring June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu Hawaii It is hosted and administered by the United States Navy’s Pacific Fleet headquartered at Pearl Harbor in conjunction with the Marine Corps the Coast Guard and Hawaii National Guard forces under the control of the Governor of Hawaii The US invites military forces from the Pacific Rim and beyond to participate With RIMPAC the United States Pacific Command seeks to enhance interoperability among Pacific Rim armed forces ostensibly as a means of promoting stability in the region to the benefit of all participating nations Described by the US Navy as a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceansRIMPAC 2018On 23 May 2018 the Pentagon announced that it had disinvited China because of recent militarization of islands in the South China Sea after China had announced in January that it had been invitedThe PRC has previously attended RIMPAC 2014 amp 2016On 30 May 2018 the US Navy announced that the following navies would take part in the exercise FRAMED FROM THE HINDU -JUNE 2018 Q350 With reference to the “Polargap Project” consider the following statements :1 It is an international mission to capture data about the Earth’s electrical amp magnetic field2 This project is largely funded by the World bankWhich of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DPolarGAP is an ambitious international mission to capture new and critical data about the Earth’s global gravity field Innovative radar systems and Lidar technologies will also be deployed from Twin Otter aircraft to fill the ‘data gap’ in measurements of surface elevation over the South Pole region south of 835°Two earth observing satellite missions GOCE and CryoSat 2 mounted by the European Space Agency ESA revolutionised scientists’ ability to ‘map’ the Earth’s global gravity field and monitor how Earth’s ice fields are responding to global change However because GOCE’s orbit did not cross the Poles there is a data gap at the South PoleThe PolarGAP project will collect new gravity data and combine them with datasets from other Antarctic missions to build the first accurately constrained global gravity model This is essential as global gravity data provide unique informationon mass distribution and transport in the Earth System linked to processes and changes in the Solid Earth hydrology cryosphere oceans and atmosphere Key applications of gravity data include geodetic studies levelling and mapping navigation GPS/GLONASS and satellite orbit planningFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -JULY 2018 Q349 Recently environment minister inaugurates advanced system of air quality “SAFAR” With reference to this project consider the following statements :1 It will monitor all the weather parameters like temperature wind speed amp wind direction 2 The system will also monitor existence of Benzene Methane amp TolueneWhich of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns AScienceamp Technology Earth Sciences Environment Forest amp Climate Change Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan unveiled a state-of-the-art Air Quality and Weather Forecast System– SAFAR System of Air Quality and Weather Forecastingat ChandniChowkin Delhi today The giant true colour LED display gives out real-time air quality index on 24×7 basis with colour coding alongwith 72-hour advance forecastThe system first of its kind in the country was developed indigenously in record time by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology Pune and operationalized by India Meteorological Department IMDThe minister said based on the Air Quality Index on a particular day Health advisory and related precaution will be notified to prepare citizens well in advance Dr Harsh Vardhan further added that in addition to monitoring and forecasting of regular air quality and weather parameters the ChandniChowk air quality station will also measure sun’s UV-Index and will provide measurement of online automatic ultrafine particles PM1 and Mercury both of which have direct relevance to human health Based on UVI skin advisories will be issued on display“Our mission model project SAFAR is implemented in four cities of India – Delhi Pune Mumbai and Ahmedabad as an operational service Accordingto a preliminary economic assessment of the benefits of the system if 5 of people suffering from air-pollution related diseases take advantage of the advisories and precautionsin Delhi alone it would result in a saving of nearly Rs 2500 crores in terms of health-related cost benefit” said Dr Harsh Vardhan addressing a large gathering at Town Hall in ChandniChowkThe system will be an integral part of India’s first Air Quality Early Warning System operational in Delhi and will strengthen the existing air quality network of SAFAR Central Pollution Control Board and Delhi Pollution Control CommitteeSAFAR will accelerate public awareness and preparedness of air pollution and weather extremes It will also lead to better understanding of linkages among emissions weather pollution and climate It will monitor all weather parameters like temperature rainfall humidity wind speed and wind directionIn addition to regular air quality parameters like PM25 PM10 Sulfur Dioxide Ozone Nitrogen Oxides Carbon Monoxide the system will also monitor the existence of Benzene Toluene and XyleneBesides health SAFAR system would benefit cost savings to several other sectors like agriculture aviation infrastructure disaster management skill tourism and many others which directly or indirectly get affected by air quality and weather FRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q348 Which of the following best describes “Global Green Bond Partnership” sometimes seen in news A This partnership will spread catchment area over 689 sq km to provide water for irrigation to cities states regionsB These bonds are issued by world bank in partnership with the government bodies private organisations or individual scientists to increase forest cover C This partnership will support efforts of cities states regions corporations private companies to accelerate issuance of green bondsD These bonds are issued by world bank in partnership with the government bodies private organisations or individual scientists to provide precious water for paddy cropsAns CThe Global Green Bond Partnership GGBP launched at the Global Climate Action Summit GCAS This new partnership will support efforts of sub-national entities such as cities states and regions corporations and private companies and financial institutions to accelerate the issuance of green bondsThe founding members of the Global Green Bond Partnership GGBP include the World Bank IFC – a member of the World Bank Group Amundi European Investment Bank Climate Bonds Initiative Ceres ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate amp Energy GCoM and the Low Emissions Development Strategies Global Partnership LEDS GPFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q347 With reference to the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme consider the following statements :1 It is proposed to cover all the oil seeds for which minimum support price is notified2 It does not involve any physical procurement of the crops3 All the payments will be done directly into registered bank account of the farmer Which of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 2B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans DThe Niti Aayog has released a three-year agenda for the Centre Of the several things it has touched upon one is agriculture with a focus on doubling farmers’ income The think-tank has recommended reforms in the APMC Act and tenancy laws and tweaks to the eNAM electronic National Agriculture Market It has also suggested ‘Price Deficiency Payment’ system to address the gaps in Minimum Support Price MSP based procurement of cropsWhat is itUnder Price Deficiency Payment farmers are proposed to be compensated for the difference between the government-announced MSPs for select crops and their actual market prices For crops such as rice and wheat where it is effective now MSP announcements will continue For other targeted crops price deficiency payments will be made However it has to be noted that there may be a cap on the extent to which the Centre will bridge the gap between MSP and market priceNiti Aayog has said that the farmer may be entitled to the difference up to say 10 per cent To avail this benefit eachfarmer would have to register with the nearest APMC mandi and report the total area sown The subsidy may be paid via Direct Benefit Transfer DBT into the farmer’s Aadhaar-linked bank accountWhy is it importantThe key benefit from the price deficiency payment is that it will reduce the need for the government to actually procure food crops transport and store them and then dispose of them under PDS The difference between the support and market prices can instead simply be paid in cash to the farmer Price deficiency payment can also keep India’s bill on food subsidies under check believes Niti Aayog India’s food subsidy schemes have frequently come under the WTO scanner Even in the meeting held in March this year there were questions raised on the minimum support price programmes for wheat sugarcane and pulses by the US EU and AustraliaThese countries see India’s procurement subsidies as trade-distorting In recent years the government has been seeing the accumulation of large food grain stocks in its godowns over and above the buffer requirement This entails storage and wastage costs that add on to the subsidy billFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q346 Recently Government has hiked customs duties of several items to curb imports of non-essential goods Which among the following items are exempted under the custom duty 1 E-cigarettes2 Aviation turbine fuel3 Decorative sheets4 Beeds amp BanglesWhich of the options given above is/are correct A 234B Only 1C 1 amp 3D Only 4Ans BCustom DutySno Item 1 Air Conditioner 2 Refrigerators3 Washing Machines Less than 10kg 4 Compressor for ACs Refrigerators 5 Speakers 6 Footwear 7 Radial car tyres 8 Non-industrial diamonds 9 Diamonds semi-processed 10 Lab grown diamonds 11 Cut polished coloured gem stones 12 Jewellery- precious metal or metal clad with precious metal 13 Goldsmith or Silversmith wares – precious metal or metal clad with precious metal 14 Shower bath bath sink wash basin of plastic 15 Plastic items- boxes case containers bottles insulated ware 16 Kitchenware tableware household items of plastic 17 Other plastic items- office stationary fitting for furniture decorative sheets statuettes beads and bangles18 Trunks suitcases brief cases travel bags and other bags 19 Aviation turbine fuel FRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q345 With reference to the Price Support scheme consider the following statements :1 Physical procurement of the oilseeds pulses amp Copra will be done by NAFED amp Food Corporation of India2 Procurement expenditure amp losses due to procurement will be borne by the State governmentWhich of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAnsAProcurement expenditure amp losses due to procurement will be borne by the Union government as per normsPhysical procurement of the oilseeds pulses amp Copra will be done by Central Nodal agencies with the proactive role of the State governments FRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q344 India has recently signed COMCASA Agreement What is/are the consequence/consequences for India by signing the agreement 1 It allows the India to transfer electronic systems amp ensure secrecy of its C4ISR systems2 By signing the agreement India would have to buy American Military equipmentWhich of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns D-It allows the US to transfer high tech electronic systems amp ensure secrecy of its C4ISR Command Control Communications Computers Intelligence Surveillance amp Reconnaissance systems-By signing the agreement It is not mean that India would have to necessarily buy American Military equipmentExplanation :It is one of the three foundational defence pacts that needs to be signed by a country in order to obtain high-tech military hardware from the US Before COMCASA India had signed only one of these agreements – Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement LEMOA – in 2016 The two countries are yet to begin talks on the third agreement – Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-spatial Cooperation BECA2 The agreement will give Indian military access to function on high-end secured and encrypted communication equipment which are installed on American platforms obtained by Indian Armed Forces These platforms include C-130 J C-17 P-8I aircraft and Apache and Chinook helicopters3 The act is usually known as the Communication and Information on Security Memorandum of Agreement CISMOA But it was changed to COMCASA to signify its India-specific alterations4 It will also provide a legal framework for the transfer of encrypted communication security equipment from the US to India It is believed to be safer and more secure than the system that India uses right now “Signing of Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement COMCASA will enable India to access advanced technologies from USA” Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while addressing the media5 The agreement was pending for almost ten years One of the major reasons for this was the fear that India may compromise its operational independence Critics had also pointed out that the agreement could jeopardise India’s established military ties with Russia and access to their weapons systemsThe agreement is also of political significance with the general elections scheduled to take place next year In 2016 the BJP government had to face a lot of criticism from the opposition parties for signing LEMOAThese agreements and Donald Trump administration’s decision to give India STA-1 status Strategic Trade Authorization-1 shows the country’s importance in the US strategic calculus“We’ll be meeting PM Modi on how to advance relationship in the new era of growth under his leadership and President Trump We had many productive and forward thinking conversations on our bilateral relationship and our shared future” Pompeo said after ‘22’ talksFRAMED FROM THE HINDU -SEPTEMBER 2018 Q343 Currently India is a member of which among the following organizations / groups 1 Missile Technology Control Regime2 Australia Group3 Wassenaar Arrangement4 Nuclear Suppler GroupWhich of the statements given above is/are correct A Only 2 amp 3B 234C Only 1 amp 2D 123Ans DSome countries are opposing the Indian entry into NSG because India has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty NPTQ342 With respect to the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana which among the following is NOT correctA It is a social welfare scheme to provide LPG connections in BPL householdsB The scheme was launched in the year 2015C The Government has set a target of 5 crores LPG connections under the YojanaD The objective of the scheme is to safeguard the health of women and children by providing them with clean cooking fuelAns B- The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana PMUY is a welfare program of the government of India launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016The stated objective of the program is providing 50000000 LPG connections to women from families below the poverty lineFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIAQ341 Which among the following is/are correctly matched 1 COP 11 : Minimata convention on mercury2 COP 3 : Kyoto protocol on climate change3 COP 1 : Montreal ProtocolSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 3C 2 amp 3D Only 2Ans BCOP-4 conference in Buenos COP 3 : Kyoto protocol on climate changegtCOP 11 : Montreal It took place between 28 November and 9 December 2005 in Montreal Quebec Canada It was the first Meeting of the Parties CMP 1 to the Kyoto Protocol since their initial meeting in Kyoto in 1997 It was one of the largest intergovernmental conferences on climate change ever gtCOP1 : Minimata convention on mercuryFRAMED FROM MAP SECTION Q340 Consider the following :1 Rajpipla range : Rajasthan2 Suket hills : Himachal Pradesh3 Kali river : DelhiSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 123D 2 amp 3Ans BRajpipla range : GujaratKali river : Source : Doon valley in UttarakhandFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q339 Which of the following is/are true with respect to the petroleum Panchayat yojna 1 It has replaced Pradhan Mantri Ujwal Yojana to deal with issue of safe use of LPG2 It was launched in 20153 Availability of refill cylinders is one of the key feature of this schemeSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D Only 3Ans DIt was launched in 23rd September 2017It is backup scheme to existing Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana LPG Panchayat will serve as an interactive platform between those who received LPG cylinders under PMUY One panchayat will have around 100 LPG customers of nearby areas The panchayats discuss issues such as safe practices quality of service provided by distributors and availability of refill cylindersFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q338 Which among the following species is/are the examples of the Waterfowl 1 Wood Sandpiper2 Little cormorant3 Painted StorkSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 2 amp 3B Only 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans D The most common waterfowl are :Gadwall shoveler common teal cotton teal tufted duck knob-billed duck little cormorant great cormorant Indian shag ruff painted stork white spoonbill Asian open-billed stork oriental ibis darter common sandpiper wood sandpiper and green sandpiper The sarus crane with its spectacular courtship dance is also found hereFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q337 Which among the following statements is/are true with respect to the Special Drawing Rights 1 These are the foreign-exchange reserve assets defined and maintained by the World Bank 2 Private parties are restricted to hold or use them3 South African Rand amp British pound have been added to the XDR basket effectively from October 1 2016Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 3C 2 amp 3D Only 2Ans DSpecial drawing rights ISO 4217 currency code XDR1 also abbreviated SDR are supplementary foreign-exchange reserve assets defined and maintained by the International Monetary Fund IMF The XDR is the unit of account for the IMF and is not a currency per se2 XDRs instead represent a claim to currency held by IMF member countries for which they may be exchanged3 The XDR was created in 1969 to supplement a shortfall of preferred foreign-exchange reserve assets namely gold and the US dollar3XDRs are allocated to countries by the IMF3 Private parties do not hold or use them4 The amount of XDRs in existence was around XDR 214 billion in August 2009 During the global financial crisis of 2009 an additional XDR 1826 billion were allocated to provide liquidity to the global economic system and supplement member countries’ official reserves By October 2014 the amount of XDRs in existence was XDR 204 billion5The value of the XDR is based on a basket of key international currencies reviewed by IMF every five years3 The weights assigned to each currency in the XDR basket are adjusted to take into account their current prominence in terms of international trade and national foreign exchange reserves3 In the review conducted in November 2015 the IMF decided that the Renminbi Chinese yuan would be added to the basket effective October 1 20166 From that date the XDR basket now consists of the following five currencies: US dollar 4173 Euro 3093 Renminbi Chinese yuan 1092 Japanese yen 833 British pound 809FRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q336 Which among the following is/are true with respect to the Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana 1 it is an annual scholarships to children of Standard VI to IX having good academic records only2 Philately as a hobby is an important component of this scheme3 Children must be between 10 to 18 years of age to be eligible for this schemeSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 2 amp 3B Only 3C 1 amp 2D Only 2Ans DDeen Dayal Sparsh YojanaMinister of Communications Shri Manoj Sinha launched a Pan India scholarship program for school children called Deen Dayal SPARSH Yojana to increase the reach of Philately Under the scheme of SPARSH Scholarship for Promotion of Aptitude amp Research in Stamps as a Hobby it is proposed to award annual scholarships to children of Standard VI to IX having good academic record and also pursuing Philately as a hobby through a competitive selection process in all postal circles Briefing the media after the launch of the scheme Shri Sinha said that under the scheme it is proposed to award 920 scholarships to students pursuing Philately as a hobby Every Postal Circle will select a maximum of 40 scholarships representing 10 students each from Standard VI VII VIII amp IX The amount of Scholarship will be Rs 6000/- per annum Rs 500/- per monthPhilately is the hobby of collection and study of Postage stampsFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q335 Which among the following is/are the cryptocurrencies 1 Litecoin2 Bitcoin3 NamecoinSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 1 amp 2D 123Ans Dcryptocurrencies such as Litecoin Namecoin and PPCoinThe first cryptocurrency to capture the public imagination was Bitcoin which was launched in 2009 by an individual or group known under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto As of September 2015 there were over 146 million bitcoins in circulation with a total market value of 34 billion Bitcoin’s success has spawned a number of competing cryptocurrencies such as Litecoin Namecoin and PPCoinCryptocurrencies make it easier to transfer funds between two parties in a transaction these transfers are facilitated through the use of public and private keys for security purposesThese fund transfers are done with minimal processing fees allowing users to avoid the steep fees charged by most banks and financial institutions for wire transfersFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q334 With reference to the news what are Bug Zappers A It is is a bio-remediation technique to get rid of oil spillB These are the fluorescent traps to eliminate bugs amp small insectsC These are the tools or methods to reduce the greenhouse gases D These are the Ultraviolet traps to eliminate various small flying insectsAns DUltraviolet traps called bug zappers are used to eliminate various small flying insects They are attracted to the UV and are killed using an electric shock or trapped once they come into contact with the device FRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q333 Which among the following are the migratory wetland species 1 White-bellied Heron2 Siberian Crane3 Red-headed Vulture4 Spoon-billed SandpiperSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 4B 2 amp 3C 1 amp 2D 2 amp 4Ans DMigratory wetland species: Baer’s Pochard Siberian Crane and Spoon-billed Sandpiper Non-migratory wetland species: White-bellied Heron Grassland species:Bengal Florican Great Indian Bustard Jerdon’s Courser and Sociable Lapwing Forest species:Forest Owlet Scavengers: Indian Vulture Red-headed Vulture White-backed Vulture and Slender-billed Vulture Himalayan Quail and Pink-headed Duck are now considered Extinct for all practical purposesFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q332 With reference to the CITES what are Appendix II species A species that are listed after one member country has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling trade in a speciesB species that are threatened with extinction and are or may be affected by tradeC species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction but may become so unless trade in specimens of such speciesD Species that are preserved under the biosphere reserves to prevent their extinctionAns CAppendix I : species that are threatened with extinction and are or may be affected by tradeAppendix II : species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction but may become so unless trade in specimens of such speciesAppendix III : species that are listed after one member country has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling trade in a speciesFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q331 What does Hedge Fund means A Funds provided for replacement and renovation of industriesB Open ended funds that pools capital from accredited individuals or institutional investorsC Start-up capital provided to new entrepreneursD Fund created by the Government of India for enhancing infrastructure financing in the countryAns BHedge Funds :A hedge fund is an investment fund that pools capital from accredited individuals or institutional investors and invests in a variety of assets often with complex portfolio-construction and risk-management techniquesIt is administered by a professional investment management firm and often structured as a limited partnership limited liability company or similar vehicleHedge funds are generally distinct from mutual funds as their use of leverage is not capped by regulators and distinct from private equity funds as the majority of hedge funds invest in relatively liquid assetsHedge funds are made available only to certain sophisticated or accredited investors and cannot be offered or sold to the general publicHedge funds are almost always open-ended and allow additions or withdrawals by their investors generally on a monthly or quarterly basis1 The value of an investor’s holding is directly related to the fund net asset valueFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q330 Which among the following is/are true with respect to the Vernacular Press Act 1 The Act provided for submitting to police all the proof sheets of contents of papers before publication2 Final decision on the seditious news was to be determined by the Judiciary Select the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns AVernacular press act:It was enacted to curtail the freedom of the Indian press and prevent the expression of criticism toward British policies—notably the opposition that had grown with the outset of the Second Anglo-Afghan War 1878–80The act was proposed by Lord Lytton then Viceroy of India and was unanimously passed by the Viceroy’s Council on March 14 1878 The act excluded English-language publications as it was meant to control seditious writing in ‘publications in Oriental languages’ everywhere in the country except for the SouthLord Wellesley regulated the press again in 1799 according to which press had to show and get approval of the government before the publication of any manuscript including advertisement During the Indian Rebellion of 1857 the Gagging Act” had been passed by Lord Canning which sought to regulate the establishment of printing presses and to restrain the mad of printed mater All presses had to have a license from the government with distinction between publications in English and other regional languages The Act also held that no printed material shall impugn the motives of the British Raj tending to bring it hatred and contempt and exciting unlawful resistance to its ordersAt the time the Vernacular Press Act was passed there were thirty five vernacular papers in Bengal including the Amrita Bazar Patrika the editor of which was one Sisir Kumar GhoseThe Vernacular Press Act stated that any magistrate or Commissioner of Police had the authority to call upon any printer or publisher of a newspaper to enter into a bond undertaking not to print a certain kind of material and could confiscate any printed material it deemed objectionable The Act provided for submitting to police all the proof sheets of contents of papers before publication What was seditious news was to be determined by the police and not by the judiciaryFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q329 Who among the following is/are associated with the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha 1 G SubramaniaIyer2 Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi3 P AnandacharluSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 1 amp 2Ans BPoona Sarvajanik Sabha:It was a sociopolitical organisation in British India which started with the aim of working as a mediating body between the government and people of India and to popularise the peasants’ legal rights1 2 It started as an elected body of 95 members elected by 6000 persons on April 2 1870The Pune Sarvajanik Sabha provided many of the prominent leaders of national stature to the Indian freedom struggle including Bal Gangadhar Tilak It was formed in 1870 by S H Chiplunkar Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi Mahadev Govind Ranade et alMany eminent personalities such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak Gopal Hari Deshmukh Maharshi Annasaheb Patwardhan5 etc served as the Presidents of the organizationMadras Mahajan Sabha:The first organisation in the Madras Presidency to agitate for the rights of Indians was the Madras Native Association which was established by publicist GazuluLakshminarasu Chetty in 1849 This organisation did not survive for long and was eventually disbandedIn May 1884 M Veeraraghavachariar G SubramaniaIyer and P Anandacharlu established the Madras Mahajana SabhaFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q328 Consider the following statements :1 Deposition of iron-rich dust into ocean waters enhances carbon sequestration2 Biochar is added to a landfill or used as a soil improver to create terra preta3 Harvesting of Seeweed is done to generate electricity or as a replacement for natural gasSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans DCarbon SequestrationCarbon sequestration is the process involved in carbon capture and the long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide1 Carbon sequestration involves long-term storage of carbon dioxide or other forms of carbon to mitigate or defer global warming It has been proposed as a way to slow the atmospheric and marine accumulation of greenhouse gases which are released by burning fossil fuels artificial capture and sequestration of industrially produced CO2 using subsurface saline aquifers reservoirs ocean water aging oil fields or other carbon sinksCarbon dioxide may be captured as a pure by-product in processes related to petroleum refining or from flue gases from power generation5 CO2 sequestration includes the storage part of carbon capture and storage which refers to large-scale artificial capture and sequestration of industrially produced CO2 using subsurface saline aquifers reservoirs ocean water aging oil fields or other carbon sinksBiosequestration or carbon sequestration through biological processes affects the global carbon cycle Examples include major climatic fluctuations such as the Azolla event which created the current Arctic climate Such processes created fossil fuels as well as clathrate and limestone By manipulating such processes geoengineers seek to enhance sequestrationPeat bogs are a very important carbon store Wetland soil is an important carbon sink 145 of the world’s soil carbon is found in wetlands while only 6 of the world’s land is composed of wetlandsOcean iron fertilization is an example of such a geoengineering technique23 Iron fertilization24 attempts to encourage phytoplankton growth which removes carbon from the atmosphere for at least a period of timeNatural iron fertilisation events eg deposition of iron-rich dust into ocean waters can enhance carbon sequestration The iron rich feces causes phytoplankton to grow and take up more carbon from the atmosphereWhen the phytoplankton dies some of it sinks to the deep ocean and takes the atmospheric carbon with it By reducing the abundance of sperm whales in the Southern Ocean whaling has resulted in an extra 200000 tonnes of carbon remaining in the atmosphere each year’Seaweed grows very fast and can theoretically be harvested and processed to generate biomethane via Anaerobic Digestion to generate electricity via Cogeneration/CHP or as a replacement for natural gas Ideal species for such farming and conversion include Laminaria digitata Fucus serratus and Saccharina latissimaBio-energy with carbon capture and storage BECCS‘BECCS refers to biomass in power stations and boilers that use carbon capture and storageBiochar is charcoal created by pyrolysis of biomass waste The resulting material is added to a landfill or used as a soil improver to create terra pretaFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q327 Which among the following is/are true with respect to the CITES 1 CITES is the conservation agreement with the largest membership with 183 Parties2 It is legally binding on the PartiesSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CCITES the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is an international agreement between governments Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survivalIt was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCNIt provides a framework to be respected by each Party which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national levelFor many years CITES has been among the conservation agreements with the largest membership with now 183 PartiesCITES is legally binding on the PartiesFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q326 Which among the following is/are true with respect to the Bronze icon of Nataraja 1 The classical form of the depiction appears in stone reliefs by around the 6th-century2 Torso movements are visible as the most common form of Shiva’s dance 3 It typically shows Shiva dancing holding Agni fire in his left back hand the front hand in gajahasta or dandahasta mudraSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 3B 2 amp 3C Only 1D 1 amp 3Ans DBronze icon of NatarajaAffiliation Shiva SymbolsAgni TextsAnshumadbhed agamaUttarakamika agamaThe classical form of the depiction appears in stone reliefs as at the Ellora Caves and the Badami Caves by around the 6th-century45 Around the 10th century it emerged in Tamil Nadu in its mature and best-known expression in Chola bronzes of various heights typically less than four feet6 some over7 The Nataraja reliefs have been identified in historic artwork from many parts of South Asia in southeast Asia such as in Bali Cambodia and in central AsiaIt typically shows Shiva dancing in one of the Natya Shastra poses holding Agni fire in his left back hand the front hand in gajahasta or dandahasta mudra the front right hand with a wrapped snake that is in abhaya fear not mudra while pointing to a Sutratext and the back hand holding a musical instrument usually a damaru6 His body fingers ankles neck face head ear lobes and dress are shown decorated with symbolic items which vary with historic period and region111 He is surrounded by a ring of flames standing on a lotus pedestal lifting his left leg or in rare cases the right leg and balancing over a demon shown as a dwarf Apasmara2 or Muyalaka who symbolizes ignoranceThe dance of Shiva in Tillai the traditional name for Chidambaram forms the motif for all the depictions of Shiva as Nataraja He is also known as Sabesan which splits as Sabayil aadum eesan in Tamil which means The Lord who dances on the dais The two most common forms of Shiva’s dance are the Lasya the gentle form of dance associated with the creation of the world and the Tandava the violent and dangerous dance associated with the destruction of weary worldviews – weary perspectives and lifestyles• The arch of fire emerges from two makara on each end which are water creatures of water and part of Hindu mythologies • • The upper right hand holds a small drum shaped like an hourglass that is called a ḍamaru in Sanskrit2728 A specific hand gesture mudra called ḍamaru-hasta Sanskrit for ḍamaru-hand is used to hold the drum• • His legs are bent which suggests an energetic dance• The second left hand points towards the raised foot which suggests the viewer to be active and dance despite the circumstances or alternatively as a sign of upliftment and liberation• • The face shows two eyes plus a slightly open third on the forehead which symbolize the triune in Shaivism The Asanapat inscription also mentions a Shiva temple in the Saivacaryas kingdomStone reliefs depicting the classical form of Nataraja are found in numerous cave temples of India such as the Ellora Caves Maharashtra the Elephanta Caves and the Badami Caves Karnataka by around the 6th-centuryNataraja is celebrated in 108 poses of Bharatanatyam with Sanskrit inscriptions from Natya Shastra at the Nataraja temple in Chidambaram Tamil Nadu IndiaFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q325 Which among the following is/are true with respect to the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana 1 It is a Pension Scheme for the senior citizens aged 70 years and above2 The scheme is exempted from Service Tax/ GST3 On Premature exit 100 of the Purchase Price shall be refundedSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D Only 3Ans BPradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana PMVVY is a Pension Scheme announced by the Government of India exclusively for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above which is available from 4th May 2017 to 3rd May 2018Following are the major benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana PMVVY:• Scheme provides an assured return of 8 pa payable monthly equivalent to 830 pa effective for 10 years• Pension is payable at the end of each period during the policy term of 10 years as per the frequency of monthly/ quarterly/ half-yearly/ yearly as chosen by the pensioner at the time of purchase• The scheme is exempted from Service Tax/ GST• On survival of the pensioner to the end of the policy term of 10 years Purchase price along with final pension installment shall be payable• Loan upto 75 of Purchase Price shall be allowed after 3 policy years to meet the liquidity needs Loan interest shall be recovered from the pension installments and loan to be recovered from claim proceeds• The scheme also allows for premature exit for the treatment of any critical/ terminal illness of self or spouse On such premature exit 98 of the Purchase Price shall be refunded• On death of the pensioner during the policy term of 10 years the Purchase Price shall be paid to the beneficiary• The ceiling of maximum pension is for a family as a whole the family will comprise of pensioner his/her spouse and dependants• The shortfall owing to the difference between the interest guaranteed and the actual interest earned and the expenses relating to administration shall be subsidized by the Government of India and reimbursed to the CorporationEligibility Conditions and Other Restrictions1 Minimum Entry Age: 60 years completed2 Maximum Entry Age: No limit3 Policy Term : 10 years4 Minimum Pension: Rs 1000/- per monthRs 3000/- per quarterRs6000/- per half-yearRs12000/- per year5 Maximum Pension: Rs 5000/- per monthRs 15000/- per quarterRs 30000/- per half-yearRs 60000/- per yearThe modes of pension payment are monthly quarterly half-yearly amp yearly The pension payment shall be through NEFT or Aadhaar Enabled Payment SystemThe first instalment of pension shall be paid after 1 year 6 months 3 months or 1 month from the date of purchase of the same depending on the mode of pension payment ie yearly half-yearly quarterly or monthly respectivelyFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA : FROM OUR MOCK SERIES 2018 PRELIMSQ324 With reference to the incarnation of the Buddhas what does Ruru Jataka signifies A It is the tale of the three friends who lived in a forest: an antelope a woodpecker and a tortoiseB It is the story of The dumb Prince that is also known as Muga Pakaya JatakaC In this jataka tale the Buddha in a previous incarnation as a monkey king self-sacrifyinly offers his own body as a bridge by which his fellow monkeys can escape from a human king who is attacking themD is the story of how a past incarnation of the Buddha incarnated as a golden deer rescues a merchant from drowning in the riverAns DMahakapi Jataka : In this jataka tale the Buddha in a previous incarnation as a monkey king self-sacrifyinly offers his own body as a bridge by which his fellow monkeys can escape from a human king who is attacking them Ruru Jataka :The Ruru Jataka is the story of how a past incarnation of the Buddha incarnated as a golden deer rescues a merchant from drowning in the river bottom of medallionKurunga Miga Jataka :This story is about three friends who lived in a forest: an antelope a woodpecker and a tortoise Muga Pakaya Jataka/ Mugapakkha Jataka/ Temiya Jataka : This is the story of The dumb PrinceFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA : FROM OUR MOCK SERIES 2018 PRELIMSQ323 Which among the following is/are true with respect to the GSF certification Gold standard foundation certificate 1 It is a standard for creating high-quality emission reductions projects in the Clean Development Mechanism CDM2 It was developed in 2003 by World Wide Fund for Nature WWF and Helio International onlySelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns D GSF Gold standard foundation certificate certificationThe Gold Standard is a standard for creating high-quality emission reductions projects in the Clean Development Mechanism CDM Joint Implementation JI and Voluntary Carbon Market It was designed to ensure that carbon credits are not only real and verifiable but that they make measurable contributions to sustainable development worldwide Its objective is to add branding a label to existing and new Carbon Credits generated by projects which can then be bought and traded by countries that have a binding legal commitment according to the Kyoto ProtocolThe Gold Standard for CDM GS CER was developed in 2003 by World Wide Fund for Nature WWF SouthSouthNorth and Helio International The Voluntary Gold StandardGS VER a methodology for use within the voluntary carbon market was launched in May 2006To be eligible for Gold Standard Certification a project must:1 Be an approved Renewable Energy Supply or End use Energy Efficiency Improvement project type2 Be reducing one of the three eligible Green House Gases: Carbon Dioxide CO2 Methane CH4 and Nitrous Oxide N2O3 Not employ Official Development Assistance ODA under the condition that the credits coming out of the project are transferred to the donor country4 Not be applying for other certifications to ensure there is no double counting of credits5 Demonstrate its additionality by using the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s UNFCCC Large Scale Additionality Tool6 and show that the project is not a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario6 Make a net-positive contribution to the economic environmental and social welfare of the local population that hosts itFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA : FROM OUR MOCK SERIES 2018 PRELIMSQ322 Consider the following statements :1 Barail range is an eastern extension of the Himalayan Range System in north eastern India2 The Garo Khasi and Jaintia hills are part of Deccan Plateau and not part of the Purvanchal rangeSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns CBarail range :The Purvanchal Mountains or Eastern Mountains are a sub-mountain range of the Himalayas in northeast IndiaThe Purvanchal Mountains cover the states of Assam Arunachal Pradesh Manipur Tripura Nagaland Meghalaya and MizoramThe range is an eastern extension of the Himalayan Range System in north eastern India It bends sharply to the south beyond the Dihang River gorge and spreads along the eastern boundary of India with Myanmar The Purvanchal range includes the hill ranges of the Patkai Barail range Manipur Mizoram Mizodisambiguation needed and Naga HillsThe Garo Khasi and Jaintia hills are part of Deccan Plateau and not part of the Purvanchal rangeFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA : FROM OUR MOCK SERIES 2018 PRELIMSQ321 Which among the following protocols employed the principle of differential treatment in respect to climate change 1 Washington Naval Treaty2 Cartagena Protocol3 Part IV of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade GATTSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans ACommon but Differentiated responsibilities amp respective capabilities :Common But Differentiated Responsibilities CBDR was formalized in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC of Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro 1992 It was the first international legal instrument to address climate change and the most comprehensive international attempt to address negative impacts to global environment3 CBDR principle acknowledges all states have shared obligation to address environmental destruction but denies equal responsibility of all states with regard to environmental protectionCBDR is based on relationship between industrialization and climate changeCBDR was not the first differential treatments of countries in international agreements There were other protocols agreements that employed principle of differential treatment• Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone layer Montreal Protocol• • Washington Naval Treaty• Part IV of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade GATT 19799• principle 23 of Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment 1972FRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA : FROM OUR MOCK SERIES 2018 PRELIMSQ320 Recently a national park has been set up in the Sipahijola Wildlife Sanctuary where clouded leopards are kept in enclosures in a zoological park Where this wildlife sanctuary is located A MeghalayaB TripuraC SikkimD Arunachal PradeshAns BFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA : FROM OUR MOCK SERIES 2018 PRELIMSQ319 Recently in the news there was a term Superbugs What is this A These are the microorganism that are essential for the vital functions of the bodyB These are the enzymes that makes bacteria resistant to broad range of beta-lactam antibioticsC These are the bacteria that causes infection which is difficult to treatD These are the super weeds that are essential in the treatment of less fertile soilsAns CNew Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase-1 NDM-1 is an enzyme that makes bacteria resistant to a broad range of beta-lactam antibiotics These include the antibiotics of the carbapenem family which are a mainstay for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections The gene for NDM-1 is one member of a large gene family that encodes beta-lactamase enzymes called carbapenemases Bacteria that produce carbapenemases are often referred to in the news media as superbugs because infections caused by them are difficult to treat Such bacteria are usually susceptible only to polymyxins and tigecyclineThe most common bacteria that make this enzyme are gram-negative such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae but the gene for NDM-1 can spread from one strain of bacteria to another by horizontal gene transferFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA : FROM OUR MOCK SERIES 2018 PRELIMSQ318 With reference to the ancient Pandu caves consider the following statements:1 These caves depicts the characters of the Pandavas of the Mahabharata epic2 They are a significant group of Indian rock-cut architecture representing the Hinayana tradition 3 These are a group of 22 caves carved between the 1st century BCE and the 3nd century CESelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D Only 3Ans BPandav Caves:Pandu Caves or Trirashmi Leni Leni being a Marathi word for caves are a group of 24 caves carved between the 1st century BCE and the 3nd century CE though additional sculptures were added up to about the 6th century reflecting changes in Buddhist devotional practicesThey are a significant group of early examples of Indian rock-cut architecture initially representing the so-called Hinayana tradition Most of the caves are viharas except for Cave 18 which is a chaitya of the 1st century BCEThe location of the caves is a holy Buddhist site and is located about 8 km south of the center of Nashik or Nasik Maharashtra IndiaTheir name has nothing to do with the characters Pandavas characters in the Mahabharata epicFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA : FROM OUR MOCK SERIES 2018 PRELIMSQ317 For which among the following purpose National Water Resource Council has been constituted A It is an international thin tank established in 1996 to promote awareness build political commitment and trigger action on critical water issues at all levelsB To advise the Prime Minister on expenditure of the Australian Government Water Fund between 2004 and 2010C To resolve the water disputes that would arise in the use control and distribution of an interstate riverD It is a non-profit organization that drives economic technology and talent development to support the global water industryAns BNational Water Resource CouncilDissolved 25 November 2014Jurisdiction Commonwealth of AustraliaHeadquarters Turner Australian Capital Territory Motto Australia’s independent voice on national water issuesEmployees 48The key function that the Commission provided was to advise the Prime Minister on expenditure of the Australian Government Water Fund between 2004 and 2010 FRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA :FROM OUR MOCK SERIES 2018 PRELIMSQ316 Who among the following are the members of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium 1 India2 China3 Malaysia4 Australia5 JapanSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 245B 1345C 2345D All are correctAns CThe Western Pacific Naval Symposium are a series of biennial meetings of the Pacific nations to discuss naval matters held on even numbered years A WPNS workshop is held on odd numbered years in between the symposiumsMember countries as of 2010: Australia Brunei Cambodia Canada Chile France Indonesia Japan Malaysia New Zealand Papua New Guinea Peoples’ Republic of China Philippines Republic of Korea Russia Singapore Thailand Tonga United States of America Vietnam Observers: Bangladesh India Mexico PeruFRAMED FROM GK TODAY MAGAZINEQ315 Who among the following is/are the members of the Boao Forum for Asia BFA 1 China2 India3 FICCI Federation of Indian Chambers of CommerceSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 1 amp 2Ans AIt is a non-profit organisation that hosts high-level forums for leaders from government business and academia in Asia and other continents to share their vision on the most pressing issues in this dynamic region and the world at large BFA is modeled after the World Economic Forum held annually in Davos SwitzerlandThe Forum is committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries even closer to their development goals FRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA :FROM OUR MOCK SERIES 2018 PRELIMSQ314 Terai Arc Landscape program aims to protect which among the following terrestrial flagship species 1 African elephant2 Great Horned Rhinoceros3 Asian Elephant4 Golden LionSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 2B 234C Only 2 amp 3D 124Ans CTerai Arc Landscape Program:The program aims to protect three of the five terrestrial flagship species the tiger the Asian elephant and the great one-horned rhinoceros by restoring corridors of forest to link 13 protected areas of Nepal and India to enable wildlife migrationFROM IES 2018 PRELIMSQ313 What is crowdfunding A Money collected for public welfare projects by levying an entry fee to exhibitions shows etcB Money collected by charitable organisations by placing a donation box at a prominent locationsC Money raised by innovators amp inventors by launching their products amp services through the internetD Money raised by individuals by passing the hat around to onlookers at a street performanceAns CCrowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people typically via the Internet1 Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and of alternative finance In 2015 it was estimated that worldwide over US34 billion was raised this waythe term crowdfunding refers to Internet-mediated registries This modern crowdfunding model is generally based on three types of actors: the project initiator who proposes the idea and/or project to be funded individuals or groups who support the idea and a moderating organization the platform that brings the parties together to launch the idea Crowdfunding has been used to fund a wide range of for-profit entrepreneurial ventures such as artistic and creative projects medical expenses travel or community-oriented social entrepreneurship projectsWar bonds are theoretically a form of crowdfunding military conflictsThe Crowdfunding Centre’s May 2014 report identified two primary types of crowdfunding:1 Rewards crowdfunding: entrepreneurs presell a product or service to launch a business concept without incurring debt or sacrificing equity/shares2 Equity crowdfunding: the backer receives shares of a company usually in its early stages in exchange for the money pledgedFROM IES 2018 PRELIMSQ312 The meaning of carbon footprint is described by the amount of :A Carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual organization or communityB Greenhouse gases emitted by industries contributing to global warmingC Carbon emissions released by the burning of jet fuelD Increase in the carbon content of the atmosphere due to the felling of treesAns AA carbon footprint is historically defined as the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual event organisation or product expressed as carbon dioxide equivalentA measure of the total amount of carbon dioxide CO2 and methane CH4 emissions of a defined population system or activity considering all relevant sources sinks and storage within the spatial and temporal boundary of the population system or activity of interest Calculated as carbon dioxide equivalent using the relevant 100-year global warming potentialGWP100Carbon footprint is one of a family of footprint indicators which also includes water footprint and land footprint• 4Indirect carbon emissions: the carbon footprints of productso 41Foodo 42Textileso 43Materialso 44Cement• 5Schemes to reduce carbon emissions: Kyoto Protocol carbon offsetting and certificatesCarbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and the emissions of other GHGs are often associated with the burning of fossil fuels like natural gas crude oil and coal The Kyoto Protocol defines legally binding targets and timetables for cutting the GHG emissions of industrialized countries that ratified the Kyoto Protocol Accordingly from an economic or market perspective one has to distinguish between a mandatory market and a voluntary market Typical for both markets is the trade with emission certificates:• Certified Emission Reduction CER• Emission Reduction Unit ERU• Verified Emission Reduction VERlocal emissions reduction schemes have no status under the Kyoto Protocol itself they play a prominent role in creating the demand for CERs and ERUs stimulating Emissions Trading and setting a market price for emissionsFROM IES 2018 PRELIMSQ311 Non-performing Assets decline in value when 1 Demand revives in the economy 2 capacity utilization increases3 Capacity utilization through substantive is yet optimal4 Capacity utilization decreases consequent upon merger of unitsSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 134B 124C 123D 1234Ans CA Non-performing asset NPA is defined as a credit facility in respect of which the interest and/or installment of principal has remained ‘past due’ for a specified period of time In simple terms an asset is tagged as non performing when it ceases to generate income for the lenderA Non-performing asset NPA is defined as a credit facility in respect of which the interest and/or installment of Bond finance principal has remained ‘past due’ for a specified period of time NPA is used by financial institutions that refer to loans that are in jeopardy of default the so called NPL Once the borrower has failed to make interest or principal payments for 90 days the loan is considered to be a non-performing asset Non-performing assets are problematic for financial institutions since they depend on interest payments for income Troublesome pressure from the economy can lead to a sharp increase in NPLs and often results in massive write-downsAccordingly with effect from March 31 2004 a non-performing asset NPAis a loan or an advance where• Interest and/or installment of principal remain overdue for a period of more than 91 days in respect of a term loan• The account remains ‘out of order’ for a period of more than 90 days in respect of an Overdraft/Cash Credit OD/CC• The bill remains overdue for a period of more than 90 days in the case of bills purchased and discounted• Interest and/or installment of principal remains overdue for two harvest seasons but for a period not exceeding two half years in the case of an advance granted for agricultural purposes and• Any amount to be received remains overdue for a period of more than 90 days in respect of other accounts• Non submission of Stock Statements for 3 Continuous Quarters in case of Cash Credit Facility• No active transactions in the account Cash Credit/Over Draft/EPC/PCFC for more than 91daysFROM IES 2018 PRELIMSQ310 Which of the following concepts are relatable to income of members of the public while considering public welfare 1 Sensitivity of demand2 Elasticity of demand3 Sensitive of expenditure 4 Elasticity of expenditureA 1 amp 2B 2 amp 3C 3 amp 4D 1 amp 4Ans BFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIAQ309 Consider the following statements :1 Foods containing carotene Vitamin A or cooking oils are safe to be cooked in a microwave2 Thermocol plates are poor barrier to oxygen and water vapor and has a relatively high melting pointSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns DThermocol plates:-It is a synthetic aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene Polystyrene can be solid or foamed General-purpose polystyrene is clear hard and rather brittle It is an inexpensive resin per unit weight It is a rather poor barrier to oxygen and water vapor and has a relatively low melting pointPolystyrene is one of the most widely used plastics the scale of its production being several million tonnes per yearPolystyrene can be naturally transparent but can be colored with colorants Uses include protective packaging such as packing peanuts and CD and DVD cases containers such as clamshells lids bottles trays tumblers disposable cutlery5 and in the making of modelsPolystyrene is very slow to biodegrade and is therefore a focus of controversy among environmentalists It is increasingly abundant as a form of litter in the outdoor environment particularly along shores and waterways especially in its foam form and also in increasing quantities in the Pacific OceanPolystyrene is chemically very inert being resistant to acids and bases but is easily dissolved by many chlorinated solvents and many aromatic hydrocarbon solvents Because of its resilience and inertness it is used for fabricating many objects of commerce It is attacked by many organic solvents which dissolve the polymer Foamed polystyrene is used for packaging chemicalsLike all organic compounds polystyrene burns to give carbon dioxide and water vapor Polystyrene being an aromatic hydrocarbon typically combusts incompletely as indicated by the sooty flamePolystyrene is generally non-biodegradable Polystyrene is commonly used in containers for food and drinks The styrene monomer from which polystyrene is made is a cancer suspect agentAnother Japanese study conducted on wild-type and AhR-null mice found that the styrene trimer which the authors detected in cooked polystyrene container-packed instant foods may increase thyroid hormone levelsWhether polystyrene can be microwaved with food is controversial Some containers may be safely used in a microwave but only if labelled as such67 Some sources suggest that foods containing carotene Vitamin A or cooking oils must be avoidedLike other organic compounds polystyrene is flammableFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIAQ308 Bio-ethanol can be produced from which of the following feedstocks 1 Bagasses2 Sorghum3 Sugar beetSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 2 amp 3D 123Ans DBio-Ethanol:Ethanol can be produced from a variety of feedstocks such as sugar cane bagasse miscanthus sugar beet sorghum grain switchgrass barley hemp kenaf potatoes sweet potatoes cassava sunflower fruit molasses corn stover grain wheat straw cotton Two types of second generation processes are under development The first type uses enzymes and yeast fermentation to convert the plant cellulose into ethanol while the second type uses pyrolysis to convert the whole plant to either a liquid bio-oil or a syngas Second generation processes can also be used with plants such as grasses wood or agricultural waste material such as strawBy-products such as straw or wood chips can be converted to ethanol Fast growing species like switchgrass can be grown on land not suitable for other cash crops and yield high levels of ethanol per unit areaFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIAQ307 Which among the following has been classified under the category of Eurythermal organism 1 Red Algae2 Coral reefs3 Golden brown AlgaeSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B Only 2C 1 amp 2D 2 amp 3Ans AEurythermal organisms:Which can tolerate amp thrive in wide range of temperaturesEx: Cat Dog Tiger Red Algae Golden brown Algae Angiosperms sea GrassCryophillic organisms:Which can thrive at lower temperature as low as zero degree centigradeSeals Coral reefs Arctic Crustaceans Salmon FRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIAQ306 As per Kyoto Protocol agreement which among the following is/are the parties of Annex-I Countries 1 Kazakhstan2 Belarus3 TurkeySelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 1 amp 3B 2 amp 3C Only 3D 123Ans BBelarus Malta and Turkey are Annex I Parties but do not have first-round Kyoto targetsFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIAQ305 Consider the following :1 Bastar Iron Craft : Chhatisgarh2 Screw Pine handicraft : Odisha3 Pipili Aplique Work : KeralaSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 2 amp 3B Only 2C 1 amp 3D Only 1Ans DBastar Iron Craft : ChhatisgarhScrew Pine handicraft : KeralaPipili Aplique Work : OdishaFROM CAPFQ304 Which of the following was/were not related to the Buddha’s life 1 Kanthaka2 Alara Kalama3 Channa4 Goshala MaskariputraWhich among the above statements is/are correct A Only 1B Only 4C 1 amp 2D 3 amp 4AnsBFROM CAPFQ303 With reference to the Wavell plan consider the following provisions :1 Under this plan India was granted dominion status2 Indians would themselves draft the constitution3 Position of secretary of state amp viceroy would remain the same4 Viceroy would retain the power of vetoWhich among the above statements is/are correct A 134B 234C Only 1 amp 4D 1234Ans DThese proposals were not to be applied to the Indian statesFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q302 Which among the following is/are the examples of the Invasive Species 1 Water Hyacinth2 Wild rose3 Mimosa InvisaSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A Only 1B 1 amp 3C 1 amp 2D 123Ans DThe invasive water hyacinth is very common often choking the water bodies but it is cleared during destructive floods Another invasive species Mimosa invisa which is toxic to herbivores was cleared by Kaziranga staff with help from the Wildlife Trust of India in 2005Invasive species such as Mimosa and wild rose have posed a threat to the native plants in the regionFRAMED FROM WIKIPEDIA Q301 Consider the following :1 Ambubachi mela : Assam2 Anthurium Festival : Manipur3 Kut-Festival : MizoramSelect the correct answer using the codes given below :A 2 amp 3B Only 1C 1 amp 3D 1 amp 2Ans B1 Ambubachi mela : Assam2 Anthurium Festival : Mizoram3 Kut-Festival : Manipur It is an autumn festival of the different tribes of Kuki-Chin-Mizo groups of Manipur FROM IES 2018 PRELIMS Q300 Consider the following statements :Consider the following statements :1 IPDS strengthens the distribution network in urban areas while DDUGJY does the same in rural areas2 DELP focuses to substitute LED bulbs for incandescent bulbs Which of the following statements is/are correct A Only 1B Only 2C Both are correctD Both are incorrectAns C | 1 |
