IASBABA 60 DAY PLAN 2020 – CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 5 AND 6 · IASBABA 60 DAY PLAN 2020 – CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 5 AND 6 60 DAYS PROGRAMME-2020 IASBABA With reference to the States

IASBABA60DAYPLAN2020–CURRENTAFFAIRSWEEK5AND6

60DAYSPROGRAMME-2020 IASBABA



Q.1)RecentlylaunchedSUMANinitiativeaimsfor

a) ZeroPreventableMaternalandNewbornDeathsb) ReducingtheDoubleburdenofMalnutritionc) LivelihoodPromotionofUrbanPoord) ReducingilliteracyamongScheduledTribes

Q.1)Solution(a)

• Union Minister for Health along with several State Health Ministers launchedSurakshitMatritva Aashwasan Initiative (SUMAN) initiative for Zero PreventableMaternalandNewbornDeaths.

• Under it, pregnant women, mothers up to 6 months after delivery, and all sicknewbornswillbeabletoavailfreehealthcarebenefits.

• Thegovernmentwillalsoprovidefreetransportfromhometohealthinstitutions.• ThepregnantwomenwillhaveazeroexpensedeliveryandC-sectionfacilityincase

ofcomplicationsatpublichealthfacilities.Q.2)GhoramaraIslandislocatedinwhichofthefollowingcoastalStates?

a) Maharashtrab) AndhraPradeshc) WestBengald) Gujarat

Q.2)Solution(c)

• GhoramaraIslandislocatedintheGangaestuaryofWestBengal.• ItisapartoftheSundarbanDeltacomplexoftheBayofBengal.• It isslowlybeingsubmergedbyrisingsea levels, forcingpeopletomigrate in large

numbers–alsosometimesreferredtoassinkingislandQ.3)Considerthefollowingpairs:AlternativeInvestmentFund(AIF) CategoryofAIF

1. AngelFunds CategoryI2. InfrastructureFunds CategoryII3. HedgeFunds CategoryIII



Whichofthepairsgivenabovearecorrectlymatched?

a) 1and2onlyb) 2onlyc) 1and3onlyd) 1,2and3

Q.3)Solution(c)

• Alternative InvestmentFund(AIF)comprisespooled investmentfundswhich investinventurecapital,privateequity,hedgefunds,managedfutures,etc.

• AIFcanbeestablishedintheformofacompanyoracorporatebodyoratrustoraLimitedLiabilityPartnership(LLP).

• AspertheSEBI(AlternativeInvestmentFunds)Regulations,2012(AIFRegulations),Category I AIF are: thoseAIFswith ‘positive spillover effects’ on theeconomy, forwhich certain incentives or concessions might be considered by SEBI or theGovernmentofIndiaorotherregulatorsinIndia.

• Category I AIF shall include Venture Capital Funds (Including Angel Funds), SMEFunds, Social Venture Funds, Infrastructure Funds and such other AlternativeInvestmentFunds(AIFs)asmaybespecified.

• CategoryIIAIF–Investmentinequityanddebtsecurities• Category III AIF - Investment aimed at short-term returns achieved by complex

strategies.Eg.HedgeFunds.Q.4)Withreferenceto'GoBlue'Campaign,considerthefollowingstatements:

1. Itaimsatpromotingthesustainablefishingpracticesaroundtheworld.2. It is a joint initiative of International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and UN

Environment.Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/arecorrect?

a) 1onlyb) 2onlyc) Both1and2d) Neither1nor2

Q.4)Solution(d)



Statement1 Statement2Incorrect IncorrectUnder 'Go Blue' campaign, the landmark buildingsaroundtheworld litupblue tocommemorate the30thanniversaryoftheConventionontheRightsoftheChildandtoshowsupportforchildrights.

United Nation Children’s Fund(UNICEF) undertook the 'Go Blue'campaign.

Q.5) Which of the following statements about Border Electronically Dominated QRTInterceptionTechnique(BOLD-QIT)Projectis/arecorrect?

1. ItisaprojectunderCIBMS(ComprehensiveIntegratedBorderManagementsystem).2. UndertheprojecttechnicalsystemsareinstalledalongIndia-Bangladeshborder.

Selectthecorrectanswerusingthecodegivenbelow:


Q.5)Solution(c)Statement1 Statement2Correct CorrectBorder Electronically Dominated QRTInterception Technique (BOLD-QIT)Project under CIBMS(Comprehensive Integrated BorderManagement system) implementedalong India-Bangladesh border.Information and Technology Wing ofBorder Security Force (BSF) is theImplementing Agency of BOLD-QITProject.

BOLD-QIT is the project toinstall technicalsystemswhichenableBSFtoequipIndo-Banglaborders withdifferent kind of sensors in theunfenced riverine area of the Brahmaputra andits tributaries.Under it, theentire spanofRiverBrahmaputra is covered with data networkgenerated by Microwave communication, OFCCables, DMR Communication, day and nightsurveillance Cameras and intrusion detectionsystem.

Q.6) ‘Riyadh Agreement’ was in news recently. It primarily deals with which of thefollowingcountries?

a) Yemenb) Iranc) Iraq



d) Syria

Q.6)Solution(a)Yemen’sSaudi-backedgovernmentandsouthernseparatistssignedanagreementtoendapowerstruggle inthesouthofYementhatriskedopeninganewfront inthemultifacetedconflict.Q.7)Whichofthefollowingactsisadministeredbythe‘ReserveBankofIndia’?

1. GovernmentSecuritiesRegulations,20072. ForeignExchangeManagementAct,19993. CreditInformationCompanies(Regulation)Act,20054. FactoringRegulationAct,2011

Selectthecorrectstatementsa) 1,2and3b) 2,3and4c) 1,3and4d) Alloftheabove

Q.7)Solution(d)ThefollowingactsareadministeredbytheRBI

• ReserveBankofIndiaAct,1934• PublicDebtAct,1944/GovernmentSecuritiesAct,2006• GovernmentSecuritiesRegulations,2007• BankingRegulationAct,1949• ForeignExchangeManagementAct,1999• Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security

InterestAct,2002(ChapterII)• CreditInformationCompanies(Regulation)Act,2005• PaymentandSettlementSystemsAct,2007• FactoringRegulationAct,2011



Q.8)‘KihotoHollohanvsZachillhuAndOthers(1992)’Judgmentisassociatedwitha) TenthScheduleb) RighttoPropertyc) Seditiond) PersonalLaws

Q.8)Solution(a)KihotoHollohancase

• ThelawcoveringthedisqualificationoflegislatorsandthepowersoftheSpeakerindeciding such matters became part of the statute book in 1985 when the TenthScheduletotheConstitutionwasadopted.

• A constitutional challenge to the Tenth Schedulewas settled by the apex court inKihotoHollohan.

Q.9)Theterm‘Spaghettibowleffect’isconcernedwith

a) HumanDevelopmentIndexb) FreeTradeAgreementsc) PumpingandDumpingStocksd) GlobalWarming

Q.9)Solution(b)Thespaghettibowleffectisthemultiplicationoffreetradeagreements(FTAs),supplantingmultilateral World Trade Organization negotiations as an alternative path towardglobalization.ThetermwasfirstusedbyJagdishBhagwatiin1995inthepaper:“USTradepolicy: The infatuation with free trade agreements”, where he openly criticized FTAs asbeingparadoxicallycounter-productiveinpromotingfreerandmoreopenedglobaltrades.According to Bhagwati, too many crisscrossing FTAs would allow countries to adoptdiscriminatorytradepoliciesandreducetheeconomicbenefitsoftrade.Q.10)Considerthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘ExchangeTradedFunds(ETFs)’

1. ETFsaretradedonstockexchangeslikeshares.2. TheexpensesratioofETFsisgenerallyonthehighersidecomparedtomutualfunds.

Selectthecorrectstatementsa) 1Onlyb) 2Onlyc) Both1and2d) Neither1nor2

Q.10)Solution(a)



ExchangeTradedFundsarelistedandtradedonstockexchangeslikeshares.IndexETFsarecreatedbyinstitutionalinvestorsswappingsharesinanindexbasket,forunitsinthefund.Usually, ETFs are passive funds where the fund manager doesn’t select stocks on yourbehalf. Instead, the ETF simply copies an index and endeavours to accurately reflect itsperformance.TheexpenseratioofETFsiswaylesserthanthatofmutualfunds.Q.11) With reference to Core Investment Companies (CIC), consider the followingstatements:

1. It is a non-banking financial company carrying on the business of acquisition ofsharesandsecurities.

2. It trades in its investments in shares, bonds, debentures, debt or loans in groupcompanies.

3. ACICregisteredwiththeReserveBankof India (RBI)hasanassetsizeofaboveRs500crore.

Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/areincorrect?

a) 1and2onlyb) 3onlyc) 2and3onlyd) 1and3only

Q.11)Solution(c)Statement1 Statement2 Statement3Correct Incorrect IncorrectCore Investment Company (CIC) is a non-banking financial company carrying on thebusiness of acquisition of shares andsecurities and which satisfies the followingconditions1. CICs, which areallowed to accept public

funds, should hold not less than 90% oftheirnetassetsintheformofinvestmentin equity shares, preference shares,bonds,debentures,debtorloansingroupcompanies.

2. InvestmentsofCIC intheequityshares in

CIC does not trade in itsinvestments in shares,bonds, debentures, debtor loans in groupcompanies exceptthroughblocksaleforthepurpose of dilution ordisinvestment. ThisConceptwasoriginatedinorder tosafeguardNBFCswhich are formed forgroup investments from

A CoreInvestmentCompanyregisteredwith theReserve Bankof India (RBI)has anassetsize of aboveRs100crore.



group companiesconstitute not less than60%ofitsnetassets.

stringentRBIprocedures

Q.12)WhichofthefollowingStatetoppedthe listof large-mediumStates intheoveralljusticedeliveryasperIndiaJusticeReport2019?

a) Maharashtrab) Keralac) Karnatakad) TamilNadu

Q.12)Solution(a)

• India Justice Report 2019 was released by the Tata Trusts in collaboration withCentre for Social Justice, Common Cause, and Commonwealth Human RightsInitiative,amongothers.

• Thisisthefirst-everrankingofIndianStatesonjusticedelivery.Thereportisbasedonpubliclyavailabledata fromdifferentgovernmententitieson the fourpillarsofjusticedelivery—police,judiciary,prisonsandlegalaid.

• KeyfindingsofReport:§ Maharashtrahas topped the list of 18 large-mediumStates in theoverall

justicedelivery,followedbyKerala,TamilNadu,PunjabandHaryana.Inthiscategory,Jharkhand,BiharandUttarPradeshareatthebottom.

§ Even thebestperformingStatesscored less than60% in theirperformanceoncapacityacrossallfourparameters.

§ The country has about 18,200 judges with about 23% sanctioned postsvacant

§ Prisons are over-occupied at 114%, where 68% are undertrials awaitinginvestigation,inquiryortrial.

§ India’spercapitaexpenditureonfreelegalaidis75paisaperannum.Q.13)Considerthefollowingstates:

1. ArunachalPradesh2. Manipur3. Nagaland4. Mizoram



WithreferencetotheStatesmentionedabove,intermsoftotalforestcover,whichoneofthefollowingisthecorrectdescendingorder?

a) 4–1–2–3b) 4–1–3–2c) 1–4–2–3d) 1–4–3–2

Q.13)Solution(c)

• Area-wiseMadhyaPradeshhas the largest forestcover in thecountry followedbyArunachalPradesh,Chhattisgarh,OdishaandMaharashtra.

• Intermsofforestcoveraspercentageoftotalgeographicalarea,thetopfiveStatesareMizoram (85.41%),ArunachalPradesh (79.63%),Meghalaya (76.33%),Manipur(75.46%)andNagaland(75.31%).

• Total forest cover in terms of area,Mizoram (18,006 sq km) , Arunachal Pradesh(66,688 sq km), Meghalaya (17,119 sq km), Manipur (16,847 sq km), Nagaland(12,486sqkm).ThuscorrectanswerisArunachalPradesh>Mizoram>Manipur>Nagaland.

Q.14) Recently seen in news, the Bougainville region is located within which of thefollowing?

a) Indonesiab) Philippinesc) PapuaNewGuinead) Madagascar

Q.14)Solution(c)

• PeopleofBougainvilletocasttheirvotes inareferendumonwhethertheyshouldseekindependencefromPapuaNewGuinea.

• Politically, Bougainville is currently an autonomous region within Papua NewGuinea

Q.15)ConsiderthefollowingstatementsaboutthemaidenTigerTriumphExercise:

1. It is a Humanitarian Assistance andDisaster Relief (HADR) Exercise between IndiaandUSA.



2. The2019ExerciseisconductedofftheMalabarCoastinKerala.Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/arecorrect?


Q.15)Solution(a)Statement1 Statement2Correct IncorrectTigerTriumph’isthemaidenIndiaUSAjointTriservicesHumanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)Exercise. The Exercise is aimed to developinginteroperabilityforconductingHADRoperations.

2019 exercise is conductedoffVisakhapatnam andKakinada coastsin AndhraPradesh.

Q.16)Whichofthefollowingstatementsiscorrectwithrespectto‘STREAM’.

a) It is the first large-scale,multi-countryclinical trial toexamineshortenedregimensformultidrug-resistanttuberculosis(MDR-TB).

b) It seeks to bridge the digital divide for students who have hitherto remaineduntouchedbythedigitalrevolutionandhavenotbeenabletojointhemainstreamoftheknowledgeeconomy.

c) ItisanewlylaunchedOvertheTop(OTT)servicebyGovernmentofIndiad) It provides 32 High Quality Educational Channels through DTH (Direct to Home)

acrossthelengthandbreadthofthecountryon24X7basis.

Q.16)Solution(a)STREAM is the first large-scale,multi-country clinical trial toexamine shortened regimensformultidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). It is also the first phase III trial to test theefficacyandsafetyofbedaquiline,anewdrugwitha‘novelmechanismofaction’[1],withinashortenedtreatmentregimen.Q.17)‘Cytochromeb6f’iscrucialforwhichofthefollowingprocess?

a) Photosynthesisb) Pyrolysisc) Methanogenesisd) Blendingofethanol



Q.17)Solution(a)Cytochromeb6fprovidestheelectricalconnectionbetweentheso-calledphotosystemIandphotosystem II reaction centersof oxygenic photosynthesis,which are two light-poweredchlorophyll-proteins within the plant cell chloroplast that convert sunlight into chemicalenergy.Theproteincomplex, theresearcherssay,servesasasortof“protonbattery” forstoringenergy.Q.18)Whichofthefollowingpairsarecorrectlymatched?PlacesinNewsCountry

1. QeshmIsland–UnitedArabEmirates2. Baqoura–Jordan3. Natanz–Iran

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1and2b) 2and3c) 1and3d) Alloftheabove

Q.18)Solution(b)QeshmIsland–IranBaqoura–JordanNatanz–IranQ.19)‘SupremeCourtofIndiav.SubhashChandraAgarwal’dealswith

a) RighttoInformationb) RighttoPropertyc) RighttoConstitutionalRemediesd) Rightagainstexploitation

Q.19)Solution(a)TheCourtfoundthattheChiefJustice’sofficeisa“publicauthority”withinthemeaningofthe Right to Information (RTI) Act as it performs numerous administrative functions inaddition to itsadjudicatory role.Access to information itheldwas therefore regulatedbytheAct. TheCourtemphasized that informationpertaining to submitteddeclarationsandtheircontentsconstitutes“information”withinthemeaningofSection2(f)oftheAct.Q.20)Whichof the following statementswith respect to ‘constitutionalmorality’ is/arecorrect?



1. Itmay refer to the conventions and protocols that govern decision-makingwheretheconstitutionvestsdiscretionarypowerorissilent.

2. Theterm‘constitutionalmorality’iswelldefinedintheConstitutionofIndia.


Q.20)Solution(a)Incontemporaryusage,constitutionalmoralityhascometorefertothesubstantivecontentof a constitution. To be governed by a constitutional morality is, on this view, to begoverned by the substantivemoral entailment any constitution carries. For instance, theprincipleofnon-discriminationisoftentakentobeanelementofourmodernconstitutionalmorality.Inthissense,constitutionalmoralityisthemoralityofaconstitution.Constitutionalmoralityreferstotheconventionsandprotocolsthatgoverndecision-makingwheretheconstitutionvestsdiscretionarypowerorissilent.Pleasenotethattheterm‘constitutionalmorality’hasvariousdefinitions.Itisaverybroadterm.Theterm‘constitutionalmorality’hasnotbeendefinedintheConstitution.

Q.21)ConsiderthefollowingIndiancities:

1. Mumbai2. Chennai3. Kolkata4. Gandhinagar5. Hyderabad

WhichoftheaboveareincludedunderUNESCO’sCreativeCitiesNetwork?



a) 1,2,4and5onlyb) 1,2and5onlyc) 2,3,and4onlyd) 1,2,3and5only

Q.21)Solution(b)

• UNESCO’sCreativeCitiesNetwork(UCCN)createdin2004aimstowardsacommonobjective of placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of theirdevelopment plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the internationallevelandtoachieveSustainableDevelopmentGoalsthroughinnovativethinkingandaction.

• Network covers seven creative fields: crafts and folk arts,media arts, film,design,gastronomy,literatureandmusic.

• IndiancitiesinUNESCO’sCreativeCitiesNetworkare§ Mumbai(FilmsCreative)§ Hyderabad(Gastronomy)§ ChennaiandVaranasi(Music)§ Jaipur(CraftsandFolkArts)

Q.22)ConsiderthefollowingstatementsaboutOperationMuskaan:

1. Itaimsatrehabilitatingmissingchildren.2. ItisaninitiativeoftheMinistryofWomenandChildDevelopment.

Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/arecorrect?


Q.22)Solution(a)Statement1 Statement2Correct IncorrectOperationMuskaan/OperationSmile isadedicatedcampaign for a month where several activities aretaken up by the State Police personnel to trace and

ItisaninitiativeoftheMinistryofHome Affairs (MHA) torescue/rehabilitate missing



rescue the missing children and reunite them withtheirfamilies.

children.

Q.23)Considerthefollowingpairs:Geographicregion State

1. Sukindavalley Chhattisgarh2. Kalapani Uttarakhand3. Arakuvalley Jharkhand

Whichofthepairsgivenaboveareincorrectlymatched?


Q.23)Solution(c)

• SukindavalleyinOdishahas90%ofIndia’schromatereserves.• ArakuvalleyisinAndhraPradesh.• KalapaniisavalleythatisadministeredbyIndiaasapartofthePithoragarhdistrict

ofUttarakhand,laidclaimbyNepal.ItissituatedontheKailashMansarovarroute.Q.24)Whichofthefollowingreleasedthe2019GlobalMicroscopeonFinancialInclusionreport?

a) OrganisationofEconomicCooperationandDevelopment(OECD)b) EconomistIntelligenceUnit(EIU)c) WorldEconomicForum(WEF)d) WorldBank

Q.24)Solution(b)

• AccordingtotheEconomistIntelligenceUnit's2019GlobalMicroscopeonFinancialInclusion report, the overall environment for financial inclusion has improvedgloballywithIndia,Colombia,Peru,UruguayandMexicohavingthemostfavourableconditionsforinclusivefinance.

• Forpromotingdigitalfinancialinclusion,thereportidentifiedfourbasicenablers



1. Allowingnon-bankstoissuee-money2. Presenceoffinancialserviceagents3. Proportionatecustomerduediligence4. Effectivefinancialconsumerprotection

Q.25)Keralagovernment’s‘K-Fonproject’aimsto

a) Pay thedifferencebetweenofficialMinimumSupport Price (MSP) and the rate atwhichfarmersselltheircrops.

b) ProvidedrinkingwatertoallhouseholdsinruralKerala.c) Conditionallytransferthecashforschoolgirls.d) Providefreehigh-speedInternetconnection.

Q.25)Solution(d)

• Kerala government has recently cleared the K-Fon project to provide free high-speedInternetconnectiontoover20lakhBPLfamiliesinthestate.

• ProjectenvisagesaState-wideopticalfibernetworktolinkhousesandoffices.• ItalsoprovidesNetconnectivityataffordablerateforfamiliesthatdonotfallinthe

BPLbracket.Q.26)Considerthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘Ayeyawady-ChaoPhraya-MekongEconomicCooperationStrategy(ACMECS)’.

1. TheestablishmentofthiscooperationwasinitiatedbyThailand.2. ItisacooperationframeworkamongCLMVcountiesandThailandtoutilizemember

countries’diversestrengthsandtopromotebalanceddevelopmentinthesubregion.


Q.26)Solution(c)TheAyeyawady-ChaoPhraya-MekongEconomicCooperationStrategyorACMECSisacooperationframeworkamongCambodia,LaoPeople’sDemocraticRepublic,Myanmar,Thailand,andVietNamtoutilizemembercountries’diversestrengthsandtopromotebalanceddevelopmentinthesubregion.PrimeMinisterThaksinShinawatraofThailandinitiatedtheestablishmentofthiscooperationframeworkinApril2003.Theareasofcooperationinclude,amongothers,transport,andtradeandinvestmentfacilitation.



Q.27)‘SystemforTransferofFinancialMessages'isprimarilyassociatedwithwhichofthefollowingcounties?

a) Chinab) Russiac) UnitedStatesofAmericad) India

Q.27)Solution(b)ItisaRussianequivalentoftheSWIFTfinancialtransfersystem,developedbytheCentralBankofRussia.India,RussiaandChinaareexploringanalternativetotheUS-dominatedSWIFT(SocietyforWorldwideInterbankFinancialTelecommunication)paymentmechanisminabidtosmoothentradewithcountriesfacingAmericansanctions.Russia’sfinancialmessagingsystemSPFSwillbelinkedwiththeChinesecross-borderinterbankpaymentsystemCIPS.WhileIndiastilldoesnothaveadomesticfinancialmessagingsystem,itplanstolinktheCentralBankofRussia’splatformwithaservicethatisunderdevelopment.Q.28)‘BudapestConvention’wasinnewsrecently.Itdealswith

a) Cybercrimeb) Extraditionc) DoubleTaxationd) TransboundaryMovementsofMedicines

Q.28)Solution(a)TheConventiononCybercrime,alsoknownastheBudapestConventiononCybercrimeortheBudapestConvention,isthefirstinternationaltreatyseekingtoaddressInternetandcomputercrime(cybercrime)byharmonizingnationallaws,improvinginvestigativetechniques,andincreasingcooperationamongnations.Q.29)Considerthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘Ecologicalfiscaltransfers(EFTs)’.

1. Theworld’slargestecologicalfiscaltransfersystemwasestablishedbyIndiain2015.2. EFTsinvolvehigherlevelsofgovernmentdistributingfundstolowerlevelsof

governmentbasedonecologicalindicators.




Q.29)Solution(c)Ecologicalfiscaltransfers(EFTs)involvehigherlevelsofgovernmentdistributingfundstolowerlevelsofgovernmentbasedonecologicalindicators.Theworld’slargestecologicalfiscaltransfersystemwasestablishedbyIndiain2015whenIndia’s14thFinanceCommissionaddedforestcovertotheformulathatdeterminestheamountoftaxrevenuetheUniongovernmentdistributesannuallytoeachofIndia’sstates,alongsidehistoricalpopulation,recentpopulation,povertyandarea.Q.30)‘DescriptioIndiæ’,acircumstantialdescriptionofthetwenty-twoprovincesofIndiawaswrittenby

a) JosephTiefenthalerb) WilliamFinchc) MontgomeryMartind) Jean-BaptisteTavernier

Q.30)Solution(a)JosephTiefenthalerwroteaDescriptioIndiæ,acircumstantialdescriptionofthetwenty-twoprovincesofIndia,ofitscities,fortresses,andthemostimportantsmallertowns,togetherwithanexactstatementofgeographicalpositions,calculatedbymeansofasimplequadrant.Q.31)TheMihirShahCommitteeconstitutedtodraftnew

a) NationalWaterPolicyb) NationalForestPolicyc) SpecialEconomicZone(SEZ)policyd) NationalMineralPolicy

Q.31)Solution(a)

• Mihir Shah Committee constituted byUnionWater ResourcesMinistry to draft anewNationalWaterPolicy(NWP).

• The committee has 10 principalmembers, chaired byMihir Shahwho is a formerPlanningCommissionmemberandawaterexpert.

Q.32)Considerthefollowingpairs:Tigerreserve State



1. Satkosia Rajasthan2. Buxa WestBengal3. Palamau Odisha



Q.32)Solution(c)

• PalamauistheonlyTigerreserveinthestateofJharkhand,India.• BuxaTigerreserveisinWestBengal.• SatkosiaTigerreserveisinOdisha.

Q.33) Consider the following statements about International Civil AviationOrganisation(ICAO):

1. ItisaUnitedNations(UN)specializedagency.2. Chicago Convention established the core principles permitting international

transportbyairandledtothecreationoftheICAO.3. ItisheadquarteredinChicago.



Q.33)Solution(c)Statement1 Statement2 Statement3Correct Correct IncorrectInternational Civil AviationOrganisation (ICAO) is a UnitedNations (UN) specialized agencyestablished in 1944. It laid the

ConventiononInternationalCivilAviation was signed in Chicago.Conventionestablishedthecoreprinciples permitting

It has 193members(including India)andheadquartered



foundation for the standards andprocedures for peaceful global airnavigation.

international transport by airand led to the creation of theICAO.

in Montreal,Canada.

Q.34)ThePUNCHMissionofNASAisto

a) Removespacedebrisb) Studywavesintheloweratmospherec) DiscoverpotentiallyHabitableExoplanetsd) StudytheSun’souterCorona

Q.34)Solution(d)

• PUNCHMission “Polarimeter toUnify the Corona andHeliosphere,” is a NASA’sMissionforunderstandingthetransitionofparticlesfromtheSun’soutercoronatothesolarwindthatfillsinterplanetaryspace.

• PlanistoobservetheSunusingjointobservationsfromPUNCHandIndianmissionAdityaL1.

Q.35)Whichofthefollowingcountriesarelandlocked?

1. Colombia2. Cambodia3. Bolivia4. Ethiopia5. Armenia


a) 1,3and4onlyb) 3,4and5onlyc) 2,3and5onlyd) 1,2and4only

Q.35)Solution(b)

• Bolivia,EthiopiaandArmeniaarelandlockedcountries.Q.36)‘KailPodh’Festivalisassociatedwithwhichofthefollowingstates?



a) Maharashtrab) Karnatakac) Goad) Sikkim

Q.36)Solution(b)Kailpodh,theharvestfestivalisthetimefortheKodavastofeastafterinvolvinginhardlabouroftheploughing,sowingandtransplantingofrice.ItisoneofthetwofestivalsthatonlyKodavascelebrate,theotherbeing‘Puttari’duringDecember.TheKodavas(Kodava,anglicisedasCoorgs),areconsideredapatrilinealethno-lingualtribefromtheregionofKodagu,(inKarnatakastateofsouthernIndia),whonativelyspeaktheKodavalanguage.Q.37)The'CT-TTX'(counter-terrorismtable-topexercise)wasinnewsrecently.Whichofthefollowingcountieswereparticipantsoftheexercise?

1. India2. Australia3. Japan4. USA

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1,2and3b) 2,3and4c) 1,3and4d) Alloftheabove

Q.37)Solution(d)TheNationalInvestigationAgencyishostingthefirstcounter-terrorismexerciseforthe"Quad"countries--India,theUS,JapanandAustralia.The'CT-TTX'(counter-terrorismtable-topexercise)isfirstsuchengagementamongtheQuadcountriesonregionalandglobalissuesofcommoninterestandalsointhedomainofcounter-terrorismandcooperation.Q.38)Considerthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘TheSpecialClimateChangeFund(SCCF)’.

1. ItwasestablishedundertheUnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChangein2001tofinanceprojectsrelatingto:adaptation;technologytransferandcapacitybuilding;energy,transport,industry,agriculture,forestryandwastemanagement;andeconomicdiversification.

2. TheGlobalEnvironmentFacility(GEF)hasbeenentrustedtooperatetheSCCF.




Q.38)Solution(c)HousedattheGEF,theSCCFwasestablishedin2001tosupportclimatechangeprojectsinalldevelopingcountrypartiestotheUNFCCCthroughfourfundingwindows:adaptation,technologytransfer,sector-specificprojects,andassistancewithdiversificationoffuel-dependenteconomies.Q.39)‘DanakilDepression’wasinnewsrecently.Whereisitlocated?

a) Indonesiab) Ethiopiac) Afghanistand) Russia

Q.39)Solution(b)TheDanakilDepressionisthenorthernpartoftheAfarTriangleorAfarDepressioninEthiopia,ageologicaldepressionthathasresultedfromthedivergenceofthreetectonicplatesintheHornofAfrica.TheDanakilDepressionliesatthetriplejunctionofthreetectonicplatesandhasacomplexgeologicalhistory.IthasdevelopedasaresultofAfricaandAsiamovingapart,causingriftingandvolcanicactivity.Erosion,inundationbythesea,therisingandfallingofthegroundhaveallplayedtheirpartintheformationofthisdepression.Sedimentaryrockssuchassandstoneandlimestoneareunconformablyoverlainbybasaltwhichresultedfromextensivelavaflows.Q.40)Considerthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘ChiangMaiInitiative(CMI)’.

1. Itisamechanismforforeigncurrencyexchangeintimesofemergency.2. ItwaslaunchedbytheASEAN+6countries.


Q.40)Solution(a)



TheChiangMaiInitiative(CMI)isamultilateralcurrencyswaparrangementamongthetenmembersoftheAssociationofSoutheastAsianNations(ASEAN),thePeople'sRepublicofChina(includingHongKong),Japan,andSouthKorea.Originally,theChiangMaiInitiativewasestablishedin2001asatoolforregionalfinancialcooperation,drawingonthelessonslearnedfromtheAsianfinancialcrisisof1997.Startingoutasabunchofswapagreements,themechanismbecametheChiangMaiInitiativeMultilateralism(CMIM)in2009,aftertheregionwashitonceagain,thistimebytheGlobalFinancialCrisis.Q.41)‘MakeinIndiaMittelstand’(MIIM)ProgrammeaimstofacilitateinvestmentinIndiabywhichofthefollowing?

a) Franceb) Germanyc) Netherlandd) UnitedKingdom

Q.41)Solution(b)

• ‘Make in IndiaMittelstand’ (MIIM) Programme aiming to facilitate investmentbyGermanSMEsintoIndia.

Q.42)Considerthefollowingpairs:GloballyImportantAgriculturalHeritageSystems(GIAHS)systemsofIndia

State

1. Koraput Sikkim2. Pampore Uttarakhand3. Kuttanad Kerala


a) 1and2onlyb) 1onlyc) 2and3onlyd) 3only

Q.42)Solution(a)



• Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)are outstandinglandscapes of aesthetic beauty that combine agricultural biodiversity, resilientecosystemsandavaluableculturalheritage.

• GIAHS programme was started by FAO in 2002 when it began awarding suchdesignationstoselectedsitesacrosstheworld.

• AimofGIAHSprogrammeisto identifyandsafeguardeco-friendlytraditional farmpractices and their associated landscapes, agricultural biodiversity and knowledgesystemsofthelocalcommunities.

• ThreeagriculturalsystemsfromIndiahavegotGIAHSstatus.i. Koraput (Odisha) - cultivation of traditional varieties of paddy, pulses,

millets,oilseeds,andvegetables.ii. Pampore(KashmirValley)-SaffronHeritageSiteiii. Kuttanad(Kerala)-lowlandricecultivation,belowsealevel.

Q.43) As per the Indian State of Forest Report (ISFR), 2019 which of the followingstatementsis/arecorrect?

1. India’sforestcoverisabout24percentofitstotalgeographicarea.2. KarnatakasawthehighestincreaseinforestcoveramongtheotherStatescompared

tolastassessment.3. TheforestcoverintheNorthEasternregionincreasedmarginally.


a) 1and2onlyb) 2onlyc) 1and3onlyd) 2and3only

Q.43)Solution(b)Statement1 Statement2 Statement3Incorrect Correct IncorrectAs per Indian State ofForestReport (ISFR),2019,total forest cover is21.67%ofthegeographicalarea of the country. Thetree cover is 2.89% ofgeographical area. Thus

The top five States interms of increase inforest cover: Karnataka(1,025 sq km), AndhraPradesh (990 sq km),Kerala (823 sq km),Jammu&Kashmir(371sq

Total forest cover in the NorthEastern region is 65.05% of itsgeographical area. The currentassessment shows a decrease offorestcovertotheextentof765sq km (0.45%) in the region.ExceptAssamandTripura,all the



total forest and tree coveris 24.56%. Hencestatementisincorrect.

km) and HimachalPradesh(334sqkm).

States in the region showdecreaseinforestcover.

Q.44)Theterm‘Arrokoth’seeninnewsisrelatedwith

a) CyberPhysicalSystemb) ParticlePhysicsc) KuiperBeltFlybyObjectd) HumanGenomeProject

Q.44)Solution(c)

• TheInternationalAstronomicalUnionandMinorPlanetsCenter,theglobalbodyfornamingKuiperBeltobjects,hasofficiallynamedtheNewHorizonsKuiperBeltFlybyObjectas'Arrokoth'.

• Arrokoth isoneof thethousandsofknownsmall icyworlds intheKuiperBelt, thevast “third zone” of the solar systembeyond the inner terrestrial planets and theoutergasgiantplanets.

Q.45)Consider the followingstatementsabout innovation forDefenceExcellence (iDEX)initiative:

1. iDEXisanecosystemtofosterinnovationandindigenoustechnologydevelopmentinDefenceandAerospace.

2. iDEX will be funded and managed by a Defence Research and DevelopmentOrganisation(DRDO).



Q.45)Solution(a)Statement1 Statement2Correct Incorrect



An innovation for Defence Excellence(iDEX) initiative was launched in 2018by Defence Ministry. iDEX is anecosystem to foster innovation andindigenoustechnologydevelopmentinDefence and Aerospace by engaginginnovators and entrepreneurs todeliver technologically advancedsolutions for modernizing IndianMilitary.

iDEX provides funding/grants to MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovator, R&D institutes andacademia to carry out R&D which has goodpotentialforfutureadoption.iDEXwillbefundedand managed by a ‘Defence InnovationOrganization (DIO)’whichhasbeen formedas a‘not for profit’ company as per Section 8 of theCompaniesAct2013.DIOisfundedbyHindustanAeronautics Limited (HAL)andBharatElectronicsLimited(BEL).

Q.46)The‘Dampier-HodgesLine’isassociatedwithwhichofthefollowingregions?

a) WesternGhatsb) Aravallisc) Sundarbansd) KonkanCoast

Q.46)Solution(c)InIndia,theDampier-HodgesLinecreatedbytheBritishin1828isconsideredthenorthernboundarywhichincludeforestedaswellasdenselypopulatedpartsofSundarbans.Q.47)Whichofthefollowingpairsis/arecorrectlymatched?

1. SasthamkottaLake–Kerala2. KanjliWetland–Uttarakhand3. Surinsar-MansarLakes–Punjab

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1Onlyb) 1and2c) 2and3d) 1,2and3

Q.47)Solution(a)SasthamkottaLake–KeralaKanjliWetland–PunjabSurinsar-MansarLakes–Jammu&KashmirQ.48)The‘BureauofIndianStandards(BIS)’isundertheaegisof

a) MinistryofConsumerAffairs,Food&PublicDistributionb) MinistryofCommerceandIndustryc) MinistryofScienceandTechnology



d) MinistryofJalShakti

Q.48)Solution(a)TheBureauofIndianStandards(BIS)isthenationalStandardsBodyofIndiaworkingundertheaegisofMinistryofConsumerAffairs,Food&PublicDistribution.Q.49)WhichofthefollowingaresurveillanceactsofIndia?

1. IndianTelegraphAct,1885,2. InformationTechnology(IT)Act,20003. CentralBureauofInvestigationAct,1965

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1and2b) 2Onlyc) 1and3d) 1,2and3

Q.49)Solution(a)ThelawsgoverningthisaretheIndianTelegraphAct,1885,whichdealswithinterceptionofcalls,andtheInformationTechnology(IT)Act,2000,whichdealswithinterceptionofdata.Under both laws, only the government, under certain circumstances, is permitted toconductsurveillance,andnotprivateactors.Q.50)IndiahasFreeTradeAgreements(FTAs)with

1. Japan2. USA3. SouthKorea

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1and2b) 2and3c) 1and3d) Noneoftheabove

Q.50)Solution(c)ThemajorFTAsthatIndiahassignedandimplementedsofarincludeSouthAsiaFreeTradeAgreement(SAFTA),India-ASEANComprehensiveEconomicCooperationAgreement(CECA),India-KoreaComprehensiveEconomicPartnershipAgreement(CEPA)andIndia-JapanCEPA.Q.51)Consider the following statementsabout IndianAirQuality InteractiveRepository(IndAIR)?



1. ItistheIndia’sfirstwebrepository,documentingairqualitystudiesdoneinthelast

60years.2. It is launched by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI)

alongwiththeNationalInformaticsCentre(NIC)Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/arecorrect?


Q.51)Solution(a)Statement1 Statement2Correct IncorrectIndianAirQuality InteractiveRepository (IndAIR)istheIndia’sfirstwebrepository,documentingairqualitystudiesdoneinthelast60years.Itaimstoprovide the history of air pollution research andlegislation.

It is launched by NationalEnvironmental Engineering ResearchInstitute (NEERI) along with theCouncil of Scientific and IndustrialResearch(CSIR).

Q.52)Recentlyseeninnews,Nangraharisaprovinceofwhichofthefollowing?

a) Indonesiab) Myanmarc) Afghanistand) Tanzania

Q.52)Solution(c)

• NangraharorNingrahar, isoneof the34provincesofAfghanistan, located in theeasternpartofthecountry.

• The Nangarhar province territory fell to the Maurya Empire, which was led byChandraguptaMaurya,whointroducedHinduismandBuddhism.

Q.53)Which of the following services are covered under Integrated ChildDevelopmentServices(ICDS)scheme?



1. Pre-schoolnon-formaleducation2. SupplementaryNutrition3. Immunization4. Healthcheck-up


a) 1,2and3onlyb) 2,3and4onlyc) 2and4onlyd) 1,2,3and4

Q.53)Solution(d)

• Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is a centrally sponsored schemeimplementedbystategovernmentsandunionterritories.

• It aims at providing supplementary nutrition, immunization and pre-schooleducationtothechildren.

• The beneficiaries include Children of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactatingmothers.

• ItoffersapackageofsixservicessuchasSupplementaryNutrition,Pre-schoolnon-formal education,Nutritionandhealtheducation, Immunization,Health check-upandReferralservices.

• TheservicesareofferedatAnganwadiCentresthroughAnganwadiWorkers(AWWs)andAnganwadiHelpers(AWHS)atgrassrootslevel.

• All components of ICDS except Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) arefinanced through a 60:40 ratio (central:state). The SNP component was fundedthrough50:50ratio.TheNorthEaststateshavea90:10ratio.



Q.54)WithreferencetoDhanushArtilleryGun,whichofthefollowingstatementsis/arecorrect?

1. ItisthefirstindigenousartillerygunofIndia.2. Itisthefirstlong-rangeartilleryguntobeproducedinIndia.



Q.54)Solution(c)Statement1 Statement2Correct CorrectDhanushArtilleryGun is the first indigenousartillerygunofIndia.DevelopedbyOrdnanceFactoryBoard(OFB),KolkataandreferredtoasDesiBofors.

Itisthefirstlong-rangeartilleryguntobeproduced in India (range of 38 km). It isequippedwithanavigation-basedsightingsystemandnightdirectfiringsystem.

Q.55)Whichofthefollowingisthesmallestofallrhinospecies?

a) BlackRhinob) WhiteRhinoc) JavanRhinod) SumatranRhino

Q.55)Solution(d)

• SumatranRhinoisthesmallestofallrhinospecies.• ItisCriticallyEndangered(CR)ontheIUCNRedListofThreatenedSpecies.• TheSumatranrhinoceroshasbecomeextinctinMalaysia,afterthedeathofthelast

rhinointhecountry.Q.56)WhichofthefollowingcountriestookMyanmartotheInternationalCourtofJustice(ICJ)forcommittinggenocide?

a) SaudiArabiab) China



c) Turkeyd) Gambia

Q.56)Solution(d)Gambia’s filingasks the ICJ to findMyanmarguiltyof committinggenocide—of failing topreventandpunishgenocide.Gambia’srequestaskstheICJtodemandthatMyanmarceasegenocidal acts, provides reparations and punishes the perpetrators (including seniorgovernmentofficialsandmilitaryofficers).THINK!

• GenocideConvention

Q.57)‘Theruleofnegative(orreverse)consensus’isassociatedwitha) WorldBankb) WorldTradeOrganizationc) InternationalSolarAllianced) BIMSTEC

Q.57)Solution(b)ItisassociatedwiththeWTOdisputesettlementcase.ReadMore-https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/disp_settlement_cbt_e/c6s3p1_e.htmQ.58)Considerthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘LiquidityCoverageRatio(LCR)’.

1. Itistheproportionofhighliquidassetssetasidetomeetshort-termobligations.2. ItwasprescribedbytheBaselCommitteeonBankingSupervision(BCBS).


Q.58)Solution(c)Inthebackdropof theglobal financialcrisis thatstarted in2007, theBaselCommitteeonBanking Supervision (BCBS) proposed certain reforms to strengthen global capital andliquidityregulationswiththeobjectiveofpromotingamoreresilientbankingsector.Inthisregard,theBaselIIIrulestextonliquidity–“BaselIII:Internationalframeworkforliquidityrisk measurement, standards and monitoring” was issued in December 2010 whichpresented thedetailsofglobal regulatorystandardson liquidity.Twominimumstandardsviz.LiquidityCoverageRatio(LCR)andNetStableFundingRatio(NSFR)forfundingliquidity



were prescribed by the Basel Committee for achieving two separate but complementaryobjectives.The LCR promotes short-term resilience of banks to potential liquidity disruptions byensuring that they have sufficient high-quality liquid assets (HQLAs) to survive an acutestress scenario lasting for 30 days. The NSFR promotes resilience over longer-term timehorizonsbyrequiringbankstofundtheiractivitieswithmorestablesourcesoffundingonanongoingbasis.Q.59)Theterm‘ClawbackMechanism’wasinnewsassociatedwith

a) Non-PerformingAssetsb) EXIMScripsc) NationalAgricultureMarket(eNAM)d) CommitteeofCreditors(CoC)

Q.59)Solution(a)Aclawbackprovisionisacontractualclausetypically includedinemploymentcontractsbyfinancial firms, by which money already paid to an employee must be paid back to theemployerundercertainconditions.RBIhastightenedtheguidelinesforcompensationpackagesofwhole-timedirectors(WTDs)andchiefexecutiveofficers(CEOs)ofprivateandforeignbanks,andaskedthemtoput inplace a clawbackmechanism to address themisconduct risk and under-reporting of badloans.Source:https://indianexpress.com/article/business/banking-and-finance/to-tackle-npa-under-reporting-and-misconduct-rbi-asks-private-banks-to-set-clawback-mechanism-6103260/Q.60)Whichofthefollowingstatementsis/arecorrect?

1. NominalGDPofIndiaisincreasinginthelasttenyears.2. NominalGDPGrowthRateisconsistentlyincreasinginthelasttenyears.


Q.60)Solution(a)Statement1iscorrect.Statement2isincorrect.



Q.61)Consider the followingstatementsabout ‘SchemeforProtectionandPreservationofEndangeredLanguagesofIndia’:

1. Theobjectiveoftheschemeistodocumentandarchivethecountry’slanguagesthathavebecomeendangeredorlikelytobeendangeredinthenearfuture.

2. TheSchemewasinstitutedbyMinistryofCulture.Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/arecorrect?

a) 1onlyb) 2only



c) Both1and2d) Neither1nor2

Q.61)Solution(a)Statement1 Statement2Correct IncorrectThesoleobjectiveofthe‘SchemeforProtectionand Preservation of Endangered Languages ofIndia’ is todocument andarchive the country’slanguages that have become endangered orlikelytobeendangeredinthenearfuture.

Scheme was instituted byMinistry ofHuman Resource Development. Thescheme is monitored byCentralInstitute of Indian Languages(CIIL)locatedinMysuru,Karnataka.

Q.62)TheGlobalClimateRiskIndexisreleasedby

a) UnitedNationsUniversityInstituteforEnvironmentandHumanSecurity(UNU-EHS)b) Germanwatchc) ClimateActionNetwork(CAN)d) WorldEconomicForum(WEF)

Q.62)Solution(b)

• TheGlobal Climate Risk Index was released by international environmental thinktankGermanwatch.

• It assessed 181 countries and quantified impacts of climate change througheconomiclosses,lossestoGDPandfatalitiestoarriveataranking.

• India’srankhasworsenedfrom14thspotin2017to5thmostvulnerablecountrytoclimate change in 2018. Japan topped the list followed by the Philippines andGermany.

Q.63)Withreferencetointerstellarobject‘BORISOV’considerthefollowingstatements:

1. Itisthefirstinterstellarobjecttobeidentifiedtilldatetohavepassedthroughoursolarsystem.

2. Itfollowsanellipticalpath.Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/arecorrect?

a) 1only



b) 2onlyc) Both1and2d) Neither1nor2

Q.63)Solution(d)Statement1 Statement2Incorrect IncorrectCOMET2I/BORISOVhasbecomethesecondinterstellarobjecttobeidentifiedtilldatetohave passed through our solar system. Thefirst one was 1I/'Oumuamua’. The nameBorisov honours its discoverer, astronomerGennadyBorisovfromCrimea.

Objects born in our solar system aretrapped in elliptical orbits around the sunwhile interstellar bodies follow thehyperbolic path. It was confirmed that2I/Borisovhasamorehyperbolicpaththananyothercometwhichhasbeenstudiedtodate.

Q.64)WhichofthefollowingcountryimposesDigitalServicesTax(DST)knownas‘GAFA’Tax?

a) Germanyb) Switzerlandc) Franced) Norway

Q.64)Solution(c)

• France’sDigitalServicesTax(DST) isa3%taxontheturnoverofdigitalcompanieswith global turnover of at least €750million, ofwhich €25million is generated inFrance.

• France’s DST is known informally as the “GAFA” tax after the initials for Google,Apple,FacebookandAmazon.

Q.65)WithreferencetoIndustrialSecurityAnnex(ISA),whichofthefollowingstatementsis/areNOTCORRECT?

1. ItisapartoftheCommunicationsCompatibilityandSecurityAgreement(COMCASA)signedbetweenIndiaandUSA.

2. Itwill facilitate theexchangeof classifiedmilitary informationbetween IndianandtheU.S.defenseindustries.





Q.65)Solution(a)Statement1 Statement2Incorrect CorrectIndustrial Security Annex (ISA) will provide aframework for exchange and protection of classifiedmilitary information between the U.S. and Indiandefence industries (private sector). ISA will open thedoor for U.S. defence companies to partner with theIndianprivatesector.

IndustrialSecurityAnnex(ISA)isapartoftheGeneralSecurityofMilitary Information Agreement(GSOMIA) signed between IndiaandUSA.

Q.66)WhichofthefollowingwaterbodiesislocatedinbetweenCrimeanPeninsulaandRussia?

a) SeaofAzovb) DnieperRiverc) SeaofMarmarad) GulfofBothnia

Q.66)Solution(a)



Q.67)India’s‘Fourbalancesheetchallenge’includes1. Infrastructurecompanies2. Banks3. NBFCs4. RealEstateCompanies5. TelecomCompanies

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1,2,3and4b) 2,3,4and5c) 1,3,4and5d) 1,2,4and5

Q.67)Solution(a)Citingreasonsforthe"severeillnessintheeconomy",formerChiefEconomicAdvisorArvindSubramanianhaspointedoutthatIndiaisnowfacinga"FourBalanceSheet"challenge--comprisingbanks,infrastructure,plusNBFCsandrealestatecompanies--andistrappedinanadverseinterestgrowthdynamic.Q.68)‘Somalia’doesnotborder

a) Kenyab) Djiboutic) Eritread) Ethiopia

Q.68)Solution(c)



Q.69)Whichofthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘QRCode’is/arecorrect?

1. CharactersandspecialcharacterscanbestoredinaQRCode.2. QRCodecanstoreupto7089digits.


Q.69)Solution(c)Upto7089digitsor4296characters,includingpunctuationmarksandspecialcharacters,canbeenteredinoneCode.Inadditiontonumbersandcharacters,wordsandphrases(e.g.Internetaddresses)canbeencodedaswell.AsmoredataisaddedtotheQRCode,theCodesizeincreasesandtheCodestructurebecomesmorecomplex.Q.70)Considerthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘Saptamatrikas’

1. TheyareagroupofsevenfemaledeitiesworshippedinHinduismaspersonifyingtheenergyoftheirrespectiveconsorts.

2. NatarajasculptureatRavanaPhadicave,Aiholeissurroundedbylarger-than-life-sizedepictionsofthesaptamatrikas.

Selectthecorrectstatementsa) 1Onlyb) 2Only



c) Both1and2d) Neither1nor2

Q.70)Solution(c)SaptamatrikasareagroupofsevenfemaledeitiesworshippedinHinduismaspersonifyingtheenergyoftheirrespectiveconsorts.EarlyChalukyanactivitytakestheformofrock-cutcaveswhilelateractivityisofstructuraltemples.TheearliestisprobablytheRavanaPhadicaveatAiholewhichisknownforitsdistinctivesculpturalstyle.OneofthemostimportantsculpturesatthesiteisofNataraja,surroundedbylarger-than-life-sizedepictionsofthesaptamatrikas:threetoShiva’sleftandfourtohisright.

Q.71)WithreferencetoRemissionofDutiesorTaxesonExportProduct(RoDTEP)scheme,considerthefollowingstatements:

1. ItisdesignedtoreimbursealltaxesanddutiespaidoninputsconsumedinexportsinsyncwiththeWTOnorms.

2. Under the scheme, affordable testing and certification will be made available toexporterswithinthecountry.

3. ItwillreplacetheexistingMerchandiseExportsfromIndiaScheme(MEIS).Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/arecorrect?

a) 1and2onlyb) 2and3onlyc) 1and3onlyd) 1,2and3

Q.71)Solution(d)Statement1 Statement2 Statement3Correct Correct CorrectTheRemissionofDutiesor Taxes on ExportProduct (RoDTEP)scheme is designed toreimburseall taxesandduties paid on inputsconsumed inexports insync with the WTO

Also by adapting to RoDTEPscheme,Indianexporterswillbeable tomeet the internationalstandardsfor exports asaffordable testing andcertification will be madeavailable to exporters withinthecountryinsteadofrelyingon

RoDTEP scheme will replacethe existingMerchandiseExports from India Scheme(MEIS)and create a fullyautomated route forInputTax Credit (ITC)in theGST tohelpincreaseexportsinIndia.MEIS was not WTO rules



norms. internationalorganizations. compliant.Q.72)WhichofthefollowingNationalParkarelocatedinthestateofAndhraPradesh?

1. KasuBrahmanandaReddyNationalPark2. PapikondaNationalPark3. MrugavaniNationalPark4. SriVenkateswaraNationalPark


a) 1and2onlyb) 2and4onlyc) 3and4onlyd) 1,2and4only

Q.72)Solution(b)

• PapikondaNationalParkandSriVenkateswaraNationalParkarelocatedinAndhraPradesh.

• National Parks in Telangana: Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park, MahaveerHarinaVanasthaliNationalParkandMrugavaniNationalPark.

Q.73)Recently,whichofthefollowinghaslaunched‘GandhiCitizenshipEducationPrize’topromotetheGandhi’sideals?

a) Portugalb) Irelandc) Congod) Kenya

Q.73)Solution(a)

• Portugal has launched Gandhi Citizenship Education Prize in order to promoteGandhi’sideals.

• Everyyear, theprizewouldbe inspiredbyGandhi’s thoughtsandquotes.The firsteditionoftheprizewouldbededicatedtoanimalwelfare.



Q.74)Whichofthefollowingis/arebenefitsoftheVoiceoverWi-Fi(VoWiFi)technology?

1. Shortercallconnectiontime2. Superiorcallquality3. Noextrachargesapplyforuser



Q.74)Solution(d)

• BhartiAirtelhasintroducedVoiceoverWi-Fi(VoWiFi),afirstforIndia. Ituseshighspeed Internet connection, available via broadband, to make and receive highdefinition(HD)voicecalls.

• BenefitsofVoWiFi:§ CallsmadeoverVoWiFiprovidesuserswithashortercallconnectiontimealong

with superior call quality compared to calls made over VoLTE or any existingcellulartechnology.

§ Usersdon’thavetopayextraforthesecallsasitisusingaWi-Finetwork.Q.75)Recentlyseeninnews,the‘OperationCleanArt’isrelatedwith

a) CleaningtheimportantmonumentsitesofIndiab) Illegalwildlifetradec) HumanitarianAssistanceandDisasterReliefd) Taxcompliancenorms

Q.75)Solution(b)

• OperationCleanArtisthefirstpanIndiaoperationtocrackdownonIllegalTradeinMongooseHairinthecountry.

• ItwasconceivedbyWildlifeCrimeControlBureau (WCCB)with thesingularaimofensuring that the mongoose hair brush trade should be closed down across thecountry.

Brushesmadeofmongoosehairarepreferredbecausetheyaresuperiorandholdcolourbetter.



Q.76)‘TarunRamadoraicommittee’wasinnewsrecently.Itisassociatedwith

a) FiscalSlippageb) Householdfinancec) MonetaryPolicyTransmissiond) BadBanks

Q.76)Solution(b)ReserveBankofIndia(RBI)hasconstitutedDr.TarunRamadoraicommitteetostudyvariousfacetsofhouseholdfinanceinIndia.Source:https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/savings-with-a-bonus-financial-peace-of-mind/article30300289.eceQ.77)IndiahasratifieswhichofthefollowingILOConventions?

1. NightWork(Women)Convention,19192. NightWorkofYoungPersons(Industry)Convention,19193. AbolitionofForcedLabourConvention4. RighttoOrganiseandCollectiveBargainingConvention


Q.77)Solution(a)AlltheconventionsmentionedaboveareratifiedbyIndiaexcepfor‘RighttoOrganiseandCollectiveBargainingConvention’ReadMore-https://labour.gov.in/lcandilasdivision/india-iloSource:https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/new-rules-old-problems/article30390884.eceQ.78)‘JarnailSinghvsLachhmiNarainGuptaCase’isassociatedwith

a) ReservationinPromotionb) RighttoPropertyc) RighttoSpeechd) JudicialActivism

Q.78)Solution(a)JarnailSinghvsLachhmiNarainGuptacase-Questionofwhethertheconceptof'creamylayer'shouldapplytoScheduledCastesandScheduledTribesjobpromotionsfollowingarequestfromtheUniongovernment.



Source:https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/why-does-government-wants-supreme-court-to-reconsider-stand-on-scst-creamy-layer/article30233041.eceQ.79)TheGlobalReportonInternalDisplacement(GRID)isbroughoutby

a) InternationalOrganizationforMigrationb) InternalDisplacementMonitoringCentrec) WorldEconomicForumd) InternationalLabourOrganization

Q.79)Solution(b)TheGlobalReportonInternalDisplacement(GRID).Theannualflagshipreportsynthesisesthelateststatistics,country/situationassessments,thematicandpolicyanalyses.Eachyearitpresentsthemostup-to-dateestimatesofnewdisplacementsbyconflictanddisasters,andthetotalcumulativenumbersofinternallydisplacedpeople(IDPs)worldwide.BasedinGeneva,Switzerland,theInternalDisplacementMonitoringCentre(IDMC)istheworld'sauthoritativesource ofdataandanalysisoninternaldisplacement.Sinceitsestablishmentin1998aspartoftheNorwegianRefugeeCouncil,IDMCofferedarigorous,independentandtrustedservicetotheinternationalcommunity.Itstatesthatofthe30.6millionpeopledisplacedin2017,18.8millionweredisaster-related.TheU.S.rankedsixthamongthetop10countrieswithnearly1.7millionpeoplemovingduetodisaster-relateddisplacementsin2017alone.Thatyear,Chinatoppedthelistwith4.5million,followedbythePhilippineswith2.5millionpeopledisplacedduetoclimate-relateddisasters.Source:https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/californias-new-climate-refugees/article30306988.eceQ.80)Whichofthefollowingpairsiscorrectlymatched?

1. Chloroquine–Tuberculosis2. Isoniazid–Malaria3. Ivermectin–Strongyloidiasis

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1and2b) 2and3c) 3Onlyd) 1,2and3

Q.80)Solution(c)Chloroquine–MalariaIsoniazid–TuberculosisIvermectin–StrongyloidiasisSource:

• https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/combination-therapy-using-malaria-drug-quickly-clears-tb/article30124928.ece



• https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/controlling-tuberculosis-by-sniffing-in-a-vaccine/article29362218.ece

Q.81)ConsiderthefollowingstatementsaboutInternationalUnionforProtectionofNewPlantVarieties(UPOV):

1. ItisestablishedbytheInternationalTreatyonPlantGeneticResourcesforFoodandAgriculture.

2. ItisanintergovernmentalorganizationwithitsheadquartersinGeneva.3. Itgrantsanintellectualpropertyrighttobreedersofnewplantvarieties.

Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/areINCORRECT?

a) 1and2onlyb) 2onlyc) 1and3onlyd) 3only

Q.81)Solution(c)Statement1 Statement2 Statement3Incorrect Correct IncorrectUPOV is established by theInternational Convention for theProtection of New Varieties ofPlants (UPOV Convention). TheConvention provides the basis formembers to encourage plantbreeding by granting breeders ofnew plant varieties an intellectualpropertyright:thebreeder'sright.

International Union forProtection of New PlantVarieties (UPOV) is anintergovernmentalorganization, with itsheadquarters inGeneva,Switzerland.

In the case of a varietyprotected by anauthorization of thebreeder is required topropagate the variety forcommercial purposes. Thebreeder's right is grantedby the individual UPOVmembers.

Q.82)InwhichofthefollowingstatetheFakimWildlifeSanctuaryislocated?

a) ArunachalPradeshb) Nagalandc) Manipurd) Mizoram



Q.82)Solution(b)

• FakimWildlifeSanctuaryissituatedclosetotheIndiaMyanmarborderinNagaland.• Hornbill, the most popular bird in Nagaland also abundantly found in the Fakim

WildlifeSanctuary.Q.83)TheBiwakoMillenniumFrameworkforActionisrelatedwith

a) PersonswithDisabilitiesb) ReducingGenderinequalityc) EnvironmentalRefugeesd) HumanTrafficking

Q.83)Solution(a)

• The Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an inclusive, barrier-freeandrights-basedsocietyforpersonswithdisabilitiesinAsiaandthePacific.

• ItprovidespolicyguidelinesfortheAsianandPacificregion.Q.84) National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) is the appellate tribunal forhearingappealsagainsttheorderspassedbywhichofthefollowing?

1. NationalCompanyLawTribunal2. InsolvencyandBankruptcyBoardofIndia3. CompetitionCommissionofIndia



Q.84)Solution(d)

• NationalCompanyLawAppellateTribunal (NCLAT)wasconstitutedunderSection410oftheCompaniesAct,2013tohearappealsagainsttheordersoftheNationalCompanyLawTribunal(NCLT).



• NCLTisaquasi-judicialbodythatadjudicatesissuesrelatingtocompanies.• AnypersonaggrievedbyanyorderoftheNCLATmayfileanappealtotheSupreme

Court.• NCLATistheAppellateTribunalforhearingappealsagainsttheorderspassedby–

i. National Company Law Tribunal(s) under Section61of the Insolvency andBankruptcyCode,2016(IBC)

ii. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) under Section 202 andSection211ofIBC.

iii. CompetitionCommissionofIndia(CCI)–aspertheamendmentbroughttoSection410oftheCompaniesAct,2013

Q.85)Considerthefollowingstatements:

1. TheHotspotsofthreateninglocustactivityareidentifiedbyInternationalUnionforConservationofNature(IUCN).

2. SouthwestAsiaisoneofthethreeHotspotsofthreateninglocustactivity.Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/arecorrect?


Q.85)Solution(b)Statement1 Statement2Incorrect CorrectThe Food and AgricultureOrganisation (FAO) of the UnitedNations identifies Hotspots ofthreateninglocustactivity.

FAO currently identifiedthree hotspots ofthreatening locust activity,where the situationhasbeen called“extremely alarming” — the Horn ofAfrica,theRedSeaarea,andsouthwestAsia.

Q.86)KPKrishnanCommitteewasinnewsrecently.Itisassociatedwith

a) Cross-BorderInsolvencyb) CorporateSocialResponsibilityc) CorporateGovernanced) EqualRemuneration



Q.86)Solution(a)Thecommitteewasconstitutedtorecommendrulesandregulatoryframeworkforthesmoothimplementationofcross-borderinsolvencyprovisionsundertheInsolvencyBankruptcyCode.MinistryofCorporateAffairs(MCA)hasnowexpandedthetermsofreferenceofthispanelheadedbyretiredIASofficerKPKrishnantocoveraspectsrelatingtoenterprisegroupinsolvencyonacross-borderbasis.ItwillstudyandanalysetheUncitralModelLawfor‘enterprisegroupinsolvency’andmakerecommendationsinthecontextoftheInsolvencyandBankruptcyCode2016(IBC).Q.87)Whichofthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘AirIndia’is/arecorrect?

a) AirIndiawasnationalisedin1991.b) ItwasfoundedbyJ.R.D.TataasTataAirlinesin1932.c) Both(a)and(b)d) Neither(a)nor(b)

Q.87)Solution(b)TheairlinewasfoundedbyJ.R.D.TataasTataAirlinesin1932.AfterWorldWarII,regularcommercialservicewasrestoredinIndiaandTataAirlinesbecameapubliclimitedcompanyon29July1946underthenameAirIndia.In1953,theGovernmentofIndiapassedtheAirCorporationsActandpurchasedamajoritystakeinthecarrierfromTataSonsthoughitsfounderJ.R.D.TatawouldcontinueasChairmantill1977.ThecompanywasrenamedasAirIndiaInternationalLimitedandthedomesticservicesweretransferredtoIndianAirlinesasapartofarestructuring.Q.88)Asacommonruleofthumb,‘Recession’isdefinedas

a) RecessionistwoquartersofnegativeGDPgrowth.b) Whenthestockmarketfallsover40%intwoweeks.c) Whentheemploymentrateinthecountryisover10%d) WhentheglobalGDPfallsby10%.

Q.88)Solution(a)Arecessionischaracterisedasaperiodofnegativeeconomicgrowthfortwoconsecutivequarters.Inarecession,unemploymentwillrise,outputfallandgovernmentborrowingincrease.Q.89)TheHumanDevelopmentIndex(HDI)measuresaverageachievementinwhichofthefollowingdimensions?

1. Lifeexpectancy2. Education



3. Percapitaincome

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1and2b) 2and3c) 1and3d) Alloftheabove

Q.89)Solution(d)TheHumanDevelopmentIndex(HDI)isastatisticcompositeindexoflifeexpectancy,education,andpercapitaincomeindicators,whichareusedtorankcountriesintofourtiersofhumandevelopment.Q.90)Considerthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘VelocityofMoney’.

1. Itistakenasthenumberoftimesthataunitofcurrencyisusedtopurchasegoodsandservicesinadefinedperiod.

2. Thevelocityofmoneyformuladividesthegrossdomesticproduct(GDP)ofaneconomybythemoneysupply.


Q.90)Solution(c)Thevelocityofmoneyistherateatwhichconsumersandbusinessesspendmoneyinaneconomy.Generally,thevelocityofmoneyistakenasthenumberoftimesthataunitofcurrencyisusedtopurchasegoodsandservicesinadefinedperiod.Thevelocityofmoneyformuladividesthegrossdomesticproduct(GDP)ofaneconomybythemoneysupply,asdemonstratedinthecalculationbelow:Velocityofmoney=GDP÷moneysupplyQ.91)ConsiderthefollowingstatementsaboutPradhanMantriVanDhanYojana:

1. It aims to convert the tribal wisdom into a viable economic activity and provideenhancedlivelihoodfortribals.

2. ItisaMarketLinkedTribalEntrepreneurshipDevelopmentProgram.3. Atunitlevel,aggregationofproducewouldbedoneby30SHGsformingVanDhan

Vikas‘Samuh’.





Q.91)Solution(a)Statement1 Statement2 Statement3Correct Correct IncorrectPradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojanais a Market Linked TribalEntrepreneurship DevelopmentProgram targeting livelihoodgenerationfortribalsbyharnessingthe wealth of forest. Theimplementation will be donethrough the Ministry of TribalAffairsasNodalDepartmentat theCentralLevelandTribalCooperativeMarketingDevelopmentFederationofIndia(TRIFED)asNodalAgencyattheNationalLevel.

It aims to tap intotraditional knowledgeandskill setsof tribalsbyadding technology and ITto upgrade it at eachstage and to convert thetribal wisdom into aviable economic activityand provide enhancedlivelihood to about 45lakhs tribal gatherers inoneyear.

At unit level,aggregation of producewould be done by 10SHGs having about 30members each formingVanDhanVikas‘Samuh’.Van Dhan Vikas Kendra(VDVKs) will beestablished for providingcapacitybuildingtrainingandskillupgradationandvalue addition facilityandsettingupofprimaryprocessing.

Q.92)IndexofEconomicFreedomisreleasedby

a) WorldTradeOrganisation(WTO)b) WorldBankc) UnitedNationsConferenceonTradeandDevelopment(UNCTAD)d) Noneoftheabove

Q.92)Solution(d)

• Index of Economic Freedommeasures jurisdictionsagainsteachother in termsoftradefreedom,taxburden,judicialeffectiveness,andsoon.

• ThemostwidelyreferencedindexofeconomicfreedomisproducedbytheHeritageFoundation,USbasedthinktank.

• Itrankscountriesbasedonscoreranging0(leastfree)to100(mostfree).



Q.93)WhichofthefollowingstatementsaboutBelumcavesis/arecorrect?

1. ItisthelongestnaturalcaveofIndia.2. ItislocatedinthestateofAndhraPradesh.



Q.93)Solution(b)Statement1 Statement2Incorrect CorrectBelumcaveisthesecond-longestnaturalcave in the Indian subcontinent. Longestnatural cave KremLiatPrah caves inMeghalaya.

BelumcavesarelocatedinKurnooldistrictofAndhra Pradesh. Recently Andhra PradeshGovernmenthostedtheBelumCavesfestivaltopopularisetheBelumcaves.

Q.94)InternationalConventionfortheSafeandEnvironmentallySoundRecyclingofShipsisknownas

a) BarcelonaConventionb) LondonConventionc) HongKongConventiond) MARPOLConvention

Q.94)Solution(c)

• IndiahasrecentlyaccededtotheHongKongInternationalConventionfortheSafeandEnvironmentallySoundRecyclingofShips.

• ItwasadoptedbyInternationalMaritimeOrganisation(IMO)in2009toensurethatships,whenbeingrecycledafterreachingtheendoftheiroperational lives,donotposeanyunnecessaryriskstohumanhealthandsafetyandtheenvironment.



Q.95)WhichofthefollowingStatesareprotectedunderInnerLinePermit(ILP)regime?

1. Manipur2. Mizoram3. Meghalaya4. Nagaland5. ArunachalPradesh


a) 1,4and5onlyb) 2,3and4onlyc) 1,2,4and5onlyd) 1,2,3,4and5

Q.95)Solution(c)

• Inner Line Permit (ILP) is a special permit that citizens from other parts of IndiarequiretoenterastateprotectedbytheILPregime.

• ItisissuedbytheconcernedStategovernmentforalimitedperiod• ItisbasedontheBengalEasternFrontierRegulationAct,1873.• StateshavingILPsystem:Nagaland,ArunachalPradesh,ManipurandMizoram

Q.96)Theterm‘RingFencing’wasinnewsrecentlyisassociatedwith

a) InsolvencyandBankruptcyCode(IBC)b) RealEstateInvestmentTrust(REITs)c) InfrastructureInvestmentTrusts(InvITs)d) FiscalStimulus

Q.96)Solution(a)CabinetclearedaproposaltopromulgateanOrdinancetoamendtheInsolvencyandBankruptcyCode(IBC)to“ring-fence”successfulnewbiddersofstressedassetsfromcriminalproceedingsagainstoffencescommittedbypreviousmanagement/promoters.Q.97)Whatarethepossibleimplicationsof‘OperationTwist’byRBI?

1. YieldsofGovernmentbondsdrops2. Reducedinterestrateonlongtermborrowing3. Bettermonetarytransmission

Selectthecorrectstatementsa) 1and2b) 2Only



c) 1and3d) 1,2and3

Q.97)Solution(d)RBIpurchasedthebondandpriceofbondpapermovedupandtheyielddropped.Thisleadstolongtermliquidityinthemarketwhichhelpsinreducinginterestrateonlongtermborrowing.Liquiditywasabundantattheshorterendbutnotsomuchatthelongerend.Butbymakingliquidityavailableatthelongend,themovewillhelpinmonetarytransmission.Q.98)‘UniversalServiceObligationFund(USOF)’isunder

a) MinistryofScienceandTechnologyb) MinistryofCommunicationsc) MinistryofElectronicsandInformationTechnologyd) MinistryofConsumerAffairs,FoodandPublicDistribution

Q.98)Solution(b)TheIndianTelegraph(Amendment)Act,2003givingstatutorystatustotheUniversalServiceObligationFund(USOF)waspassedbybothHousesofParliamentinDecember2003.TheRulesforadministrationoftheFundknownasIndianTelegraph(Amendment)Rules,2004werenotifiedon26.03.2004.AspertheIndianTelegraphAct1885(asamendedin2003,2006),theFundistobeutilizedexclusivelyformeetingtheUniversalServiceObligation.ItisundertheMinistryofCommunications.Q.99)Whichofthefollowingarethe‘OriginalPrinciplesofTheWashingtonConsensus’?

1. Developmentofpropertyrights2. Marketdeterminedinterestrates3. Lowgovernmentborrowing4. Liberalizationofinwardforeigndirectinvestment


Q.99)Solution(d)TheWashingtonConsensusreferstoasetoffree-marketeconomicpoliciessupportedbyprominentfinancialinstitutionssuchastheInternationalMonetaryFund,theWorldBank,andtheU.S.Treasury.ABritisheconomistnamedJohnWilliamsoncoinedthetermWashingtonConsensusin1989.



ThesearethetenspecificprinciplesoriginallysetoutbyJohnWilliamsonin1989:• Lowgovernmentborrowing.Theideawastodiscouragedevelopingeconomiesfrom

havinghighfiscaldeficitsrelativetotheirGDP.• Diversionofpublicspendingfromsubsidiestoimportantlong-termgrowth

supportingsectorslikeprimaryeducation,primaryhealthcare,andinfrastructure.• Implementingtaxreformpoliciestobroadenthetaxbaseandadoptmoderate

marginaltaxrates.• Selectinginterestratesthataredeterminedbythemarket.Theseinterestrates

shouldbepositiveaftertakinginflationintoaccount(realinterestrate).• Encouragingcompetitiveexchangeratesthroughfreely-floatingcurrencyexchange.• Adoptionoffreetradepolicies.Thiswouldresultintheliberalizationofimports,

removingtradebarrierssuchastariffsandquotas.• Relaxingrulesonforeigndirectinvestment.• Theprivatizationofstateenterprises.Typically,indevelopingcountries,these

industriesincluderailway,oil,andgas.• Theeradicationofregulationsandpoliciesthatrestrictcompetitionoradd

unnecessarybarrierstoentry.• Developmentofpropertyrights.

Q.100)Considerthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘OverallMitigationofGlobalEmissions(OMGE)’.

1. Itisstipulatedundersub-article6.4oftheParisAgreement2. Itcallstoensureanetreductioninemissions,ratherthanjustoffsettingCO2

releasedinonecountrywithsavingselsewhere.


Q.100)Solution(c)Unlikethecarbon-tradingarrangementsunderKyoto,Article6.4marketsarerequiredtoensurean“overallmitigationinglobalemissions”(OMGE).Thismeanstheyshouldensureanetreductioninemissions,ratherthanjustoffsettingCO2releasedinonecountrywithsavingselsewhere.Q.101)JAGAMissionofOdishaprotectstherightsofwhichofthefollowing?

a) Womenvictims



b) Tribalsc) Slumdwellersd) ManualScavengers

Q.101)Solution(c)

• Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission (OLHM) or JAGA Mission is Odisha stategovernment’sinitiativetograntlandrightstothousandsofslumdwellers.

• Undertheprogramme1,725slumsweresurveyedusingdronesandGIStechnology,whiledoor-to-doorhouseholdsurveyalsoconductedtograntlandrightscertificates(LRCs)to52,682families.

• Exercisealsoinvolvedcommunitymobilisationtogettheslumdwellerstoagreeandcooperationintheexercise.

• JAGAMissionwon thebronze atWorldHabitatAwards givenbyWorldHabitat, aUK-basedorganisationinpartnershipwithUN-Habitat.

Q.102)ConsiderthefollowingstatementsaboutTypbarTCVvaccine:

1. ItisatyphoidvaccinedevelopedbyNationalInstituteofImmunology.2. Itisaconjugatevaccinemadeusingacombinationoftwodifferentcomponents.

Whichofthestatementsgivenaboveis/areNOTcorrect?


Q.102)Solution(a)Statement1 Statement2Incorrect CorrectBharat Biotech has developed a typhoidvaccine (Typbar TCV) has better efficacythan the previously used vaccinations inpreventing typhoid fever. Typbar TCV, anantigen is chemically liked to a carrierprotein to create more powerful combinedimmuneresponse.

It is a type of conjugate vaccinewhichhasalready been pre-qualified by the WorldHealth Organization’s Strategic AdvisoryGroup of Experts on Immunization (WHO-SAGE).Conjugatevaccinesaremadeusingacombinationoftwodifferentcomponents.



Q.103)Sometimesseeninnews,‘Article6ofParisAgreement’dealswith

a) ClimateActionTargetsb) Transparencynormsc) LossandDamaged) ClimateCooperationMechanisms

Q.103)Solution(d)

• Article6oftheParisAgreementaimsatpromotingintegrated,holisticandbalancedapproachesthatwillassistgovernmentsinimplementingtheirnationallydeterminedcontributions(NDCs)throughvoluntaryinternationalcooperation.

• Article 6 could also establish a policy foundation for an emissions trading system,whichcouldhelpleadtoaglobalpriceoncarbon.

• Underthismechanism,countrieswithlowemissionswouldbeallowedtoselltheirexceedingallowancetolargeremitters,withanoverallcapofgreenhousegas(GHG)emissions,ensuringtheirnetreduction.

Q.104)WhichofthefollowingareadvantagesoftheLightdetectionandranging(LiDAR)technology?

1. Datacanbecollectedquicklyandwithhighaccuracy2. Canbeuseddayandnight3. Canbeusedtomapinaccessibleandfeaturelessareas4. Itisnotaffectedbyextremeweather


a) 2and4onlyb) 1,2and3onlyc) 1,3and4onlyd) 1,2,3and4

Q.104)Solution(d)

• Lightdetectionand ranging (LiDAR) isa remotesensingmethod thatuses light intheformofapulsedlasertomeasurerangestotheEarth.

• Thetechnologyisusedtomapthelandandisusedtomeasureseafloorandriverbedelevations.



AdvantagesofusingLiDAR

• Datacanbecollectedquicklyandwithhighaccuracy:LiDARisanairbornesensingtechnology which makes data collection fast and comes with extremely highaccuracyasaresultofthepositionaladvantage.

• Capableofcollectingelevationdatainadenseforest:LiDARtechnologyiscapableof collecting elevation data from a densely populated forest thanks to the highpenetrativeabilities.Thismeansitcanmapeventhedenselyforestedareas.

• Canbeuseddayandnight:LiDARtechnologycanbeuseddayandnightthankstotheactiveilluminationsensor.It isnotaffectedbylightvariationssuchasdarknessandlight.Thisimprovesitsefficiency.

• Itisnotaffectedbyextremeweather:LiDARtechnologyisindependentofextremeweather conditions such as extreme sunlight and other weather scenarios. Thismeansthatdatacanstillbecollectedundertheseconditionsandsentforanalysis.

• Doesnothaveanygeometrydistortions• Itcanbeintegratedwithotherdatasources• Ithasminimumhumandependence• Surfacedatahasahighersampledensity• Canbeusedtomapinaccessibleandfeaturelessareas

DisadvantagesofLiDAR

• Highoperatingcostsinsomeapplications• Ineffectiveduringheavyrainorlowhangingclouds• Degradedathighsunanglesandreflections• Unreliableforwaterdepthandturbulentbreakingwaves• NoInternationalprotocols• Elevationerrorsduetoinabilitytopenetrateverydenseforests• Thelaserbeamsmayaffecthumaneyeincaseswherethebeamispowerful• Inabilitytopenetratethickvegetation• Requiresskilleddataanalysistechniques• Lowoperatingaltitudeofbetween500-2000m

Q.105)ConsiderthefollowingstatementsaboutIndianOceanDialogue(IOD):

1. TheIODisaflagshipinitiativeoftheIndianOceanNavalSymposium.2. ItisaTrack1.5discussioninvolvingbothofficialsandnon-officials.3. TherecentIndianOceanDialogue(IOD)washeldinChennai.




a) 1onlyb) 2onlyc) 2and3onlyd) 1and3only

Q.105)Solution(b)Statement1 Statement2 Statement3Incorrect Correct IncorrectTheIODisaflagshipinitiativeoftheIndian Ocean Rim Association(IORA).IndianOceanRimAssociationisaninter-governmentalorganisationaimed at strengthening regionalcooperation and sustainabledevelopmentwithintheIndianOceanregion. The Association has 22member states and 9 dialoguepartners.

It is a Track 1.5 discussion,encouraging an open and freeflowing dialogue by academiaand officials on strategic issuesof the Indian Ocean Region.Track 1.5 diplomacy involvesboth officials and non-officials(business leaders, businessorganizations and all possiblenondiplomats).

The 6th IndianOcean Dialogue(IOD) was heldinDelhi.

Q.106)Considerthefollowingstatementswithrespectto‘FrontofPacketLabelling(FoPL)’.

1. ItwasincludedwithinthedraftFoodSafetyandStandards(LabellingandDisplay)Regulations,2019.

2. Itisaimedatmakingconsumersawareoffoodproductsthatarehighinfat,sugarandsaltcontent.


Q.106)Solution(c)FoodSafetyandStandardsAuthorityofIndia’s(FSSAI)recentlyintroduceddraftFoodSafetyandStandards(LabellingandDisplay)Regulations,2019.ThemostimportantpartofthedraftrulesistheFront-of-Pack(FoP)labellingand‘red-coloured’warningsymboltohelpidentifyfoodshighincalories,saturatedfats,transfats,addedsugarandsalt.TheproposedFoPlabelwilldepictinformationonnumberofcaloriesandquantityofsalt,addedsugarandfatsperserve.Thelabelwillalsoincludehowmuchof



theRDAisexhaustedbyeatingoneserveofthepackagedfood.Ifsalt,addedsugarandfatsinapackagedfoodexceedsacertainthresholdlevel,theredwarningsymbolwillappearonthepackage.Red-colouredwarningsymbolisaverypowerfulapproachtohelpconsumersidentifyjunkfoods.Itisamuch-neededinterventionforIndiaasitwillhelpovercomeliteracyandlanguagebarriers.Q.107)AcoupleofUSfirmsweresuedfordeathsofchildlabourersinwhichofthefollowingcountries?

a) Mexicob) DRCongoc) Pakistand) Lesotho

Q.107)Solution(b)FiveU.S.techgiants,includingApple,MicrosoftandGoogleparentAlphabet,havebeennamedinalawsuitoverthedeathofchildlabourersincobaltminesintheDemocraticRepublicofCongo.Impoverishedbutmineral-richDRCongoistheworld’slargestproduceroftheraremetal,whichiscrucialformakingbatteriesusedinmobilephonesandelectricvehicles.IndiaissecondlargestimporterofCobaltfromDrCongo.Q.108)Whichofthefollowingpairsis/arecorrectlymatched?Material–Country

1. Lithium–Australia2. Graphite–SouthAfrica3. Manganese–India

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1Onlyb) 2and3c) 1and3d) 1,2and3

Q.108)Solution(a)Lithium–AustraliaGraphite–ChinaManganese–SouthAfricaQ.109)Whichofthefollowingcountriesaremembersofthe‘EastMediterraneanGasForum(EMGF)’.

1. Cyprus2. Israel3. Italy



4. Palestine5. Egypt

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1,2,3and5b) 1,3and5c) 2,3,4and5d) Alloftheabove

Q.109)Solution(d)Members-Cyprus,Greece,Israel,Italy,Jordan,PalestineandEgypt.TheEastMedGasForumisevolvingintoapermanentorganisation,withthesupportoftheEuropeanUnionandtheencouragementoftheUSandFrance.HQ–CairoQ.110)‘ProvisionsforreservationsforSCs/STsandAnglo-Indians’areextendedunder

a) Article334b) Article331c) Article333d) Article131

Q.110)Solution(a)ProvisionsforreservationsforSCs/STsandAnglo-IndiansareextendedunderArticle334(a)and(b)oftheConstitution.Q.111)ConsiderthefollowingfindingsoftherecentIndiaSkillsReport:

1. Lessthan50%ofstudentswerefoundemployableorreadytotakeupjobs.2. Female employabilitywitnessed an upward trend while that of male workforce

declined.3. Shareofgigworkersintheeconomyhasincreased.





Q.111)Solution(d)

• India SkillsReport isa joint initiativebyPeopleStrong,aGlobalTalentAssessmentCompany, in collaboration withConfederation of Indian Industry (CII) along withpartnerslikeUNDP,AICTE,andAssociationofIndianUniversities.

• Keyfindingsofthereport§ About46.21%studentswerefoundemployableorreadytotakeupjobsin

2019,comparedwith47.38%in2018and33%in2014.§ Femaleemployabilitywitnessedanupwardtrendat47%in2019from46%

in 2018 and 38 % in 2017,while that of male workforce declined from47.39%in2019to46%thisyear.

§ Risingshareofgigworkersintheeconomyat13%shareintheoverallhiringintentbyemploymenttype.

§ Top5skillsthatEmployersemphasizeonaredomainknowledge,adaptabilityto theenvironment, learning agility andpositive attitudeand interpersonalskills.

• Henceallthestatementsgivenarecorrect.Q.112) The Good Friday Agreement, sometimes seen in news is a peace agreementbetweenwhichofthefollowing?

a) SerbiaandMontenegrob) USAandAfghanistanc) UnitedKingdomandIrelandd) ChinaandHongKong

Q.112)Solution(c)

• TheBelfastAgreementisalsoknownastheGoodFridayAgreement,becauseitwasreachedonGoodFriday,10April1998.

• ItwasapeaceagreementbetweentheBritishandIrishgovernments,andmostofthe political parties in Northern Ireland, on how Northern Ireland should begoverned.

Q.113)ConsiderthefollowingstatementsaboutHoolockgibbon:

1. HoolockgibbonisendemictoIndia.2. TheWesternHoolockgibbonhasamuchwiderrangethanEasternHoolockgibbon

inIndia.



3. Both Eastern and Western species are categorized as Endangered under theInternationalUnionforConservationofNature(IUCN)RedList.



Q.113)Solution(b)Statement1 Statement2 Statement3Incorrect Correct IncorrectHoolock gibbon isthe only ape foundin India. Native toeasternBangladesh,NortheastIndiaandSouthwest China.Hence not endemictoIndia.

Thewesternhoolockgibbonhasa much wider range, as it isfound in all the states of thenorth-east, restricted betweenthe south of the BrahmaputrariverandeastoftheDibangriver.The eastern hoolock gibboninhabits specific pockets ofArunachalPradeshandAssaminIndia.

Categorised into two types -Western and Eastern hoolockgibbon. Of the two, thewesternhoolockislistedasEndangeredinthe IUCN Redlist, whiletheeastern hoolockis listed asVulnerable in the IUCN Redlist.Both are listed on Schedule 1 ofthe Indian (Wildlife) ProtectionAct1972.

Q.114)UNOStabilizationMissioninwhichofthefollowingcountryiscommonlyknownasMONUSCO?

a) SouthSudanb) Yemenc) DemocraticRepublicoftheCongod) Somalia

Q.114)Solution(c)

• UNO Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) orcommonlyknownasMONUSCO,anacronymbasedonitsFrenchname.

• It is a UN peacekeeping force in the DRC which was established by UN SecurityCouncilinresolutions1279(1999)and1291(2000)tomonitorthepeaceprocessoftheSecondCongoWar.



Q.115)Theterm‘Vyommitra’seeninnewsinthecontextof

a) CyberSwachhtaKendrab) GaganyaanMissionc) Fakenewsidentifiermachined) SolidWasteManagement

Q.115)Solution(b)

• ISROannouncedVyommitra,aFemaleRobotwhowillaccompanyotherastronautsintheGaganyaanmissionofIndia.

• Shecandetectandgiveoutwarningsifenvironmentalchangeswithinthecabingetuncomfortabletoastronautsandchangetheaircondition.

• Shecanalsotakeupposturessuitedforlaunchandtasksandtakecommands.Q.116)‘MathikettanSholaNationalPark’islocatedin

a) Keralab) TamilNaduc) Karnatakad) AndhraPradesh

Q.116)Solution(a)ItisnationalparkinPooparavillageofUdumbancholatalukinIdukkidistrictofKerala.Q.117)Whichofthefollowingpairsis/arecorrectlymatched?

1. TyphoonNakri–WestPhilippinesSea2. TyphoonHalong–IndianOcean3. CycloneMaha–BayofBengal4. CycloneKyaar–ArabianSea

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1and2b) 2and3c) 1and4d) 3and4

Q.117)Solution(c)TyphoonNakri–WestPhilippinesSeaTyphoonHalong–WesternPacificOceanCycloneMaha–ArabianSeaCycloneKyaar–ArabianSea



Q.118)'IronUnion12',ajointmilitaryexercisebetween

a) IndiaandUSAb) IndiaandUAEc) UAEandUSAd) IndiaandAustralia

Q.118)Solution(c)'IronUnion12',ajointmilitaryexercisebetweenthegroundforcesoftheUAEandtheUnitedStates.Q.119)‘DoubleFortifiedSalt(DFS)’includes

1. Iodine2. Iron3. Potassium4. Phosphorus

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1and2b) 1and3c) 1and4d) 2and3

Q.119)Solution(a)Dualfortificationofsaltwithiodineandironcouldbeasustainableapproachtocombatiodineandirondeficiencies.Q.120)Whichofthefollowingcountriesopento‘GulfofAden’

1. Oman2. Yemen3. Djibouti4. Ethiopia

Selectthecorrectcode:a) 1,2and3b) 2,3and4c) 1,3and4d) 1,2and4

Q.120)Solution(b)



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